I have been saving up on my entertainment budget and I have decided instead of mods for the car it is time to enter the DSLR world. I'm not really partial to any brand but I have had great experience with Canon and I have never used a Nikon camera before of any kind. I have been doing some reading on the Rebel T1i and I was wondering does any own this camera and if so what are your opinions of it? I'm pretty good with electronics but I do not need a top end professional camera so I'm not sure if I should go for the T1i or downgrade to the XS or maybe a Nikon model?

sweet i too just decided to move into the world of photography.
there are several entry choices that i saw but best bang for the buck i found was a nikon d40 with lens kit at bestbuy for $399 free shipping.

Canon XS, XSi, 20D or 30D would be good entry levels. I just got the T2i after owning the XSi for 1.5yrs. I absolutley love it!

if you're looking to get a couple of different lenses down the road on a entry level dslr then i would suggest buying a canon... i'm a nikon shooter myself but i think that canon has a wider array of lenses and they pretty much are all compatible with any body.... for example, if you had nikon d40, you cant autofocus the nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8) lens on it... you'd have to buy the 50mm af-s which is $300 compared to the $100 AF version...

its really preference, go to a reputable camera store and ask questions and try out different cameras. its hard to decide without having the actual camera in your hand.

not walmart or bestbuy.

^^how did you like your XSi?

loved it, worked great. i just wanted the higher ISO option and HD video shooting.

cool cool, im trying to pick a camera out but it is pretty hard. Seems like they will say this feature is great then another feature sucks so I dont know what to get. lol

you should be able to find the t1i a little cheaper now or the xsi even now that the t2i is out. both are good cameras. I love my t2i.

Thanks for the advice, I think I will go with the T1i so I can have full HD video recording capability.

The only difference between the T1 and T2 is the higher ISO correct?

if you're looking to get a couple of different lenses down the road on a entry level dslr then i would suggest buying a canon... i'm a nikon shooter myself but i think that canon has a wider array of lenses and they pretty much are all compatible with any body.... for example, if you had nikon d40, you cant autofocus the nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8) lens on it... you'd have to buy the 50mm af-s which is $300 compared to the $100 AF version...

its really preference, go to a reputable camera store and ask questions and try out different cameras. its hard to decide without having the actual camera in your hand.

Actually Canon also have their own quirks as well with the whole EF-S/EF lens mounts. EF-S was designed for their APS-C sensor cameras (much like the DX lenses for Nikon) but the thing is they can't be used on EF camera mounts (of course there are ways around it, and also the EF mount lenses can be used on EF-S mount cameras) while with Nikon there is just the F mount, but as Scionarra pointed out with the D40, it has not internal focus, but it can still use the full line up of Nikon lenses, just some have to be manually focused.

So much like the Nikon, Canon users that go for entry level bodies will have to be selective on their lenses and think of the long term investment (whether you will upgrade to full frame probodies down the line)

And I would have to agree with Scionarra last statment. It all boils down to personal preference. They are both great camera makers and you really can't go wrong with either one. They all have their pros and cons in each class that kind of balances themselves out. Once you start getting into photography and know what you shoot and what your style is, you will get more of an understanding on what your needs are, and what features you want out of your lenses & body. Every photographer's equipment list ends up being unique to their own style.

I myself started out with the D80 (sold), moved up to the D700 (sold), and now wield a D3s. I prefer the ergonomics and menu layout of the Nikons, and it's hard for me not to love the low noise, high iso capabilities of the D700/D3s.

If I was a Canon user I would have probably gotten the 5D Mark II myself (couldn't justify the price to performance ratio for the 1D like I could the D3s)

Of course as you may have heard before, having good glass is better than having the best body, and having the skill to control light and knowing how to compose a picture trumps all.

Your lens collection will usually lock you into the brand (since they can get pretty damn expensive)

Sorry I don't know too much about the entry level line up these days, but I do hear a lot of love for the t2i.

Whatever you end up with good luck and have fun.

I have a Sony A300
I'm not a photography/camera expert, but in my opinion it takes great photos
and here's an extremely in-depth review

http://www.alphamountworld.com/reviews/sony-a300-review?page=0%2C0

an interesting tidbit to follow drivexB's post, Sony actually produces the D3x sensors for Nikon (but of course they were blueprinted by Nikon)

I honestly had no idea what I was getting when I bought my camera
It literally happened like this
Girlfriend: I want a nice camera
Me: Okay, let's go to Best Buy. Hey this one looks nice and camera-like! *Buys*

That's usually how I make all my decisions(sarcasm)

the sony a330 looks pretty nice, probably going to go look at it tomorrow

i just got my first SLR camera and i got the D90

The T1i is my first DSLR. I had been into photography a bit with a "DSLR-like" digital before and made the jump to the T1i and I have loved it. The body has all the features you need to learn about the details of exposure and photography to not hold you back, and an appropriate pricetag for someone not looking to spend a couple grand.

I think it's a very suitable camera for someone looking for their first DSLR.

i would stick with the big names brand like Nikon and Canon. I personally use a Canon 40D. It's a kick ___ camera for stills. Sadly, I wish I have the 5D MkII though.

Canon has a legendary sensor while Nikon tech outside of the sensor is a lot more updated than Canon. There's good and bad for both brands.

Side note... people who watches [H]ouse, today's season finale is filmed all using the 5D mkII.

there's good and bad with both bodies it just depends on whos leading the race the day you buy yours but the next day the other manufacture will have something better so go with what feels right and is your price point

with that said stick with the cannon and nikon cameras though

there's good and bad with both bodies it just depends on whos leading the race the day you buy yours but the next day the other manufacture will have something better so go with what feels right and is your price point

with that said stick with the cannon and nikon cameras though

Cannon.

If you want a good camera and don't mind buying used, skip the entry level on both sides (D40/XS/XSi/T1i) and go for something a little better (Canon 10/20/30D or Nikon D60/80) Still easy enough to learn on, but still hard enough that you have to practice everyday

any thoughts on the d5000?

Thumbs down. I played with one at a Best Buy. Compared to my D90, the D5000 is poopy.




Yes. Poopy.

yea i havent checked it out in person yet, I went to best buy to look at on but they didnt have any dslr's. lol

If you're considering the D5000, completely ignore it and go straight for the D90. It's a vastly superior camera. If cost is a concern, hunt around for a used D90.

D40/D40x/D60/D3000/D5000 are all the entry level nikon DSLR's. they are great FIRST cameras to learn with. I started with a D40 and it was perfect for a first camera. not as many buttons, everything was a little more automated while you slowly grasped the relationships between aperture, shutterspeed, and iso. my next camera, and the one i still use is the D90. had i of gotten this for my first camera, i may have been a little overwhelmed since i knew NOTHING about photography when i started.

good thing about the equipment though is it holds its value really well. i bought a nikon D40 for $450 and sold it a little over a year later for $400.

i say get yourself a D40 for starters. it is the most inexpensive and a very good first DSLR. i still stand by the statement that what you get for what you pay, the D40 is the best camera out there. you can get them now used for like $300-350. incredible tool for that price and great for learning.

good thing about the equipment though is it holds its value really well. i bought a nikon D40 for $450 and sold it a little over a year later for $400.


This is very true, especially with lenses. It seems like lenses never really lose their value.

yup. bought my XS for 450 sold it a year later to a buddy for 350 (gave the good friend discount haha) but could have sold to someone random for 400. I bought a used lens for 270 and sold it for 270 shipped (was 12$ to ship). I could go on and on. DSLR bodies and lens hold great value. The accessories like bags and whatnot, do not hold their value well.

yeah im looking into DLSR now and was leaning towards nikon's d3k, just to get started and maybe upgrade later on.