What kind of camera to purchase?

[snake020]

I had a Canon EOS 10D since 2003 and now have the Digital Rebel xti. I've ordered regular prints, 8x10s, and even a 20x30, all with spectatular results. Either EOS or Digital Rebel will do well; as said before it's the lenses that truly make the difference.

That being said I know some PAOs that swear by Nikon and some that swear by Canon. Both are solid, but once you've started investing in lenses for one brand you're pretty much going to be stuck with that brand for life unless you're filthy rich and have a lot of money to burn.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

Yea you can really put a lot of money away on lenses.

 

[scoober78]

Both are solid, but once you've started investing in lenses for one brand you're pretty much going to be stuck with that brand for life unless you're filthy rich and have a lot of money to burn.

Or get robbed....:icon_rage

 

[MrSaturn]

I like my Nikon D40X it was a lower end SLR at the NEX.

Its as easy to use as a powershot. But if you like playing with your photos it gives you alot of power and flexibility.

You should be able to easily take pictures of your kids playing in sports, family photos and whatever else you might want.

 

[ea6bflyr]

PSW uses a Digital Rebel XT (XTi is the newest one), and a PowerShot A560. Having both (point and shoot, SLR) is a good idea. There are times that PSW doesn't feel like lugging the bag with 3 lenses, flash, etc...

Actually, the Digital Rebel XSi is the newest Canon EOS (12.2 MegaPixel).

I have the XTi and I love it. I can go into different modes, while I can also put it into the "simple" mode and hand it off to a passerby or my wife or kids.....It takes professional pics and it's easy to use.

There are pros and cons to both P&S and DSLR. Why not have one of each.

-ea6bflyr

 

[flysupertomcat]

like several have said, best image quality is largely based on lenses. Nikon v. Canon is not necessarily apples to oranges IMO. They both can produce amazing images, and I have used and owned several cameras in both camps. IMO the major difference is in colors, where as Nikon colors are a little bit warmer to me (skin tones mainly) and I like that, but you can always tweak Nikon images to make them cooler like Canon's and vice versa. Pretty much personal preference.

I started out with the Rebel XT and that was a great starting platform. The XTI would be better as it has a few more nicer features and they are at incredible prices nowadays. But again, lenses is what is going to make or break action photography, particularly in low light or night time. If you want to take pictures in a gym or at night say on a football field, then you are going to need something with a big aperture (2.8 or lower). Only problem is that 2.8 and lower lenses can get very pricey (sometimes outrageously) but that is how you will get the best pictures. 2.8 aperture or lower with Vibration Reduction (Nikon) or Image Stabilization (Canon) is ideal but like I said, they will easily cost $1000+. If you think you will do mostly daylight stuff, that gives you some more/cheaper options.

 

[Gatordev]

Point and shoots are great....for what they are intended. They are HORRID at what they aren't.

Trying to use a point and shoot to get decent photographs of your kid playing soccer or football will be an exercize in frustration. It will not perform at an acceptable level at those distances and speeds. They just are not flexible enough.

I couldn't agree more. I had a very nice Minolta faux-SLR. It had most of the functions of a dSLR but still shot at a slower speed and used a digital image as the viewfinder. When it died, my primary reason for going to a SLR was to get something that when I pulled the trigger, the shutter released. There was no thinking about what it was going to do and then doing it. That's one of the big things a SLR is going to give you, as long as you can manage lugging around a SLR.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

I have an Rebel XTi, Love it. I use it almost exclusively for skydiving, and it does great.

 

[squorch2]

If you're starting out, get a 40D or better if you're investing in Canon. These afford you the full-frame sensor that lets you use EF lenses without the 1.6x zoom factor. This is a BIG thing if you're using actual, not EF-S, lenses. Nikon or Pentax will do you well otherwise.