[FatalityxZ]

After going on a cruise and realizing his Canon Powershot SD1100IS isn't that great, my dad wants a DSLR kit.

He has $1000 Canadian to spend on a body and lenses.

He has no particular brand preferences and can purchase from Amazon.com, etc.
He mostly takes pictures of people and landscapes, not that many macros.
He will not use a tripod while taking pictures.

Any suggestions?

 

[Lelin]

For landscapes a tripod is kinda necessary. I'd go with a T2i

 

[Aick]

nikon d60 is one heckuva

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-10-2MP-D...9220347&sr=8-1

 

[lsudvm]

Nikon D5000. The d5000 would be more like his point n shoot.
Also D40x is good too.

 

[FatalityxZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lelin For landscapes a tripod is kinda necessary. I'd go with a T2i

Well not really like huge landscapes more like people and a landscape, and why would you recommend that camera?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aick nikon d60 is one heckuva http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-10-2MP-D...9220347&sr=8-1

His friend has that camera and says he regrets not buying a better one, like its missing some features.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsudvm Nikon D5000. The d5000 would be more like his point n shoot. Also D40x is good too.

alright I'll check those out, any reason why?

 

[Lelin]

It's a small body, it's the latest, the ISO is great for an entry camera, it has great video capabilities. For the buck I don't think you can beat it.
I guess he wants to buy brand new but used he could also get a 40D + decent lens.

 

[iandroo888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lelin It's a small body, it's the latest, the ISO is great for an entry camera, it has great video capabilities. For the buck I don't think you can beat it. I guess he wants to buy brand new but used he could also get a 40D + decent lens.

to add on to that from a person who owns one. it has the same sensor as the d90 and d300s. has the ability to record video at 720p [5 minutes per video] but do take note, the mic isnt that good. Probably wont match his P&S's mic but its something as long as you aren't recording a concert or something really loud.

if he does landscapes, the lens it comes with is a 18-55mm. good wide angle. the iso noise ratio is pretty good. has a slightly different interface as the other bodies and it has an articulating screen. may be useful for scenic pictures for a low shot.

depending on ur dad if hes big or not, if he has big hands, his pinky will wander around the bottom of the camera body due to the smaller size like the d40/d40x/d60/d3000.

if u want any examples of pictures ive taken, check out my picasa in my sig. most were taken with the kit 18-55mm lens. in some cases, i used an older Tamron AF 28-200 for the range. not as wide and had to manually focus but thats was ok. got used to that.

take note, any body of the nikon line d5000 and under has NO inbody focus motor. as i noted earlier, with older lenses like the AF lenses [not to be mistaken with AF-S which is primarily what MOST of the lenses being released are nowadays that has a built in motor in the lens], it will not autofocus. i guess its something to get used to? it wasnt really hard, took some patience i guess.

the on body flash is.. well an on body flash. but can be managed with a little flash composition exposure control. nothing too big. over all its a good carry around camera. its not too heavy but in some cases, if ur dad were to get bigger lenses... like any of the pro zoom lenses, he may feel a bit of "top-heavy" effect where the lens tens to tilt forward being a little unbalanced to the body.

 

[Ryan747]

d90

 

[Marin]

Any DSLR. They're all good.

 

[iandroo888]

^ this

have ur dad go to a store that he can get a feel with the cameras. check all the ones in the budget and see which one he feels is more comfortable.

 

[KenjiS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marin Any DSLR. They're all good.

Agreed, personally I find the D5000's viewfinder to be horrid and like looking down a tunnel..others disagree..it is built nice and has excellent ergonomics however

My only reservation is that the entry level Nikons (Anything below a D90) lack the in-body focus motor which can limit your lens choice, Canon and Sony do not have this issue...You just have to be careful buying..well..any lenses since a lot of them arent necessarily marked well...

Sony has the worst grip and worst ergonomics of anyone right now, the current a200 and a300 series cameras are an affront to your hand...And have the worst viewfinder i've ever seen....and the menus suck...Which is a big shame since I quite liked the a700 and even the older a300 and a200 series cameras for having pretty good ergonomics..

 

[iandroo888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenjiS Agreed, personally I find the D5000's viewfinder to be horrid and like looking down a tunnel..others disagree..it is built nice and has excellent ergonomics however My only reservation is that the entry level Nikons (Anything below a D90) lack the in-body focus motor which can limit your lens choice, Canon and Sony do not have this issue...You just have to be careful buying..well..any lenses since a lot of them arent necessarily marked well... Sony has the worst grip and worst ergonomics of anyone right now, the current a200 and a300 series cameras are an affront to your hand...And have the worst viewfinder i've ever seen....and the menus suck...Which is a big shame since I quite liked the a700 and even the older a300 and a200 series cameras for having pretty good ergonomics..

works fine for me. =X maybe i just havent had any experience with the higher ones so i cant say n e thing lmao =X

yah it coulda been in issue for the inbody focus motor back then in the d40/d60 days but all the lenses nowadays most use are AF-S which has a swm motor inside. overall should be ok unless ur dad or grandfather or some relative has an old nikon somewhere with old lenses ud like to use. lol =X

 

[KenjiS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iandroo888 works fine for me. =X maybe i just havent had any experience with the higher ones so i cant say n e thing lmao =X yah it coulda been in issue for the inbody focus motor back then in the d40/d60 days but all the lenses nowadays most use are AF-S which has a swm motor inside. overall should be ok unless ur dad or grandfather or some relative has an old nikon somewhere with old lenses ud like to use. lol =X

All NEW lenses do, However a good chunk of old ones do not, Meaning you have to manually focus some nice old lenses such as the 50mm f/1.8 or the non-AF-S 50mm f/1.4, Actually, most of Nikon's primes are the screwdrive type

Also it limits a lot of the used market where you can get affordable used lenses since the majority of the used market is NOT AF-S...This is a shame because theres a lot of great lenses someone might want but cant use because manual focus doesnt interest them...

And im not comparing the D5000 to a higher model (Thats not fair given my 7D has an awesome viewfinder)

I have no issues with the Rebel T1i for instance, or my old 30D which didnt have a great viewfinder, Theres just something about the Nikon one thats "tunnel-like"

 

[FatalityxZ]

Alright guys, ill tell him to head over to blacks

 

[r31ncarnat3d]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marin Any DSLR. They're all good.

This.

I'd ignore any particular brand reccs right now and would just go with the body that feels best (and of course, doesn't murder his wallet). Unless your dad is going to go pro in a very short amount of time, the only real difference that he'd care about are the ergonomics of each body. Now, we can argue back and forth that Canon grips are too small, Nikon bodies are too big, Sony grips are oddly shaped, etc, but in the end its all personal preference and what might apply to one person might not to your dad.

 

[KenjiS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by r31ncarnat3d This. I'd ignore any particular brand reccs right now and would just go with the body that feels best (and of course, doesn't murder his wallet). Unless your dad is going to go pro in a very short amount of time, the only real difference that he'd care about are the ergonomics of each body. Now, we can argue back and forth that Canon grips are too small, Nikon bodies are too big, Sony grips are oddly shaped, etc, but in the end its all personal preference and what might apply to one person might not to your dad.

In Sony's case i've never met a single individual who felt the grip on the new 200 and 300 series cams was a good idea, fits their hand nicely, or actually WORKS..

The BEST response i ever heard was "It doesnt hurt my hand as much as i thought...But its still horrible"

 

[FatalityxZ]

i think its a close race between d90 and t2i at this point...

 

[r31ncarnat3d]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatalityxZ i think its a close race between d90 and t2i at this point...

The two are in different classes though. The D90 is a higher-class camera than the T2i. The comparison should be between a D90 and 50D or a T2i and D3000.

 

[laboitenoire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by r31ncarnat3d The two are in different classes though. The D90 is a higher-class camera than the T2i. The comparison should be between a D90 and 50D or a T2i and D3000.

I'd say they're more or less on the same level, except maybe in ease of changing settings. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[liquidfied]

Get an used XSI off Craigslist or POTN- should net about $400.
Then a Sigma 30mm f/1.4

The sigma offers SUPERB image quality and is wide enough for indoor use, and still has the subject isolating power of f/1.4 you won't find on my lenses. f/1.4 allows you to blow out backgrounds and get shots in very low light compared to the f/3.5 you will get on the T2i's kit lens.
Here is an image sample achrive

If 30mm is a bit "short" for ya then pick up the Canon or Sigma 50mm f/1.4.

If your dad must insist on having a zoom, pick up an used 70-200 f/4L. It's an EXCELLENT lens to use outdoors. If he insists on having something wide, pick up a Tamron 18-50mm f/2.8.

Why XSI? It's a great starting camera and he won't find anything to complain about it at all.
You save $600 if you buy an used XSI versus a new T2i. The XSI has enough MP, easy to use and all the features your dad would need if this is his first DSLR.

If he must buy new, then be it and get the T2i kit, although I would imagine you getting a lot more if you go with the above.