camera for an interested photographer

[yberther]

I'm looking for a good starter camera for myself.

I've played around with my mom's D80 and its real nice, but I can't really afford one. I'm looking for something in the 250-400 range.

I'm going to be taking an intro to photographic theory and techniques, but I have a bit of self-taught experience.

Any who, any suggestions would be nice.

I have the D40 in mind at this point.

[lylefk]

Canon Rebel XT. Great starter camera...click here. Great deal, local and you can go get a lens (or two cheap ones) to learn with...can't beat that.

[bergie_318is]

well if your mother has a D80 id stick with a nikon so you can use her lenses, D40 is a great starter thats for sure!

[accident]

D40 is definitely nice. I own a D80 as well

[lylefk]

Here is what I would do...

Rebel XT from the link above: $150 (comes with a camera guide and wireless remote, no lens)
Canon 28-90 lens: $90
Canon 50mm f/1.8: $85
4gb CF card: $20
Sunpak tripod: $35

This gives you a great portrait and low light lens for the money (50mm f/1.8 ), a decent range of zoom (28-90) that can be used for landscapes and general use, a tripod for long exposures or low light, a wireless remote thats great for night shots, a book to learn with and a card to hold plenty of pictures. This is an IDEAL student setup. Pick up a cheap bag and you're under $400...

Then ask for a flash for xmas, like this one and you're set. If you find that you would like more zoom, ask for this lens

GREAT package to learn on. I got a minor in photography and would have LOVED a setup like this to start with. As you outgrow it you can easily sell this stuff for nearly what you paid for it...it's all quality, useful gear.

Also, you can rent lenses reasonably downtown at Glazers, I've played with a lot of their rental gear...they have some really cool stuff, like fisheye, tilt-shift and macro lenses, ring lights...good times.

[femme325is]

I'm a lifelong Nikon user as well. Have a nice D100 and F100 setup for weddings and photoshoots and it has never let me down. Although I have heard some great things about the Canon Rebel as well and for the money, you can't beat the overall price of the add ons.

[yberther]

cool thanks guys
I do like the XT and am going to try to pick one up on black friday :)

Any other suggestions would be great.

[bumblebeemer]

d40x FTW

[lylefk]

You won't find an XT on Black Friday, they aren't sold in stores any more...you can pick up an XTi or XSi. SLR's have very low profit margin, so I don't think you'll see much of a price break that day...but to help you do your homework, check bfads.net. Enjoy.

[YAN-3]

if you want a good camera get the d40, however, i say you save up a bit more, and buy a used d200. believe me, you can thank me later!

[lylefk]

I found the Nikons a lot less user friendly and intuitive but they take quality shots, comparable to the Canons...

[sumyungguy]

This is great advise, pretty much exactly what I suggest to people.

Here is what I would do...

Rebel XT from the link above: $150 (comes with a camera guide and wireless remote, no lens)
Canon 28-90 lens: $90
Canon 50mm f/1.8: $85
4gb CF card: $20
Sunpak tripod: $35

This gives you a great portrait and low light lens for the money (50mm f/1.8 ), a decent range of zoom (28-90) that can be used for landscapes and general use, a tripod for long exposures or low light, a wireless remote thats great for night shots, a book to learn with and a card to hold plenty of pictures. This is an IDEAL student setup. Pick up a cheap bag and you're under $400...

Then ask for a flash for xmas, like this one and you're set. If you find that you would like more zoom, ask for this lens

GREAT package to learn on. I got a minor in photography and would have LOVED a setup like this to start with. As you outgrow it you can easily sell this stuff for nearly what you paid for it...it's all quality, useful gear.

Also, you can rent lenses reasonably downtown at Glazers, I've played with a lot of their rental gear...they have some really cool stuff, like fisheye, tilt-shift and macro lenses, ring lights...good times.

[yberther]

I'm picking the xt up tomorrow :p

[accident]

good luck with your purchase. DSLR photography is awesome. I wish I got out more to do it.

[itsbrokeagain]

Ive got a Sony DSC-R1 I picked up from my friend for a good price with lots of optional stuff. With a little bit of his help on how to use it, I've been poking around in Manual mode and really getting the hang of it..