slr cameras

[SweetMelissa]

my hubs said i can spend our tax refund on whatever i want.. so im thinking about getting a slr camera. ive wanted one for so long.

so whats good? what lens would you recommend?

i should also mention ive never had one before so i want one thats beginner friendly(not too hard to figure out/work/ect).

sorry for any mistakes feeding lilly with 1 hand and typing with other.

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Another question I went and played with them and so far I really like the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i. Does anyone have this camera? Is it good?

[lovely1m]

Canon. Love mine. If you do some looking you can often find bundles that comes with some of the accessories you might want. As far as what model you buy, depends what you want ot spend. I have one of the lower end ones and love it. To be honest though, Nikon & Canon are kind of like Coke & Pepsi. I would just go to the store and handle both, you will know which you like.

[emmasmommy]

i have a canon also. and love her. i knew nothing about them when i first got mine and just shooting in auto alone made a HUGE difference.

[rochelle789]

I only buy Canons also. My P&S is a Canon and both of my SLRs have been Canons. I started out a few years ago with the XTi, but a few months ago my "precious" then-2-year-old lobbed it over the banister to the floor below and broke it. So I now have the T2i and love that one even more. It takes HD video, which the other one didn't (although I haven't shot any video with it yet). I almost never take my 50mm lens off my camera, so that's a must-have for me. I didn't like the kit lens very much.

Good luck deciding!

[MamaBee]

I second the idea of going to a store, if you can, and see how they feel in your hands. I also am a canon girl and I have a lower end model and so far has only used the lens that came with it, however saving up money for a new one. Love it!! I wish I knew how to use it better, but I'm getting there...

[Joana1n]

Canon and Nikon are both excellent brands, you won't go wrong with either. I'm a Nikon gal myself but they're both good. You can start in fully automatic mode, so that it functions just like a point and shoot, but there's no shutter lag like there is with a P&S which already results in better photos.

Lately my Nikon 50mm 1.8f lens doesn't leave my camera very often.

[SweetMelissa]

Thanks ladies. I looked and our Wal-Mart has three Canon's in store & our Target has 2 Canon's and 3 Nikon's in store. So Friday when I get some kid free shopping time I'm going to check them both out.

[nun69]

I am a Canon girl too It is all preference becasue I thinkt hey are comparable...and I LOVE my 50 mm lens {was only $100}..

[newfiemountiewife]

We have Canons here as well. I have an XT, Tony has an XTi, and he recently upgraded to a T2i. Even my kid has a point and shoot Canon LOL

I do agree that you should go handle them and see what feels best in your hands, because it really is a personal preference. And just like the other ladies said, even in auto, the pictures are better than point and shoot. You can just take your time, read some tuts and practice to learn manual when you have time to learn.

Have fun shopping!

[cbettua]

I'm a canon girl too! But Nikon are great too! I have a canon xsi! Love it! Good luck

[ColleenSwerb]

Just wanted to plug the Nikon's too I'm a Nikon girl and always have been. DH keeps teasing me that I'm going to LOVE my belated birthday present. I'm SERIOUSLY hoping it's a Nikon D7000, but I'm also trying not to get my hopes up, lol.

I went to a store and tried the Canon XTi and the Nikon D80, and teh Nikon just felt better in my hands to me. The Coke vs Pepsi analogy is dead on though. They're both great brands, you really can't go wrong with either, it's just a matter of preference

[*Celeste*]

i'd definitely recommend investing in the 50mm 1.8 lens for either camera to start. It allows you to take more photos indoors and you can get incredible bokeh (that's blurry background) with it. i hardly ever take it off unless i need a little wider angle or some zoom.

i agree with the coke/pepsi analogy - i bought a canon bc i had a canon point and shoot and the little icons were the same. started with the xti and bought the 50D alst year. now i'm pining for something better. :P

[SarahMD]

ha! well ladies i go BOTH ways *blush*! lol. I use 2 Nikon D70s for work and 1 Canon 40D for my personal Biz. (I'm a preschool photographer for Lifetouch) In my personal opinion, since I've used Canon forever its my favorite, but I still like the D70s.... You need to, one, research the makes/models and look at reviews comparing your favorites, two, play with them... if you're wanting to operate in manual or get to the point where you're comfortable with doing so you need to make sure that the ease at which you can change your ISO, SS, AP, and focus points are easy to manuver.

When I went to working with the Nikon from using canon for years, it was like, Say WHAAAA??? lol. I felt like a novice again! But now I know both and use both, lol.

[AmyM]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

Just wanted to plug the Nikon's too I'm a Nikon girl and always have been. DH keeps teasing me that I'm going to LOVE my belated birthday present. I'm SERIOUSLY hoping it's a Nikon D7000, but I'm also trying not to get my hopes up, lol.

I went to a store and tried the Canon XTi and the Nikon D80, and teh Nikon just felt better in my hands to me. The Coke vs Pepsi analogy is dead on though. They're both great brands, you really can't go wrong with either, it's just a matter of preference

I'm die hard Nikonian, but agreed with Colleen. Whichever one you pick, I wouldn't get the bundles with kit lenses. Once you start shooting manual mode with the dslr, the variable aperture will be a real pain in the neck. A 50mm 1.8 is very inexpensive and so much sharper than the kit lenses. Just a suggestion
95% of the time I'm using the d90 with 50 1.8 for business. I do rent pricier lenses for weddings. Hoping they come out with an upgrade to the d700 because I really need a full frame at this point.

[mummytothree]

When I bought my dslr 4 years ago, I went the the store and held both the Canon and the Nikon in my hand and played around with them both for a bit. The Canon just "felt" better in my hands!! But a few years ago we were in the market for a P&S and we ended up with a Nikon Cool Pix because it fit our need and price perfectly!! I love them both...but for different reasons.

Don't buy anything until you have handled them both and played around with both!!! Good luck and happy camera shopping!!!

[jaylensmom]

Another Canon girl...I just bought the 60d after my Canon Rebel (which was about 5 years old) died on me right before Christmas. I went with Canon because my dad had them growing up. I love it but then you hear the same from those who own Nikons...

[kim21673]

I have a Nikon D90...LOVE it!

As for an extra lens....I would definitely get a 50mm too!!

[sprauncey1]

I currently have a D90 (for over 2 years) and am looking at getting the D7000 next. It just ROCKS apparently and does higher ISOs so much better (it is compared to the D300s). I would skip the kit lenses and go for the 50mm one whichever you pick. Both Canon and Nikon are great, and it seems that one week one is the best and then the next the other is best. That is the great thing about competition.

But whatever you get, try to NOT get the camera that will only use a few lenses (lower end models of both kinds) because it severely limits what you can get later, and the money is in the lenses!!