Jizzlobber

Just took this a few minutes ago with my 7.2 MP Sony Cybershot 3x zoom, fine quality setting. Pic was taken about from about 100 yards. This blows. Would like to be able to zoom in for a head shot and see their whiskers. Anybody have such an SLR camera/lens setup? Maybe know of a good forum to check out to find one? No budget in mind, but would rather invest in good optics over a particular camera body model that would be outdated in a year.

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nickycakes

I have a Canon Digital Rebel XTi, which they don't make anymore, but they have the newer XSi and T1i models which are really good as well.

Don't bother buying anything that isn't Canon or Nikon.

As for your picture, just remember that digital zooms are just like taking your picture and zooming in with photoshop. For a shot like this at 100 yards, you will need an SLR like the ones listed above and at least a good entry-level telephoto lens.

http://digital-photography-school.com/ is a great website for researching equipment, so I'd def. start there.

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Grindstone

Big fan of Nikon's myself. You're going to want at least a 300mm lens to zoom in their heads from that far away, I've got a 55-200mm zoom and it won't get that close from 100 yards.

And you nailed it, get a decent body and spend your $$$ on glass.

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.Hack

i have a nikon d40x which is equivalent to the canon xti. i heard the d90 is doing very good

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.Hack

wtf looks like it was taken from a 2.0mp cellphone >_>

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Grindstone

^ the zoom feature on shitty point and clicks ruins image quality.

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icomunik

This ^^^^ I have a Nikon D80 and i am extremely happy with it

Mikesev

Got a Canon EOS 500D (euro name for the Rebel T1i). Great camera, love it.

That sort of range you'll need a fairly hefty telephoto, probably worth more than the cost of the body.

Mikesev

Should also add, getting an SLR is like learning to walk from crawling. Spend the money, you won't regret it.

You suddenly realise how much more is possible with photography, you start paying attention to angles, contrast and light sources. Even when you're walking down a street you've walked down a hundred times before and never noticed it, you'll see something and wish you had your camera with you.

Refrozen

I have a Canon 40D and would definitely recommend the 50D (they don't make the 40D) or the entry-level T1i/XSi series(es) to anyone. :-)

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Fatbat

The elaborate further on what Nicky said, point and shoots have "optical zoom" and "digital zoom". A typical camera has optical zoom to about 3x (about 100mm equivalent) but might then have a digital zoom to 10x... it's the digital zoom that is completely useless. This is usually indicated by a pause and colour change on the display when zooming. Stop at the pause.

You can get some models of compacts that have a 10x or more optical zoom (about 300mm equivalent) from which you can expect to get a decent zoomed shot.

I'm a Canon fan.

What's your budget for the SLR and lenses? This will make a great deal of difference when it comes to what model and lens combo to recommend. You have everything from the base model body and lens kit to fully professional and L series glass, and everything in between to choose from.

Remember, there's no better site for camera comparison and reviews than DPreview. Here's the Canon models page... Canon Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review

Your most current Canon model selection would be in order of low to high cost...

EOS 500D (Rebel T1i) << entry level, also shoots 1080 movies at 20fps, 720 at 30 fps (all others after this have 1080 at full 30fps capability)
50D as pointed out above, though getting a little long in the tooth now I think.
EOS 7D << semi pro
EOS 5D MKII << pro, full frame sensor, comes with a 24-105mm L series lens in the full kit, same lens as I own on my older 400D.
EOS 1D MKIV << the uber model

The kit lenses on the entry models tend to be kind of sucky. I would buy the body kit only and get a lens separate. This is where the major budgetary concerns come into play, because high end lenses can easily surpass the cost of the camera body.

The movie capabilities of the higher end models can't be overlooked. There's a whole aftermarket of steady cam kits, follow zooms, etc. as they are quite capable of shooting Hollywood quality footage. A lot of amateur film makers are using cameras like the 5D to produce some stunning video.

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Mugshot

i lol

Andrew

Its not going to solve your zoom problem, but I got a powershot s90 last month. Its an SLR but more or less the size of a point and shoot. As much as I'd love to have $5k camera with a $15k lens, if it doesn't fit in my pocket its never going to get used.

Torgo

A friend of mine just bought one of those and it's brilliant. Really nice quality for a point and shoot.

If you want something small and you don't mind having to manually focus, there are a few digital rangefinder cameras that are as good as a standard dSLR. The Epson R-D1 and the Leica M8 are both ultra high quality small cameras, but they're not cheap ($2.5k and $5k respectively).

If you want something good and easy to use, get whatever version of the Digital Rebel is out now. They're pretty cheap, there's tons of information out there on them, and you can upgrade the image quality dramatically once you get a new lens.

sampunk

have been using minolta and sony alpha since day 1, you just can't beat Carl Zeiss lenses.

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Fatbat

Bit of an exaggeration there. The T1i kit with the 18-55mm lens can be had for about $700. The 7D which is edging into profesional quality can be had for $1800 with the 28-135mm kit lens. The 5D MKII with the superb lens it comes with is about $3000. You would still want a telephoto though to catch the "whiskers".

Personally I would would go without the kit lenses (except in the case of the 5D) and then spring for something like this...

EOS (SLR) Camera Systems - Telephoto Zoom - Telephoto Zoom Lens - EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM - Canon USA Consumer Products

Which is at an entry level of $600

Problem there is that you will also want to have a smaller lens as well.

Or opt for something like this...

EOS (SLR) Camera Systems - Telephoto Zoom - Telephoto Zoom Lens - EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM - Canon USA Consumer Products

Which is a fully pro L series glass lens and $2000 but far more versatile at 28-300mm. You could almost get by without ever needing to buy another lens.

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Jizzlobber

Those deer were out there for an hour today eating acorns (only because I kept the dog in). Plenty of time to get a good shot. I've got similarly shitty pictures of coyotes in the same spot and have watched owls and hawks dive for mice in that field. Would be cool to get some decent closeups to have mounted and hang around the house. I wouldn't mind investing $1500 - $2000 for a decent setup. I'd probably pay that for a handful of framed prints anyhow - might as well invest in a camera and make my own art.

Thanks for the suggestions - will look into the Nikon and Canon rigs. Would most likely keep this right at home in standby mode on a tripod, so an obtrusive lens is of no concern. Definately want to be able to get closeups within 100 yards. I have a groundblind I use for turkey hunting, so if I was serious enough I could set that up and get closer if I was interested in waiting these things out. More often than not I'm seeing stuff right out the back slider of the house.

+rep to Fatbat for the detailed response and DPreview link. (oops, must spread some more love first)

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Drake

Nikon D90s are good but a bit pricy. Should be easy to get a package with a small lens for people and parties and then buy a good lens for distance.

killerkiwi

I picked up a Nikon D90 last year... very solid camera, I would definitely recommend it. It came with an 18-105mm lens and I bought a 55-200mm for about $200 that works great for getting closeup shots.

MartyB

Have a Nikon D60 with 18-105mm enjoying it a lot, spring for the D90 though if you can.

PunchMyFace

Just got the Nikon D3000 best camera for the price, IMHO.

Jizzlobber

Looks like my "whisker" criteria is out to lunch at my price point. We're talking lenses in the $5k range to do that job at 100yds for my tastes. Looking at the possibility of a cheaper lens with a converter...need to learn some lens math.

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pocketrockets

Visit Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing and do a search on whatever SLR camera/lens you are interested in and see first hand the the potential picture quality. There are a ton of "groups" as well you can ask questions.

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Jizzlobber

Can you search EXIF data on Flickr?

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nickycakes

Deer taken with Canon XSi deer - Flickr: Search
Deer taken with Nikon d60 deer - Flickr: Search

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Fatbat

You sound like a defeatist. There are plenty of options for the budget conscious shooter. You don't need to drop 5k to get into the 500mm+ range. Here, scope this site...

Nature's Pics Online

They talk all about equipment setups.

300mm lens won't perhaps let you see the details in the iris of their eyeball but it will still let you take some stunning pictures. A 400mm will do even better... and this is the 100-400mm lens the site above recommends which lists for $1800 and can certainly be had for less.

EOS (SLR) Camera Systems - Telephoto Zoom - Telephoto Zoom Lens - EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM - Canon USA Consumer Products

The other recommendation is this Sigma lens at 50-500mm for about $400 less...

Sigma - Lenses

Far less versatile (you really want to be in a position to grab closer shots if they should present themselves), but you could get a fixed 400mm L series for list price of $1300 and change.

EOS (SLR) Camera Systems - Super Telephoto - Super Telephoto Lens - EF 400mm f/5.6L USM - Canon USA Consumer Products

You can get a 2x extender for a couple hundred bucks.

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nickycakes

Fatbat, correct me if I'm wrong, but there should be some entry level telephoto lenses that can be picked up in the sub-$500 range that will get the job done quite well but won't be national geographic quality.

For example:

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Fatbat

Yeah, there certainly is! There are some 70-300mm Tamrons on there that can be had for even less. There's also a 150-500mm Sigma for less than $1000 listed. There's no end to the possibilities really. Good used gear can be had as well.

Might be worth trying out some of the cheaper options to see if the gear really sees enough use to warrant dropping serious cake on professional glass.

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Jizzlobber

Yeah, my problem is that I'm currently at the low extreme with my gear. I do some research and see how shit get's done at the other end of the extreme and don't get that there may be a happy medium in-between (overwhelming possiblilty). I don't mind experimenting in the $2000 range as I can get some of my investment back if I am buying mainstream gear. However, if I ever think about going $5k on a lens, I better be going on African photo safari sometime soon.

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eliquid

I got $4k and I prefer Canon ( got a Canon HF S11 camcorder already and love it ), what should I get for SLR?

Im looking at EOS 5D MKII, but what kind of lens/glass do I need for those National Geographic type shots?

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nickycakes

I think one thing people are forgetting is the real amount that equipment affects your photography.

Until you master proper composition, lighting, etc, you will never be able to shoot national geographic type photos.

Alternatively, if you have consumer level SLR gear in the sub-$1000 range (for your entire kit) you can take AMAZING photos if you are using proper technique.

My suggestion is to get a good body, like the XSi, and a $200-300 range telephoto, and play with that along with the lens that comes with your kit, until you get good and then decide if you want to move up into super-expensive lenses and such.

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eliquid

alright, per Nicky's info.. Im gonna look at a T1i and XSi as it does seem like a smarter starting point.

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vgeek

People have already mentioned the Rebel XT/XSi. If money is an issue, get an older body and splurge on glass. Once you experience L glass, you will never use anything else.



Look at how creamy that bokeh is. That is a terrible picture of my awesome dog, but the lens makes it. The 70-200f4L is the cheapest L glass you can get, but is also one of the sharpest lenses. You won't regret it.

http://vgeek.net/d/6796-1/IMG_3948.jpg

That's a full size image from my 8mp Rebel XT. Unsharpened.

Fatbat

They don't make the XSi anymore (450D), it's more than 2 years old. Its replacement was the T1i (500D). Each increment in the Canon family is (usually) significantly better so I would go with the T1i at the entry level.

I have the 400D, and while I certainly don't use it as much as I should, if I were upgrading now I would get the 7D body kit, or 5D MKII body kit, as I already own the lens that the 5D comes with, which is about $1200 retail.

The reason I would go to with the higher model is the ability to shoot 1080 video at 30fps which the T1i can't do (only does 20fps), not to mention the full frame sensor on the 5D.

The reviews on the 7D say it is a phenomenal camera. The DPreview folks could barely fault it, which is very unusual.

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pocketrockets

Yep, and it's why Flickr is so helpful. You can click on "more properties" on the right side under "Additional Information" and get all that info: stored information are shutter speed, date and time, focal length, exposure compensation, metering pattern and if a flash was used.

For example, click the pic of this deer and you'll get all the EXIF data



Flickr also keeps stats/graphs on the most popular cameras ... pretty cool.

Flickr: Camera Finder

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greenleaves

Get the Olympus E-520. Great learner camera!

The whole lens system you will be buying into is amazing. I love my camera and the lenses I have bought/extras (control remote, extreme III memory cards, macro adapter, case, filters, etc).

I have put in about $2k worth of equipment into it, and plan on getting another $2k over the next few years (little bits at a time).

Once you go DSLR, you won't go back.

Lapris

Just shoot them, and then walk up to them and take the photo!!!

:R:

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eVandals

It's all about the AE-1 and the darkroom son. This body has turned out a lot of good black and white for me. Have an old minolta x700 body too with a 300mm zoom lens that was so goddamn heavy lugging it around europe.



Digital wise I have a canon xt, with nikon lens to canon body adapter, nikon 18-200mm VR DX lense, and the stock xt lens which sucks cock. I like nikon lenses better than canon's, it's a personal preference. Got a canonSD790 point and shoot which is better megapixel than my slr but the manual settings on it are kids stuff compared to an slr. I need to reup on equipment too.

Like nicky said you can have awesome equipment but if you don't know anything about composition, lighting, exposure values, fstops, shutter speeds, depth of field, colors, whitebalancing, etc your pictures will probably turn out like shit regardless.

For composition I like to stick to the rule of thirds and I use bracketing(-2 ev, -1, 0, +1, +2) of the same shot if it's a good one in case your eye deceives you of the lighting of that moment. You can also toy around with HDR, high dynamic range photography with bracketing and overlaying them on each other, getting all the possible ranges your camera can take of that particular frame.

HDR comparison

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l3msip

Problem with getting a decent camera is you can only blame yourself for crap photos!
I have an old fuji 5600 (5 mp point n click slr wanabe with 10x optical zoom) and had been convinced i was a competent photographer with a crap camera.

Then i borrowed a canon 400D (old, but much better than my fuji) and the photos where just as bad!
I was much happier before hand.

ImagesAndWords

I've taken some great shots with my old Canon EOS 300D w/kit 55mm lens, but I'm eager to replace the lens with a 300mm one. Once you go SLR, you won't go back - trust me!

As for indoor shots though, I'd love to know more about what kind of flash was used to take those ASW Vegas party pics this year. Totally pro looking!
I think Nickycakes said the dude had used a Nikon D90, but with a special flash?

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schockergd

I like my d40 quite a bit.

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Isostar13

The next gen. of the T1i, probably not going to be called the T2i, is coming out soon. Saw it on Gizmodo the other day. You may want to double check on that before you buy the super on sale T1i.

DewChugr

That's not HDR, that's shit.

I'm in the same boat. There are some very nice older Minolta lenses that are outstanding. I tried to get a 28-135 of Cl, but the guy wouldn't ship. Look at the a750 when it is released. It doesn't really matter what brand you get as long as it does what you want.

Couple pictures from my a700.

a700 50mm 1.7


24mm 2.8


75-300

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eVandals

Yeah, it's from an HDR autosetting "mode" and not done manually by overlaying bracketed shots. I was trying to show the difference in levels, shitty example though.

some HDRs that are actually decent and not overdone:

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heavyt

I upgraded to a 5d mark2 I'm selling my 5d mark1 with grip for 1300 shipped. if you want it let me know its only got 8k shutter actuation's on it. it doesn't come with glass its just the body and grip.

Pics I've taken with it.

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Jizzlobber

You guy's are doing some nice work.

I may up my numbers a bit. I'm thinking of getting an older body that just does tripod duty at home for backyard wildlife shots and get a newer model that would be more versatile when on the go, sharing lenses between the two. Still up in the air over a Nikon vs. Canon.

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.Hack

very nice pics heavyt

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turbolapp

Mind posting pics? On one hand I'm sick of my crappy looking pics. On another, there's no way I can carry around a bunch of equipment with all the other crap I have to carry around.

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eVandals

Awesome work, what kind of lenses do you have? Looks like macros or fisheye on the car pics.

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Jizzlobber

Five of them out there this morning. Fuck.

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