Just looking for input on a good camera choice. It's been years since I've had one so im rusty on my specs. Not looking for anything ridiculously fancy. Just want a really good, reliable camera with high shutter speed, low light capability, good resolution, all that stuff. Have had my eye on the canon rebel but believe ive heard nikon is a really good choice too. Anyways! Any suggestions are appreciated.

Since absolutely no one wants to read through 35 pages of this thread I'll give it a shot.

I'm no expert, but I got my first DSLR the other day, a Pentax K200D. It's more metal, so it's a bit heavier than plastic ones, and it's also weather sealed to protect against dust/water (helpful for UE). I as well really wanted it for the night capabilities so here's how it compares to a point and shoot (Same location, about 3AM)

click for full-size versions


The cool thing about Pentax is that their lenses are backwards compatible so you can buy one from the 70's whereas with other companies you're stuck with whatever new generation they're on. A drawback to my particular model is the auto-settings aren't very good, meaning you have to mess around with the manual settings in order to get a good shot.

Hope this helps.

D3300 is good in low light. I think it goes for like 600?

I purchased a Nikon D750 package on Ebay a couple of months ago for an upcoming trip to St. Lucia. The whole thing cost about $2000 but it included a ton of stuff (the camera alone usually retails for about $1500). I can honestly say its the best camera I have ever owned and I have been getting some AMAZING shots with it. My suggestion is to decide which type of camera you want (DSLR, old school film etc.) do some research on photog sites and when you decide look around. Most major cities have camera stores that sell used equipment if you are on a budget or there is always ebay. My strongest suggestion is that you dont rush into anything and make sure you get something that you can use now and eventually learn to grow with. Good luck!

Posted by Rinzler D3300 is good in low light. I think it goes for like 600?

I'll cast a second vote for the D3300. Good in low light, very high resolution (6000x4000), and tons of control over video settings. It's one of the few DSLRs I've seen that can shoot 1080p 60fps, if that's something you want. You can even find one for cheapish if you look around. I think mine was $450 refurbished.

Thanks a lot all! Keep the suggestions coming, they're very helpful. I am on a budget and probably will have to cap myself off at about 500 if I want to get one any time in the next year. Just want to get a not super expensive camera that I will still be happy with for the next few years.

I don't know much about cameras but I've got a nikon d3300 that I found in a package deal on eBay that ended up being right under $500. Came with a whole gang of stuff and it has served me very well so far. Everything in it was brand new as well which was awesome.

I realize this has been covered but I also recognize the search feature cant keep pace with camera technology, Hell your smart phone probably has more mega-pickles than my antiquated 20D...

Posted by 2Xplorations I realize this has been covered but I also recognize the search feature cant keep pace with camera technology, Hell your smart phone probably has more mega-pickles than my antiquated 20D...

Absolutely. Any DSLR will be a great camera. People shouldn't get too hung up on megapixel numbers. Even the very best Nikor, Zeiss, or Canon L lenses can only resolve to 8-10 megapixels. Glass is far more of an important decision than camera body.

I should also add that no matter what camera you go with, it's a good idea to invest in a tripod. You can get a pretty decent one for like $50. In dark buildings, you tend to need exposures less than 1/30s most of the time.

I prefer compact cameras. You get more bang per size than anything else and you can take some amazing pictures with them once you learn the tricks. Two features I look for are manual focus, wide angle and 6-10x zoom. Look for the lowest F stop capability on wide and long ends of the zoom. You may have to use the scene features to do what you want. I used one of the pre-set modes to get this one to capture at F/2.6 2 seconds and ISO 50. If the lens can go to F/2 or 2.8 and you set it to ISO 200 or 400, you can usually get away without using a tripod for many things.

You need a fairly expensive and heavy lens to match this.

Nikon compact cameras are generally terrible in flexibility.

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