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Need camera advice

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Well my wife wants a good camera for her birthday. I want to get a dslr but have no idea. Something that will do professional type quality but not cost a fortune. Must have built in flash and an LCD screen. I really don't know enough else that I would need. If there are any questions you want to ask feel free. I just want somehing good. I know they can be pricey and I guess around 750 to 1000 is the max. Please help.

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Unless she has given you a specific camera she wants, I would suggest taking her shopping on the big day and let her choose. A day trip to B&H in NYC is always a good way to spend a day.

 

Some people like the way Canon cameras feel, some like Nikon, some Olympus. Buying her a camera that she does not enjoy or a camera that does not fit her hand well could be wasted money. Kinda like buying a gun for someone...some like Glock, some like Beretta.

 

Also, when it comes to pro results, the lens is what really matters.

 

Good luck.

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For the price range - Get a Canon Rebel T3i. You can get it with the basic kit lens and zoom lens for $900'ish.

http://www.amazon.co...38082895&sr=8-3

 

That's good advice, but I am a Canon person. There are Canon people and Nikon people, and then a bunch of other brands. If your wife gets interested in photography, it will cost as much as your gun hobby! Anyway, you are really making a choice on a lens family. Once you start buying lenses, you are stuck with a particular brand. New bodies will come out ever year, but you can keep using the same lenses (with some exceptions).

 

If you buy Canon or Nikon, there are a tremendous number of lenses available, including a huge supply of used ones. Most of my lenses I have bought used, and you can get some great deals. There are also a ton of accessories available for these two brands, far more than any others.

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Unless she has given you a specific camera she wants, I would suggest taking her shopping on the big day and let her choose. A day trip to B&H in NYC is always a good way to spend a day.

 

Some people like the way Canon cameras feel, some like Nikon, some Olympus. Buying her a camera that she does not enjoy or a camera that does not fit her hand well could be wasted money. Kinda like buying a gun for someone...some like Glock, some like Beretta.

 

Also, when it comes to pro results, the lens is what really matters.

 

Good luck.

 

I was thinking about doing that. I couldnt think of the name of the store. Thanks

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Most higher end cameras take video now. Can your camcorder do 1080p? Can it zoom in to 250mm?

It is hd 1080 and very high zoom. Not sure of the number. Anything after the camera is on her. If she wants to buy more stuff,that's fine. She has camera stuff I buy more guns

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As a pro photographer , I say either Canon or Nikon entry levels are good. One thing to keep in mind..it is the lenses that matter. If she really gets into it she is going to want pro glass and will not like the kit lenses anymore. If she has a Rebel series , she will want to upgrade the body to get the good lenses. So at least get the 60D . Because if you don't get her a body now that can support the lenses she eventually wants you'll be upgrading the body later.

 

I recommend either a Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D. And if she says she does not need or want photoshop I can assure you that will change.

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As a pro photographer , I say either Canon or Nikon entry levels are good. One thing to keep in mind..it is the lenses that matter. If she really gets into it she is going to want pro glass and will not like the kit lenses anymore. If she has a Rebel series , she will want to upgrade the body to get the good lenses. So at least get the 60D . Because if you don't get her a body now that can support the lenses she eventually wants you'll be upgrading the body later.

 

I recommend either a Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D. And if she says she does not need or want photoshop I can assure you that will change.

 

See -- like I said, if she gets interested in this, it will end up costing as much as your firearms.

 

Do you know how much Photoshop costs? Then you will have to upgrade your computer. memory cards. flash. telephoto zoom lenes. wide angle lenses. tripod. case. ...

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I'm running CS5 (soon to be CS6 ) on an 800 dollar Acer laptop. Screen calibrated of course. Photoshop Elements gets the job done unless you are a photographer by trade and need all the graphic arts features of CS . Elements is a like 200 bucks I think. CS6 runs close to a grand.

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I'm an avid amateur and a Nikon guy. It can become a very expensive hobby. I agree with irishpete'swife. Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D. Both are excellent camera's. As for Photoshop you should look into Adobe Lightroom. I use it regularly and as I process large numbers of photos at a time it's nice and fast. It is priced between Elements and CS5.

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Perhaps a pro-sumer camera. Take a look at a Nikon D700. It does not do video. You can find them on Amazon for about $2100. Don't be taken in by the big megapixel game. More megapixels is not necessarily a better thing. Rather than photoshop, you might consider Adobe Lightroom instead. I use both, but in terms of workflow, I recommend Lightroom for beginning photographers. Of course, there's always Canon if you have to. LOL. If you can get to NY, B&H Photovideo is an excellent resource for all things photographic.

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I'm running CS5 (soon to be CS6 ) on an 800 dollar Acer laptop. Screen calibrated of course. Photoshop Elements gets the job done unless you are a photographer by trade and need all the graphic arts features of CS . Elements is a like 200 bucks I think. CS6 runs close to a grand.

 

Using Spyder Elite for your calibration?

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Another option besides B&H is Unique Photo in Fairfield. A very good selection of equipment, but not nearly the same as experiencing B&H. A plus for me is that Unique is open on Saturdays. I'm a Nikon guy, and I have to echo what others have said; don't cheap out on the glass. Buy a slightly older generation body, or one without all the bells and whistles, and get the best lens that you can reasonably afford. And yes, it does get spendy.

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I'm a nikon guy and hear lots of great feedback on the d7000. If this is something you or she might get into then check out nikonians website or dpreview....lots of great knowledge and nikonians has a member o ly sales area. With Nikon d800 just released lots of folks unloading d300 or d700's so you might end up with a deal.

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Perhaps a pro-sumer camera. Take a look at a Nikon D700. It does not do video. You can find them on Amazon for about $2100. Don't be taken in by the big megapixel game. More megapixels is not necessarily a better thing. Rather than photoshop, you might consider Adobe Lightroom instead. I use both, but in terms of workflow, I recommend Lightroom for beginning photographers. Of course, there's always Canon if you have to. LOL. If you can get to NY, B&H Photovideo is an excellent resource for all things photographic.

D700 is discontinued , replaced by the D800. I'm selling my D700 ( ordered the D800) . However , it is a terrible choice for a beginner. It does not have any auto or scene modes. The closest it has is P mode , which gives you various combinations for the same exposure but it is still easy to make a mistake if you are new to photography. The set up of the camera is assuming you know how to do everything manually.

Using Spyder Elite for your calibration?

Color Munki . I have the color cube from Spyder though. It is great , I think it is like 20 bucks. It does white balance and color reference .

I shoot great pictures with my D80 (Nikon)

I still have that camera , it is a great one.

Today only (5/27) - $399.99 (+ $5 shipping) Canon Rebel T3 w/ 18-55mm IS Kit lens

http://1saleaday.com/

$100 cheaper than on amazon.

The only issue with Rebel is if she wants to ever upgrade , the EF lenses are not interchangeable. At least get the 60D unless you are confident she will be happy with EF series lenses. She is a woman with a new camera. I assure you she will outgrow the Rebel. Women ( ok , and a lot of men of course) tend to "get into" photography beyond just taking pictures. Trust me.

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Thanks for all the great advice. I don't want to get too crazy. She said she wants to start getting into photography but iwant to see some proof first before I delve into great expense for a ton of accessories. I want the camera the have setting control but not be too overly complicated for the beginner. All the computer stuff can be taken care of for very little expense if need be. We will be taking a trip to H&R to pick something up. Keep all the good info coming.

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B&H . Adorama is good too , it is in a nicer neighborhood in my opinion ..as far as places to eat and stroll. They are related , 6 to one half dozen to another which place you buy from. The best bang for the beginner buck right now is the Nikon D7000. Later on down the road she won't feel the need to upgrade the body if she wants nice lenses. Very beginner friendly too.

 

Whatever you do , if you see a kit that seems too cheap to be true , stay away. It is probably a gray market product , meaning it was manufactured with intent to be sold in Asia and/or Europe. If anything happens to it , Nikon or Canon won't touch it. Unless you send it to Japan . They often advertise " USA Warranty" ..that screams gray market . It means that if anything happens it has to go to a 2nd rate repair place , not an official Nikon or Canon repair place,

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This camera is good too.. the only important difference between it and the D7000 is that it won't support lenses that don't have a built in Auto focus motor . This is usually a non issue for all but the the pro photographer who has been at it awhile and has a collection of expensive glass that is not all new glass.Most new lenses , even the pro ones , are AF-S meaning they have their own motor. So it is a non issue for the most part.

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/25492/D3200.html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-TechSpecs

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This is a good deal. She will probably want a tele zoom eventually ..but this 18-55 kit lens is one of the more decent ones. And if she turns it around backwards and uses a table top tripod , she can do macro of flowers and stuff with it :)

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/856049-REG/Nikon_25492_D3200_DSLR_Camera_With.html

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They are closed this weekend FYI. Monday is a Jewish holiday. Too bad , because they are in Chelsea ( Adorama) and it is FLEET WEEK!

 

The D3200 are still pre order ( new camera) but should be shipping very soon. They are nice from what I hear. No shortage of established photographers that have their prototypes to test and review. The D7000s are pricier and in stock..you will be able to shoot faster with it and I believe the AF on it is more sophisticated. The salesmen at BH and Adorama will be able to outline the differences exactly ..they have enough sales volume where they do not feel the need to upsell everyone. Plus , if she ever does go to upgrade , both places are good to repeat customers .

 

Personally , I buy all my stuff ( and my father as well since the 70s) at The Photo Center in Brick. He always matches BH and they are a family business since the 70s . Very knowledgeable too. If you do feel like driving down there let me know. The owner is a good friend of mine and I would tell him to expect you.

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Wife has been bugging me to go to the city and it is very close to me. Brick is a little far. I will probably make a day in the city with her. Go there, Macy's( shoot me) and empire state building. We will see

 

You might want to look at some other models as well that does not contain video, since you already have a video camera. As a professional photographer, I have a problem with still cameras that also have video capabilities. More to go wrong. Also consider, or not, if they sacrificed some of the still photo technology in order to provide video in the same box.

 

You'll love the Empire State Building. Three of us spent a whole day touring the inside of the building when Leona Helmsley owned it. They were showing us the energy conservation improvements they made on the building skin, lighting and HVAC systems. But the view from the deck was the most impressive.

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You might want to look at some other models as well that does not contain video, since you already have a video camera. As a professional photographer, I have a problem with still cameras that also have video capabilities. More to go wrong. Also consider, or not, if they sacrificed some of the still photo technology in order to provide video in the same box.

 

 

As a fellow pro photographer I feel the same exact way. That is why I have a D700 and D3. However , ALL of the new models have video. That latest war flick ( can't think of the name) was completely filmed with the new 5D .

 

I am on a waiting list for the D800. It has video. :/

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As a fellow pro photographer I feel the same exact way. That is why I have a D700 and D3. However , ALL of the new models have video. That latest war flick ( can't think of the name) was completely filmed with the new 5D .

 

I am on a waiting list for the D800. It has video. :/

 

I've decided to pass on the D800. I have the same models, and they've given me good service, with plenty of good service left in them. I don't see the D700 being discontinued for quite some time.

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