Versatile DSLR

I am sure that this type of question have been raised thousands of
time, but I just want to get some more opinions from the readers.
I am thinking about a DSLR (finally). However, my requirements for a
DSLR may be completely different from others. I do not want to buy a
DSLR for the sake that it has the flexibility for having
interchangeble lenses, but because it has a larger sensor.
Another criteria is economics... i.e. I do not want to spend money for
a professional (read - expensive) type DSLR which costs a lot of
money. If I can afford to spend over $3000, I may as well looking for
a digital back for my M645 or RB67 (any suggestion for a cheap one, if
available?). Top of my budget will be a D80 or 30D range. Is the
entry level DSLR (Is XT/Xti or D40/D40x any good?)
I am open to suggestion on info related to non-popular DSLR. What zoom
lens that comes as standard package with the camera, which will allow
me the most possible range without changing lenses?
I am aware that some readers will immediately comment or ask about the
kind of photos that I am planning to take. All kinds... whatever the
camera is capable. I usually buy the camera first, and utilize its
limits or capability accordingly... without getting sucked into buying
more accessories....ie. once I buy it, I have to live with it, and no
plan for getting another set of lenses, accesories, etc.
Thanks for your input.

wrote:

I am sure that this type of question have been raised thousands of
time, but I just want to get some more opinions from the readers.
I am thinking about a DSLR (finally). However, my requirements for a
DSLR may be completely different from others. I do not want to buy a
DSLR for the sake that it has the flexibility for having
interchangeble lenses, but because it has a larger sensor.
Another criteria is economics... i.e. I do not want to spend money for
a professional (read - expensive) type DSLR which costs a lot of
money. If I can afford to spend over $3000, I may as well looking for
a digital back for my M645 or RB67 (any suggestion for a cheap one, if
available?).

I think you'd need a whole lot more that $3,000 to do medium format digital.

Top of my budget will be a D80 or 30D range. Is the
entry level DSLR (Is XT/Xti or D40/D40x any good?)

Yes, they are all good. If you are used to MF manual work though, you
may want better manual control (D200) and a larger, brighter viewfinder
(D80, D200/5D).

I am open to suggestion on info related to non-popular DSLR. What zoom
lens that comes as standard package with the camera, which will allow
me the most possible range without changing lenses?

The 'most range' zoom will not give the best quality or speed for low
light. But the simple answer for what you've requested is a D40 with
18-200 VR (stabilized) zoom. Sigma makes such a thing for Canon I
believe, and if you don't need the long end, 18-135 would probably do
better.

I am aware that some readers will immediately comment or ask about the
kind of photos that I am planning to take. All kinds... whatever the
camera is capable. I usually buy the camera first, and utilize its
limits or capability accordingly... without getting sucked into buying
more accessories....ie. once I buy it, I have to live with it, and no
plan for getting another set of lenses, accesories, etc.
Thanks for your input.

If you have other cameras, I'd look at a D40 or XT with a Sigma 30mm
f/1.4 fast 'normal' lens for really nice DSLR photos & forget about
zoom. There is a LOT that can be done with a fast normal prime lens,
that's the classic SLR setup.

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://edgehill.net
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

On Aug 18, 2:26 pm, wrote:
I am sure that this type of question have been raised thousands of
time, but I just want to get some more opinions from the readers.
I am thinking about a DSLR (finally). However, my requirements for a
DSLR may be completely different from others. I do not want to buy a
DSLR for the sake that it has the flexibility for having
interchangeble lenses, but because it has a larger sensor.
Another criteria is economics... i.e. I do not want to spend money for
a professional (read - expensive) type DSLR which costs a lot of
money. If I can afford to spend over $3000, I may as well looking for
a digital back for my M645 or RB67 (any suggestion for a cheap one, if
available?). Top of my budget will be a D80 or 30D range. Is the
entry level DSLR (Is XT/Xti or D40/D40x any good?)
I am open to suggestion on info related to non-popular DSLR. What zoom
lens that comes as standard package with the camera, which will allow
me the most possible range without changing lenses?
I am aware that some readers will immediately comment or ask about the
kind of photos that I am planning to take. All kinds... whatever the
camera is capable. I usually buy the camera first, and utilize its
limits or capability accordingly... without getting sucked into buying
more accessories....ie. once I buy it, I have to live with it, and no
plan for getting another set of lenses, accesories, etc.
Thanks for your input.

Go buy a Nikon D80 and their 18-200mm lens. It's all you should ever
need.

The reason we ask what kind of shooting you plan to do is because the
lens selection will vary widely depending on that. If you're big into
landscapes, you probably want wider lenses; if you're shooting animals
in the wild, you probably need longer lenses; if it's for a lot of
fast-action sports, you'll likely want to put the emphasis on faster
lenses rather than longer (ideally both). That's the thing with SLRs,
is that the range of what's available is so wide and varied.

You can always just go with a long-range zoom, but that's a compromise
between versatility, quality, size, weight, and cost.

wrote:
I am sure that this type of question have been raised thousands of
time, but I just want to get some more opinions from the readers.
I am thinking about a DSLR (finally). However, my requirements for a
DSLR may be completely different from others. I do not want to buy a
DSLR for the sake that it has the flexibility for having
interchangeble lenses, but because it has a larger sensor.
Another criteria is economics... i.e. I do not want to spend money for
a professional (read - expensive) type DSLR which costs a lot of
money. If I can afford to spend over $3000, I may as well looking for
a digital back for my M645 or RB67 (any suggestion for a cheap one, if
available?). Top of my budget will be a D80 or 30D range. Is the
entry level DSLR (Is XT/Xti or D40/D40x any good?)
I am open to suggestion on info related to non-popular DSLR. What zoom
lens that comes as standard package with the camera, which will allow
me the most possible range without changing lenses?
I am aware that some readers will immediately comment or ask about the
kind of photos that I am planning to take. All kinds... whatever the
camera is capable. I usually buy the camera first, and utilize its
limits or capability accordingly... without getting sucked into buying
more accessories....ie. once I buy it, I have to live with it, and no
plan for getting another set of lenses, accesories, etc.
Thanks for your input.

CoffeeTalk wrote:
On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:06:40 GMT, Matt Ion
wrote:

That's the thing with SLRs,
is that the range of what's available is so wide and varied.

And a pity that there's not one lens that fits all needs. In turn
it's a praise for P&S cameras where their long-zoom lenses with
fairly wide apertures are at least approaching what an advanced
photographer needs for almost every shot.

Except for IQ.

wrote in message
ups.com...

Another criteria is economics... i.e. I do not want to spend money for
a professional (read - expensive) type DSLR which costs a lot of money.
If I can afford to spend over $3000, I may as well looking for a digital
back for my M645 or RB67 (any suggestion for a cheap one, if
available?).


A MF Digital Back would cost around $25000 to $30000 and another $3000,
would get you 3 years extended warranty on it.

Roy G

"CoffeeTalk" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:06:40 GMT, Matt Ion wrote:

That's the thing with SLRs,
is that the range of what's available is so wide and varied.

And a pity that there's not one lens that fits all needs. In turn it's a
praise
for P&S cameras where their long-zoom lenses with fairly wide apertures
are at
least approaching what an advanced photographer needs for almost every
shot.
As long as soft images with lots of chromatic aberations is the effect that
the advanced photographer is seeking.
Add to the equation that the only reason those lenses can be made so small
and light yet still have a moderately fast aperture, is because of the small
sensor. Small sensor=more noise, so again image quality suffers.
Everything in photography is a compromise - a camera+lens with a wide range
of zoom can have at most two of the following attributes:
high image quality
fast maximum aperture
small & light weight

On Sat, 18 Aug 2007, RichA wrote:

R On Aug 18, 2:26 pm, wrote:
R DSLR may be completely different from others. I do not want to buy a
R DSLR for the sake that it has the flexibility for having
R interchangeble lenses, but because it has a larger sensor.
R
R Go buy a Nikon D80 and their 18-200mm lens. It's all you should ever
R need.
R

I thought about this combination to replace my Nikon 8800 which I bought
because of its relatively large, but still smallish, sensor.

What I miss is a manual focus ring on the lens and a
bar/fresnel/ground glass focusing screen in the viewfinder. Does the
D80/18-200 combination have anything like that?

--
Alan

( If replying by mail, please note that all "sardines" are canned.
However, unless this a very old message, a "tuna" will swim right
through. )

In article ,
Paul Furman wrote:

I think you'd need a whole lot more that $3,000 to do medium format digital.

I've seen some used backs for about that on eBay.

On Aug 18, 10:22 pm, Rebecca Ore wrote:
In article ,
Paul Furman wrote:

I think you'd need a whole lot more that $3,000 to do medium format digital.

I've seen some used backs for about that on eBay.

Really? Are you sure that it is a digital back, not the regular back
for the camera? I thought the cost of a digital back is closer to the
one suggested by Roy G. If I have to pay that much, I may as well get
a D1X or 1D
I don't even know if there is a digital back made specifically for
M645 or RB67. The newer RZ67 is probably better fitted for such
transformation into a digital camera. What a pity!