Nikon DSLR's....drool

[1966D100]

Alright, I'm looking at a Digital SLR (Single Lense Reflex) camera.

I have a digital camera already, and theres no chance in hell I'm getting rid of it, but there is only so much this thing can do before I hit a preverbial brick wall.

This is the kind of camera I have http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/coolpix_l3/

As a matter of fact, the last picture in the "Landscape" section is one of mine :giggedy:

But like I said, its a point and shoot camera and there is only so much I can do and modify to get better pictures.

So, I'm looking at one of these two camera's

The Nikon D50, the old stand by for many years and many usuers
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d50/

Or the newly released (August of 2006) Nikon D80 http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d80/

I can get a kit for the D80 with a shit load of accessories I'm going to end up buying anyway for about $1,000. The kit has everything (I mean everything) I need to get started and shooting when I pull it out of the box. But the D80 kit comes with only one main lense and two filters. Plus it comes with a card reader I already have.

Or the D50 is about $500 for the body (no lenses) and I can go ahead and buy another $500 worth of accessories like filters, lenses, a bag, and a recharable battery pack.

I'm basically looking to spend about a $1,000 because, my school is recruiting me to amp up their adds for the Study Abroad program in Japan (perhaps they may send me to China to our forming sister college over there depending on my work). So I'm taking this seriously since there is cash payment involved for my work. They've seen my work with the L3 and they've given me the nod of aproval. The L3 is going with me, no matter what over camera I drag along with me, because its Japan...its going to be crammed as hell on those trains and there are places a giant ass camera won't go (or I won't take it). So a streamlined camera like the L3 will be my friend as well.

If they pick my work, I would get paid $1,000 (you see, I come up with not spending anything at all...also not gaining anything either). Perhaps more, depending on their generostiy, but since more often than not, their tight-wads, its going to be only $1,000.

So yeah, I'm reading and doing my homework on this. I really wanted to get a big and better camera no matter what...this is just an excuse to get it faster.

 

[XLR8R]

I have a D50...spent the extra money on better lenses, as it was pointed out to me by a professional photographer that he would never use any of the few features the "better" ones have....
I love it.

 

[mopar_man]

I've seen a lot of good things about the D80. Have you checked out the D40X yet? How about the stuff from Canon? I've found myself shooting a lot more film lately. Why? Because there's no reliable way to archive digital media. I've got about 4800 digital pictures that I have no permanent way of saving.

Edit: I should add that film is pretty cheap too. I can get prints made for ~$0.21/ea and most film equipment has gotten quite cheap. I bought a Canon AE-1 and 135mm 2.8 lens for $15 last year. You can get a Canon AE-1 just about any day of the week for $20-40. The F-1 has still retained it's value quite well but even the A-1 can be had for under $75-100. Lens are just about as cheap. A 50mm 1.4 lens can usually be had for $20-30. I just bought 35 rolls of Kodak Gold 200 for $16 shipped. There are still quite a few places around that will service these things too.

 

[XLR8R]

You know you can have them printed, right? :hmmm:

 

[mopar_man]

I wouldn't call that permanent. :huh:

 

[XLR8R]

what do you mean then? I keep a specific hard drive for them, an outboard portable unit...and I copy all the ones I worry about onto DVD's. I think that is as permanent as I can get. Film is far from permanent...it decades over time...

 

[1966D100]

Well, despite being 4 mega pixles less, I think I'm going to go with the Nikon D50

A recent check on ebay has shown that I can get some some starter kits (some packed with $1,500 lenses) for anywhere from $300 to $700.

Not bad considering the filter kits range from $10 to $70. So, providing I pick the right starter kit with two types of lenses I'll use (one for portraits, and the other for landscape), I get myself the right fliters, and I'm pretty much set and I may still be under the $1,000 mark. This kicks ass!!

Right now, I'm waiting to find out what type of photo's they're looking for, which will help me pick the proper starter kick for me so that way I don't have to go searching for more lenses.

Unless they blow these pictures up to poster size, I should be able to get away with 6.1 mega pixles.

Though 10.2 is tempting...whats driving me away is the $1,000 starter price tag. If I had another year or two to waste, I'd just wait it out and watch the price on the D80 fall as it becomes popular. But then again, by that time it does get into a affordable range, I should be out of college and into a higher paying job anyway. So I guess it doesn't matter to a point.

Though I did hear some good advise, "pick your camera and stick with it". So, as of right now, I can't think of a reason why I need bilboard size pictures. So I do believe the Nikon D50 is going to be my choice. I personally, prefer Nikon over the other brands. Not saying they are inferiour or anything, but like us Moparnuts, we have a loyalty to MaMopar (or at least a love-hate relationship), just as I have the same with Nikkon.

 

[XLR8R]

remember this though, although it appears like a much lower mp than a comparable pocket camera, the area of it is far larger, hence a far more clear picture is available, far better than a comparable 6mp point and shoot.
It is an excellent camera, you will enjoy it greatly!

 

[Rob R]

I never had any luck with Nikon...I found them to be a poor low light camera.I have not tried the D series but that 7800 and 7900 were JUNK...
Give me a Canon everytime...I really like my Pro 1...best low light camera I've used to date

 

[XLR8R]

Rob, this one is really nice in low light. Had great results so far. It is a very well rated camera...

 

[Rob R]

Like I had said before I haven't tried any of the D series but they look just like my old 7800...I checked the ISO on the D50 and D80 and it's no better than that 7800 I had...200 on the D50 and a 100 on the D80...
I think if you were to try a G series Canon you would see what I'm talking about...I'm always taking pictures in garages that are lit with one 100 light blub hanging fron the rafters and even with a $500 flash that Nikon SUCKED..!!
I need a camera that requires no Skill to opperate but gives flawless pictures and the canon does that...I had a G1 and a G3 and then I went to the Nikon 7800 and 7900 and then back to this Pro 1...IMHO the Canon is a 100x better than those Nikons I tried :shifty:

your probably WAY BETTER than myself when it comes to taking pictures....heck I fix cars for a living and only read books that have pictures in them

 

[1966D100]

LOL, well, everyone has their own opinion and their own camera they love. I have more expereince with working with the manual options on camera's so I know a little bit how to mess around with the shit, plus there's always the magic of photoshop if needed too.

But I do know what you are talking about and my Coolpix is a little crappy in low light...thats if I'm holding it since its super sensative to motion, setting it down on a tripod will rememdy that.

Plus there are a bunch of other random things you can use to bounce light to where you want it too, but those things cost money I currently don't have.

But thanks for your opinion Rob, nice to hear something different sometimes about certain cameras that gets me to think and weigh the pro's and con's.

 

[mopar_man]

what do you mean then? I keep a specific hard drive for them, an outboard portable unit...and I copy all the ones I worry about onto DVD's. I think that is as permanent as I can get. Film is far from permanent...it decades over time...

DVD's don't last forever. What if the picture format changes? The hassle of having to recopy and change formats is just not appealing to me. I'm not sure what you're meaning by film decaying (I'm assuming that's what you meant). My grandma still has negatives from the 50's that are still like new. :huh:

I think if you were to try a G series Canon you would see what I'm talking about...I'm always taking pictures in garages that are lit with one 100 light blub hanging fron the rafters and even with a $500 flash that Nikon SUCKED..!!
I need a camera that requires no Skill to opperate but gives flawless pictures and the canon does that...I had a G1 and a G3 and then I went to the Nikon 7800 and 7900 and then back to this Pro 1...IMHO the Canon is a 100x better than those Nikons I tried :shifty:

I was playing around with a Canon PowerShot S3 yesterday. It seems to be a lot cheaper than your G3 but seems to be slightly better in some features (12x zoom, Image Stabilization for using that zoom, bigger sensor and faster shutter). It's also slightly worse in some features (less MP, smaller aperture). If I wanted another snapshot camera, that one would be my top choice.