Team-BHP - The DSLR Thread

Guys,

PLEASE HELP!

I am looking to buy my DSLR (Finally, finance is arranged somewhat!!!). Problem is, I have a maximum budget of around 40k, and i am not sure what would be the best way to spend it. Please help with your suggestions.

Current Equipment-

Canon Powershot S5IS.

Requirements

General photography
Cars & bikes.
Landscapes.
Macro (Possible in this budget? I doubt it! Will have to use the S5IS for that, i suppose! ).
Next upgrade will be after 2 years. Hence, i need to hang on to these equipments only for the next 2 years!

(My flickr link- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mythoug...7602820231312/ )

Choices.

1. Canon 550D kit.

Would love to get one! I can imagine how it would feel in my hands. Problem is, it is absolutely at the edge of my budget, and i wont be able to buy any other lenses!

2. Canon 450D + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens.

450D is old. I know its down on specs as well. But i think its better in IQ than the 500D that replaced it? With the 18-135IS, i get a lens which would be much better at handling everyday situations.

3. Canon 1000D + Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens + Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

I get a lens that is good for potraits + a 'good' zoom lens. Or should i get the 18-55 IS instead of the 50mm? (kit lens is non- IS).

4. Canon 1000D + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens.

Easy to use, and covers most situations.

5. Nikons- Prefer canon since i have one AND mainly because they dont sport in-built motors. But open to buying them, if they are a better deal. Not going outside canikon. (Better brands may be there, but playing safe!)

Is option 2 better, or am I stupid in considering the old 450D?

Hello Experts,

I am a point and shoot guy but looking at all of the nice photographs being posted on the forum, I am tempted to buy a better camera. Since I am not going to be a serious shutterbug ever, I surfed the net for something close to the P&S profile and found the Olympus Pen series.

The models being the EP1, EPL1 & the EP2. I know these are not DSLRs but then I am not an avid photographer either. So are there any other similar products out there or should I sink my money into this brand and one of these models which are priced at 25K, 34K & 55K respectively complete with a lens kit 14-42mm. I would also appreciate if you could guide me towards any any essential accessories, additional lenses that I should pick up along with the camera.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves (Post 1920593)

To all those who feel buying a dslr means investing in different lenses there is one wonderful option from Canon. 18-200 EF IS. This lens takes care of all your wide angle and most zooming requirements. The AF is very very fast and image quality is great too.
It saves you from the hassle of carrying multiple lenses, is lightweight, and no need to change lenses. You can leave it on forever.
If you travel quite a bit this one really helps and I recommend a look at this option, though a tad expensive, but fully worth it. Ive been very happy with mine.

How much does this cost?

trying to get into entry level SLR's. narrowed down to pentax k-x, since i fell in love with it.

any suggestions whether i should go for it?

official website
K-x White - Official PENTAX Imaging Web Site

dp review
Pentax announces K-x entry level DSLR: Digital Photography Review

i am getting a deal in amazon and its for $514!

please help this newbie on photography :)

planning to get it from US.. it is way cheaper to the canon counterpart and i could buy a good lens with that extra money.. just wondering if anyone in the forum has this.. asked the pentax people for services in india and they gave me a list one each in the major cities. but no valid phone numbers

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx (Post 1942607)

Thanks buddy, my brain is partially frozen looking at the prices of Feisol and Benro !:) Do they have anything in the 4 digit figure ? I dont mind buying a Gitzo or Manfrotto but not for the cost of my arm !!

Hopefully SLIK is the answer. Even a used one was good enough, but tough to find someone selling a good brand.

Deepak V Rao (founder/owner of BPC) is selling a Feisol CF tripod (legs only) for 12k. Check it out,
BPC Forums • Login

He is here, so if you're unable to login there, you can ping me here on t-bhp.

Hi HellwratH

What is your advice on purchasing the Olympus Pen series for someone who is looking for better results/control than that offered by the normal point and shoot cameras. My current camera is a p&s Sony DSC W170.

The models being the EP1, EPL1 & the EP2 priced at 25K, 34K & 55K respectively complete with a lens kit 14-42mm. I know these are not DSLRs but then I am not an avid photographer either. So while the budget is not a problem I do not want to invest the 60K ~ 1L or upwards in something that I will never be able to use to its full potential. I am also open to your recommendations towards parallel or better offerings from Pentax etc.

I would also appreciate if you could guide me towards any essential accessories and additional lenses for capturing landscapes (zoom or wide angle or both) that I should pick up along with the camera.

Looking forward to your advice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 1942784)

Hey khoj,

Well, I am a big fan of micro 4/3rds because of the weight factor and the fact that they allow older lenses of various mounts to be mounted with an adapter (and if you're ok with manual focussing, you get some amazing lenses at throw away prices). I know that many here will argue that the weight of the lens and the camera won't be in the right ratio and might cause imbalance but each to his/her own. Zuiko makes amazing lenses, no doubt about that. But you might have problems at the wider end as it's a 2x crop factor and wide angle lenses may be costly (I haven't researched on wide angle lenses as I am not in landscape photography). I think the EPL-1 gives the best of both worlds (E-P1 and E-P2) and I remember JJMEHTA selling it for 25k with a kit lens last week on ebay.

Coming to other brands, these days even the Canon 1000D sells for less than 25k with a kit lens. So, you might want to take a look at that as well. At the ends of the day, you can't make a perfect choice, you will just keep exploring and upgrading stuff :).

I bought a pentax ist dl in year 2005. It's been over 5 years now and my cam's been going real strong. Not a single issue.
I initially had a manual slr (mz 50) which came with a pentax lens. I also had a tamron telephoto lens (70 - 210) with my old camera and that prompted me to upgrade to a pentax DSLR, which came with the lens you see in the pic you've posted. Plus I bought a Sigma 10 - 20 wide angle over it.
It's an entry level kit I have and last 5 years, worked like a charm.
Here's a photo I took with my d-slr.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...orama-copy.jpg

Yet to see the review link you've posted. But this is my general feedback on pentax as I've been using Pentax since last 15 years!

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 1942784)

The models being the EP1, EPL1 & the EP2 priced at 25K, 34K & 55K respectively complete with a lens kit 14-42mm. I know these are not DSLRs but then I am not an avid photographer either.

These may not be dSLRs in a technical sense due to lack of mirror. But functionally they are no different than dSLRs. They can even use lenses from other dSLR families. No wonder traditional dSLR users think these are EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens).

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 1942784)

So while the budget is not a problem I do not want to invest the 60K ~ 1L or upwards in something that I will never be able to use to its full potential.

If you think EVIL cameras will release you from the curse of the money pit, don't raise your hope. They might bury your deeper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 1942784)

I would also appreciate if you could guide me towards any essential accessories and additional lenses for capturing landscapes (zoom or wide angle or both) that I should pick up along with the camera.

Looking forward to your advice.

Additional lenses, that is the first step into the money pit. I know you didn't ask me, but I can't resist answering.:)

The legendary Zuiko Digital lenses come in 3 flavors, Super High Grade, High Grade and Standard. The standard lenses are pretty decent and quite affordable. The High grade lenses are equivalent to L series, weather proof, and they are expensive. The Super High grade are the ones you only drool about, they are like Super L, and will force you to take a loan to purchase them.

For wide angle, unlike before you have a few choices now. Earlier there was only one wide angle lens, yeah, just one, the Super High Grade 7-14mm F/4. But what a lens... Many Canon/Nikon shooting top pros are known to buy a Olympus E1/E3 and hide it deep under their bag, just so that they can use this lens. At $1500, it has titillated me for years, but the limited scope of usage stopped me from buying it. The 14-28mm EFL is hardly a walk-around lens.

Then came the 9-18mm F/4-5.6 standard lens. Hmm, thought about it. But I didn't want to venture into non-weatherproof territory and risk my otherwise weatherproof camera in rain. It is good if not great. But not very cheap though, for it is hard to make wide angle lenses for 4/3 system.

But with the release of E3, Olympus came out with a perfect compromise for me. The Zuiko High Grade 12-60mm F/2.8-4, which is weatherproof, wide enough for most purposes, and a great walk-around lens. So I became a proud owner of it.

At first there were no M4/3 wide angle lenses, but there is a 9-18mm F/4-5.6 at $700 now. Yup, there is no escape from money pit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1943489)

The legendary Zuiko Digital lenses come in 3 flavors, Super High Grade, High Grade and Standard. The Super High grade are the ones you only drool about, they are like Super L, and will force you to take a loan to purchase them. Yup, there is no escape from money pit.

I did consider Oly when I was looking for a DSLR system.

Oly's Super High Grade lenses however cost as much as Canon L lenses so I wondered what I was getting by choosing Oly over Canon or for that matter Nikon.

I would get a smaller sensor (4/3rs is smaller than APS-C)

If I was to get 4 zooms covering 16mm-500mm (Oly 7-14, 14-35, 35-100, 90-250) I'd spend as much as I would do if I was getting equivalent Canon/Nikon lenses for example the Oly 14-35 costs as much as Nikon 14-24 or Canon 16-35 and for the price of the 90-250 I could get the Canon 70-200 and 100-400 and 50/1.4!