Raden_dave wrote:.

Hi Photographers!!.

I need to get a DSLR for my design study + job. I don't really careabout other things but picture quality..

It should be 'pro' for architectural/interior shoots, city & natureshoots, still objects & human both outdoor & under studio lightcondition. For prints & web. I also need to make texture shoots formy 3D stuffs. Should be able to macro capture pores/wrinkles onskin or cracks on stones sharply. Colours need to be rich & precisewhile geometry should not be distorted. Speed would be nice but ifI got to choose I'd pick wide angle.



What t do you recommend? I know my money wouldn't get me the realstate of the art pro digicam, but is there anything good for myneeds?And what should I focus on when comparing & picking ones? Is 10MPgives noticeable better pics than 8MP? What should I compromise toget the best within the budget? Once again I just need a CAMERAwith best image quality & 'quality settings' not other things likefashionable light body design & movie mode & 'extras'..

There are a number of DSLR's available for $700 or less, some of them with lenses. None of them is "pro" quality. They all have some compromises made to allow them to be sold at low prices. But wow, I've seen some really great photos taken with these things, probably due to the photographer..

You want to take macros and you want wide angle. Good news. DSLR's can do this. Bad news: you have to buy the lenses. There goes your budget. You may want to get a high-end fixed-lens camera instead of a DSLR to meet your needs..

Leonard Migliore..

Thank Leonard for the input..

Yeh I need alot dont I ? ;D.

But for this one like I said is going to be a base, so $700 would be the body(with it's default kitlens). Sorry if I'm not very clear. I will buy another lenses for macro & wide angle if needed. My mother's old Nikon 801s (kit lens) could do acceptable macro, so I was thinking something like that. well...

Raden_dave wrote:.

Thank Leonard for the input..

Yeh I need alot dont I ? ;D.

But for this one like I said is going to be a base, so $700 wouldbe the body(with it's default kitlens). Sorry if I'm not very clear.I will buy another lenses for macro & wide angle if needed. Mymother's old Nikon 801s (kit lens) could do acceptable macro, so Iwas thinking something like that. well..

What lens did the 801 come with? I sort of think that was before zoom kit lenses and it has something like a 50/1.8. Note that, if you get a Nikon D40, it won't autofocus with old Nikon lenses and may not even meter..

The D40 is one of those compromised low-cost DSLR's I mentioned. It can take good photos but can only autofocus with Nikon AF-S lenses or third-party equivalents, eliminating most Nikon lenses from full functionality..

Leonard Migliore..

If new for your price range it's six of one, half dozen of the other. Go with a 10mp sensor. All would give you quality images in a variety of shooting situations..

The real question, though, is that you want a base to a "system" that you could grow and add to as time goes on..

I don't know about the new Oly E410 other than Phil's review and Oly's good reputation, but I can comment on the Nikon/Canons..

An overall strategy should be to look at it from a system appraoch. You'll probably want to upgrade the camera body every year to two years, while your other gear; lenses, flash, etc will have a useful life of five years to life, unless some earth-shattering innovation comes along (actually, I'd be surprised if it didn't)..

First, I'd look at lens availability for each brand. Compare price, performance and features. This will require some learning on your part, so you can intelligently evaluate these essential components of your system. Learn about prime lens vs zooms, "fast" lenses that have fixed, large maximum apertures (physically large, more expensive, great image quality/sharpness with low light attributes and depth of field control) vs those with variable apertures that have smaller maximum apertures (need a lot more light and not as sharp, but are less expensive, easier to lug around..

Another great lens feature is vibration reduction (VR, Nikon) or image stabilization (IS, Canon). This feature compensates for camera shake so sharp pictures are easier to get in low light situations at slower shutterspeeds. These lenses are available at varying focal lengths and prices from manufacturer..

I would strongly urge you to plan your system around lenses that will suit your needs and budget, and then select a mfr's DSLR body to go with the lenses..

I'm a long-time Nikoniac, and just upgraded from my excellent D70 to a D80, which is also excellent. I stay with Nikon not so much because I have Nikon lenses, because I can always sell the perippherals if I wanted to make a switch, but more because Nikon's system logic and camera controls work better for me, and I like Nikon's ergonomics, which are consistently good..

I use external flash a lot, and am a nut for off-camera flash and using studio strobes. IMO, Nikon has the best external flash system. Nikon calls it CLS, or creative light system. It works great but may not be an important consideration to a lot of people..

Before you decide on any camera(system), make sure you pick up and try each ontender to see how it feels in the hand and how the controls lay out for you..

FJBrad..

In your budget, you are looking at a Canon 350D or Nikon D50 with 18-55 kit lens. If you can find one or the other. The Oly E-500 with two lens kit will also fit in your budget. The Pentax K110D may also get there, but I can't comment on their kit lens..

For all of the things you mentioned, the Canon 350D/400D with 18-55 lens will work just fine. So would the Nikon D40/D50 with their 18-55 kit lens. I personally have no use for the crippled D40, but that's just me. All of the posters who state you have to have "X" lens before you can take a decent picture are just wrong. The kit lenses tend to be cheap, plastic, non-user-friendly things, but they will take the pictures you ask about quite well. You just have to do your part.

Once you learn the *how* of using a kit lens, the picture quality will increase as well. Both the Canon and Nikon kits are capable of capturing the skin pores you want, I do it all the time with Canon gear, and the local medical examiner's office does it with Nikons. Sure, you can get even better close-up with a 180mm macro, or a prime on tubes, or a reversed prime... but you can get *useable* images from just about anything. It all depends on if you know how, not the camera..

OK, off the soapbox for now..

Crime Scene PhotographyA small gallery of personal work: http://picasaweb.google.com/PID885..

From your list of needs I think you would be OK with a DSLR with kit lens and a nice macro like the Tamron 90mm f2.8. Remember you can always buy good lenses on the second-hand market as they tend not to 'die' like electronic cameras..

Look for deals on the Canon or Nikon front. A new 6mp D70s would be a fantastic camera to start with. You can upgrade the body later down the line and you'll still have your lenses. Why would you need a 10mp to crop from if you used a decent macro lens in the first place?.

John.Please visit me at:http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/backtothebridgehttp://www.pbase.com/johnfr..