Which DSLR recommendations...

elven

I'm not sure if there isn't a day goes by where someone doesn't ask. No offense to the newbies or anything, we've all been there and want a tailored response to our specific questions - but there really are a limited amount of answers. If you've been reading this forum for more than a week, I bet you know what I mean

Does anyone want to volunteer a write-up on a model? Pick one, and give a run down on it's pros and cons, what it's good for, what it's not so good for, what kind of user it's suitable for? There's so much standard stuff like the whole "Canon entry level DSLRs are a bit dinky so you may need to add a battery grip" type advice, or "the 5D has a full frame sensor so it has excellent noise handling in low light, but if you want more length in your lenses you don't have the crop factor to take into account" and maybe even a snippet or two on what makes it worth going for over the lower model, or why you would buy the one above it instead? Possibly best to review the camera you actually own, now i think of it.

What think ye? i don't think there's quite so much of a turnover of models as to render the thread obsolete too quickly, as each new model comes out we can add it to the list, anyway.

Off the top of my head from Canon (available to buy new), we have:

400D
450D
40D
5D
1D mk III
1Ds mk III (I don't think anyone has this one yet though )

Paulw

elven wrote: »

1Ds mk III (I don't think anyone has this one yet though )

Has Simon not got one yet???

I could certainly write a few comments about the 1D MkIII.

Thirdfox

And from the blue corner - representing Nikon we have the current lineup of:

D40
D40x
D60
D80
D200
D300
D3

(Haven't seen any new D2h/x being sold anymore - especially since the D300 essentially replaces them).

Hugh_C

elven wrote: »

What think ye?

I think dpreview already does this extremely well.

Paulw

Canon 1D MkIII

Camera specs -

# 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor (1.3 crop factor)
# 10 fps, max. burst of 110 JPEGs or 30 RAW
# High precision wide area AF
# ISO 100-3200 range (L:50 H:6400)
# 3.0" LCD with Live View mode
# CF and SD card slots

So, what to say about this camera - it's a beast. It's a large body but not too heavy for it's size. Stunning performance with AF and fps. The camera works especially well with the Canon L lenses and the centre focus point works exceptionally well with f/2.8 lenses.

This camera is mainly designed for sports and photojournalism. The high fps and burst rate are ideal for this work. It is the camera of choice for many large sports and photojournalist agencies, such as Sports Illustrated. The camera is also great for portraits and weddings.

ISO performance is very good even up to ISO 3200.

There are a few others on boards with this camera and I've yet to hear complaints about it. The camera may have had a bit of bad PR, but I've yet to experience any of the issues described and Canon have worked hard to resolve the problems fully.

It's hard to really do justice to this camera. You really have to try one and see what you think. Worth buying? Yes if you have the money. There are few cameras that can compete.

Just my thoughts though.

Of course, you can read other reviews on sites such as DPReview or even Amazon

elven

Hugh_C wrote: »

I think dpreview already does this extremely well.

me too. But it doesn't seem to help anyone looking for advice round here

MartMax

elven,

http://cameralabs.com has some side by side reviews (between the obvious Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc.) i think they also have the reviews videoed on youtube, so that might help the visualisation a little bit.

on specific model Canon 40D, i read a review here http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/canon_eos_40d_review.htm from a point of view of a nature photographer but still a good reading.

ok, i'll stop posting linkage to other sites that's it for now.

Roen

I honestly don't think there is a way around it Elven. Your efforts are laudable, but I just don't think you can beat the gear request threads.

Thirdfox

You'll find the gear request threads in all the dpreview forums too...

And this sort of thing (where it's not specialised branded subforums) can lead to people getting defensive/offensive about their particular brands... Go Nikon, go Canon, boo Pentax, Olympus etc. (sorry ThOnda - just an example )

leinsterman

Paulw wrote: »

Has Simon not got one yet???

Nope ... but as Elven knows (since I'm holding her party responsible for it) ... I got my new camera in Gunns on Saturday ...

EDIT: and its a beauty ... especially in time lapse mode ...

leinsterman

elven wrote: »

me too. But it doesn't seem to help anyone looking for advice round here

do I detect a little bit of frustration ... ?


TBH I got started in this forum with a which camera thread ... leading to a purchase of my 20D ... Now over 1000 posts, a pile of kit including the aforementioned 1DmkIII and lots of photo outings ... I'm still inclined to prefer to ask a question about a particular piece of kit rather than rely on just looking at review sites ... it is nice to hear it from the horses mouth so to speak ... as you probably know I only recently posted a which camera thread ...

...and a week later .... well ... you were with me in Gunns on Saturday ... so the rest is history...

I have to say I tend to ignore which camera threads unless I have a lot of time ... which is a little bit unfair given how many times I've asked the question myself ...

robinph

Hugh_C wrote: »

I think dpreview already does this extremely well.

I think I just ended up getting even more confused whe reading through the reviews on there though and not understanding half of what they were on about. Still usefull though as you get an idea of how little you know, but I think I did just end up picking at random when deciding what make to go for, model being decided for me by price.

duffarama

+1's here for Cameralabs and Dpreview, they are the 2 review sites I visited when deciding on my camera. Fact is, some people will be on these boards and notice the photography forum on the front page and just ask without thinking. It happens on every photography forum, no need to add to the mass of reviews, just politely point them to where to get the information themselves and to return with specific questions for the users... perhaps.

Dundhoone

I think people post looking for first hand experiences rather than review stats.

Lets be honest, it also helps you pursuade yourself to buy it!

A lot of the threads are "should I buy the D40x or the D80" and these really can only be answered by asking the person what they want to use the camera for.

Reviews might help (to filter these a bit), - on the entry level cameras , with reccomendations for your first say three lenses and what you can use them for. But maybe they should be structured like , what dslr + lens (basic setup) is good for travelling, for sports, for landscape etc etc.

Some of us tech junkies like the gear talk Julie!

unreggd

I say ban the threads! im sure theres enough already posted to cover every model


theres numerous camera-review sites [and yes, dpreview is legend] so theres no need to just have the same stuff repeated here all the time

elven

I know there are tons of gear review sites out there. But I also know that when you're trying to choose for the first time, you find them intimidating and you want a real person to tell you which camera to buy. I had hoped that we could craft something in between, that's aimed at our users - rather than listing specs that confuse people, give suggestions on why you would pick one camera over another in a non technical, application based way.

I just think I'll go mad if i see one more thread saying "Yes I read the FAQs but..." and then goes on to ask exactly the same questions that everyone else does. I think people have an idea that it just can't be the case that they could pick any one of the main competitors and not miss out on something big. There is no hidden option, a cheap, small, high quality camera that does high iso with no noise, 15 frames per second, with a zoom range of fisheye to 500mm... it doesn't exist!

It's one thing saying ignore them (I'd be a bad mod if I didn't keep an eye on most of the threads here so that's out, personally speaking) and another saying you actually like to talk about gear but there's talking about gear and there's answering one single question over and over and over and over again... ugh There has to be something we can do!?

bovril

As a start would it work to get a thread going on each of the entry level DSLRs and get everyone who owns that camera to post a few lines on why they bought the camera over another camera (e.g cost, functions, lens compatability etc etc). Anyone can read what the specs are on the manufacturers sites alright. I'm thinking about a 'What made you buy the 400D' kinda thread..

Would that work?

rgiller

I wrote about this a few weeks ago suggesting a gear review/request subforum. At the very least it will filter the questions out of the main forum and if you don't want to read them in the request forum, just don't go there! The personal reviews of the cameras mentioned already in this thread could each have their own thread in the review forum to which people can add their opinions, ratings, etc.

Just do it!

leinsterman

rgiller wrote: »

I wrote about this a few weeks ago suggesting a gear review/request subforum. At the very least it will filter the questions out of the main forum and if you don't want to read them in the request forum, just don't go there! The personal reviews of the cameras mentioned already in this thread could each have their own thread in the review forum to which people can add their opinions, ratings, etc.

Just do it!

I asked for a sub forum like this a while ago ... sub forums tend to be seen negatively here in terms of some people rarely look at them ... and also growing into one of the pure photography discussion board site ... which boards is not ...

But I still like the idea ... having a thread per SLR model could be difficult to manage ... maybe it would better to do a sticky thread in the sub forum per class of camera between something like -

P&S
Bridge & Superzooms
Entry DSLR
Prosumer DSLR
Professional DSLR

Bearing in mind we would also have to have additional review threads for other stuff like -

Lenses
Flash Guns & Lighting
Bags & Cases
Tripods
Other Accessories
Studios
Courses
Software

etc etc


... where do you end it ?

Fajitas!

If you want to start a collection, I'll happily run it as a full time job - Say €450 a week starting off?

Hugh_C

leinsterman wrote: »

Nope.

OT: Leinster, your sig is fubar'd

leinsterman

Fajitas! wrote: »

If you want to start a collection, I'll happily run it as a full time job - Say €450 a week starting off?

None of your cheek mate ... just remember who has your (very nice) 135mm F2L ...

rgiller

I think that people don't mind answering questions on lenses, filters, tripods, etc as, generally, when you get to the stage of buying these accessories, you have some kind of idea what you're talking about, and are less likely to annoy anyone. This is evidenced by the fact that these requests are a lot rarer than the "which entry level dslr should I get?" types, as people looking into getting accessories will have most likely done their own research already and have only very specific questions.

The problem is the repetitive questions that come up, from people who are new to photography. These mainly focus on cameras and so I think a good start would be to cover just camera bodies first of all and see how it goes from there.

duffarama

Well, if you're going to review camera bodies how about sticking to the entry level bodies to keep it to a minimum

Fajitas!

leinsterman wrote: »

None of your cheek mate ... just remember who has your (very nice) 135mm F2L ...

It is indeed, very very nice! Hope it worked well for ye!

Anyways, I think the best way to deal with it is just to link to dpreview, Fred Miranda, etc, etc, etc and if someone has personal experience, go for it - post it up.

There's always going to be new gear out, and I don't think we have the layout, member base etc to keep up with it in an organised review system - So why not just link to our existing resources, and if someone wants to give their own input, fire away.

Dragan

Personally i don't get it. The FAQ covers the basics, the other information can be easily found without too much effort at all.

I read the FAQ when i first started posting here and after paying close attention to where i seem to be going as a photographer i made a decision and started saving. All the information is out there for people who are willing to put in the effort to look.

AnimalRights

Dragan wrote: »

I read the FAQ when i first started posting here

But you're a Mod who adheres to rules, this was the first ever forum I read a FAQ and that was after starting the usual newbie threads!

Hugh_C

Dragan wrote: »

All the information is out there for people who are willing to put in the effort to look.

True, but we both (all) know most prospective dSLR owners won't put in that effort. It's easier to ask in here and unlike Elven, I don't feel honour bound to either read or respond so personally it doesn't bother me at all. I guess Elven is different because she's a Moderator.

Dragan

Hugh_C wrote: »

I guess Elven is different because she's a Moderator.

I can see where she is coming from. I was the same in Fitness for a very long time. You really do want to help folk and you end up repeating yourself over and over.

leinsterman

... and here is a link to the last time we debated this in case anyone cares.

Fajitas!

Actually, there was another thread or two in between that one and this one I think!

ThOnda

Yes, read, think, save and spend.
That's why I am still thinking about 5D + 24-70/2.8L. And it takes really a long time to think about it. Damm you, Al! :-)

leinsterman

ThOnda wrote: »

Yes, read, think, save and spend.
That's why I am still thinking about 5D + 24-70/2.8L. And it takes really a long time to think about it. Damm you, Al! :-)

Just effin buy it ... you will not regret owning a 5D ... though I'd opt for the 24-105 F4L ... unless you plan to shoot a lot of low light or indoor stuff ...

elven

Aye, damn this stupid sense of obligation, grrr.

Thonda, are you serious? What about your beloved Pentax?

ThOnda

Pentax is good, but there are no compromises in picture quality. And the low light performance of the full size chip is just outstanding.
I like grain, but I want to choose when to have it in my pictures :-)

Pentax K20D is a little bit slow, menu is not so intuitive and the price gap is not so big between K20D and the 5D. Well, there is a price gap, but I am willing to make that step.

Roen

Plus you can mount all that old Pentax glass on a 5D, although some of it from the 70's costs more than the modern Canon equivalent.

If you have the money, and more importantly, if you think you can make the money back then go for it!

ThOnda

Exactly. I would like to get some medium format lenses for portraits with that 5D.
We all can have dreams. Hopefully, they will be sweet :-)

Roen

ThOnda wrote: »

Exactly. I would like to get some medium format lenses for portraits with that 5D.
We all can have dreams. Hopefully, they will be sweet :-)

That's the spirit, you can mount an entire back catalogue of lenses on Canons.

I know they don't have a huge amount of third party support lens wise, but you don't really need it when you can use adaptors to attach no end of fantastic glass. Even Pentax and Mamiya 6 series lenses will do wonders on a 5D/IDs series.
You know you want to...............