What's the best Digital SLR camera for around $1000?

Question

I am looking for a good quality Digital SLR camera for around $1000. If possible, I want to purchase one that comes with 2 lenses (sometimes Best Buy and Circuit City sell the SLR's in kits.) What is a good lens for close-ups (?55mm-300mm?)? And what is a good one for wide angle shots?

I also would like to know if any of the SLR's use regular SD memory cards or if you have to buy those expensive high speed ones.

Also, the camera has to take at least 5 frames per second. I will be using it to take fast action shots.

It should also have between 8-10 megapixels.

Do you own a Digital SLR...if so, what kind...do you like it/would you recommend it?

I have heard that Canon makes the best, but I am not completely set on buying a Canon...I am open to more suggestions.

Any websites, information, pricing guides, or product review sites would be great! Thanks!

Also, if I want to take close-ups...is a 75-300mm lens good, or should I spring for something more in the 500-1300mm range? I know they get a whole heck of a lot pricier when you get past 300mm. What is a good lens to purchase that is in the 75-300mm range...and about how much should that cost. (And I would prefer it to be auto focus rather than manual.)

Answer 1

Given your budget, this is what I would do:

Go to www.bhphotovideo.com and check out their used department. Consider a used 20d (just body) for a hair over $700. This is a pro-grade camera, and will meet your 5fps quota. It will also be more durable than the consumer-grade versions (dig rebels). It is a superb camera and a good deal at that price. B&H is a reputable dealer and I wouldn't hesitate to buy their used products.

Be aware that digital SLR cameras (other than big $ ones like the 5d) have sensors that are bigger than those of point-and-shoot digicams, but smaller than film. This means that it takes fewer megapixels than a point-and shoot to make a certain sized enlargement. It also means, though, that your lenses will actually reach further on a "crop body" D-SLR than they will on a film camera. For the 20d and similar cameras, multiply the focal length by 1.6x to get the effective length. This means that your longer lenses reach further, but that you have to go even shorter to get true "wide angle."

All Canon digital SLR's use compact-flash chips.

Now here is an unpleasant truth: the "kit" lenses that come with these cameras range in quality from mediocre to downright rubbish. Unfortunately, the same is true for the the "consumer grade" 70-300mm zooms available at Bestbuy and the like. If you really want one, look on B&H, Adorama, or any of the other major site's used sections. They usually go for $100, as they are commonly sold back when people realize that they don't deliver on quality. You will find these lenses typically lack the sharpness and contrasty color that one associates with a serious D-SLR setup. Why spend that much on a fancy camera, only to look through cheap glass? If you want to read about lenses, go to www.photozone.de and the reviews page on www.fredmiranda.com.

The single best lens to get for your new canon D-SLR is the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. This lens is fixed at a "medium" range, 90mm effectively on your 20d or the like. it will not zoom. However, it takes BEAUTIFUL pictures. It is also VERY fast (if you're getting this camera, read up on how f-stops relate to shooting under different conditions). You will be able to shoot in low light with no flash. This lens is $70 new. Its a steal. Run, don't walk.

The bad news is that the 50mm prime is a rarity in providing that image quality at an affordable price. For wide angle, look at the Tokina 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ($150 give or take). This is generally considered the cheapest good WA out there. Be aware that it will only be moderately wide on the 20d, but lower than 19mm starts getting pricey. This isn't pro quality, but its good.

Long range isn't cheap. The best "cheap" option is the 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ($250). This lens is kind of slow (high f-stop numbers), but it will produce better images than its 70-300mm brother. Its still not great, though. The best deal in tele-zooms is the Canon 70-200mm f/4L. This is an "L" series (pro grade) lens that takes knockout pictures. It runs about $550, and would shoot at 112-320mm on a 20d or equivalent. The added benefit is this lens works suprisingly well with a 1.4 tele-extender. Adding one of these between the camera and lens will multiply your effective range to 448mm at the cost of a few f-stops and a *small* bit of resolution. You can't usually get away with using an extender on a zoom lens while still making good quality, but this is an exception.

Also worth considering is the 70-300mm 4-5.6 *IS* (not to be confused with the non-IS). This is an image stabilized lens, and much better quality optics than the non-IS. This runs about $550 as well.

If you honestly need the range, but can't increase your budget to buy the L series or the IS, then I would think long and hard about a used Canon 10d, which is still an excellent camera capable of producing lovely 8x10's. These often go for $400 or less on the fredmiranda.com for-sale bulletins and similar places. Once again, don't buy a fancy camera only to skimp on the glass. For what its worth, I own a 10d that I love to death, and I'm far more interested in upgrading my lenses than that body.

In the end, choosing lenses is about what you are going to do with them. If you are shooting indoor sports, for instance, nothing slower than the expensive f/2.8 lenses will do very well. If you are shooting wildlife, 300mm is usually a START for the range you need, not the end. If you provide more information on those action shots, I can probably cater my recommendations better.

So, to recap this novel:

1. I need a $1000 starter camera setup:
-Used 20d ($720)
-2gb Compact Flash ($50)
-Canon 50mm f/1.8 ($70)
-Tokina 19-35mm f3.5-4.5 ($150)

2. I need range and my price is flexible
-Add 70-200mm f/4 ($550) to above

3. I need range and price is not (very) flexible
-Subtract 20d and replace with used 10d

Answer 2

Sorry there isnt a camera that is under a G that will let you take 5 photos a sec. As for the SD it would be smart to use the high speed card if you want fast FPS.
Ok now that you know your not going to get a SLR that does 5fps for under a G. Let's talk about cameras. 9 out of 10 cameras(talking about SLR's) sold in the world are Canon and Nikon. That means the other 4+ camera companies making SLR's are fighting for the 1 out of 10. It is not hard to find a SLR that is in the 8-10 mp range I think there is only one current(I mean current too) SLR that is under 8 (Nikon D40).
The cameras in the sub $1000 are the Canon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D80. I think both are great cameras. The canon has a auto sensor cleaner which will save you the cost of cleanings($60-120) per year. Canon uses CMOS chips in there cameras which does do a better job in keeping the noise levels down(digital grain) Its small which some people like. But the draw backs to it is that only shoots 3 fps its has a very crappy lens that comes in the kit. That said if you get the upgrade your looking at $600 more which puts you over the G mark. Plus I think the camera is hard to hold and it takes CF cards.
As for the D80 it uses SD cards, it comes with a much better lens(18-55), the battery lasts longer, and it has a much better feel to it. As for the chip it does use a CCD but nikon has gotten close to the low noise levels of the canons with this camera. Plus this camera will also shoot at 3fps for many more frames than the canon will. As for draw backs. It is a bit over the G mark. It doesnt have a auto sensor cleaner.
As for lens I would start out of the basic 18-55 and pick up a 75-300 later on. Unless your made of money.
Anyways I own a Nikon D80 and a Nikon D200. And I would recommend the D80. I have many friends that own and use canons on a pro level and I would say canon is a great way too go too.

As for great websites I would go to www.dpreview.com it is the number one camera review site in the US and in the UK. I wouldnt get you camera at best buy or CC I would order it though BH Photo www.bhphoto.com or get it at your local camera shop.

Good luck

Answer 3

Check eBay for camera kits on whatever you decide. I got my Nikon D70 there with three lenses, filters, two cases, a tripod, and a 4G memory card for around $1300--they have smaller and bigger packages as you see fit.

For Camera comparison, I've worked extensively with Canon and Nikon and find them equal in just about every aspect that matters...both are excellent quality and easily negotiate the amateur/professional skill levels.

That being said, Olympus and Pentax also produce good systems, and should not be overlooked in a body by body comparison.

Canon's user interfaces are a little more idiot-proof in my experience, but I wound up going with the D70 because it's lighter weight and even at 6 mp, it still turns out great, expandable images for my wedding photography business (and you KNOW how seriously brides take their wedding photos). Truthfully, a larger file size becomes cumbersome in this circumstance, as I'll easily generate 600-1000+ images per event, and at a minimum of 4MB per file, that can overwhelm even a pretty smart computer pretty quickly.

For lenses, my set as mentioned, came with three, all Sigma; 17-25 mm, 28-70 mm, and 50-300mm. For my purposes, the 28-70 is my workhorse because it's a good medium range lens with enough flexibility to come in close if I need to, yet still allows me to back out enough to take in wider shots. The 17-25 is the best for close in, and the 50-300 is a very effective zoom for most circumstances. There are better lenses out there, but these allow me the flexibility I need with minimal need for changing lenses (not good to be caught changing a lens when the couple kisses for the first time).

Both Canon and Nikon use the same size (physical size, not memory size) memory card (which I find infinitely handy when going between my beefy Nikon and my more portable Canon A80--sometimes you just don't want to tote the whole camera bag, but still want to be able to take good pictures). The high speed ones aren't necessary, but they do reduce your drag time between shots, which, if you're planning on taking fast action shots, will be a consideration for you. Also, if you're taking lots of fast action shots at 8MP+ per shot, you'll definitely want a large capacity card (1G or more), and I'm pretty sure they only come in the high speed variety (don't quote me on that).

The current generation of the Canon EOS (D, I think?) does have an 8MP capability, and I know that there are newer models available from both Canon and Nikon with greater MP capability--I just didn't look into them too hard for reasons stated above. And be aware that the more MP you have, the farther you'll get from your $1000 purchase price.

Hope this helps in your search.

Good luck!

Answer 4

With that budget I would definitively go for Canon's excellent 30D.

It does 5 fps, it has a killer autofocus for those action shots and even though it "only" has 8 megapixels it has better image quality than Nikon's D200 that is 10 and costs $600 dollars more.

Check dpreview.com for really in depth comparisons with sample shots and everything.

As far as lenses is concerned I would probably go with the kit lens (18-55) and get a 70-300 IS for those action shots a little bit later.

Take care!

Ignacio

Answer 5

The Nikon D80 is great I own one of those along with Nikon D200. The D80 will run about $1100-$1200 with a 18-70mm lens which is a great lens for wide shots, but you could go wider but you'd need a super wide. Also B&H Photo Video out of New York is selling a Nikon DX 50-200mm for $170 which is uper cheap. both cameras are 10,2 megapixels, but the image sensor on the D200 is much larger. here are some links

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=449061&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=474735&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25412

http://nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25235

The D80 takes SD, and the D200 takes CompactFlash. Below is a link to a website called PBase which is an online community of photographers who share their photos. These are links to photos taken with both these cameras

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/nikon/d80

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/nikon/d200

Answer 6

I would buy into the Nikon system. Nikon has more add on items like flash, SD cards, battery holders, etc. Depending how fast you want lens to take action shots, several brands are compatible with Nikon body's.

Answer 7

You might consider Canon 20D or Canon 30D.

Most SLR cameras use CF card because it is faster than SD card.

Answer 8

olympus