teklord310 Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 I'm looking into purchasing a digital SLR for personal and business use. Who knows their shit?So far i'm aiming for the Canon Rebel 300D. $1k with a lens.Is it really lacking that much compared to the 10d? Side by side they appear almost identical for my purposes.I really don't know that much about lenses. I need a good macro lens to shoot close up objects. Any suggestions?Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brui Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 Pm either Erickamikasi or Pod , i think they know their shit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonyquest Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooljunkie Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 Oh shit you asked for it - here comes POD... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erickamikaze Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 I know you said SLR but here is my recommendation. I use the previous model the Sony F717 and love it. Take a look at the new Sony F828.Here is a few articles and reviews for more info. http://www.dpreview.com/articles/sonydscf828/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/F828/F82A.HTMHere is a few picture I have taken recently with it. Okay Dan your turn. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 wtf is pod i would have thought hed be all over this.. oh wait i bet hes researching so he can give the best answer possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 hehe As the resident Canon whore, I'll give you some pointers. A digital SLR is worth it if you are picky about image quality, which I hope you are The main advantages:1. Lens interchangability...wide angles, monster telephotos, tilt-shift, macro, and diffractive optical systems, they can all fit on the standard EF bracket found on Canon digital SLRs (currently the 10D, 300D, 1D, and 1Ds...). 2. Sensor size...the sensor size is two to three times larger than what you find in a point and shoot camera (sonys, casios, etc...), and results in lower noise levels. ISO 100 images have almost none, and noise is very acceptable at ISO 1600, and you can play with ISO 3200 images and make them look great. The whole reason is that the photosites are larger, and more efficient...this is handy for long exposures too. There's a new Sony camera coming out that is 8 MP vs the 300D's 6.3 MP...but the Sony 828 has a small sensor, and doesn't yield usable images much past ISO 400 (ick.)...read the link below for details on this...3. Accessories...standard flash units like the 550EX can be used, as well as handy things like outboard battery grips, wireless flash systems, etc...The camera you are interested in, the 300D is a great unit overall, very comparable to the 10D, which is what I use, at about $300-$400 less, even with the kit lens, which isn't a bad piece of glass. The 300D sports a lens mount that supports two types of glass, the standard Canon EF lenses, and the newer EF-S lenses designed for a future line of low-priced digital SLRs. The nice thing about the 300D is that you'll be able to use some of the best lenses in the world...http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos300d/300D detailed review...includes side-by-side with it's big brother, the 10D. http://www.photo.net/equipment/digital/sensorsize/Why physical sensor size matters. http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/Canon glass. If you have money to spare, get a USM lens instead of the kit lens...here's some recommendations...http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_28-105_35/ef_28-105_35.htmlBest all-around Canon zoom lens...not too expensive, quick silent focusing, good build. Get the lens hood too. $275 or so...http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_28-135_35/ef_28-135_35.htmlVery similar to the 28-105, but this one has a stabilizer, shoot in focus in very low lighting without flash. $375-$400, maybe less...http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_400_4/ef_400_4.htmlCanon's first diffractive optics technology lens. The new optics make this roughly half the size of a competing lens. Stabilized too, downside this costs probably as much as your camera body.http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_15_28/ef_15_28.htmlWide-angles rock. Get it if you can...$600 or so.Storage is important too. Get a decent CF card from Sandisk, or Lexar. The Lexar WA-series ones are quite expensive, and their WA (write-acceleration) features don't work on Canon bodies...so just go with standard Lexars. 512 MB is good to start, get a 1 GB model if you can, 512 should be around $80-$100, 1 GB is $150-$200 depending on speed (4x, etc...) The nice thing is, Lexar just debuted a 4 GB CF card (4 gigs in the size of an Oreo cookie...woah), and a 6 GB card is on the horizon...so storage is gonna get way cheap soon...probably as cheap as RAM, which is a few pennies per meg now. Flash, you'll need a good flash...save your $$$ for the 550 EX if you really want to get serious good indoor shots done. AF-assist beam included!Hope this helps, and say no to Nikon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fliptoniaaa Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 pod do u only deal in cannon cameras, or do u dabble in video cameras as well????? as in xl1's?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 Originally posted by fliptoniaaa pod do u only deal in cannon cameras, or do u dabble in video cameras as well????? as in xl1's?????? I have experience with most pro video systems from the XL1, XL1s, up to Sony HD video cameras...ask away.BTW, Teklord, here's your macro lens:http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_50_25c/ef_50_25c.htmlf2.5, 1:4 macro...$230 at www.bhphotovideo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 24 Author Report Share Posted October 24 Thanks for the quick response guys...For the past 2 weeks I've been using a Minolta Dimage 7i. This has been my first time with a fully manual camera and i've learned a whole lot. Unfortunately the camera must go back to its owner within the next few days. It's a great camera, but it lacks the features of an SLR. Interchangable lenses are a big plus not to mention a much large CMOS sensor. I'm starting to get the feeling that it's like comparing apples and oranges. On the fly autofocus is amazing on these SLRs. Anyway... thanks for your lengthy response pod. A few Qs:I currently shoot a lot of action shots: cars in motion on a track I took about 250 pics this past weekend at Pocono Raceway. Secondly I need the ability to photograph jewelry on black velvet. Here is a sample of what i've taken. Both were taken with the Minolta. Now my question: Do I need a special macro lens to shoot close up jewelry? What lens will suffice? Is there really a huge difference between the EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro and the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM(autofocus?). I understand F-stops, aperature, etc... but exactly how do they rate each lens. Is this the minimum f/ the lens is capable of? Thanks again... if you get a chance feel free to im me. I'm teklord310 on aim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 24 Author Report Share Posted October 24 Another thing i don't really understand very well:When a manufacturer provides the focal length range they typically scale it towards 35mm based film and digitals. The Minolta Dimage 7i that i'm using has a "7x" optical zoom and the lens reads 7.2-50.8mm. My old Nikon Coolpix has a 3x optical zoom and says 8-24mm. As far as I know these are all in digital standards. This is from Amazon on the Coolpix 885:Minimum focal length: 38 millimeters Maximum focal length: 114 millimeters Therefore i'm confused. Does my Nikon has a 38-144mm range in comparison to a 35mm camera? And does the Minolta have a 28-200mm range in 35mm lingo?Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 The mms on the compacts are in relation to their sensor. Of course, when you get a lens for a DSLR, it's rated vs 35mm film. To get the correct MM, you multiply each value by the "zoom multiplier" or the "conversion factor". The 10D and 300D have a conversion factor of 1.6x ...i.e my 28-105 becomes a 45-168. The 1Ds has a full-frame sensor, and no conversion is needed. However, for such a large sensor, you pay a premium..a 1Ds retails for about $7500 body only...grant it, it's better than 35mm film though. The reason lenses are rated for 35mm film is that it's been that way for 40 years, and they're not gonna start etching other numbers on there, especially when all (well, Canon at least) sensors will be full-frame soon anyway, even on sub-$1,000 DSLRs.the 100mm macro will basically allow you to do macro shots of objects further away, if that makes any sense ...As for when a lens says "f2.8", that is the maximum aperture that the lens can open up to...obviously the lower the number, the better. The fastest lens you can economically get is a 50mm f1.4 prime, but that's a real shallow DOF to deal with, but is great for low-light shooting. Canon made an f1.0 lens, but it is real heavy and costs around $2,000. No one bought it. As for shooting the races, a good 100-300mm lens will suffice...http://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_75-300_4u/ef_75-300_4u.htmlEven if you don't have the proper access to prime shooting areas, you can grab decent images from the stands with this one...Of course, if you've got the cash, go for this onehttp://www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/lenses/ef_100-400_45/ef_100-400_45.htmlA word of caution, anytime a Canon lens has the trademark white steel casing, it's usually quite costly. Canon paints them white for better heat reflectivity outdoors (i.e. less minute stresses on the glass...), and as an added bonus, it's trademarked, so any lens of that color is a Canon lens...usually their top L (for Lotsa Money), lens series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 24 Author Report Share Posted October 24 Sounds good... This is a response regarding the 75-300 for action shots I got from a respected photographer who paid a visit to give me a few tips not too long ago. "All sounds good, except the 75-300 it is much to slow for action. Look at the 70-200 2.8 with IS or without the IS. If you really need a longer lens, get a 'double extender' or get a longer lens. A double extender will give you 400 @f4.5 or so not too bad. Remember you can push your ASA/ISO as well."Problem is the lens he is talking about is a white body lens that costs about $1200.. This guy has no problem spending big bucks on camera equipment but obviously i do. Any thoughts? Will a lens with IS work just as well on action shots using paning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 Turn the IS off, and boost your ISO to around 800...then you can get some decent speeds. Any underexposure can be corrected post-production with Photoshop...and subtle noise can be dealt with in many ways, from using a set of custom actions I can point you to, and several other methods... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 25 Author Report Share Posted October 25 Originally posted by pod Turn the IS off, and boost your ISO to around 800...then you can get some decent speeds. Any underexposure can be corrected post-production with Photoshop...and subtle noise can be dealt with in many ways, from using a set of custom actions I can point you to, and several other methods... Makes sense... but i'd rather pick the right lens for the right price first and deal with photoshop later only if i have to.How about this lens? EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USMAnother question... what is the range of the aperature about? I'm guessing that a minimum zoom the lens is set to f/3.5 and at max zoom its f/5.6? Correct? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 25 Author Report Share Posted October 25 I ordered the Rebel 300d for $899.01 shipped no tax from Dell Home... I posted the deal on Anandtech.. check it out: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=40&threadid=1169585Now is the time to buy this camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 26 Author Report Share Posted October 26 I met this guy at an autocross that shoots for "fun" apparantly...He's got a Canon 1d with a f/2.8 300mm fixed white lens with IS($4k new a while ago). The thing was getting soaked out in the rain today. Aside from that monster he's also got a new 1ds sitting in his backpack.He let me take a few shots with each. Between the lens, hood and base I'd say everything totaled 8-9lbs. Definetely a workout on the arms. Anyway... AMAZING cameras. I can't wait to get my Rebel 300d. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pod Posted October 26 Report Share Posted October 26 I know someone who has a 1Ds for "fun". I spent a week showing him how to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted October 27 Author Report Share Posted October 27 Originally posted by pod I know someone who has a 1Ds for "fun". I spent a week showing him how to use it. Did he pay you back by giving you the camera? I feel that this is an appropriate gesture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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