Primary use will be taking pics of my little boy as he grows up. The canon point and shoot we have just doesn't do as good a job as I'd like.

Had a friend over for his 1 year birthday party that took some shots using a DSLR and I was blown away at the quality.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

For a $1000 budget:
Used Canon 30D for ~$350
Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 or 17-50mm 2.8 for ~400 (I prefer the 28-75, ymmv)
50mm 1.8 for $100
16GIG CF Card for $50
Lowe Pro Bag that feels right: $50
total: $950

/eot

[This message has been edited by Guitarsoup (edited 5/3/2010 5:23p).]

And if you aren't going to spend the time to use it manually and are just setting it to automatic, it becomes a big, awkward point and shoot.

Thanks for the info.

Where would I find all that stuff?

Recommended buying sites on on the first page of the FAQ in this forum.

i was able to pick up a used 20D in fantastic shape for 244 shipped per guitars's recommendation. i'm still very green, but it is perfect for me to learn on. trust in guitar's suggestions.

Talk to your friends, if you have any that do a lot of photography, and see what they might be shooting. When I get a DSLR it'll probably be a Nikon D90 (or a similar Nikon) because I have several friends who are pro photographers and I have access to thousands of dollars in Nikon glass.

I'm on GS's 30D track listed above and that's definitely what I'd recommend but I think 16gb is overkill. I went with a high speed 8gb for ~$24 on sale at Costco.

Yeah, I forget the 30D is just 8MP. I'm used to shooting my 5D2, which gives me just 550 RAW pics on 16GIG. 8GIG should be plenty on a 30D.

If you can spring for it, pick up a 40D instead of a 30D. The interface improvements alone make it worth it to me and if you ever shoot on a tripod, live view is a great feature to have.

I'm an idiot for not seeing the CAM sticky.

Thanks for the comments thus far folks.

I'm a big fan of DSLRs even in full auto mode. For instance, I can capture sports shots using a multi click fast action feature. And, I can capture baby shots with an instant click of the button that's just not possible with less expensive pocket cameras. To me they're worth the money, especially with kids growing up. I'm a Nikon fan but Canons are also good.

I have an Olympus e-volt 510 and its a pretty good camera. Takes quality photos and has a lot of nice features. Only complaint it the lack of lens that might be avaliable for a Nikon or Canon. I dont know if they still sell the 510 but my cousin got the 710 with 2 lenses for like 7 or 8 hundred bucks.

The main reason I don't suggest Olympus, Sony or Pentax is the severe lack of lenses. The lenses make the picture and Canon and Nikon have the best AF lenses you are going to find.

quote:

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If you can spring for it, pick up a 40D instead of a 30D. The interface improvements alone make it worth it to me and if you ever shoot on a tripod, live view is a great feature to have.

---

Any ideas what the difference in prices might be? Safe to assume everything else soup listed would still work on the 40?

40D will run ~600ish, but it is a good upgrade. Better LCD, better sensor, better buffer, slightly more FPS.

Not sure what your timeframe is on purchasing, but rumors indicate that a 60D is in testing and production. No street date yet, but even an announcement could help push down prices on the 40D.

Rumors are just rumors. The 50D has been out for 18 months, so the timeframe is right for a new model. But we will know when we know.

I'll second the Nikon D90 over the Canon fanboys...

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 5/4/2010 2:54p).]

i acutally just picked up a 30d off of ebay. paid $400 total for it.

got the body, charger, 2 batteries, and rather than the card reader i was supposed to get, a random lens (that still works...bonus!)

i bought the standard kit lens (18-55mm) from adorama for $100(refurbished).

my next aquisition will be the 50mm 1.8. that tamron lens sounds very nice. i might have to swap the others i have for one of those.

Guitar, folks,

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pho/1730275566.html

Email from the seller indicates he upgraded to a 5D MK 2.

Seem like a good price?

Pretty good price there, way better than the 30D too. Looks clean.

I'm thinking I might pull the trigger though the guy is hesitant to ship to College Station.

JamesAg96,

He doesn't list a lens in the ad. The box says it came with a 28-135. I would ask before you purchase.

oops

[This message has been edited by DE88 (edited 5/10/2010 8:49a).]

Good catch DE, the price is for the body only. He's keeping the lens for his other cameras.

Missed out on that one so the search goes on.

Side question, is video capture something you use with your dslr's if it's available?

I can't say I'd lean on it if I had it, but I can imagine it might be a "nice to have" when out putzing around with the kiddo.

Video capture on DSLR is entirely manual focus. They are saying they have some AF - contrast detection, but for all intensive purposes, it is entirely manual focus. Real, real steep learning curve. But once you have gotten it down, you can get much better results shooting video with a 5D2 and a L prime lens than you would with a $3k investment in a video camera.

Additionally, you need something to steady the camera, unless you are going for the Jason Bourne fight scene look and you need an eyepiece to counteract the glare since you will be focusing using the live view. Those two things will set you back a grand. Then add in external mic since the on camera mic is basically nonexistent. That's another 400-100 minimum.

I wouldn't count on it or make it a priority in your DSLR purchasing decision.

Or, if you're not a huge video nerd like GS, and just need something for the kid, yeah, it's nice to have, but not a gamechanger.

Except for the fact that all your video will be out of focus without a lot of practice, since it is all manual focus. Manually focusing using the LCD or viewfinder is not the easiest skill to pick up in the world.

And you probably have a point and shoot that already shoots decent video.

Hey I like Jason Bourne movies.

In all seriousness, thanks for the input.

I'm finding myself caught up in the need it/want it now vs. taking my time. Over the weekend I was pretty dead set on a 40D, then the googling started and it was 40d vs. 30d, 40d vs D90, then t2i vs. 40d and ultimately Ford vs. Chevy.

Frustrating.

Go hold a T2i. You will probably find that it's too small for you to hold comfortably, unless you have girly hands.

I'd rather have the 40D than the 30D. Some good improvements there. But hte 30D is also cheap, so if you are on a tight budget, it is a great value.

And I could never use the D90 or T2i. Too small. Way too small.

I agree with GS, just keep it simple. Hold a Rebel and consider its extra bells and whistles vs. the prosumer line 30D/40D. If you don't like the size or don't find the bells and whistles worthwhile, move on to the next step. 30D if on a budget and still want a nice camera, 40D if you have the extra couple hundred for a nicer camera.

Would have to go with GS. 30d/40d is the best bet. Much more solid camera.

I had a rebel for a long time, don't care for it. The d90's are not good cameras as far as I'm concerned, was not at ALL impressed.

[This message has been edited by Ag_of_08 (edited 5/11/2010 1:15p).]