UPDATED: 5 Feb 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
i: KEY
1. BUDGET
2. STORES - WHERE TO BUY
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOOT
3a SPORTS
3b. Children
3c Landscapes
3d Macro, Flowers, bugs
3e Nature/Wildlife
3F Portraits
4 POINT AND SHOOTS
5 MEGAPIXELS
6 TRAVELING
7. CANON VS NIKON VS OTHER
8. Image Stabilization and Vibration Reduction
9. ISO and Noise
10. APERTURE
11. DEPTH OF FIELD
12. CAMERA MODES
12a Program
12b Aperture Priority
12c Shutter Priority
12d Manual
13: Shutter Speed
14. STROBES
15. WIRELESS TRIGGERS
16. FLASH SYSTEMS
17. TRIPODS
18. ACCESSORIES
18a Sensor cleaning
18b Bags
18c Flash Memory
18d Vertical Grips
19 SOFTWARE
19a FREE SOFTWARE
19b Photoshop
19c Lightroom and Aperture
19d Specialty Programs HDR PANORAMA
20 LENSES
21. Third Party Manufacturers
22. TELECONVERTERS
23. CAMERA BODY
24. Filters
25. RAW vs JPG
26. PRINTING
27. Warranties
28. RENTING EQUIPMENT
29. Resources
30. Books


I will focus mainly on the Canon side, since I know that better. Most of the things that Canon makes, Nikon makes an equivalent and vice versa. Lots of things are also made by third party manufacturers as well - which come often at a discount in price and quality. So if I say you need a 70-200mm 2.8 and link to the Canon lens, just know that you can get a Nikon version of the 70-200mm 2.8 as well as a Sigma version. I will specify on lenses that only come from one manufacturer (like the Canon 24-105mm F4IS or the Nikon 14-24mm 2.8, which have no competing lens from the other manufacturer.)

KEY:
AEB – Auto Exposure Bracketing
AF - AutoFocus
dSLR – Digital Single Lens Reflex
CS3 – Photoshop CS3
CS4 - Photoshop CS4
DOF – Depth of Field
EXIF – Exchangeable Information File Format
Fast - this generally relates to the aperture - the smaller the number, the more light is let in, the faster it is considered. It has nothing to do with the speed of the focusing.
F-stop - This is your aperture - search for aperture on down in this FAQ or a better explanation
HDR – High Dynamic Range
IS – Image Stabilizer (same as VR)
ISO - International Standardization Organization - basically, this is your film speed - Remember Kodax Max 800 - that was the same as 800ISO on your DSLR
LR - Lightroom
NUMBERS: if I write 24 1.4, that means it is a 24mm focal length with a 1.4 maximum aperture. A 70-200 2.8 is a 70-200mm zoom with a 2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom. A 70-300 3.5-5.6 would be a zoom where the maximum aperture changes throughout the zoom, so at 70 it would be 3.5 and at 300 it would be 5.6. I tend to prefer the constant aperture lenses over the changing aperture lenses.
OOF – Out of Focus
PP – Post Processing
PRIME: this is a lens that doesn’t zoom. It is a set focal distance.
PNS: Point and Shoot
PS – Photoshop
SOC/SOOC – Straight Out of Camera
SLR – Single Lens Reflex
STOP - A stop is a measurement of light. 100 ISO to 200 ISO is a 1-stop difference. Stops are generally measured in thirds. F/2.8 is one stop SLOWER than F/2. F/1.8 is one-third stop faster than F/2.
USM - Ultrasonic Motor
VR – Vibration Reduction (same as IS)

1. BUDGET
The first thing you need to do is set a budget. If you know how much you want to spend, it will be easier to decide how to spend it. You can start out with a decent system for under a thousand dollars or you can spend tens or even hundreds of thousands on photography equipment. No one can decide this, except you (or your spouse )

Remember that there are TONS of scam artists out there. Lots focus on camera buyers. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten questions like “This camera usually goes for $1500, but flybynightcameras.com has it for $650 and it has all these accessories, is that a good buy?” The answer is unquestionably NO. If it seems like there is deal that is too good to be true, it probably is. I have bought on eBay, but I haven’t in a long time. I’d rather go with those that I know and trust.

Glass (lenses) will keep its value, while camera bodies depreciate quickly. So it is better to buy a nicer lens and an older camera body than get the latest greatest body and a crappy kit lens.

I take good care of my equipment, and have sold lenses for more than I bought them.

2. WHERE SHOULD I BUY MY CAMERA?
Look at three main stores:
http://www.keh.com
http://www.bhphoto.com
http://www.adorama.com

Keh.com is the main place I buy used equipment. They have a 14-day no questions asked return policy and are run out of Atlanta.
B&H Photo is in Brooklyn and is run by orthodox Jews and will not be open on some days (even for online orders.) I buy new gear here.
Adorama is a great dealer.

It is not worth the hassle of dealing with other companies to save $50 on a thousand dollar order.

Amazon.com is also a great place to shop, but they also have retailers that may not be reputable on their website.

I do suggest buying used equipment from reputable dealers. The best place is the three websites above and on http://www.sportsshooter.com classifieds. Some classifieds will be for members only.

3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOOT?
This really should be the number two question because it is very important. What equipment you need varies GREATLY depending on what you want to shoot.

A very popular thing to shoot is sports. Anything from wanting to shoot A&M or professional games down to your kid’s little league games.

3A: SPORTS
Sports is easily one of the most expensive things to shoot as a photographer. You generally want your camera to have a high frames per second rate, a large buffer for pictures and lenses that can reach across a field or that are fast enough to see in a dark gym.

3Ai: FIELD SPORTS
This includes soccer, football, baseball, rugby, grass court tennis, etc.
Generally in these sports, the action is a good ways away from you, even if you have a field pass. When you watched the Super Bowl, you could see all those great big lenses. Those were things like a 600mm F4IS, a 400mm 2.8L IS the Nikon equivalent. Just one of those lenses will set you back quite a bit. But you don’t necessarily need one of those to shoot sports. I don’t have one.

But you probably WILL need a minimum of a 70-200mm F/2.8 Nikon does make a 70-200mm 2.8 as well. I have the Sigma version as well as the Canon version without the image stabilization and the Sigma glass comes highly recommended as an inexpensive substitute.

Like in everything, what you want to spend is really the deciding factor. If you are wanting a sports outfit for $1000 or less, I suggest the Canon 20D and the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8. If you can find both of them used, you can probably get them for under $1000 total. The Canon 20D was an amazing body that still holds up well today.

3Aii. GYM SPORTS
Basketball, volleyball, etc.
Especially on lower levels for kids sports, the gyms will be very dark - the lights suck. But, you are generally able to get in closer to the action than a field sport. It all really depends on the normal gym. The 70-200mm 2.8 may be needed if you are far away from the action. But you may be able to get the 85mm 1.8 This lens will be about a stop faster (using it at 2.0 where the image quality would be better than at 1.8) than the 70-200 2.8 - letting in 2 times more light, allowing for a shutter speed 2x faster.

A fast shutter speed is necessary when shooting sports. How fast the athlete moves dictates how fast a shutter speed you want. I try to get 1/640th minimum for college sports. 1/400th minimum for HS, but will go faster when I can. 1/4000th won’t kill anything if you can get that (probably middle of the day outdoor sports.

SportsShooter is a great website for resources on shooting sports. They have great articles and features on different things within the sports shooting world. They were a big resource for me when learning to shoot sports. I am now a member there, too.


3B: CHILDREN or KIDS
Children are easy because they generally don’t move around that fast (compared to an football player.) If you are looking for a camera to take pictures of your family, you will probably want wider lenses (somewhere in the 16mm-70mm area.) I highly suggest the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 lens. It is a great all around lens, with a fast (2.8) maximum aperture. I also suggest the 50mm 1.8 lens - it is less than $100 and has that fast 1.8 aperture.


3C: LANDSCAPES
This is pretty easy. The Tamron 28-75 2.8 mentioned above works great. A lot of landscape photographers prefer prime lenses. If you start with a zoom like the Tamron 28-75, you can figure out where you tend to like your pictures (wider end or longer end) and get lenses that match that area. You may want a 24 1.4, a 50 1.4 or an 85 1.8. That zoom will come in handy no matter what prime you ultimately decide to go with and it won’t really lose much value if you decide to sell it to get a very nice prime.

3D: MACRO or FLOWERS or BUGS
I don’t shoot a lot of Macros, but I almost never shoot it without my tripod. Canon has a 50mm 2.5 Macro lens that is inexpensive (about $250) and is rated very highly. I prefer a 150mm 2.8 Macro made by Sigma. I like my long telephoto macro. A telephoto macro can also be useful when shooting for bugs because you can get further away. Canon makes a 180mm 3.5 macro. The ultimate macro lens is the MP-E 65mm F2.8 1-5x Macro made by Canon. There is nothing else that comes close to it, but it is about a grand and is highly specialized.

You can shoot macros without the tripod, but I don’t suggest it. It is much easier to focus and keep your focus with the macro when you have it on a tripod. I also suggest a camera with LIVE VIEW - this is something where you can focus it manually on the LCD screen. My Canon 50D has a great LCD, and can zoom in to 10X so I can get the focus exactly where I want it. Again, you really need a tripod to do that more easily.

A true Macro is going to have an image representation of 1:1 or better. That means the image on the sensor(film) will be the same size as the real thing. There are some zooms that will put macro on it, when really it just means they can focus close to the element. If you really want to do macro photography, get a 1:1 lens that is a prime.

3E: NATURE AND WILDLIFE, BIRDS
If you are on the nature end, the landscapes part could be applicable. However, if you want to shoot birds and grizzly bears and skunks, you may want to be kinda far away from your subject (or you may not have a choice but to be far away from your subject.)

10mm of focal length = 1 meter distance from subject. So a 500mm lens will give you a tight shot at 50 meters.

This means you are going to need a lens with a long focal length. A lot of nature photographers like the Sigma 50-500mm lens (aka BIGMA.) It is under $1000 and gives you a long focal length.


Other popular lenses (that are cheaper than the 600mm F4 IS that will run you over $7000) are the Canon 100-400, Nikon 80-400, Sigma 135-400, Sigma 120-300mm 2.8. I suggest the Sigma 50-500, though.

A lot of wildlife photographers will use lens extenders. I have a 2.0x and a 1.4x extender. If you buy sigma lenses, try to get a sigma extender. If you nikon lenses, use the nikon extender, etc.


3F: PORTRAITS
There are a million different ways to tackle this one. But, generally, I like a fast aperture which will make the background blur more and keep the subject as the focus. You know how when you take a pic with your PNS and you get the subject in focus as well as the background? That is bad. We don’t want that. 
So start out with the 50mm 1.8 lens. Practice with that and figure out what else you would like to do. The 85mm 1.8 is a fantastic portrait lens for about $300. Sometimes you will have to shoot in a really tight space and will want a wider lens. Sometimes you are in a bigger space (like outdoors) and want to use the 70-200mm 2.8. My next lens may be the 135mm F/2. It works great for portraits and many other uses.
I tend to like to interact with my subjects and often use my 16-35mm 2.8 II zoom for portraits.

3G: UNDERWATER
I don’t know much about this, other than it is crazy expensive - prohibitively expensive for me. A good underwater case for your camera body/lens/strobes could run you a couple thousand dollars. If you really want to know, I will try to find something out for you.


4. POINT AND SHOOT
Maybe you just want a point and shoot, not a DSLR. Here is your section.

I have a Canon Powershot Elph SD 890 IS. I love it. I suggest it to everyone. 10 megapixels, 5x optical zoom and image stabilization while being very small.

If you want the most advanced and powerful PNS, get the Canon G10. It is unmatched for features and quality.

Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom
Ignore digital zoom. Look for the Optical Zoom. The bigger the number (4x, 10x, etc) the further it will zoom. If there is digital zoom on your camera, turn it off. It will only really crop the pics as you take them, which you can do afterwards.

Don’t worry about the megapixel number at all. You probably arent going to take museum-quality prints and any PNS camera has MORE than enough pixels for whatever you need.

I am biased against Sony because they use the stupid memory stick format. An SD or CF card will be more useful - the SD is pretty much the standard now for PNS cameras. Get a big one and you will probably never have to change it out. My Elph has a 4GIG card in it and at 10MP fine quality, that is about 800 pics.

5. HOW MANY MEGAPIXELS IS ENOUGH

Whatever you are buying probably has MORE than enough megapixels. I’ve made great 20”x30” prints from a 6.3MP camera. Most people never print that big. I currently have a 16.7MP and a 15.1MP camera. Lots of overkill and it takes a lot more time to process the pics in photoshop.

6. TRAVELING

X-rays WONT hurt your digital camera. X-Rays will hurt film rated ISO 1600 or higher. You can request that your bag be manually inspected by TSA. But they reserve the right to tase you and steal your stuff in your checked luggage, I think.

Never check camera equipment.

The best source on traveling with your cameras and gear is Flying With Fish
They will answer questions a lot better than I could.

7. CANON VS NIKON
First of all, let me point out that I am a Canon guy. However, both Canon and Nikon make great cameras. If you have lenses for one camera system or the other, stick with that camera system. There is no reason to start over.

There are other brands for digital SLRs (DSLR) and Point and Shoots (PnS) cameras. I suggest getting Canon or Nikon. Canon is the bigger of the two companies. Canon was fairly superior to Nikon in a lot of ways up until recently when Nikon released the D3 which had the best noise handling and was the all-around best camera that had been released up until that point.

You cannot go wrong with either Canon or Nikon.

What is more important than the camera body is the lenses. Companies other than Canon and Nikon (like Pentax or Sony) do not offer the same lenses or the same quality lenses as Canon and Nikon. Because of the lens offerings alone, I would stick with Canon and Nikon.

Another think you have to worry about is the company going out of business or selling their camera division. That has happened a few times since I first wrote this. Canon and Nikon have been the most stable.

None of that is to say that Sony, Pentax, Fuji or anyone else doesn’t make a great camera. But I think you should stick with Canon and Nikon.

8. IMAGE STABILIZATION or VIBRATION REDUCTION

IS is on Canon and VR is on Nikons. This is their system to reduce the visible hand shake in pictures. Hand shake is noticable when the room is darker and you have to shoot a pic with a slower shutter speed. If you shot a picture at 1/4000th of a second, you could throw the camera in the air and the shots wouldnt have noticable camera shake. However, you would probably drop your camera and it would break.

When you are taking pictures of kids blowing out birthday candles and the room is dark, IS or VR can be helpful (in addition to flash.) It is not a cure all and often makes the camera (or lens) much more expensive. The entry Canon IS is going to be the 28-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS for $350ish. The Nikon lens would be a 24-120 F3.5-5.6 VR for $600. You can get it on a PnS on cameras for $200 or less.

Canon and Nikon each make a 70-200mm 2.8 IS (or VR) lens that is excellent. Both make a 18-200mm lens with IS/VR that many like for the long zoom range and light weight, but I personally dislike for the lower image quality.

Canon makes an exceptional 24-105mm F/4 IS lens and a 100-400 IS lens that is said to be great.

Many of the longer, more expensive lenses like the 400mm 2.8L IS have IS. But they are quite expensive.

IS in lenses work much better than in-camera IS.


9. ISO SPEED AND NOISE

Noise is when a picture looks grainy for whatever reason.

ISO is the "film speed" of a digital camera. If you remember back on your film cameras, there was 100, 200, 400 and Kodax MAX which was 800. There are corresponding ISO numbers on your Digital SLR (and possibly higher end PnS.) ISO works the same way as film speed. 100 is the slowest, but works fine in the sun, and it will also have the least amount of grain in it. 200 is twice as fast as 100. 400 is twice as fast as 200, etc. So if you want to get 1/500th of a second, but it is dark enough so that you can only get 1/250th of a second and be at proper exposure, you can bump the ISO up one stop and get twice as fast of a shutter speed.

At ISO 1600, you will start to get a good bit of noise or grain in your picture, especially in shadows. At 3200, you will get a lot more grain. Many cameras are really unusable at 3200 ISO or higher. However, newer cameras like the Nikon D3, D300, D700 or Canon 50D, 1D3 or 5D2 have very low noise at very high ISO.

10. APERTURE

Aperture is the opening that lets in the light that exposes the film (or in the digital case the sensor.) The wider the opening, the smaller the number.

The aperture number (like 2.8) (or F-stop) is the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the light rays passing through the aperture in the iris diaphragm. Yes I had to memorize that for class in 99 and still know it. No, you don't need to know what that means. In your eye, the pupil is the aperture. The iris (the colored part) is the diaphragm that controls what F-stop your pupil is at. When it is brighter, your pupil gets smaller because you dont need as much light. When it is darker, your iris lets your pupil out so you can get more light. Same thing in a camera.

A "FAST LENS" is a lens with a small f-stop number. (Sometimes the aperture number is written as F/2.8.) A lens with a small Fstop number lets in a lot of light, and lets the shutter move faster. A fast lenses is generally considered any lens that is a 2.8 or faster.

Your FULL STOPS (you can change the aperture to partial stops in most cameras) are:
1.0>1.4>2.0>2.8>4.0>5.6>8.0>11.0>16.0>22.0>32.0

Every time you go from one number to the next, you let in twice as much light. So a F/1.4 lens lets in 16x more light than a F/5.6 lens. This will allow you to use a shutter speed 16 time faster than you could with a slower lens. Most cameras let you change it in 1/3 stops. So you could go from 4>4.5>5.0>5.6 - that is a one stop movement.

11. DEPTH OF FIELD
To get things in focus together, you need them within the focus depth of field. When you use a smaller aperture (like F/1.4) the depth of field can be razor thin. It would be possible to take a picture where the eyes are in focus, but the nose is not in focus.

As you use a narrower aperture (bigger f-stop number), your depth of field will become wider. This is good for group shots where you have multiple rows of people.

When you are taking pictures of things like sports, you want a shallow depth of field, so that you can separate the subject from the background.



If you look closely at this picture of Derek Webb, the autofocus caught the microphone and it is in perfect focus, while Derek (only a couple inches behind the mic) is out of focus. Because this was in a dark place, I had to use the largest possible aperture, and this is sometimes the result. I like the pic anyway, but it is technically a poor pic.


The RB here really stands out from the defense behind him because he is in sharp focus while the defenders behind him are slightly blurred. This is a technically great pic, because you can see the eyes (important), the subject is not centered, you can see WHY he wants to run so fast or juke with the Stratford players behind him (you pick up the action instantly.)

A shallow DOF helps bring your subject out by blurring the foreground (in some cases) and the background. A very important thing to do is to learn to use DOF for yourself. That is why I suggest everyone buys a 50mm F/1.8 lens to learn the basics with. That lens only costs about $70 for Canon or Nikon. I have it and use it quite a bit.

12. CAMERA MODES
Believe it or not, the little running man is not the best way to take action shots.

I am not as familiar with Nikon's symbols for their modes, but they will have something that will correspond with Canon's.

12.A: PROGRAM P on Canon
No, the P doesn’t mean Professional. On this mode, the aperture and the Shutter speed are calculated automatically. You set the ISO. I never use this except when I give my camera to someone else to take a pic of me.

12.B APERTURE PRIORITY Av on Canon.
This mode allows you to adjust the Aperture and the ISO, and the camera will meter as you shoot and pick the best shutter speed for the picture. I use this mode the most of the automatic modes

For sports and portraits, I want a shallow DOF and a fast shutter speed. I set the aperture as small as I can (usually 2.8) and then meter the area or take test pictures. I then use the smallest ISO possible while getting a shutter speed I deem appropriate. For sports, you generally want to get over 1/500th second. Sometimes (night/indoor sports) you may have to settle with 1/320 or 1/250. Try to never go below 1/250 unless you are trying to get a little blur. During day games, I will try to keep my shots at 1/2000th.

Some old pros like to shoot everything manually. However, you can have a stop or two of difference on different sides of the field. Letting the camera set the shutter speed will help you get more shots. There is no reason not to, unless you are trying to be a crotchety old school photographer. If so, why are you using digital?

12.C SHUTTER PRIORITY Tv on Canon
This is very useful when in dark areas, but I tend to just use manual instead of this. Use this when you know you need a certain shutter speed. You can also adjust the ISO in this mode.

12.D MANUAL M on Canon
I do some strange things with cameras and exposures, and I have to be able to control everything. Everything is manual (aperture, shutter and ISO) so it is all in your hands. A meter will still tell you if you are over or under exposing so you can adjust accordingly.

There will be a little line on the side of your viewfinder that has a bar with -2 -1 0 +1 +2. Zero would be properly exposed and the other values show if you are over and under exposed and by how much.

I used to mainly shoot aperture priority, but now mainly shoot manually. I still use aperture or shutter priority when a location will have big changes in lighting (like shadows in a stadium.)

13. WHAT SHUTTER SPEED DO I NEED TO NOT HAVE BLURRY PICS

Most of the time, blurry pics are caused by a slow shutter speed and the fact that your hands shake no matter what.

One tip is to keep your elbows in. This will feel ackward at first, but I have been able to get great shots with a very heavy set up and a long focal length. Have both elbows point straight down and possibly rest on your chest/stomach. They can become a tripod of sorts if it is needed.

A great rule of thumb is that you need a shutter speed equal to the focal distance. So if you are using a 200mm lens, you want to have a shutter speed of 1/200th. If you get really good and steady, you may be able to get that smaller. If you don't have incredibly steady hands, you will need a higher shutter speed.

There are others ways to shoot at low shutter speeds.
Take a camera with a grip. dig the left side of the grip into your shoulder/collarbone area. Look through the viewfinder with your LEFT eye. With a wider lens, place your left hand over your right hand for support. You will feel really weird, but you can get great results without a tripod or image stabilization.


This was hand held at 10mm, 100ISO, F/22 and a 2 second long exposure.

This was hand held at 10mm, 200ISO, F/22 and 1.6seconds long exposure.

Learning to hand hold long exposures can be really helpful.

14. STROBES

RULE #1 DO NOT USE STROBES ON THE CAMERA
RULE #2 ALWAYS USE STROBES OFF THE CAMERA

This is one thing that Nikon is a clear winner on. Nikon’s CLS system and Flash system is superior to the Canon ETTL strobe system. But that isn’t to say Canon’s system sucks and it isn’t a reason to switch over. It is also good to note that Nikon sucked HARD at noise, but has now leapfrogged Canon on noise in their upper end bodies. Both companies leap frog each other with just about every new release. But Nikon’s SB-900 is absolutely out of this world.

A great resource for strobes is [url]http://www.strobist.com

Canon’s two main strobes are the EX430 and the EX580II. There is also a wireless trigger for these strobes. (Nikon has a wireless trigger as well.)

Both Canon and Nikon’s strobes have an IR signal that they can send out to have the other strobes fire when the main one (or transmitter) fires. However, this often doesn’t work well in bright light. You just set the transmitter or on camera flash to master, the off ones to slave and shoot how you want.

To learn more about strobes, go to strobist.com. Dave does a much better job that I could ever do about explaining them and how to use them and how to creatively get the flash off your camera.

The most exciting thing to come into play with these setups is the new Radio Poppers. Which segways into:

15. WIRELESS TRIGGERS

PocketWizards are the industry standard. They are also expensive. However, they can be used to fire your strobes, flashes, and even your camera.

When you fire pocketwizard, it only tells the flash to fire, it doesn’t send signal to your flash about what power to flash at. So you have to fire them manually.

However, RadioPoppers just came out with a new system that will use your camera’s CLS (Nikon) or ETTL (Canon) automatic setting to adjust the power on the flashes. It is the first thing that does that. The guys at TriCoast Photography have tested it and love it. So before you invest a ton in PocketWizards (minimum $180 each) check out those radio poppers.

Also check out the Paul Buff remotes, which works with the Alien Bees.

16. FLASH SYSTEM (STUDIO)
I have Calumet and Dynolites, but I suggest people invest in AlienBees. They are easy and work very well. If you have money, check out the White Lightnings. In the next 6 months, I am opening a new studio, and I will be just using Alien Bees in it.

17. TRIPODS

I think Tripods are a bit over used now a days, but here are a few things where it is very useful.
Use it for great HDR shots.
I highly suggest them for macro work.
They can work really well for hanging gear on, and for a place to put your camera on a shoot.
Long exposures necessitate a tripod.

That’s about it. Find the strongest, lightest one you can find. My favorite brands are Bogen and Giottos. I actually can’t remember which tripod I have right now, but it is an excellent one. Ha. I don’t exactly use it a lot, but someday when I have time, I will bust it out for Macros.

18. ACCESSORIES
You can waste a ton of money on these. You will want a way to clean your camera and lenses.

18A: SENSOR CLEANING
Want to know if you have a dirty sensor? Put your camera on F/22 and take a pic of the sky (not the sun) If you see little specs in the pic when you bring it up on your computer, you have dust on your sensor.

You know those booger getters for babies? It has a round bulb at one end and a stem, and you can suck boogers out of the noses of babies? Buy one of those and use it to blow stuff out of the inside of your camera. Keep it in a ziplock bag in your camera bag. Some people use compressed air, but that often has moisture in it and I dont like blowing moisture on a electric sensor.

[url]http://www.dust-aid.com/
I’ve heard good things about their stuff, but have never used it. A baby booger cleaner is usually enough for me.

18B: BAGS

Get a decent bag. I have maybe 4 different bags for different things. LowePro CompuTrekker Plus AW It is freakin heavy, but it has backpack straps and roller wheels. It comes with a raincover built in, tripod straps, etc. And I can fit a ton of stuff in it.

Slingshot 350AWI also use a Slingshot 350AW. I have fit two camera bodies (with grips) 4 lenses including a 70-200, 2 flashes and a laptop (15” MBP.)

A lot of those crotchety old photographers look down on anyone that has a camera backpack. But they suck. It is very useful, especially when hiking or riding a motorcycle. And they are probably the losers still wearing vests.

Speaking of vests, get one. Seriously. And never wear it. But stick it in your bag. Sometimes a flight attendant will give you hell about your carry on weighing too much. So pull that craptastic vest out, put it on, and put all your camera gear in it and have them weigh the empty bag again. If you are wearing the gear, there is no problem. Airlines are stupid.

There is no perfect bag. If you find the perfect bag, it will probably contain the Holy Grail. But identify what you need and get one that works for it.

DO NOT get a Nikon or Canon bag. They scream to be stolen. I like the LOWEPRO bags because they tend to be less noticable and look less like a camera bag.

18C: Flash memory

I suggest getting a USB or Firewire reader to dump memory to your computer. I have like three of them, because I always lose them.
I generally get my flash memory at Newegg.com. Lexar is my memory of choice, but transcend is a great deal for the money.
The speed of your flash card does matter. If you have slow memory, your buffer will not clear as fast - which is especially important when you shoot sports or something where you fill the buffer.

Here is something where photographers diverge. How big of a card is too big? Well, I have two 16GIG cards, one 8 GIG card, four 4 GIG cards, two 2 GIG cards and a 1 GIG Card. Rarely will I need more than a 16 GIG Card in a camera.

One thing I do is carry my 1 GIG card in my pocket. Dumbass cops that trample the rights of honest law abiding citizens will sometimes step on your first amendment rights and delete your pictures. Just ask Nick Adams, who shot for Galveston’s paper back when he was in high school. The cops deleted his pics (which he was working for the paper as a reporter) and accidently took pictures of their own idiot selves. It is a sad commentary when a working journalist has to carry backups incase someone wants to trample your first amendment rights, but it is true. Anyway, carry a dummy card and try to switch your good one and your dummy one if you are given a hard time by a cop or anyone else. Then, if they delete the card, they delete the wrong one and you have the good one.

18D Battery Grip or vertical grip
Not all cameras have one available, but I prefer it, because I can then take vertical pics from a normal hand position and I get longer use out of my batteries. Lots of people don’t like the added weight. I don’t shoot a camera without one.

19. SOFTWARE

19A: FREE SOFTWARE!!
Google has Picasa for free. picasa.google.com. Most people will not need anything more than that. If you have a Mac, use iPhoto - it is great.

19B: PHOTOSHOP
I have Photoshop CS3. CS4 is the newest one, but most of the new features deal with video and vector programs. I don’t use either. Photoshop is photoshop. The best and the industry standard.
However, if you need more than Picasa, you may want to check into Photoshop Elements. I don’t know what the newest model is, but it is less than $100 and you can get it at Costco or Amazon or your local educational store.

19C: LIGHTROOM and APERTURE
Lightroom and Aperture are very similar programs, but I much prefer Lightroom. I do have both, although my aperture copy is 1.5, which is outdated. You couldn’t drag me away from LR, though. I use it nearly 100% of the time now. The full edition is $300 or the educational is 100.
I FREAKING LOVE LIGHTROOM!

19D: SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
HDR: Check out PHOTOMATIX PRO. I use it and I believe it is the leading program for HDRs.

Panoramas: Canon has autostitch software that is free and reasonably good. CS3 and CS4 has built in stitching software. I use AUTOPANO PRO, a french program. This is my favorite.

AUTOPANO PRO
PTGUI


Most HDR and Panorama programs have free trials. Check them out first. You may like something different, although I did try all available ones when I picked mine.

20: LENSES

Again - this goes back to what is your budget? If your budget is unlimited, I can give you a wish list of what I still need. You also need to decide what your main subject is going to be and look over that part at the top of the FAQ.

I suggest all SLR owners getting a 50mm 1.8 lens. This will run you about $70 for either Canon or Nikon and will teach you a lot about taking pictures. It is good for dark rooms and taking portraits. It is very good for learning DOF and the shutters and apertures.

What lens you need to start off with depends on your budget for it.

If you are unsure about what your needs are exactly, I suggest getting that 50mm lens and shooting with it for a while. Decide where it limits you - do you want to be wider or tighter.

Before you think that the lens sucks and limits you too much, remember that Henri Cartier-Breeson shot almost everything his entire life with just a 50mm lens.

Some zoom lenses have a constant aperture.I prefer the constant aperture to a variable aperture because when you shoot on Av, the aperture will be forced to change, changing all your settings then when you zoom out, it will not go back down. A constant aperture lens would be something like the 24-70mm 2.8 lens that both Canon and Nikon make. This will run over $1000 for either system, but it is a very fast and is a great great lens.

Once you get that 50mm 1.8, you can figure out what you find to be your limitations. You may find you want to be wider, or longer.

I also suggest the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 lens for everyone. It can be had used for under $300 and is a great all-around lens. It focuses quickly and accurately, can take a beating and is very light. If you find that 28 is too tight, you may want to look into some of the ultra wides. If it is too wide, you may want to check out the 70-200.



Since it can be hard to read, from the outer ring in:
8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 22mm, 28mm, 50mm, 100mm.
That gives you an idea of what you lose with some lenses.

Lenses that are in the 10-24 range are considered Ultra-Wide angle lenses. Canon makes a very good EF-S 10-22mm lens, but it will not work with the 5D or 1D series. (No EF-S Lenses will.) Nikon makes a ridiculously good 14-24mm F2.8, but it will run you nearly two grand. Sigma makes the only ultra-wide that will work on a full-frame Canon camera. That is a 12-24 3.5-4.5. Tokina makes a 11-16mm 2.8 lens that I really want to try out, but it will not work with full frame cameas.

Canon has the 16-35mm 2.8L II lens that I use every day. Great lens. The 17-40mm F4L is great as well, but it generally stays in the bag, since I like my 16-35 so much.

For most uses, however an Ultra-Wide will be a poor choice. You need a normal zoom. For film cameras, the popular lens was the 24-70mm 2.8. However, because of the crop factor of 1.5 or 1.6, manufacturers are starting to make an 18-50mm 2.8 lens that may slowly replace the 24-70 range.

If you plan to take pictures of little league or kids basketball, soccer, etc, you will probably want the amazing all-around lens - 70-200mm 2.8. This comes with or without IS/VR and will be just over $1000 for non-IS/VR and will run just over $1500 for IS/VR. But can you really put a price on memories and once-in-a-lifetime pictures of your kid living up to your expectations by playing sports to please you? Absolutely, which is why you can get a very similar lens that will perform nearly identically for a much lower price. I bought a Sigma 70-200 2.8 EX DG HSM for under 600 and it performs as good as the Non-IS Canon lens. It focuses fast and accurately. This is a great all purpose lens and I am very happy with the Sigma's quality.

If you are shooting ANY sports (inside or out) you should look at getting a 2.8 aperture lens, and the 70-200 is the best starting lens. If you are shooting volleyball or basketball in a really dark court, you may want to look at a 85mm 1.8 lens that will run you about $325 for either Nikon or Canon. Remember that it isnt a zoom. If you are mainly shooting outdoors, the Canon 70-200 F4L may be an option at $600, but you can sometimes get a Sigma 70-200 2.8 for that.

Recommended lenses:
Canon or Nikon:
24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8
300mm 2.8, 400mm 2.8, 600mm 4, 200 2 IS
50mm 1.4
50 1.8
85 1.8
135mm 2
All Tilt-Shift Lenses
Canon:
24-105 F4 IS
35 1.4L
14 2.8 II
24 1.4L
50 1.2
85 1.2
17-55 2.8 IS (EF-S)
MP-E 65mm 1-5x
16-35mm 2.8L II
17-40mm 4L
100-400 4.5-5.6L
Nikon:
14-24 2.8
200-400 F4
85 1.4
180mm Macro
28 1.4
35 2



21. THIRD PARTY MANUFACTURERS
Sigma, Tokina and Tamron are the main ones. Each manufacturer makes some lenses that are very very good with a great price point. Not every lens they make is worth anything. Lots of their lenses are horrible crap excuses for lenses. Feel free to ask about specific lenses or focal ranges/speeds you are looking for.

Recommended Third Party Lenses:
Sigma 30 1.4
Sigma 10-20 4-5.6
Sigma 18-50 2.8
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 EX DG HSM
Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 EX HSM
Sigma 50-500 4-6.3 EX HSM
Sigma 300-800mm 5.6 EX HSM
Sigma 100-300 F4 HSM
Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro
Sigma 150mm 2.8 Macro
Sigma 500mm 4.5 EX HSM
Sigma 180mm 3.5 Macro
Tokina 12-24 F4
Tokina 11-16 2.8
Tokina 17mm 3.5
Tamron 28-75 2.8 XR Di LD
Tamron 14mm 2.8



22. TELECONVERTERS

You can get a 1.4x or 2x converter. A 1.4x will multiply your focal length by 1.4, and will drop your aperture by 1 stop. So my 300mm 2.8 lens just became a 420mm F4 lens. You also lose a bit of image quality. With a 2X converter, you lose more image quality and 2 stops. So my 300mm 2.8 lens just became a 600mm 5.6 lens. However, I will be able to reach a lot more.



This is an uncropped picture I took with my Sigma 150mm 2.8 Macro with the 2X extender. It did a pretty fantastic job, without much sharpness loss.

When you get a teleconverter, you will likely be buying it to work with one specific lens. In my case, it is the Sigma 300mm 2.8, Sigma 70-200 2.8 and the 150mm 2.8. Buy the Converter that is made by that lens manufacturer. So if you have a Nikon lens you want to use it with, buy the Nikon converter. If you want to use it with a Canon, buy a Canon converter.

23. CAMERA BODIES

This is way down, because it isn’t that important.

If you are on any type of budget, and even if you aren’t I suggest getting the Canon 20D. I believe it is by far the best deal for your money, and you can probably get one for $300 or less right now. It will get you great performance, 5FPS and 8.2 MP. Put your money in glass and shoot away.

I would not buy a kit. I would but a body only, and the lens that suits your needs the most. Find what you want to spend, what your need is for a lens, and then the body. You can upgrade, but the camera body is what will depreciate the most of all your equipment.

In the Spring of 2004, a Canon 10D was selling for about $1500 new. Now a used one would go for about $200 if that. It is still a great camera and I even have one in case of emergencies. When my Canon 1D mark 2 came out, it was about $3500. Now, it would sell for $1000 or less.

Your money is much better invested in lenses. I have bought lenses and sold lenses, and even gotten more than I paid for some lenses when I sold them. A camera body is only as good as the lens on the front and the brain behind it. It is a tool.

That said, because bodies depreciate quickly, it is not a good investment. If you go to [url]www.dpreview.com, you can get a great rundown of the technical specs of any camera. That is the only thing I would use that site for, BTW.

Canon and Nikon periodically change their entry level cameras, and I don’t keep up with those DSLRs very well. Personally, I’d rather have a used 20D and a Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 than a new Rebel Kit or Nikon entry level kit. But that’s me.



Personally, I like a camera with a heavy, metal feel, and do not like how the Rebel cameras feel. Some people like them. Before you buy any camera, go to Best Buy or some camera store and feel the cameras and snap a couple pics. See how you like the ergonomics.

The bodies change so much, that if I put down what all the bodies have, it would just change (along with the prices) so that is something you will have to do on your own. Compare the main specs:
MegaPixels
LCD Size and pixels
Frames per second
Buffer size JPG/RAW
ISO Range
Sensor Cleaning
Viewfinder Coverage
Shutter Rating
Sensor Size
Weight
Ergonomics

My bias towards Canon and Nikon is discussed in posts below. I prefer them because they offer the widest array of lenses at the highest possible quality. I am not saying that Pentax, Sony or anyone else makes bad equipment, but you will be more limited in choices for lenses and equipment if you choose to go that route. The camera could bea great deal, but I am only endorsing Canon and Nikon. I that upsets you, sorry.

24. FILTERS
You can make some great effects with filters – but you can do a lot of that in photoshop afterwards.

However, I suggest that you buy a UV filter for EVERY lens you have. Put it on there and leave it there. This will protect your lens from scratches and the like. Your lens will have a size on it like 52mm or 72mm and there will be a filter for that size. I buy Hoya and Tiffen filters.

A couple other things to think about: If you shoot a lot in and around water, you may want to get a couple of polarizer filters. Same effect as your glasses.

If you are doing a sunset or sky shots, you may want to look into graduated neutral density filters. This will be darker at the top and gradually work to clear. That way your sky won’t be blown out as much.

25: RAW vs JPG

I have completely switched on this thanks to Lightroom. I shoot 100% (nearly) in RAW. I used to shoot 100% in JPG. I do this for a few reasons.
I mainly shoot marketing or wedding photography now, so most of my stuff is edited.
LR has made it easy to edit a lot of pics quickly
RAW gives you a lot more control.

HOWEVER, some people use RAW (and digital photography in general) as a way to slack off. I hate this. Try to shoot everything correctly and you can shoot more and be more effecient and not waste time in Photoshop cloning crap out of a pic.

A RAW picture will not get you any sharper or clearer or better image quality or more pixels.

Shooting RAW or RAW+JPG does make you take up a TON more space in your CF cards and then later on your hard drive. Prepare appropriately.


26: PRINTING:

[url]www.mpix.com is a great site for consumers. I use for most of my prints.

Remember that when you take a pic, the pic will be in 4x6 format. This blows up to an 8x12. Most people are used to 8x10s because of the old 4x5 cameras. If you don’t crop, they will cut off any two inches they feel fit, but usually on the ends. Crop to the size you want to print it, or print it at 4x6 or 8x12.

I use [url]www.smugmug.com[/url] to run my website. My site is [url]http://www.thomasgcampbell.com[/url] If you want to use smugmug (which I suggest, as they are great) please use my referral code to get a few bucks off for you and me: tPjOHxdnUbCCI

27. Warranty

You will get usually a 1-year warranty on new equipment bought in the US. However, some things will be slightly cheaper and marked “IMPORT” or something similar. These are usually gray market and carry no warranties.

28. RENTING

I’ve never rented anything, but I know that you can rent from
http://www.lighttec.com/houstonrental.html#


29. Resources:

General Photography
Texas PhotoForum
Makes sure you come back to Texags after briefly visiting these websites. I post at TPF under my name, Thomas Campbell. TPF has a reputable Buy/Sell boards for equipment. The plus with TPF is you can probably pick something up locally. TPF has a nice set of people that will really help you out with all kinds of things at any level of talent.
[url]http://stopshootingauto.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.kelbytraining.com[/url]
This is a great resource. Lots of stuff on shooting, lighting and editing. Cost is $200/year.
[url=http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/]Joe McNally[/url] (heavy focus on lighting)
[url=http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/]Chase Jarvis[/url] Very cutting edge stuff. Lots of video.
John KeatleyEditoral and Advertising photographer
[url=http://www.imaginginsider.com/]Imaging Insider[/url] Rumors and what not
[url=http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/]Vincent Laforet Great editorial photographer. Does sports as well.
Magnum PhotosSome of the best editorial photographers ever banded together to create an agency. Magnum is it.
Redux Advertising photography

Lighting
Strobist with David Hobby
Zack Arias Lighting and concert photography
Photoflex lighting school A how-to of using studio equipment.

Sports
Sports Shooter
Mark J Rebilas Not really a how to, but he often tells how and why he set up for a shot. His primary is motorsports, but does a ton of football and baseball, too.

Weddings
Ben Chrisman Tremendous wedding photographer
David Ziser Lots of lighting and general wedding stuff
All wedding flash stuff

Outdoor/Travel Photography
Moose Peterson
Michael Clark
David du Chemin World and Humanitarian Photography
Jeff RevellPhotoWalk - travel/photowalking/HDR/etc
Joel Sartore National Geographic photographer

Post Processing/Photoshop
Scott Kelby (does lots of general Photography, too, but mainly photoshop here)
Photoshop Disasters More of a how-not-to
Dave Cross
John Nack on Adobe Official Adobe blog
Lightroom tips
Planet Photoshop
Layers Magazine Layers is a photoshop magazine
Kevin Kubota Kubota has photoshop and lightroom actions that can streamline your processing.

Business of Photography
ASMP Business

Other
Daily Dose of Imagery (new pic every day)
Technology and Gagets



30. BOOKS:
Digital Sports Photography by G Newman Lowrance
The Moment it Clicks by Joe McNally (or anything else you find by Joe)
Any photoshop or lightroom book by Scott Kelby (unquestionably the greek god of photoshop)
Best Business Practices for Photographers (Harrington)
Mastering Digital Wedding Photography (Karney)
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Anything by Michael Grecco
Minimalist Lighting by Tuck
Light: Science and Magic by Hunter
Annie Leibovitz at Work
Travel Photography by Krist
The Camera; The Negative; The Print - 3 books by Ansel Adams
Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt: A Self Portrait by Eisenstaedt
High Dynamic Range by McCollough



My Gear List (feel free to ask anything about this stuff)
Cameras:
1D Mark 2, 1Ds Mark 2, 50D+Grip, 40D+Grip, 10D+Grip, Canon Powershot Elph SD890 IS
Prime Lenses:
Canon:
14mm 2.8L II, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, 400mm 5.6L
Sigma:
150mm 2.8 Macro, 300mm 2.8
Zoom Lenses:
Canon:
16-35mm 2.8L II, 17-40mm 4L, 24-70mm 2.8L, 70-200mm 2.8L
Sigma:
10-20mm 4-5.6, 70-200mm 2.8
Tamron:
28-75mm 2.8
Software:
All of Adobe CS3
AutoPano Pro
iPhoto
Photomatix Pro
Lighting equipment:
Calumet 750, Calumet 375
Dynalite 3 strobe location kit
580 EX II, 550EX
Pocket Wizards
Bags:
Multiple LOWEPRO bags

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU GET? Read this post through and you should be able to figure it out.

Feel free to post more questions that I may have glanced over or didn’t explain well enough.

To show off your pics: Photography ShowOff Monster Thread

Tom ‘02




[This message has been edited by Guitarsoup (edited 1/8/2010 5:55p).]

Great FAQ. This should help with all of the camera questions that have been coming up lately.

Thanks, Tom. Great info.

Good Info.

To add, I use adorama and they have the same 14-day no questions asked policy on new/used purchases.

Also, the Nikon/Canon 70-200/2.8 VR or IS lenses are $1500. The 80-200/2.8 Nikor and 70-200/2.8 Cannon are ~$900.

Yep. I typed that wrong. I thought new ones were like 1200 for non-IS and 1600 for IS.

Anyway, the Sigma is a great deal if you do not require IS.

That is a great FAQ, Although the slant to the BIG two is unfortunate. I had been a canon guy for 8 years. Fortunatly some jackhole Cut the top of my jeep and stole my 20d, Sigma 105 macro, 550ex, 70-200 2.8 IS, and kit lens. Guy could of least unzipped the back instead of cut the window!!! This was last November, and I was all ready to start my canon experiance all over. However I heard word of the great output, ease of use, and innovative features of the Pentax k100d and the new k10d. Well I went with K10d and am now greatful for the jackhole that cut my jeep top. The ease of use, The output, In camera IS (which is as good/90% as good as canon in lens IS), Tav mode, SAv mode, green button, Digital preview all have me loving this camera. Yes there are not 2000 lenses avaliable, but what I need is there. Pentax is making a strong push. Sponsering several professionals, wheather sealed lenses to go with the weather sealed k10d. For the price you can not go wrong. Now if you have a legacy with with either Canon or Nikon, go with them by all means, But to look over Pentax just because it does not say Canon or nikon is doing a great injustice to yourself. Pentax was the original innovator in many fuctions that we take for granted in our cameras today, and now they are making a push to do the same in digital. Read the reviews, go to luminous-landscapes and look at what people have to say, and most importantly try all the cameras in your price range (not just Canon or Nikon).

[This message has been edited by Robk (edited 2/13/2007 7:53a).]

Lots of good info here but I have a few comments.

1. I also believe the emphasis on Canon and Nikon is limiting. Lots of fine cameras, especially in point and shoot are offered by other brands. This is backed up by reviews by internet sites and Consumer Reports. My family owns Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji PnS cameras of varying vintages and all take fine pictures. The limiting factor is the person operating the camera. Pentax and Casio have also produced innovative compact cameras with good performance. Samsung seems to be a brand that has not performed well yet.

2. I think the memory card format is largely irrelevent. I have a $20 USB memory card reader that reads SD, CF, memory stick, xD, and microSD. The $$/Mb of each card varies a bit, but it just doesn't matter if one format costs $50 for 1 Gb and another costs $60.

3. If someone has existing memory cards, I still would choose whatever camera is right at the time and not let the memory card influence my choice.

4. I'm not convinced that it is necessary to buy a 50mm (or equivalent) lens for a DSLR. My wife uses a 17-85 IS Canon lens with her XTi and she would never want to carry a 50 around.

Good post....just my two cents.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 2/13/2007 11:32a).]

I think what he is saying is that the 50 is a great cheap learning tool. The fixed focal, and fast aperture, lets you really see what your exposure values do to a picture. Then move on to something else where you throw in Focal length and variable aperture into the mix.

Great post ... I also do quite a bit a photography for a living, and I used to save a FAQ just like this as a text file, and simply cut and paste it whenever friends and relatives would fire off questions to me.

Once you know what you're looking for, eBay can also be a good source for used equipment -- if you're careful! I've bought 95% of my used gear on eBay (one or two things from KEH.com, which is great) and I've never had a problem.

You can especially get good eBay deals on medium format film equipment, if you like to dabble beyond digital (which I do). I've picked up Hasselblad gear there for a song ... Do your research first, and then venture out -- once you know what you're looking at/for, it's harder to be duped.

quote:

---

But to look over Pentax just because it does not say Canon or nikon is doing a great injustice to yourself.

---

I am not overlooking it just because it does not say Canon or Nikon. I would not recommend Pentax because the market is increasingly going towards two manufacturers.

Today, 80% of America owns some sort of digital camera and 14% own a DSLR. 3% of all digital cameras sold are Pentax. 37% is Canon. Minolta has 4% of the market share and they went out of business.

When asked who makes the camera you plan to buy, 35% said Canon, and 14% said Nikon. 2% said Pentax.
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070131/25673_id.html?.v=1

Pentax may very well make good camera bodies, but they do not have as many options for lenses. If you buy a Pentax, you will be greatly limited as to what is available, and I see no clear benefit to buying Pentax over Canon or Nikon, except for the fact that it has IS built into the camera body. As a professional photographer, I dont use nor really have a need for IS. Some do.

Pentax may very well make a good camera, but I won't recommend them to anyone because I really dont have any reason to believe that they will stay in business to compete with Canon and Nikon, just like Minolta could not. Minolta even had the built in IS, etc. If it works for you great. I dont claim to be the end all, but if I am giving suggestions to friends and family, I am going to suggest the companies that I trust.

quote:

---

1. I also believe the emphasis on Canon and Nikon is limiting. Lots of fine cameras, especially in point and shoot are offered by other brands. This is backed up by reviews by internet sites and Consumer Reports. My family owns Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji PnS cameras of varying vintages and all take fine pictures. The limiting factor is the person operating the camera. Pentax and Casio have also produced innovative compact cameras with good performance. Samsung seems to be a brand that has not performed well yet.

---

I agree. My mom has had a Sony PnS for two years and it is a fine camera. There are many fine PnSs by many fine companies. When I used film, I only used Fuji Film. I am sure their cameras are quality as well.
I do not suggest Sony because I feel that their memory sticks are limiting. You will not use them in an many applications as you will use SD and CF, and it is nice to have memory you can use for a variety of purposes. Unless you want to buy nothing but Sony stuff. Also, memory sticks tend to be inferior and more expensive than SD and CF. For that reason, I wouldn't buy a Sony digital camera again. When I had my Song PnS I was always happy with it. Good camera.
I am sure that all the other manufacturers make good PnS - and the reasons to stick with Canon or Nikon is less with a PnS, because you dont have to worry about accessories or variety of lenses.
However, again, if I am giving my personal recommendations, I am going to recommend those products that I trust. I trust Canon and Nikon to have quality electric components, lenses, and to have a company that will still be around in 3 years. I cannot say that about every company that is going to make a digital camera or DSLR.

quote:

---

2. I think the memory card format is largely irrelevent. I have a $20 USB memory card reader that reads SD, CF, memory stick, xD, and microSD. The $$/Mb of each card varies a bit, but it just doesn't matter if one format costs $50 for 1 Gb and another costs $60.

---

I agree that you can easily get a reader that will read any of them.
This is from BHPHOTO.com
A Sandisk 2GIG Extreme III memory stick is $150. This memory stick has an average write speed around 25MB/sec.
A Sandisk 4GIG Extreme IV Compact Flash card at BH will run you $120 and will have write speeds at 40MB/sec.
So for less money you twice the storage and a write speed twice as fast. I do not suggest going with Sony because Memory Sticks are inferior and less versitile than CF or SD.

quote:

---

3. If someone has existing memory cards, I still would choose whatever camera is right at the time and not let the memory card influence my choice.

---

There are plenty or choices in either SD or CF. There is no reason to buy something that will need new memory cards when you already have good memory cards. Don't start over. There are plenty of amazing cameras that use either format.
For DSLRs, I would get the format that you are more comfortable in, rather than buying Nikon because they use SD cards and you already have a $50 SD card. For a PnS, however, I would buy a Nikon because I already have SD cards, because knowing you already have $50 invested in SD cards that you could use when you are buying a $200 camera is a better investment. It doesn't matter as much when you are spending $1500 on a DSLR and lenses.

quote:

---

4. I'm not convinced that it is necessary to buy a 50mm (or equivalent) lens for a DSLR. My wife uses a 17-85 IS Canon lens with her XTi and she would never want to carry a 50 around.

---

Rob answered this for me perfectly. I suggest buying that lens because it is a great learning tool that will not cost you much. The 50mm 1.8 (Plastic Fantastic) will also be a better portrait lens than the 18-85 IS, because of the shallower DOF.

Also, that 50mm 1.8 is something I will put on my body when I know for some reason the lens may get hurt. It can be a 'throw away lens.' When I shot the skyline of Baton Rouge, I was balanced with my 50mm on wet rocks on the banks of the Miss River. I didn't want to hurt my camera, but I knew it could happen because it wasnt an ideal location, but the results turned out amazingly. 89MP pic of the skyline that prints at 1' by 8'.

I completely understand where you are coming from, and understand you basis for wanting to reccomend the big two to family and friends. I am not a profesional just an advanced amateur, but let me do another plug for pentax. (hey I gotta sway everybody to keep them in business, ]
For the price you will not find a better featured camera then the k10d or k100d. Canon and Nikon have alot of legacy users and know they got them by the ying yang. That is why you get warmed over updates of cameras instead of new useful features. All I am saying to someone looking into a camera is to look at all products,see which one best fits and most of all don't be afraid of making the "unpopular choice". That will get you a two party system which just is not good for anybody.
Here is how one proffesional felt about Pentaxs chances

quote:

---

Handicapping The DSLR Horse Race
Working with Pentax's latest camera got me to thinking about the current state of the DSLR marketplace. It really has become a two horse race – Canon and Nikon.

During 2006 Nikon has hit its stride, producing a succession of innovative, well featured and well priced cameras. They've clearly decided to focus on DSLRs rather than digicams, and the attention has been worthwhile.

Canon is still the market leader, but appears to have lost its edge. The 30D is simply a warmed over 20D, which was a warmed over 10D, which was a warmed over D60 – stretching back to the original D30 of six years ago. Yes, the megapixel size has increased, the rear LCD has gotten bigger, and so on. But fundamentally the past few years have seen little innovation in camera technology from Canon. Their sensors are likely the best in the business; and they certainly have the lowest noise, but as far as photographic creativity Canon has been eclipsed by Nikon, Pentax and others. (No, I'm not discounting full-frame. It's big (pardon the pun). But it's about technological achievement, not photographic innovation).

Canon's 1 Series pro line defined the state of the art when the 1D was introduced in 2001, but that was four years ago, and other than Megapixel count the company hasn't done much market leading since then. The same feature / function annoyances persist with each succeeding generation, and little innovative has been seen.

The rest of the field, including Olympus and Sony, are also-rans. Olympus seems to have lost the thread, having offered a self-described pro camera with the E1 three years ago, and then not having followed through, even though it quickly became eclipsed. Also, not offering the new and competitive E-400 consumer model in the North American market seems to be handing the market to the competition on a platter, and is a marketing strategy which is hard to fathom. Sony was fast out of the gate with A-100, a recycled Konica / Minolta, but I'm told that sales have now largely tanked, and the product line is not garnering much interest at retail.

Fuji and Sigma are niche players. Both have aging cameras that are scheduled to be replaced over the next few months, and until they prove themselves remain dark horses. Leica and Panasonic are marginal participants at best, at least in terms of market share at this time.

Pentax seems to me to be a bit of wild card. I was ready to put them in the marginal category until the announcement of the K10D, but now I'm not so sure. The company has a venerable name with a lot of legacy brand recognition, at least among people who've been involved in photography for more than a decade. Though a very small company by any standard, with the K10D they have shown that it doesn't take a big budget to be innovative. The long term effect of their relationship with Samsung though remains to be seen.

So, what does the future hold? Clearly Canon and Nikon will continue to dominate the DSLR market. Nikon is coming off a strong year and will likely keep up the pace. Canon has been coasting for a while, and really has to pull up its socks. The company has an R&D budget bigger than the GDP of some small countries. Their leadership in sensor design is clear. Now, as we head into 2007 they have to show that they understand the needs and desires of photographers and can translate that into some truly fresh products. Great sensor design is important and has helped Canon become a market leader, but the company needs to remember that photography is about more than megapixels and noise free files.

As for Pentax, the main subject of this page, the K10D could well be the beginning of their renaissance. Competition is what makes any market vibrant. Let's hope that Pentax is successful in shaking up some of the market leaders, as well as in repositioning themselves as a potential major player. With the K10D I believe that they've got the product that can help them do this.

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Awesome faq, answered a lot of the questions that I had, in particular concerning lenses.

I will bookmark this and keep it around.

Thanks again!

Again - there just arent a ton of lens options for the Pentax, so that is a severe limiting factor. The body is weather sealed, but they have ZERO lenses with the weather sealing. Without the lens being weather sealed too, it wont do any good. The K10D can't shoot at 1/8000th and it cannot be pushed to 3200 ISO.

The limited quality and types of lenses is the biggest drawback. What are you going to do when you need a fast ultra wide? They dont have one. What about a good long sports lens? None to choose from.

Guitarsoup - I don't mean to be argumentative. I respect your opinion. But I think you're exaggerating the issues around memory cards.

Newegg.com sells Sandisk 1 Gb Ultra II cards for:

SD: $32
MS: $40
CF: $38

These are 10 Mb/sec cards which are probably more than fast enough for PnS most cameras.

As for SLRs.....lets remember that Sony bought Minolta's assets. The system can use existing Minolta lenses. The camera even uses Compact Flash. I think Sony is serious about the SLR market and over time will deliver some interesting products.

I'm not knocking Canon or Nikon. I just bought a Canon. I don't think the market is as settled as it might seem.

You probably have an unusually large investment in memory cards. Once again - my point is that if I were shopping for cameras, especially a PnS - Camera A was better for my needs than Camera B but A needs different memory than what I have - so what?! A new 1Gb card is no more than $40.

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As for SLRs.....lets remember that Sony bought Minolta's assets. The system can use existing Minolta lenses. The camera even uses Compact Flash. I think Sony is serious about the SLR market and over time will deliver some interesting products.

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And Sony released the Alpha last year that hasn't sold worth crap.

Sony's 70-200mm 2.8 lens is $2400, where the Canon or Nikon lens is $1000.

Sony will not be able to stay around long, unless they are in the business of losing money, which may be true.

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Once again - my point is that if I were shopping for cameras, especially a PnS - Camera A was better for my needs than Camera B but A needs different memory than what I have - so what?! A new 1Gb card is no more than $40.

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I doubt you could find features that are that much different between SD based and CF based where that would be an issue.

If you already have SD or CF and are buying a PnS for $200 or so, a $40 card is going to add 20% to your total cost. I think that unnecessarily adding 20% to your cost is too much. However, if you find a feature that you can't live without on a PnS that doesn't support your memory type, get that camera. I just dont think you are going to find an amazing feature that isn't immediately copied by all the other brands.

Again I am not knocking Canon or Nikon, just adding there are other viable options.
And to look at every camera and see what meets his/her need. That is all I really wanted to add to your great FAQ.

But as for your Pentax negatives-
Yes I have to wait till this march for weather sealed lenses. Untill march I have to live with max Super wide f4 (unless I want to buy used K mount Kaf mount). and use the Sigma 70-200 f 2.8. Although in march Pentax releases there verision with HSM/USM and weather sealed. I can also go back and get any old k-mount lense. I do agree that the lense selection is a negative, if they do not have what you need. Me they have it or it is coming out this year. that is why I am saying see what fits you and if it is other then Nikon or Canon do not worry about it. they definatly have every lens needed for you average hobbyist. Also it is a PAIN to find any good Pentax glass. Everybody is sold due to the popularity of these cameras. And used prices are crazy!!!
http://www.digital.pentax.co.jp/en/lens/roadmap.pdf

No k10d does not hav 1/8000 shutter, I have used TAv mode more in the last month then I ever have used 1/8000. Different cameras different perks.

No I can not push to 3200, nor would I ever want to unless I owned a Canon 1d markII. I know neither 20d or 30d is worth much at that high of ISO. Anyway I can turn on that IS lower my shutter speed and use iso 1600.

Hyper Program, Tav, Sav, Weather sealed, Programable ISO, Digital preview (No more grey cards to get WB perfect), and also Dust removal (although it does not work all that good, just like ISO 3200.





[This message has been edited by Robk (edited 2/13/2007 3:29p).]

Guitarsoup-

Great info. If just look at the info and leave brand names out of it you know what to go and look for. I am an old school 35mm SLR guy just getting into DSLR. I have some knowledge of photo basics (been a long time since I was very serious about it) so I am refreshing my memory.

Now onto my question - I am looking at getting a used D70s or D80 (depends on what I can find online). Nothing against any others I just always liked Nikon (I used to shoot Minolta). I may take a look at Canon after reading this what would be the most comparable to the Nikon?

I want to go with 2 lenses and would like a couple of recommendations. I am needing just a good all round lens for vacations, family gatherings, etc. Looking at a 18-70 f/3.5-4.5.

Then my oldest also plays various sports the biggest being ice hockey. If I can find one in good condition a used 80-200 or 70-300 f/2.8 (the ultimate). I would like the Nikon lens but not sure that is in the budget so I may go with a Sigma.

Just wanted to get your input to make sure I am covering everything and not missing anything. Thanks.

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Canon and Nikon have alot of legacy users and know they got them by the ying yang. That is why you get warmed over updates of cameras instead of new useful features. All I am saying to someone looking into a camera is to look at all products,see which one best fits and most of all don't be afraid of making the "unpopular choice". That will get you a two party system which just is not good for anybody.

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They have a lot of legacy users that are invested in good lenses. I considered switching, but realized my 80-200/f2.8 would add $1000 to any other system I went too. It has nothing to do with yin-yang and everything to do with past investment. From what I can see, Sigma has more Tele-zoom lenses for Pentax than Pentax does. The lower end K100 doesn’t even have a rechargeable battery.

Besides onboard VR, what does the K10d have that the D80 doesn’t? And as has been pointed, VR is only useful with static low light shots. It adds virtually nothing for the sports/action photographer.

As GS has pointed out, Canon and Nikon aren’t going anywhere. Pentax, we’ll see. Last summer someone asked about DSLR and all of us pointed him towards Canon and Nikon in lieu of Minolta b/c they were dropping DSLR support. So he goes out and buys a Minolta. Good choice there.

Canon and Nikon are #1 and #2 for a reason. They’ve been there done that. If Pentax helps them wake up and make better cameras fine that’s great for us. No one here is hoping Pentax fails, I just thing GS, and myself for that matter, want people to realize that you’re really limiting yourself when you buy a Pentax at this point (this if from looking at their web site. Of course, 75% of the dSLR purchasers will never use/need an 70-200/f2.8 lens anyway, and I think that’s the market they’re after right now.

NOTE: I’m not trying to bash your choice. If you like it that’s great. I just want everyone to understand that if you want to go beyond ‘amateur’ photography, your going to handicap yourself by choosing Pentax at this point. If I were thinking in a year or so I wanted to move up from p&s then maybe Pentax will be more of a player, but at this point, they are and also ran.

OldWalton91

I was in Walton in 88/89 F-Ramp!

I can answer some of your questions on the Nikon End.

The Nikob 18-200 VR lens is right now considered to be the UTLTIMATE carry around / vacation lens for Nikon users. But it’s expensive ($900) and hard to find (but it’s available for $900 on e-bay). The D50 is every bit as good as the D70 and you can still find new in stock for $450 (check Amazon – Adorama had them until recently so they’re being phased out). The D80 is pretty new so finding a used one may cost you almost as much as new at this point.

The 80-200/f2.8 Nikon is $900 new. I got mine of e-bay for $650. Just be sure you know which one you’re getting (check here. There are several versions. The “s” version is no longer made. GS uses the Sigma version and likes it, but it’s almost as much as the Nikon

Nikon does not make a 70-300/2.8. I think you mean the 70-200/f2.8 with VR. $1500.

The 18-70/f3.5-4.5 is also rated a very good lens, even though it was a kit with the D70. Very sharp at all focal lengths and a good value. The new 18-135 has not gotten as many good reviews.

A good Nikon site is bythom. He is a Nikon guy, but he doesn’t pull any punches in his reviews and wishes Nikon would change their ways and offer some better stuff (like WTF doesn’t the new 18-135 have VR???). I bought his D50 users guide and really like it.

Here is some stuff I did with my 80-200 in January on an overcast day.

agracer -

not sure what I was thinking with the 70-300. Might have been looking at a Sigma or Tamron lens in that range.

I found a D70s for $399 at discountcameras.com (need to make sure that it comes with everything - battery/cables/etc.)I want to talk to them before I order anything. Would love the 18-200 VR but it is hard to find and it would cover anything I needed.

I was in c-ramp and was the 88 yellowpot.

Spicewood, those prices seem a bit high.

2gb card on Amazon for under 40 bucks is more my style =)

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-SDCFH-2048-901-ULTRA-Retail-Package/dp/B0001CNMFM/sr=1-15/qid=1171471931/ref=sr_1_15/002-9888451-6687246?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

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Thank you for submitting your vote to TexAgs.com

Currently, your vote is the 1 vote in support of this message.

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agracer- I am not bashing Canon or Nikon at all either. If I had unlimted budget I would own a Canon 1d mkII, and lots of L glass. Again i am just saying there are alternatives to C an N.
Hell if my 20-200 2.8 IS had not been stolen I would still be with Canon. I love Canons High ISO performance. My comments are NOT intended for legacy users.
What I have been saying is to look at all options. If I shot ALOT Sports I would buy a canon most likely. As it is I do landscape/wildlife. Find the camera that fits your needs, is the lesson. Oldwalton got it right leave the names off and see what fits you.

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Besides onboard VR, what does the K10d have that the D80 doesn’t

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1. Dust removal (all be it not that great)
2. Iso Priority Shooting modes
3. Auto ISo user programable
4. Cross section autofocus points
5. Cheaper
6. Faster Buffer for unlimited JPG and 9 raw
7. Weather Sealed (with new weather sealed lenses to be realeased in march)
8. Hyper Program

It fits inbetween the D80 and D200 for a little less then the d80. I am sure it lacks features that the D80 has like 1/180 vs 1/200 flash sync. But I again understand I am NOT knocking Canon and Nikon only saying to look at all and see what fits you.

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NOTE: I’m not trying to bash your choice. If you like it that’s great. I just want everyone to understand that if you want to go beyond ‘amateur’ photography, your going to handicap yourself by choosing Pentax at this point. If I were thinking in a year or so I wanted to move up from p&s then maybe Pentax will be more of a player, but at this point, they are and also ran.

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How am I limited from moving above amateur status? Are you talking about the availabilty of expensive lenses?
Right now on an unlimited budget I could have a
70-200 2.8
77 1.8 (gotta admit that is NICE!!!)
100 macro 2.8
600 4.0 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
35 2.0
15 2.8
300 2.8
100-300 f4
10-24 F4
50-500 Bigma (not really up to standards of the other lenses)
Yeah I would love a nice 100-400 but I got the bases covered with the above.

What else do you need to move above amateur? Yeah Pentax is lacking in ultra wide fast zooms. But I do not believe C or N or S have an equivelent to a 77 1.8.

This is exactly the precieved notion I am questioning. Is a Pentax, Sony, Sigma DSLR right for everyone? Nope Is a Canon or Nikon right for everyone? Nope.I do not really know about other brands besides Pentax Canon and a little from shopping about Nikon. So that is why I am basing my arguments on Pentax.

I am Not saying Pentax is better then Canon or Nikon, I am saying That the K10d was a perfect match for me, and maybe for alot of others out there shopping for cameras. So try not to get tunnel vision when shopping for cameras.

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Now onto my question - I am looking at getting a used D70s or D80 (depends on what I can find online). Nothing against any others I just always liked Nikon (I used to shoot Minolta). I may take a look at Canon after reading this what would be the most comparable to the Nikon?

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Canon's 20D or 30D would be what I would look at. The two cameras are basically the same, except the 30D has slightly better metering, a larger LCD and a file system that doesn't limit a folder to 100 pics.

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I want to go with 2 lenses and would like a couple of recommendations. I am needing just a good all round lens for vacations, family gatherings, etc. Looking at a 18-70 f/3.5-4.5.

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All depends on what you want to spend. Like agracer said, if you use Nikon, that 18-200 VR is hard to beat.

I use the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 and love it. You won't get a lot of benefit with paying 300 more for the Nikon or Canon instead of the Sigma (at least for my money, I'd rather have an additional lens.) I paid under $600 for a perfect copy of the lens.

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I found a D70s for $399 at discountcameras.com (need to make sure that it comes with everything - battery/cables/etc.)I want to talk to them before I order anything. Would love the 18-200 VR but it is hard to find and it would cover anything I needed.

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Again, I would only buy from bhphoto.com, adorama.com and keh.com There are a TON of websites that are there only to rip people off on camera equipment.

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But I do not believe C or N or S have an equivelent to a 77 1.8

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Both sell a very good 85mm 1.8 lens.

Pentax seems to have no zooms that cover the 24-70 range. This is the 'normal' range that most photographers will spend most of their time shooting in. I have my 28-75 2.8 on my lens most of the time. I was supposed to fly to DC today, but got iced out and am flying in the morning. I am only taking my 28-75. That is a huge hole.

And beacuse Pentax (and the other digital SLR formats) is rare, you are going to have a tough time finding quality used lenses. I love having a camera system that people around me have, because I can borrow and try lenses from friends.

I just believe that if you are investing in a system, it is best to invest in a system that will still be producing equipment in years to come, has exceptional ratings on all their products and has products that will cover any need or price point. With Canon and Nikon, you are only limited by your own wallet. With Pentax, you are limited by your choices. I can always make more money, but how long will Pentax be making more lenses?

It is not a mistake that 99% of all professionals use Nikon or Canon. If you want or like a Pentax, Minolta or Sony DSLR, enjoy it and I am sure you can get amazing pictures from it. But I will not put my name on a recommendation of any of those.

GS

Thanks for the tips. Again, great info on your original post.

I think I may go ahead and get the 18-200 VR f/3.5-5.6. I will end up paying about the same by the time I get a couple of lenses to cover the same length as this one. Shooting indoor sports do you think that an f/3.5-5.6 will be enough or should I go ahead and get a 70-200 f/2.8?

GS-

Is this the Nikon version of you lens?

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 APO EX DG Macro For Nikon

I appreciate all of the advice you hand out to us.

Would someone mind explaining a little about macro lenses? Especially in the setting of close up florals and wildflowers?

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I think I may go ahead and get the 18-200 VR f/3.5-5.6. I will end up paying about the same by the time I get a couple of lenses to cover the same length as this one. Shooting indoor sports do you think that an f/3.5-5.6 will be enough or should I go ahead and get a 70-200 f/2.8?

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The F/3.5-5.6 won't be near enough for indoor sports. You really need a 2.8 for most indoor sports to come out right. A 5.6 is going to be 1/4 as fast as a 2.8 - which is a huge difference - especially in kid sports where the gyms dont have the lighting equipment to properly light up the court. You can try it, but you will probably end up wanting a 70-200 2.8.

For about $900, you could get a Tamron 28-75 2.8 and a Sigma 70-200 2.8. (This is my setup, and I paid about that.) However, you won't have VR and you wont have anything in the 18-28 range covered. You could look at some of the new 18-50mm lenses like the Sigma, but those cost a little more than the Tamron.

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Would someone mind explaining a little about macro lenses? Especially in the setting of close up florals and wildflowers?

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Something I neglected to put in the FAQ:

MACRO
The traditional definition of a Macro is a lens that could take a picture that will make the object life-size on the film. It has become to mean any lens that can take a picture that is life-size or larger and a lens that can properly focus very close to the subject.

Some lenses are made to focus close, and they have a longer barrel, typically. Also, if you buy extension tubes for your lens, you can make the barrel longer and make a non-macro lens into a close-focusing macro lens.

In macro photography, the Depth of Field is what you mainly adjust. You are taking a sharp picture of a close object, and the DOF is what makes it really stand out.

You have to consider the lighting where you are and not to cause a shadow on your subject.

I haven't done much macro in the past couple years, but I enjoyed doing it in HS. I prefer to use a tripod for most stationary objects, as well as a remote shutter release (this will run you about $15 for Canon and some Nikons come with one.)

Now with digital cameras, you wont really be penalized for taking a lot of pictures, so my advice is to grab a tripod and remote shutter release and start off with stationary things like benches, statues, etc and practice changing the focus, DOF and exposure. Then when you start to have a good feel for how you like to compose the picture, try it on objects that move like outside flowers and bugs.

When you start with subjects that move like flowers in the wind, a good bit of patience will be required. But the pictures that even a first time macro shooter can come up with can be amazing, and work great for wall art.

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Is this the Nikon version of you lens?

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 APO EX DG Macro For Nikon

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Try looking for the

Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 EX DG APO HSM


I believe that first one is older - you want to make sure that the lens has HSM. HSM means hypersonic motor - it is the same as USM on Canon or AF-S for Nikon. It is a quicker focusing, quiter auto-focus element.

EX for Sigma designates that it is a 'professional' line of lenses.

DG signals that it is designed for the digital camera, but will still work on film.

APO means that is has color correcting lens elements.

Aspherical lens is a lens that has a profile that is neither a portion of a sphere nor a circular cylinder.

I am going to leave it at this, You really have a great FAQ here. Very informative, and well thought out. Unfortunatly sometimes it seems Canon and Nikon Fanboys (I am quickly becoming a Pentax Fanboy) have a "We're texas" mentality, We are better; damn all the rest.

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Pentax seems to have no zooms that cover the 24-70 range. This is the 'normal' range that most photographers will spend most of their time shooting in. I have my 28-75 2.8 on my lens most of the time. I was supposed to fly to DC today, but got iced out and am flying in the morning. I am only taking my 28-75. That is a huge hole.

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No, pentax does not have one of these lenses out untill latter this year, but I can get the Tamron you reccomended up above.
Tamron Wide Angle
Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Autofocus Lens for Pentax AF

I can also get the same in sigma ex series.

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And beacuse Pentax (and the other digital SLR formats) is rare, you are going to have a tough time finding quality used lenses. I love having a camera system that people around me have, because I can borrow and try lenses from friends.

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Very Wrong, pentax is backwards compatible to Every lense they ever made, including when they were the leader of the pack with the first in camera metering system and autofocus. Lots of used glass out there. Just expensive, because it is in HIGH demand

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I just believe that if you are investing in a system, it is best to invest in a system that will still be producing equipment in years to come, has exceptional ratings on all their products and has products that will cover any need or price point. With Canon and Nikon, you are only limited by your own wallet. With Pentax, you are limited by your choices. I can always make more money, but how long will Pentax be making more lenses?

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I must not have gotten the memo that they are going out business. Last I checked they had opened a new lens factory and merged with Hoya (who provides the glass for everybodies lenses). Plus I had to wait over two months to find a k10d in stock.

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It is not a mistake that 99% of all professionals use Nikon or Canon. If you want or like a Pentax, Minolta or Sony DSLR, enjoy it and I am sure you can get amazing pictures from it. But I will not put my name on a recommendation of any of those.

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Pulling out the professional card, Some are now switching to pentax take Benjermin Kanarek for example. He switched from Canon to pentax just in the last few months, had his first shoot the other day and this is what he had to say. You can also see his work at
http://www.olaphoto.com/zoom/benjamin-kanarek.php
http://www.pressbook.com/...ue_id=2&owner_id=5144

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Well....The guys and a gal from Pentax came to my shoot yesterday...They were totally chuffed to say the least. They can't wait to get their hands on the final images. The K10D worked famously. If it weren't for that frippen 2 giga card that screwed up it would have been perfect. I found myself going more and more for the 16-45 lens. I basically used the 21, 40 and 16-45. I don't think I used the 70..too long for what I wanted. I'll check my Raw's to check. I may have used it once.

I will say this. The studio assistant wants a Pentax K10D. After she saw the results, well it was over for her. She NEEDS it! It is just fine for pro application. If you are asking how does it compare to a D200..Well equal or better. Less noise and what an incredible user interface. I still have to get used to going for the 4 way toggle for choosing my focus point. It is a question of time. Been using Canon for years. It's like changing girlfriends..oooppppsss sorry..

Banding..NNNOOOOOOO. Noise.....NNNNOOOOOO. Sharp....YESSSSSS. In fact, for the Pentax, I have reduced my unsharp mask to around 200 to 240 at .3 pixels. I do have sharpen at 25 in Camera Raw however...None the less, if you have any questions..You Know!

Ben

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Pentax K10D Reviews
ephotozine reviews the Pentax K10D where they write - 'Pentax are back! With the possible exception of frame rate, made up for in part with the Shake-reduction and dual RAW capability, this camera is up there with Nikon’s D200 and Canon’s 30D. Packed with features that have been well thought out and are easily accessible in a body that has been built to withstand the pressures of hard use in typically English climates it has a lot going for it. If their lens line-up takes a similar leap in the next twelve months, Pentax will be back toe-to-toe with the big boys. This is a serious advanced amateur or semi-pro camera.'

Popular Photography has posted their review of the Pentax K10D where they write - 'Overall image quality is Excellent throughout the ISO range. Color accuracy is Excellent. Noise is exceptionally well controlled all the way through, and Resolution is excellent at all ISOs. In fact, there is less than a 5 percent drop off in resolution from ISO 100 (1925) to ISO 1600 (1845), and noise only climbs from Very Low (1.15) to Low (1.95) from lowest to highest ISO.'

Megapixel has a review of the Pentax K10D and notes, "the Pentax K10D shines on a number of fronts, and when used with any number of other Pentax lenses, the K10D yields perfectly crisp images. More importantly, the K10D is impressive in the fact that its sensitivity range is entirely useable. At 100 ISO noise is absent from the images, and from 100 up to 400 ISO, which if the increment is set to 1/3 EV covers no less than six sensitivity settings, the images the camera captures are virtually noise-free. Beyond this, a range that covers an additional seven steps, noise increases very slowly, and even at the maximum of 1600 ISO, is no more prevalent than in the 400 ISO images produced by compact cameras that employ smaller CCDs."

DPExpert has a review of the Pentax K10D DSLR and writes, "The Pentax K10D is a brilliant camera. At the price it is a world-beater. It will be interesting to see how it goes in the market place where, paradoxically, its low price may count against it. Can a $1900 camera/lens combination compete with a similarly specified camera selling for $3000? Yes, it can. It is as though Pentax has returned to its origins when the company produced affordable, reliable, pioneering SLRs with outstanding lenses. Most serious amateurs have a Pentax in their past and the K10D will bring a nostalgic smile of recognition."

Pocket-lint has a review of the Pentax K10D and writes, "In terms of image quality, the camera provides plenty of detail with natural colours, though of course, these are all tweakable via internal functions on the camera. I found however, shooting using the camera’s MTF program line helps keep things a tad sharper or simply stay shooting RAW. In JPEG snapping, you get three compression levels and the top (three star) setting provides very clean images indeed. Noise (as mentioned earlier) becomes obvious after ISO 400 and intrusive at ISO 800 and over. Overall, the images look colourful and clean even if the highlight detail does drop off more quickly than I’d have liked, particularly noticeable in overcast (grey) skies for example."

NeoCamera has a review of the Pentax K10D and writes, "The bottom line is that the K10D cannot be beaten feature-wise. It brings some unique features and exposure modes into a very thoughtful and ergonomic design. In terms of image quality, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi and the 8 megapixels Canon EOS 30D still have the advantage, specially at high-ISO. Neither of these cameras have built-in stabilization or weatherproofing though. The XTi has an useful eye-start sensor but its ergonomics and capabilities are limited compared to the K10D. The 30D has the advantage of having a consistent 5 FPS continuous drive which is better suited for action photography."

Digital Trends has a review of the Pentax K10D and writes, "Any first-time D-SLR buyer should put the Pentax K10D high on the list—it’s a very good 10MP camera offering lots of room to grow as you spread your photographic wings. And its combination of good image quality, built-in Shake Reduction and sturdy build makes it a worthy contender for the competition and your credit card limit. As mentioned earlier, it’s a serious camera targeted to people serious about their photos. The price is serious too, currently selling for MSRP due to the demand. If you have a collection of lenses from Canon or Nikon, taking the Pentax path is more difficult choice since you’ll have to make a hefty investment in new glass. But it’s hard to argue with the value this camera brings to the table for first-timers."


[This message has been edited by Robk (edited 2/15/2007 8:29a).]

Guitarsoup-Sent you a PM

quote:

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For about $900, you could get a Tamron 28-75 2.8 and a Sigma 70-200 2.8. (This is my setup, and I paid about that.)

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The Sigma and Nikon 80-200/2.8 are the same price new. Unless you have another source?

You Pentax boys need to get the chip off your shoulder. No one said Pentax sucks. Our point was made 3x that they are new and the equipment is not there...YET. You say all those lenses are out there but I cannot even find the Sigma 70-200/2.8 on Adoramas site for the Pentax. According to all the pentax users getting a good lens is about impossible b/c they are either way expensive on e-bay, not available, or not made yet. Why would I invest in a system today that can't give me what it wants until 2-days from now?

And the entry level K100d doesn't even have a rechargable battery. You have to go buy your own AA's, which will add at least $40 to get some good ones and a good charger to the price, and won't last near as long as the li-ion included with most other brands. I'm sorry, but that's just a dumb idea.

Nikons digitals are compatable with all their old stuff too, but without metering on the old manual focus lenses (JUST LIKE PENTAX!!!). Although I think the high end stuff does have metering.

Nobody saw Minolta going out of business either.

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 2/15/2007 1:04p).]

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 2/15/2007 1:06p).]

agracer - you beat me to it. Ilooked and cannot find a Sigma or Nikon 70-200 f2.8 for less than $800. Looked at all three of the places guitar recommends plus e-bay plus 47th Street and a couple of others. I am running out of places to look!

Dang I wish this would have been made before my last camera upgrade...I feel stupid now.

Keep watching e-bay. I watched for about a month to see what they were going for, found a good feedback seller and bid at the last minute (auctionstealer.com is free for <10-secons bid) and won my for $650.

I'm not a pro so I didn't need new, but mine still takes some great photos.