Thomas asks…

Which Digital SLR should I get ?

The only types of cameras I have ever used were the cheap point and shoot type, so I have no experience with this type of camera.
The reason I’m buying one soon, is that I can’t get my 2 year old to stay still long enough for my point and shoot camera to take a picture before me moves and because my Wife, son and I are taking a long vacation to Poland and Germany this summer and I want to have some nice pictures.

Theses are the cameras that I was thinking about getting, but i’ll listen to any suggestions and advice!

Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera and Nikon 55-200mm Lens

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+D3100+14.2MP+Digital+SLR+Camera+and+Nikon+55-200mm+Lens/9999147900050021.p?id=pcmprd147900050021&skuId=9999147900050021&childSku=7249676&count=2

Canon – EOS Rebel T2i 18.0-Megapixel Digital SLR

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ Canon +-+EOS+ Rebel + T2i +18.0-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9778635.p?id=1218171770784&skuId=9778635

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR and Extra Nikon 55-300mm VR Lens

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+D3100+Digital+SLR+and+Extra+Nikon+55-300mm+VR+Lens/9999147900050024.p?id=pcmprd147900050024&skuId=9999147900050024

Canon – EOS Rebel T3i 18.0-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Kit
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-+EOS+Rebel+T3i+18.0-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+Kit/1980124.p?id=1218304066943&skuId=1980124&st=t3i&cp=1&lp=1

rob answers:

Sample videos online made with T3i is very impressive quality.
Canon cameras are user friendly cameras and you can begin taking photos right away after charging the battery and reading the quick start section.

Mark asks…

Which Wide Angle Lens Would You Recommend?

I’m shopping for a new lens for my Canon 550D ( Rebel T2i ) so I don’t have to use the kit lens all the time ( Canon 18-55mm). I shoot mostly landscapes/nature with the occasional portrait session. There are four lenses that I am considering and I was wondering if anyone had any of them and could give some feedback/recommendations. The lenses are: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Tokina 12-24mm f/4, and Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! I’m looking at third party lenses because they are cheaper (I’m on a budget) than Canon lenses but still have pretty good optical and build quality. If you have any other suggestions in the $400-$600 price range feel free to say something! Thanks for looking!

-Sydney

rob answers:

I have the Nikon version of the Tokina 11-16mm. At a fast f/2.8, it is an outstanding lens. I use it for not only landscape photos, but also taking interior shots of cruse ships when we are on cruises.

I did a review of this lens at http://www.althephoto.com/lenses/superwide.php It also shows a comparison between the 11-16 and 10-24 to show the differences in the field-of-view between 10mm and 11mm – which isn’t much.

Jenny asks…

What dSLR camera and lens to buy?

I am just starting out with photography as a hobby, so I am not really sure what I need. I do need a dSLR camera for a class I will be taking, but am not sure what features/lenses I really need, whether extra expenses are worth it for a beginner, etc.

Cameras I am considering:
Nikon D3100
Canon EOS Rebel T2i
Nikon D5100
Canon EOS 60D

Which brand would you suggest and why? Obviously the top 2 are much cheaper, so is the more expensive of each worth it for a beginner? Also are the kit lenses good enough or would I be better off getting just body and a separate lens? And what size (Or zoom range) lens should I be using? (Canon offers size choices of kit lens. If separate what are some good lens choices?)

I know this is a lot of questions in one, but any advice would help.
Ty for the advice. Especially on sensor size, but the D7k is way out of my price range. My budget is only around 800. Maybe up to 1k if the upgrades are really worth it. Obviously if I don’t actually need the features for any good reason I would prefer to pay less though.

Nikon D5100 w/ lens kit is only $50 over my budget, but if getting body only with ~ a $200 lens ($100 more than kit lens) would be worth it for whatever reason I am willing to do that. I really don’t know what size lens I need to start out though, and aperture (The listed f/#) just completely confuses me. Would it be bad to get a lens that list a single f/# rather than a range, or is it just listing the maximum? And what aperture should I get?

rob answers:

Of the four, the Nikon D5100 provides the best sensor performance, however since you included the Canon 60D, you will want to look at the Nikon D7000 which competes directly with it.

Here is how the sensors of the Nikon D7000, Canon 06D and Nikon D5100 compare.

Http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cameras/Compare-Camera-Sensors/Compare-cameras-side-by-side/(appareil1)/698%7C0/(brand)/Nikon/(appareil2)/680%7C0/(brand2)/Nikon/(appareil3)/663%7C0/(brand3)/Canon

The reason you may want to consider the Nikon D7000 has to do with the increased number of Nikkor lenses available for your use. You can use the older, less expensive Nikkor AF lenses with the D7000

The “lens kits” are to get the new photographer started, learning how to use a fully adjustable camera with the least expense.

In reality, which camera you buy will be up to your total budget you have set aside for your camera “system”

Here is a link to the number of available Nikon lenses and what the angle of view of each of them.

.http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Camera-Lenses/All-Lenses/index.page

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/

Richard asks…

Is this a good camera?

I want to buy a Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18.0MP DSLR Camera With 18-55mm IS Lens Kit
is it good bad??
and can you use a nikon lens for a canon camera ?

Thanks!

rob answers:

That is a very good camera and if you want to research it and find out more then below I added some links where you can look up cameras and learn more about them, even find reviews with sample images from the cameras.

Also, 2 other cameras you may want to check out are:

*Nikon D5000 12MP DSLR Digital Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens
*Pentax K-x 12MP DSLR with 18-55mm Zoom lens

Hope this helps.

Mark

Donald asks…

Im totally torn and undecided, please help?

im an amateur photographer and im deciding between two cameras. one has amazing art features (the olympus) and great quality, the canon has great video and image quality. basically which would you get? thanks!
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1430 Olympus
http://usa. canon .com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_rebel_t2i_ef_s_18_55mm_is_kit Canon

rob answers:

I like both cameras very much. A friend of mine bought an Olympus and he was very happy con his camera, I saw the pictures and they were expended. My advise to you is to check and talk to a specialist, I can’t give you an objective advise since I know very little about cameras, and you are going to spend a considerable amount of money. Be sure that you will be getting what you need, the features that you are going to be using. It makes no sense getting a camera with features that we won’t be using, so think about your needs, because it doesn’t matter that your camera takes excellent close-ups when you want your camera to photograph landscapes.

Good luck and enjoy your new camera!

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