Another Camera Thread

[NewEnglandLady]

Quick story: I am taking a photography course next week and wanted something a bit nicer than a regular P & S. I seriously considered buying a DSLR and growing into it, but I decided to save a bit of money and buy a Canon S5 instead. I''d read a lot of threads here on PS about the S5 and thought it would be a good fit for me.

So I used it once last weekend when I went to NYC and I accidently left it at Yankees Stadium (I checked, they don''t have it). I''m frustrated that I have to buy a new camera, but before I buy a second Canon S5 (which are on sale at Circuit City for $299!), I want to make sure I shouldn''t consider something nicer. I never had time to figure out the features of the S5, since I only used it once, but now I''m toying with the idea of getting a Nikon D40. I like the idea of being able to switch out the lenses once I get better.

I''m not sure if I should bite the bullet for a secondCanon S5 or go with something a little nicer?

 

[allikatac]

I have the Nikon D40 and I absolutely love it!!! There really is such a difference between the quality of the D40 and your regular P & S. I love the fact that DH can use the camera as a p&s and doesn''t need to know any specific features, but I can use the more advanced features and change out the lenses. We both think it was a great investment. We actually took it to the yankees game last night in pitts and I got some great shots of a-rod

I think you should go for it!

 

[diamondsrock]

We have the NikonD40 and I highly recommend it. It came with a kit lens which is very useful, but we bought a zoom lens as well and switch them out as needed. You should see the detail this thing picks up. Plus it has so many features I don''t even know them all yet.
I think if you search reviews on the internet for this camera you won''t be disappointed. It gets very high ratings.
They came out with the D60 as well which I think is self cleaning? Not sure but it is more expensive.
Hopefully that helps!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Thanks, ladies! I''ve heard nothing but great things about the D40--a good friend of mine (who''s taking the class with me) has a D60 and loves it. The D40 is only $150 more than the Canon S5, so I might go for it. I really liked my S5 the whopping 1 time I used it.

 

[beau13]

Date: 7/11/2008 7:18:45 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Thanks, ladies! I''ve heard nothing but great things about the D40--a good friend of mine (who''s taking the class with me) has a D60 and loves it. The D40 is only $150 more than the Canon S5, so I might go for it. I really liked my S5 the whopping 1 time I used it.

I just researched alot of different cameras before getting one yesterday...the D60 which is very similar to the Canon Rebel XTi, had some good reviews! I was told by a few different photographers to go with the Canon, but a couple sales people said the Nikon D60 was a great camera for those who prefer Nikon!

 

[omieluv]

I think it really jist depends on what you will be using the camera for. The S5 has gotten great reviews and I think it is a great camera that is easy to travel with. The zoom on the S5 is pretty good as well. The problem with many P&S cameras (the S5 included) is that manufacturers keep adding megapixels into their cameras, but do not increase the sensor size, which contributes to fuzzier pictures at higher ISOs (also known as noise, which you will see appear around images that are against a bright background). Also, the zoom on the S5 is quite large, but you have to consider that after a point, the closer you zoom, the quality of the image diminishes because I believe it is due from the camera switching from digital to optical zoom when you really push its capabilities. Still, the S5 is a solid camera and is one I am considering, or a Nikon d40, 60 or 80.

If you want higer quality pictures, a dSLR is the way to go, however, be careful if you are using the price difference as an aspect of your decision. Sure, the difference in price between the d40 and S5 is marginal. As you know, with a dSLR, the purchase price of the camera is just the starting point. To get a zoom at a comparable level as the S5's, that is not going to be cheap, plus the lense will be very heavy to cart around. It doesn't end there either, as you would probably want to invest in a nice macro lense to take sharp close-up pictures. Nikon does make a very nice 'all around' lense that is expensive, but would incorporate a decent zoom/macro/wide, which is the 18-200, which last I saw was going for $680. There are other options, like buying a lense specifically for zoom (e.g, 55-200 MVR - $217) and a lense dedicated to macro, which would be cheaper for you. The drawback is that you would have to switch out lenses when going from one to the other.

Since you are taking a photography course, it might be the ideal time to get a dSLR, since this will provide a great opportunity to practice with your new camera. The lense that comes with the d40/60 will be good for you to learn with and as you said, you can grow into the hobby as you learn more.