Best DSLR camera for under $1k?

[pjcalla]

Thanks everyone for your input. We just got back from Roberts with a new camera in tow. We went with the Sony NEX-F3. We fondled pretty much every camera they had, listened to the pros/cons, etc. We feel that this will cover everything we will be using the camera for. I don't feel we overbought, but there will be room to grow into the camera as we learn about the different aspects of photography. It is a huge step up from our 7 year old point and shoot.

Time to try and figure this thing out. We are thinking of taking some intro classes, so we can take full advantage of the camera. Again, thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[MikeDVB]

Personally I wouldn't toss my money into any sort of classes but that's just my two cents. Personally I've always read the owners manual and then if I needed more I'd look to see what books were available that cover the topic.

One nice thing about books, is that when you forget the particulars in a couple of years and want to use that feature ... you can grab that book and look . I'm a huge fan of the e-books as I can search them easily, view them on my phone or computer, etc.

That said, ultimately, do what you feel is best. There is a lot of information out there on the 'net about taking quality photographs as well - it's there, if you're willing to look.

 

[melensdad]

Thanks everyone for your input. We just got back from Roberts with a new camera in tow. We went with the Sony NEX-F3. . .

That model was on my short list. Along with the Olympus PEN E PL5 and the Fuji X20.

Just because of MY PERSONAL criteria, I knocked out the Sony from consideration, as well as the Fuji. Left me wtih the Olympus and the Panasonic. As I've had previous good luck with the Panasonic, that tipped the brand in its favor. I really like the idea of the FOUR-THIRDS standards and that is one reasaon why I eliminated both the Fuji and the Sony. Having multiple companies support a standard seemed like a good idea to me.

But as I said, its just MY PERSONAL criteria and bias.

I'm sure the SONY will be a great camera. Honestly in reading all the reviews there was nothing bad about that camera that was written. Seems to me that there are several very good premium camearas on the market. Pick the one you like the best, it will, no doubt, be a great camera for you/your family.

Congrats on the choice



AS FOR TAKING A CLASS . . . I think it is probably a decent idea if the cost is modest. Framing/composing an image, using light (or shadows) to your advantage, and the subtle art of using the aperture priority to keep some things OUT OF FOCUS in a photo can make the difference between a good snapshot and a great photo. You can learn it all in a book too, but sometimes its easier to understand in a class . . . might be nice to do as a 'family' things with your wife too.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Just finding the thread; been occupied lately. Seems I'm too late to influence anything, but I'm not sure I'd want to. I have weird opinions sometimes. I picked up a Nikon D90 and some righteous glass a few years ago for about a kilobuck, added a couple of pretty wild lenses since. But, I'm still a feature geek on some things. Once you go down one path with lenses, you're pretty well committed from then on; new brand of body, all new glass. The body seems to be the center of it, but it's the glass that eats you up. Ask me about my Miranda Sensorex 2 and all the crap I have for that.

I use the D90 for special stuff, but what do I wind up using most? A Coolpix S4100. A point and shoot. I think I have $50 in it. If I drop it in the sewer, no big deal, I'll get another one. If I drop the D90 in the sewer, don't ask me any questions as it'll be a few days before I can respond right. That, or just keep me away from sewers. Bottom line, you can't go too far wrong with any camera these days; they have that stuff pretty well figured out, and they're all chasing after the same market. If you're hardcore, maybe it matters a little, otherwise, snap some shots, post them to facebook, email them to the grandparents, print them on photo paper. Snot that big a deal. Relax, you'll be fine.

 

[Brandon]

Thanks everyone for your input. We just got back from Roberts with a new camera in tow. We went with the Sony NEX-F3. We fondled pretty much every camera they had, listened to the pros/cons, etc. We feel that this will cover everything we will be using the camera for. I don't feel we overbought, but there will be room to grow into the camera as we learn about the different aspects of photography. It is a huge step up from our 7 year old point and shoot.

Time to try and figure this thing out. We are thinking of taking some intro classes, so we can take full advantage of the camera. Again, thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.

I thought about taking classes years ago, then I decided to look at pictures online and go out and try to replicate the scenes from around town.

 

[Tripp11]

Thanks everyone for your input. We just got back from Roberts with a new camera in tow. We went with the Sony NEX-F3. We fondled pretty much every camera they had, listened to the pros/cons, etc. We feel that this will cover everything we will be using the camera for. I don't feel we overbought, but there will be room to grow into the camera as we learn about the different aspects of photography. It is a huge step up from our 7 year old point and shoot.

Time to try and figure this thing out. We are thinking of taking some intro classes, so we can take full advantage of the camera. Again, thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.

Now that the purchase of the camera is complete, is it safe to assume that you might now be purchasing a Lightroom for Dummies book to learn the in's and out's of editing photos?

I'm sure others might have different mileage, but for every hour my wife is behind the lens, she spends another 3-4 hours editing photos.

 

[nipprdog]

Now that the purchase of the camera is complete, is it safe to assume that you might now be purchasing a Lightroom for Dummies book to learn the in's and out's of editing photos?

I'm sure others might have different mileage, but for every hour my wife is behind the lens, she spends another 3-4 hours editing photos.

A vote for Photoshop Elements over Lightroom. Not saying its better, but for people learning about editing, the 'quick fix' page will be easier for than to learn from. And its 1/3rd the price. +/-

You can download a 30 day free trial from Adobe.

 

[VikingWarlord]

I run a Nikon D3100. I do wish I had gotten a D7000 instead just because of the ability to use full functionality of both AF-D and AF-S lenses but I've brought the D3100 all over the country for a few years and it's served me very well.

I went with Nikon because they use larger sensors and so they're less noisy at higher ISOs for the same resolution. Nikon also has a better sync speed which is useful for off-camera strobe lighting.

Higher resolution (more megapixels) isn't necessarily better. In order to double the size, you must quadruple the resolution. Since most people will never actually print their work, anything over 14MP won't serve much practical purpose. Don't immediately aim for the most megapixels, get something has low noise at higher ISOs and get the best glass possible.

 

[melensdad]

Thanks everyone for your input. We just got back from Roberts with a new camera in tow. We went with the Sony NEX-F3. We fondled pretty much every camera they had, listened to the pros/cons, etc. We feel that this will cover everything we will be using the camera for. I don't feel we overbought, but there will be room to grow into the camera as we learn about the different aspects of photography. It is a huge step up from our 7 year old point and shoot.

Time to try and figure this thing out. We are thinking of taking some intro classes, so we can take full advantage of the camera. Again, thank you all for your input, I appreciate it.

So now that you've had the camera for a few days I'm sure you've played around with it.

Want to give us an 'equipment review' of your new toy

Still happy with the choice?

Any regrets for not getting a DLSR but instead going with a 'mirrorless' rangefinder style?

Like the form factor? Ergonomics? Do you think it balances well? Etc!?!

 

[GBolt]

I second the suggestion to purchase Photoshop Elements, and further add shoot in RAW mode. Your camera will come with software for editing in RAW mode (usually called cameraraw, or something similar). It works in conjunction with Photoshop and is able to fix some photos that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. It looks pretty menacing at 1st, but move a few sliders around and you can pretty much tell what it does.

 

[IN50]

I have a Nikon D3100. It works great.

 

[pjcalla]

So now that you've had the camera for a few days I'm sure you've played around with it.

Want to give us an 'equipment review' of your new toy

Still happy with the choice?

Any regrets for not getting a DLSR but instead going with a 'mirrorless' rangefinder style?

Like the form factor? Ergonomics? Do you think it balances well? Etc!?!

Honestly, I haven't played with it yet. We were getting ready for a trip, waited for it to charge, etc. Now I am at the destination, and I will get some time with it. I will post a "novice" review in due time. Hopefully the fishing will be so great that I won't be behind the lens, but in front.

 

[Tripp11]

A vote for Photoshop Elements over Lightroom. Not saying its better, but for people learning about editing, the 'quick fix' page will be easier for than to learn from. And its 1/3rd the price. +/-

You can download a 30 day free trial from Adobe.

I know absolutely nothing about either one, but my wife does. I just use her fancy color calibrated monitor sometimes when I'm surfing the net and I see the shortcuts to Lightroom and Photoshop on her desktop.

If there's an easier program for a beginner, I'm voting with you then!

 

[melensdad]

Oh for the good old days of bulk rolls of 35mm film, a darkroom and a Beseler 23C Enlarger.

 

[melensdad]

Honestly, I haven't played with it yet. We were getting ready for a trip, waited for it to charge, etc. Now I am at the destination, and I will get some time with it. I will post a "novice" review in due time. Hopefully the fishing will be so great that I won't be behind the lens, but in front.

Well I've been waiting and waiting for your review . . . so here is a mini-review of my Lumix GX1.

I love the build of the camera, it oozes quality. The body and controls are all top of the line solid metal. Everything clicks solidly and you have visual confirmation of the changes to the settings on the screen.

I love the level indicator on the screen that shows when the camera is tilted up or down and/or side to side. Great feature that should be on all cameras.

I'm not in love with the motorized zoom. The lens is great, the compact size of the zoom is excellent, all the reviews are fantastic and the photos are great, but the zoom button is in a slightly awkward position for MY hand. Its the most compact 14-45mm zoom on the market which gives you the ability to fit the whole camera COMFORTABLY in your pants pocket. But the while others may find it perfect but I don't, only because I think the zoom button location is slightly in the wrong spot. I debated on getting the manual zoom lens with the large rotating ring and opted for the motorized zoom. Not sure if I would make the same choice. On the positive side, the motor is completely silent, while zooming during filming movie clips there is ZERO noise from the lens.

The camera has 2x or 4x digital zoom settings that are nice, they work with every lens, even optical zoom lenses so you can double or quadruple the effectiveness of your zoom lenses with the digital feature. Given the 16 mega pixel resolution of the camera, opting for the digital zoom still gives you crisp images even with the loss of some resolution by using the digital zoom. And while the feature is great, selecting the feature is a bit less than convenient as its buried in a menu a couple screens deep. If you know you are going to need it then you can set it for digital zoom, but don't expect to use it 'on the fly' between quick shots.

One great thing is that you can actually set the camera for MANUAL controls and set your aperature, ISO speed, shutter speed, white levels, saturation, etc on the fly. If you loved playing with manual film cameras then this is a camera that will feel familiar in your hands. On the other hand, it can be set for fully programmed mode too, so you just point and shoot.

FLASH, forward or bounce! They did a great think with the design of the flash, if a direct forward flash is too harsh, you can bounce the flash off the ceiling or an object. GREAT feature!!!

Lots more good stuff, but those are some interesting highlights.

Let's hear about your camera now, do you still like it? Love it? What about it is good? What doesn't live up to the hype? Etc etc lets get a review

 

[Fenway]

How about a T3I. I've heard this takes very nice video as well which has me interested.

Amazon.com: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens: Camera & Photo

 

[melensdad]

How about a T3I. I've heard this takes very nice video as well which has me interested.

Amazon.com: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens: Camera & Photo

Both pjcalla and I chose NOT to get DSLR cameras and both of us, while choosing different cameras, chose Mirrorless DSL models that are more compact, but still offer the same interchangeable lenses as the DSLR cameras. There are some advantages to each system.

Quite a few cameras out there do movies pretty well.

My GX1 does movies pretty well, but I doubt I'll use it for movies. Its been upgraded from earlier version and now includes stereo microphones for audio.

Honestly I can't tell you anything about the Canon Rebels, when I went looking for a new camera to replace my older DSLR, the Rebels were not on my short list of cameras to consider. That said, it might be the right camera for you needs? I looked at, but quickly ruled out the Canon EOS M as it did not have the feature set I wanted.

 

[pjcalla]

Well, I just got back late last night after our flight being delayed. Had some stuff come up this morning, and now just getting back to a computer. I haven't even downloaded the pics we took so we can get a closer look. Anyway, I will post up a more detailed review in the days to come, but for now, we are very pleased with the camera. Seemed easy to use for us noobs (I guess the pics will tell the tale), there are a lot of different settings to play around with, built solid, etc. We still need more time to play with it, but it seems to fit the bill perfectly for now.

 

[melensdad]

I just ordered another lens for my camera. Looked at various lenses to expand my zoom range and reduce/eliminate the need to use the "digital" zoom function. While the camera packs 16 MegaPixels selecting the 2x Digital Zoom still lets you shoot at 8 MP resolution so images with the Digital Zoom used to double the optical zoom of the lens are still of very good quality.

I picked this one => Panasonic Lumix G Vario PZ 45-175mm f/4-5.6 M43 Lens Review

I'm also really liking the programable "function" buttons on the camera. There are 2 hard buttons that can be programed to your needs, I have one set to toggle through the ISO settings and the other set to toggle on/off the digital zoom options. As the rear screen of the camera is a 'touch screen' there are also 2 programable "buttons" that can be set on the screen, but I've not found a need for need for those (yet).

 

[melensdad]

Been playing with my new lens and wow its a nice piece of glass. I picked the 45-175 zoom after reading the reviews. Panasonic also makes a 45-150 and a 45-200. Both are slightly lower grade lenses and part of their value line while the 45-175 is part of their premium "X" line of lenses. Apparently the Panasonic Lumix relationship with Leica cameras/lenses taught Panasonic a few things about quality.

In any case, the 45-175 is the optical equivalent of a 90 to 350mm zoom if you equate it to a 35mm format film camera.

The lens has both motorized zoom and a manually rotating zoom ring so you have your choice on how you want to operate the zoom function. Just like the smaller 14-42 "X" series lens that I got with the camera, I find the motorized zoom to be in a slightly awkward place, but the operation of the motor is SILENT so it will not interfere with movie mode and add any unwanted audio noise to your movies. The 14-42 "X" series lens is actually an incredibly compact little lens. When powered off the lens is perhaps about 1" tall. When powered on it extends to about double its length automatically.

To remove a lens you depress the button on the right side of the face of the camera body and rotate the lens about 1/3 turn counter clockwise. Mounting a lens is simple too, just line up a red indexing mark on the lens with the red dot (approximately the 10 o'clock position near the lens mounting ring), insert it and rotate 1/3 turn clockwise until it 'clicks' into the locked on position.

One common feature on both lenses, which could become annoying and must be considered when shooting photos, is that, if you have the lenses "zoomed" in on a subject, but then power down, the lenses return to 14mm or 45mm by default.

For those on a budget: Panasonic makes a non-motorized 14-42mm lens that is about $200 less expensive than the motorized version that I own, that lens does not collapse like the motorized version and is actually larger than the motorized version after the motorized lens is extended. There are some optical differences between the motorized lens and the non-motorized lens as well, you get a bit better glass and coatings, in addition to the motor feature when you go up to the premium "X" series lens.​

I've shot about 50% of the photos I've taken so far in the "P" setting, which stands for "programmed" where the camera does all the work. Just point and shoot. And realistically that is about what I expected I would do.

On the other hand I've played around with the "S" (shutter priority) setting when shooting photos of fast action fencing, trying to capture the action.

I've also been using the 'burst' mode where it snaps photos so fast that you can quite literally play them back as if watching a slow motion video replay. Amazing feature for sports photos, and the burst mode works with the various different settings like "S" or "P". I've also just started playing with ISO settings and have set up one of the hard function keys so I can toggle through the ISO range. The other programmable function key is now set up to allow me to toggle through the digital zoom functions.

This camera is just as comfortable as a premium "point & shoot" camera as it is a fully programable, highly customizable, digital mirrorless camera that rivals/exceeds many of the DSLR cameras ... but in a much more compact, pocketable form factor. It gives me lots of options like a real hotshoe for the option of using a more powerful flash or other hotshoe compatible accessories, it has totally customizable settings (some of which I may never use) for those who frequently shoot some specific types of shots (like people who sell stuff on Ebay), etc.

Not an inexpensive choice, but one I'm glad I made. Even happier with the choice since most of the price of the camera and original lens were paid for with "Airline Miles" from one of my credit cards!