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-   -   Need some recommendations .Dslr. Best bang for buck. (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=782074)

ethan31 07-27-2010 9:24 AM

Need some recommendations .Dslr. Best bang for buck.
 
I want to buy a new camera, I have read around online have some idea of what I want but I figured some of you could still help me out.

I'm looking for a setup that would be something for me to learn on and that I wont "outgrow" to soon. I'm willing to look at used and older stuff to get a good setup for a decent price.

I like to shoot-
Weather (all lights conditions)
Wide angle landscape
Wake, Snowboarding, skiing, action stuff...
Some Macro..
If anyone could give me some lens recommendations for these applications that would be very helpful.

My budget is around $800. I know I cant get everything I want for that, but I would like to get a good setup that I can build on.

Also, are there any brands or models that are a little more rugged than others? Or are they all pretty similar?

Thanks!
EJ

gravity 07-27-2010 11:50 AM

I would spend a little more and get the nikon d90. Check out jr photo or b&h . I love mine and it gives me a lot of room to grow.

Anubis79 07-27-2010 5:58 PM

That's a lot of stuff. It's going to be pretty tough to recommend something based on that budget. You're looking at close to $800 just for lenses to cover everything. I'll give you Nikon gear since it's what I shoot. I'd look for a used D80 or D200, very good cameras for probably half the price of a new D90 and about the same as a very basic D5000. Sure the newer cameras have more features and a little more development in them, but the older ones aren't slouches. I'd take an older middle/upper end consumer body over a newer entry level one any day. The higher up you go in any brand's lineup, the more robust the bodies become...metal internal frames, shutters rated for more actuations, etc. If you want a do-it-all lens there's the Nikon 18-200mm VR II at around $750 new. It won't be good for low light, you'll need something with a very wide aperture like 1.4, 1.8, or 2...and those cost money. Wide angle landscapes will probably require a lens in the 10-20mm or 12-24mm range, which run about $400 new. It's an expensive hobby when you know what you want, and even more so when you're still figuring things out. The one nice thing about Nikon is you can use just about any of their lenses made from like 1954 until the present. You lose some functions depending on lens and camera body but they still work, and there were a lot of great lenses over the years that have amazing optical quality. Lenses are more important than bodies. A crap lens on a pro body is still going to take crap pictures, while a great lens on a beginner body can still take great photos. If you go with a used body, you might be able to sell it for close to what you paid if you keep it in good condition which will help when you want to move to a newer body. Check out http://bythom.com for info and reviews on Nikon gear. I'll let the Canon guys weigh in with their opinions.

ethan31 07-29-2010 7:37 AM

Does anyone have any info on this- http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-K10D-Digi...item1e5d472e98

Want would a fair price be for a d80,d200?

Anubis79 07-29-2010 12:08 PM

Check out http://www.keh.com it's a site that specialized in used camera equipment. It has a quality ranking and prices vary by quality. The closer to new you get, the closer to retail you get. Fair price for a D80 would probably be from $450 to $550 and D200 probably $500 to around $700, all depending on where you can find one and it's condition, and you could probably find one even cheaper and still in good condition. KEH might also be a good place to look for lenses to fit your budget. Wide angles that cover somewhere in the 10-24 range for your landscapes, 18-105+ for a mid-range walk around lens, and up to 300 for your distance needs.

I can't comment on the Pentax.

ethan31 08-01-2010 7:15 PM

Well I just bought this on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I hope its a good setup to learn on. I went with this over a d80 for the size. I hope I made the right decision.
Thanks for the help!

Anubis79 08-02-2010 12:51 AM

It should be a serviceable camera. I've got a D50 because it's what I could afford at the time and it does it's job. Now that I've got a use for more advanced features and would like some more Mpixels I'm ready to move up the scale. A body is sort of a consumable item. You use it until you need something new. There's no replacement for good optics, and those you'll keep over many bodies. Good luck with everything, just don't let it fall in the drink!

gravity 08-02-2010 9:30 AM

looks like a good set up for the $s just the glass would cost that if you had to buy it. have fun with it. post some pics after you try it out.

cdhayes2 08-06-2010 10:04 AM

You should pick up a bigger SD card imo. Especially if you're going to shoot in RAW. Nice that it came with 2 batteries though!


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