Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dslr and photo

Help me choose a beginner DSLR?

kylej — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:13 -0800

What beginner's dslr should I buy? I'm looking to purchase a camera within the next couple weeks. I have around 600$ to spend, and I'm looking to buy a beginners dslr.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel XSi.

It seems like it has a lot of options for me to learn and Canon has a nice lens selection if I want to buy more.

I've seen other questions on here, as well as numerous online reviews, but I wanted to see if you guys can think of any other options that would be good for me.

Stuff I'm planning on using it for:
Snapshots of friends
Macro(ish) shots
Travel shots(for when I go to Spain this summer)
Probably some informal portraits too

Another camera I was considering was the Nikon D3000, which is geared towards beginners, but I feel like it might be limiting as I get better at photography.

Thanks for your input!

Which DSLR would you pick?

ddaavviidd — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:59:43 -0800

I need to choose between buying a used Nikon D50 and a used Canon Rebel XT. I would like to hear about your experience with any of these fine cameras. Both cameras pretty much have the same specs, and I can get them at the same price ( about $400 CAD), both come with the 18-55 kit lense, the Nikon also have a dx nikor 55-200 F4,5-5,6 and the canon comes with a sigma 70-300 F4,0-5,6. I will use this camera both inside and outside, and I don't plan to print huge posters. I'm not doing sport photography, mostly landscape and people. I was also looking at new Nikon D60, but they are still over $500 and I can't afford that right now.

I'd like to hear about your experience with these cameras. I'm leaning towards the D50 for its larger lcd, but I heard the XT does a better job for inside shots. I don't own lenses, so I'm not sold to any brand. Anything I should be aware of to help my choice? I've done lots of photography before, using manual settings and all, but always with point-and-shoot cameras.

Cheap DSRL for low-light?

Monday, stony Monday — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:20:21 -0800

What cheap kit should I get to take relatively low-light photos? So I found out that shooting hockey indoors is out of my price/skills range. Still looking for a camera. My subjects would be people in low-light situations, at close range (players on the bench, people in the crowd). Later, I'd use that setup to shoot family gatherings. Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $1000. I own no lenses, or body. It seems that a DSLR with an APS-sized sensor + a fixed lens would offer me the best compromise in terms of low-light performance vs. weight vs. cost.

This leads me to:

This Nikkor lens + a D40 (or D60 if I should) seems like the cheapest/lightest setup with a "normal" (like a 50 mm lens on a 35 mm camera) perspective. Amirite? Is there a good reason to avoid the D40?
Should I step up to a Sigma 30 mm/1.4? Here in Canada it's more than double the price.

Fast 50 mm lenses are relatively cheap. Would putting one on an APS body be an hindrance, given that I intend to shoot in close quarters (e.g.: people in a living room)?

Finally, am I overthinking this? Would whatever cheap kit zoom be enough for my purpose? For "shooting around a hockey game", a zoom would be nice since I could get relatively "close" to the players on the opposite bench.

Oh, and should I care about stabilisation, since I'm shooting people?

What DSLR + lens to shoot hockey (indoors)?

Monday, stony Monday — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:48:50 -0800

I want to shoot indoor hockey with a DSLR. What should I get for ~$1000-1500? I'm looking at Canon and Nikon. I have some extra money, and my brothers are playing in a hockey tournament in a few weeks. I'd like to buy a DSLR and a lens so I can get OK-quality pictures. I've used P&S digitals to shoot hockey before, but there really isn't much lighting in an arena, and hockey players move fast, so the photos tend to come out blurry and/or noisy beyond repair.

I'd like to get a DSLR with a lens. I'm willing to pay extra if that means I can get much better results, but my funds aren't unlimited. Given my $1000-1500 ($2000 max) budget, it seems that a DSLR with an APS-sized sensor + the best zoom I can get (low aperture + fast AF, not necessarilly a huge focal range -- the rink isn't that large) would be my best bet. Am I aiming in the right direction? Alternatively, could I realistically shoot hockey with a fixed lens (and a single body)?

The camera would be used for general photography thereafter (which is why I'm looking mostly at Canon and Nikon), but hockey is likely to remain an important subject.

Also, if you have any tips or links to articles on shooting hockey, feel free to share.

Take my pictures....please!

um_maverick — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:32:26 -0800

My snazzy new DSLR camera (Canon Rebel XS) just arrived, so now I need to know what to do with it. My Google skills have failed to find me a useful photography class south of Boston (Brockton/Tauntron/Attleboro-type range). Please help! I'm looking for classes that will show me how to take pictures - composition, color, lenses, settings, etc. At this point, I've read a lot online, but am a hands-on noob. Something once or twice a week, maybe with some field trips built in, would be ideal.

I found courses at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, but that's farther than I'd like to go. I also checked some area community colleges, but the only one I found (at Bristol Community College) looks like a film class - darkroom techniques, etc... Maybe I'll get to that point eventually, but right now I just want to take some good pictures, and maybe learn digital post-processing techniques.

Thanks!

Best low-light lens for Nikon D80?

bollockovnikov — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:03:51 -0800

I am looking for a lens for my Nikon D80 that works well in low-light conditions. Something relatively compact and not too expensive would be best. I already own a 18-200mm VR lens, which is OK in low light, but not very compact.

I would obviously like my new lens to be useful in a range of situations, but I am more interested in the portrait to 10 metres range.

I do not own a flash unit and don't intend to buy one.

Thanks

Will a Pentax lens fit a Canon camera?

Grither — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:56:30 -0800

I can't seem to find this online anywhere, and it might be such a stupid question that is should be obvious, but I thought I'd ask anyway: Will a new pentax lens (75-300mm) fit on a slightly older Canon Rebel SLR camera? I received two of the same lens for xmas, and am trying sell one on craig's list, but so far the only buyer is someone who has a Canon Rebel SLR (that's all the info I've got from him so far) and my lens is a Pentax FAJ75mm-300mm lens, as seen in this link from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009XVQR/ref=s9_asin_image_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1YVDVJ8EE2JVT99SZE3P&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846

Is there any chance this will fit his camera?