Newatdslr wrote:.

Hello. I would much appreciate it if anyone could help me decidewhich camera lens combo to purchase. I am new to the world ofphotography. I will be shooting mostly everyday candid shots as wellas landscapes. I am traveling to south africa next month and want agood camera to take some good shots,(understanding fully that I needto learn how to work the camera for this). My budget is around2,000, (camera and lens) the two cameras I have been looking at buthave not yet been able to pull the trigger are: Canon 30d with eitherthe tamron18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 (concerned about no image stabilization).

Why?.

Or the canon 17-85 f/4-5.6 is usm lens. as a walk around and at somepoint get another lens to accompany..

South africa says, to me, wildlife, quite often at a distance. Try and pack a telezoom of some sort. Even the cheap sigma 70-300 APO will be better than nothing..

OR: the Nikon D200 with the.

18-200 kit lens which has the image stabilization. Very tough tochoose as this is alot of money for me. I guess ease of use for thecamera is something I need to take into account also. Again, I amnew to this and respect all the knowledge of the people on this siteand would appreciate any feedback at all. thank you Jim.

Why a D200? Do you really need weather sealing and metering with manual focus lenses? If not then consider a D80..

And why a 18-200VR? OK, granted it's quite possibly the best superzoom around but it's by no means the best solution to cover the 18-200 range..

Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

I appreciate the input. In south africa I will be on safari for only 3 days and the rest of the time wandering around diff areas so to have just a 70-300 might be too much for most of the time. which camera do you prefer the d80 or the 30d?..

I would suggest you go to a shop and check how these feel in the hand and decide based on that... You will get good quality images from any of these I think...http://budding-nature-photographer.blogspot.com/..

Newatdslr wrote:.

I appreciate the input. In south africa I will be on safari for only3 days and the rest of the time wandering around diff areas so tohave just a 70-300 might be too much for most of the time. whichcamera do you prefer the d80 or the 30d?.

You may still be sorry you didn't pack a telezoom but hey, that's up to you..

I prefer the D80 but I'm not exactly unbiased..

With $2k to spend I'd get that, a 18-70 and a good telezoom, Nikon 70-300VR for example. Add a bag, a few cards, a spare fake battery, perhaps a monopod and keep an eye open for a used 50mm 1.8.Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

Good advice!Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

OLY e-510 and the 50-200 sounds like a winner for south africa...Has IS in camera..

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window.

God bless our troops!...

Depending on just how "new" to photography you acutally are and your knowledge of photographical basics, you may be better served to get a Point & Shoot super zoom, like the Canon S5 IS..

Do not get me wrong, I think a DSLR is superior, but that said, rarely does one just point-shoot-print DSLR images. Most crop, edit, adjust whiter balance, etc, for each and every image kept..

Most people are served adn served well, with a top line P&S or an entry level DSLR. Entry Level DSLR's tend to be designed with a P&S mentality. Yet, they will allow you to get a taste, so to speak, of the true advantages of a DSLR..

The biggest thing, on any camera, is the ability to overide automatic settings, and adjust each setting, independently, according to ones own inner vision. After that, the next concern is IQ of images which the camera will deliver. Are they acceptable to the end user. Whether or not I may find the image acceptable is irrevelant. I am not one using, nor buying the camera..

When you bought your last car, you really did not care whether I, or anyone else, would prefer that model , over any other..

If you already have a good working knowledge of Aperture, Shutter speed, focal length, Focal length compression, etc, then a DSLR would be a wise choice..

However, if that were the case, you would probably not be posting your query in this forum..

If image stablization is importnat to you, then consider Penttax or Sony. Stablization in teh camera. While my own experience does not find in camera body stablization to be as advantageous as in lens stablization, many others swear by it..

I do think that stablization of some sort, can be a tremendous asset to beginning photographers. As they learn proper technique and master the fundementals of Shutter speedocal length\Camera Blur..

I rarely recommend a third party super zoom. While there are some very impressive thrid part glass to be had, few of which I own myself, rarely does any third party lens equal ro exceed the performance of a compable lens from the camera manufacturer..

It does happen, albit rarely..

Where third party glass becomes a consideration is when one finds a fine lens, maybe not quite as good as a manufacturers version, but he differences are slight enough, adn the price differences great enough, that the third party lens is the more appealing.Case in point, Tamrons 28-75mm 2.8..

No, it does not truly compete with Canons own 28-70mm 2.8. The Tamron suffers from less contrast, for one..

But, when one considers the huge price differential, it becomes hard to justify the pruchase of the Canon, for just a slight improvement in contrast..

I do hope this advise has been helpful..

No matter what camera\lens combination you finally decide to purchase, once your decision is made, do not second guess yourself, but rather, get out and start capturing images..

Dave PattersonMidwestshutterbug.com'When the light and composition are strong, nobodynotices things like resolution or pincushion distortion'Gary Friedman..

Thanks dave and to the others for the help in deciding. I am seriously looking at the nikon d200 at this point. with the 18-200 lens. I was in the store today and it just feels good in my hands as opposed to the d80. the whole setup will run about 500 or so more than that of the d80.....is it worth it??? and is this a type of equipment that will be outdated as with a computer or is this something that I can hold onto for years to come.( maybe it's just a way of rationalizing in my head the extra expense}..

Can you elaborate on your comfort level with cameras and knowledge of some of the fundamentals. The D200/18-200 VR combo would be an enviable setup and the lens is at the top of my wish list, however if you are truly new to a dSLR then the D200 may be a bit overwhelming. I own a D50 and after a year of reading/shooting feel I have come to know it well. I have since played with a co-workers D200 and while I think I could handle it I can assure you it would have been overwhelming as a newbie. The D80 would at least offer you the default scene modes (i.e. portrait, scenery, night shots, kids, sports, etc) in addition to the more manual A,P,S, and M modes.



Certainly don't mean to come off as rude. Just wouldn't want you to be frustrated in South America with no internet to reference trying to figure out how to shoot with your new >$2k setup. I might also add that the owners manual that comes with the camera (at least my D50 manual) does a good job of telling you how to change settings on the camera, but doesn't necessarily tell you what settings to use to get a desired output in different conditions. For me, it took a combination of a lot of internet reading (mostly here) and shooting to get comfortable with the camera..

Good luck, I'm jealous.... ..

I shoot Canon but that Nikon rig will serve you well. My Friend has the same and it performs flawlessly..

Excellent choice..

Dave PattersonMidwestshutterbug.com'When the light and composition are strong, nobodynotices things like resolution or pincushion distortion'Gary Friedman..

I would get the 400d with the 100-400 Canon IS lens and a battery grip. Oh, and also get a 4gb card. The kit lens should do fine for the landscape shots. I hear a lot of 400d kit lens bashing but I don't see anything wrong with it at all. And with the battery grip, you should be fine for the entire day. Just my thoughts..

God BlessCharliehttp://natureshots.smugmug.com..

If you are looking for Auto and scene options, then D80 will be the choice. D200 will need somewhat good knowledge in photography. So it may also take some time with D200 to get used to and extract the full capacilty...http://budding-nature-photographer.blogspot.com/..

Hi Jim,.

I agree that the tamron 18-250 offers unbeatable versatility for travelling, and by all accounts manages remarkable image quality for such a wide range of focal lengths. Why don't you consider the pentax K10D as the accompanying body- that way you get round the problem of no image stabilisation in the lens, and you get a wether sealed body into the bargain, which is obviously an advantage in dusty safari conditions..

Sparkston..