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UER Mobile > UE Photography > The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread (Viewed 385470 times)

post by TheSuburbanExplorer

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 580 on 11/22/2013 5:26 PM >

No one posts on the Craigslist for my area. Up here in Canada we use Kijiji. I check it a few times per day but the prices are too damned high.

I just noticed Walmart has the EOS Rebel T3 for $299.99, body and lens only. Not even sure if it comes with a battery and charger. Plus I hate Walmart anyways.

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post by budda

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 581 on 11/22/2013 7:20 PM >

It probably comes with a battery.

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post by UnchartedSights

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 582 on 11/22/2013 9:17 PM >

Posted by UrbanXNick
No one posts on the Craigslist for my area. Up here in Canada we use Kijiji. I check it a few times per day but the prices are too damned high.

I just noticed Walmart has the EOS Rebel T3 for $299.99, body and lens only. Not even sure if it comes with a battery and charger. Plus I hate Walmart anyways.

I don't see why they wouldn't have a battery and charger with it. Those are usually included with any camera. Lol. And both the Costco and Walmart prices are great deals. I bought my T3 new online(rythercamera.com) about a year and a half ago for $420. It sells at BestBuy new for $400-450.
-Daniel-

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post by Valdyr

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 583 on 11/29/2013 11:30 PM >

Ok, I'm also about to make the jump to my first DSLR as well, and still pondering the options. I've read the latest 10 pages or so of this thread, but am still not quite sure which entry-level DSLR to go with. Here's what I'm working with and what I want from my new camera - any advice would be great:

(My last camera was an Olympus SP565UZ, which I really liked. Damn moving company stole it a few months ago.)

I'm working in a $400-$500-ish budget range...with the low end being the body and one lens, the higher end being perhaps two lenses or other accessories.

I do tend to shoot in a lot of low-light situations. Like a lot of other people have posted on here, in addition to UE, I try to shoot concerts and live theatre events fairly often, too.

I also like to play around with HDR (don't hate me!), so I liked the easy bracketing function on my old Olympus.

I'm also trying to take into consideration what my future plans would be in regards to upgrading; I'd like to make sure whatever lenses I buy now could "grow up with me" if I decide to buy a newer/better model.

I've read the previous suggestions, but since some of them are over a year old, I just wanted to see if there were any new models to consider, or recent deals? I was eyeing this T3 deal on Amazon: http://www.amazon....ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_6
I figured there might be some other good Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals I haven't seen yet, too.

Again, any feedback/advice is welcome!

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post by Byberrian Fanman

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 584 on 11/30/2013 12:54 AM >

If low light is something you value, I'd recommend finding a used Nikon D5100 (ISO up to 25600).

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post by -Rio-

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 585 on 11/30/2013 4:42 AM >

Posted by Byberrian Fanman
If low light is something you value, I'd recommend finding a used Nikon D5100 (ISO up to 25600).

Or buy a tripod

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post by Byberrian Fanman

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 586 on 11/30/2013 4:45 AM >

Posted by -Rio-

Or buy a tripod

Tripods aren't always particularly desirable, ESPECIALLY at concerts and theater events.

[last edit 11/30/2013 4:46 AM by Byberrian Fanman - edited 1 times]

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post by Trackrunner

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 587 on 12/1/2013 3:22 PM >

Hey everyone. I looking for a cheap $250 dollar camera, and I honestly don't feel like looking through 30 pages to see if anyone else has asked the same thing so I'll just ask here. The reason I need a new camera is because the one I currently use isn't even mine (I borrowed it), it eats batteries in 10 minutes, has a bad fov, and in general is feeling kind of old and clunky. I already have a couple ideas, but I feedback would be appreciated, as I am not 100% sure on some of the specifics, and what features I should be aiming for with that price.

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post by Shawn W.

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 588 on 12/1/2013 7:04 PM >

Posted by Trackrunner
Hey everyone. I looking for a cheap $250 dollar camera, and I honestly don't feel like looking through 30 pages to see if anyone else has asked the same thing so I'll just ask here. The reason I need a new camera is because the one I currently use isn't even mine (I borrowed it), it eats batteries in 10 minutes, has a bad fov, and in general is feeling kind of old and clunky. I already have a couple ideas, but I feedback would be appreciated, as I am not 100% sure on some of the specifics, and what features I should be aiming for with that price.

There really isn't much at that price range, probably nothing worth getting. If you're willing to wait and save a little more, then I'd recommend a Nikon D80 with either an 18-135mm or 18-55mm lens.

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post by Trackrunner

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 589 on 12/1/2013 7:56 PM >

Posted by Shawn W.

There really isn't much at that price range, probably nothing worth getting. If you're willing to wait and save a little more, then I'd recommend a Nikon D80 with either an 18-135mm or 18-55mm lens.

I'm no pro photographer or anything, but I guess that would make sense.

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post by TheSuburbanExplorer

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 590 on 12/1/2013 9:00 PM >

Posted by Trackrunner
Hey everyone. I looking for a cheap $250 dollar camera

Lucky you. If you know of a Staples business center near you, call or go there and ask for a Sony A37. Regular is $500+ , and since it's discontinued/clearance I got mine for $249.99 2 days ago

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post by Trackrunner

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 591 on 12/1/2013 9:30 PM >

Posted by UrbanXNick

Lucky you. If you know of a Staples business center near you, call or go there and ask for a Sony A37. Regular is $500+ , and since it's discontinued/clearance I got mine for $249.99 2 days ago

When you say staples business center, are you referring to any staples, or are the business ones different?

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post by Keys

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 592 on 12/14/2013 2:19 AM >

Take this or leave it.... I have to say for low light, light weight, relatively inexpensive, and full frame...I have been blown away with the canon 6d. Its met some pretty tough shooting conditions with relative ease. AF points might be a little lacking, but the points on the camera work like an absolute charm, and gotta love them iso's (Capable to 104,000 ISO and negligible noise up to 2000 ISO) just something to consider if you are considering jumping to full frame

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post by TheGuitarist

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 593 on 1/30/2014 7:36 PM >

Hello everyone!
I'm kind of indecisive on what I should do. I can either get:

Canon Rebel XS for $200, cosmetic scratches and dings, non-working autofocus

or save a little longer to get:

Olympus Pen E-PL1 for $300, new in box.

Which is the better deal? Thank you.

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post by DawnPatrol

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 594 on 1/30/2014 8:48 PM >

I owned a rebel xs for a few years and I was very happy with it. Almost everything on my flickr was taken with it using the 18-55mm kit lens with the exception of photos uploaded this month: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawnpatrol

I guess it all depends on if you are looking to get into photography or are just looking for something to take decent snapshots as you're exploring. If it's the former I'd go with the canon, if it's the later I'd go with the olympus.

What I generally do, and what I recommend you do, is check out cnet. They typically have some nice in-depth reviews. I think they can be a little harsh at times, but when you look at their reviews, the specs they provide and the user reviews you generally get a pretty good idea of the product.

http://www.cnet.co...+rebel+xs&tag=srch

http://reviews.cne...01_7-34020321.html

You could also check sites where people post photography such as deviantart and flickr. They both have groups for certain camera types that people can upload to. Search for photos taken with those cameras to get an idea of the image quality.

I can't speak for the olympus, but I would probably look a little more into the autofocus. They mention it being sluggish, and you're definitely going to want a camera with a good AF system considering you'll probably be taking a significant amount of photos in low light. They also mentioned a poor battery life which can be an annoyance during a day of exploring.

What I can tell you about the rebel:

I really enjoyed this camera, it's an awesome starter dslr and I actually decided to keep mine as opposed to selling it after I upgraded. It's now my 'I'm not taking my fancy camera in there!' back up camera for the simple reason that it still takes quality photos. I'm not really sure what kind of options the olympus camera gives you, but if you want complete control of your photos, being able to use the canon on manual mode is awesome. There's also plenty of opportunity to upgrade with quality accessories such as lenses and flashes that can dramatically enhance your photography without investing in a whole new body. Those accessories can also serve as a nice investment should you decide to really get into photography.

The XS is also pretty damn durable. I've taken it in drains, mines, and countless buildings. It's been snowed on and drizzled on, out in temperatures ranging from below freezing to probably about 90 degrees and I've never had much of a problem with it. I did spill some gatorade on it and now the buttons are a little funky... but that's irrelevant :p The battery life is also pretty nice. I can generally go a full day of exploring on half a battery or less. Though I also turn off my camera in between shots.

The main issue I had with the xs was low light shooting. It can shoot in low light but it takes some know how. Now, when I say low light I don't mean your average low light in dim window lit or incandescent lit rooms. What I'm referring to is areas that are either pitch black or close to it. Photos get pretty grainy above 400 ISO. Even 400 is pushing it a little in my opinion. I ended up investing in a shutter remote (it was only like $8) and did long exposures on ISO 100 for the best results. I also started doing a little light painting to compensate for lack of lighting (I still do this with my 5d Mark II because if you can do it decently it can really help). Basically, you can still get quality photos in complete darkness or incredibly low light, you just need to practice a little with it and learn the camera's restraints (any camera will require that).

That being said, here are two photos taken in pitch black areas:

Basically, with a little patience and the willingness to learn, practice, and develop techniques, you an take some pretty nice photos with this camera. If you have any specific questions or want to see any specific examples, let me know. How that helps a little!

[last edit 1/30/2014 8:50 PM by DawnPatrol - edited 2 times]

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post by TheGuitarist

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 595 on 1/30/2014 9:33 PM >

Wow, thank you so much for the informative post! One of my biggest questions was the viability of the camera in drains, as those are my favorite to explore. But your comment about auto-focus worries me. Since the auto-focus on this one is broken, should I pass up on it? :/

[last edit 1/30/2014 9:35 PM by TheGuitarist - edited 1 times]

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post by DawnPatrol

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 596 on 1/30/2014 10:26 PM >

The auto focus on the one you're going to buy is broken? I've seen used xs rebels advertised for $200 multiple places in decent condition. If you're paying for one with broken AF then you shouldn't be paying that much. Also, it'll be fine in drains as long as your careful, that is the key lol. Don't go dropping it in water :p

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post by Trackrunner

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 597 on 1/31/2014 12:48 AM >

So I've spent some time looking at $200-$250 cameras, and the issue is there are just too many. I don't really care if my choices are crap at this price point, I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations because all the reviews seem to be conflicting.

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post by dtewsacrificial

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 598 on 1/31/2014 2:20 AM >

Posted by TheGuitarist
Hello everyone!
I'm kind of indecisive on what I should do. I can either get:

Canon Rebel XS for $200, cosmetic scratches and dings, non-working autofocus

or save a little longer to get:

Olympus Pen E-PL1 for $300, new in box.

Which is the better deal? Thank you.

Good lord. If those are your choices, then buy this:

http://www.amazon....tal/dp/B00BF9MUBM/

Your deals are terrible.

There are various reasons that people might disagree on as to why the Olympus E-PL1 is a bad choice. What is hard to disagree on is that it is an obsolete camera with an obsolete sensor belonging to a less-common (relative to Canon/Nikon) camera system in which many of the lenses are expensive. It is also tough to adapt legacy lenses (read: manual lenses from old camera systems that are relatively inexpensive to acquire) for the purpose of UE, because the smaller sensor size (generally a bad thing, although proponents of the micro-4/3rds system will argue that it is *not that bad* of a bad thing) will tend to make it hard to find lenses that will give you effective wide angle perspectives. You only real choices there are the expensive native lenses.

The Canon Rebel XS is the better of the two choices, but it too is an obsolete camera with an obsolete sensor. What it does have going for it is that it is specified with a larger sensor standard than micro-4/3rds (generally a good thing, although proponents of the micro-4/3rds system will argue that it is *not that good* of a good thing). Discussion of this very thread with a fellow camera enthusiast UERer has noted that the Canon sensor of that vintage has problems with banding in the shadows when you push in post-processing. That was probably all gibberish to you... but you just need to understand it as a demerit, albeit one that can be worked around with a little effort (i.e. bracketing) for the purposes of UE. It is still a demerit and there are limits to the work-around. Another thing it has going for it is that it takes common Canon and Canon-compatible EF and EF-S lenses, and some legacy lenses (notably Contax-Yashica) can be adapted to it. However, you don't want to buy a camera with any functional problem (i.e. autofocus, and perhaps especially the systems involved in autofocus), because they are indicators that the camera was not treated correctly. Some things do wear out on a camera... but the autofocus system is not one of them.

Frankly, the Sony NEX I linked above would not be something I recommend as a first choice for somebody who knows nothing about cameras. Like the Olympus micro-4/3rd system, it is a less-common system, so it is not as well-supported as the Canon/Nikon dSLR systems. But at least here you have a larger sensor (large than the Canon APS-C sensor of the Canon Rebel XS, in-fact) that is pretty current, which will give you a wider dynamic range and tonal depth than either of the cameras you listed. You can adapt most legacy lenses to it (in fact, a little better than the Olympus micro-4/3rds system), and they will retain more of their original width-of-perspective than the micro-4/3rds system can due to the bigger sensor. Make no mistake, the camera is still full of compromises relative to higher-end models in this system, and relative to contemporaries in the Canon/Nikon systems (again, mostly because of their market dominance and 3rd-party support). But it is better than anything you've listed.

I shot UE with an NEX-5N (an older but uprange camera in the same system) for a year and it covered most of my needs.

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post by TheGuitarist

Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
<Reply # 599 on 1/31/2014 3:00 AM >

Posted by dtewsacrificial

"Awesome informative post"

Thanks for all the info.

Obviously I'm not limited to just those two options, but I am in the $300 range due to my VERY limited budget. So I guess I'm not going with either of the two options I posted. Why doesn't anyone make a cheap camera that can take good pictures in drains? xD I have a fairly good knowledge of using cameras in manual mode, so if anyone has any recommendations, I'd gladly listen.

I'll have to look more into the camera you linked.

[last edit 1/31/2014 3:01 AM by TheGuitarist - edited 1 times]

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