posting again: DSLR advice needed

I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie

On 1/13/05 11:40 PM, in article
t, "Howard"
wrote:

I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie


I have had the Nikon D70 for a couple of years and get great stuff out of
it. Of course, much depends on who is BEHIND the lens. But I have found it
to be reliable, versatile, and actually like it better than a friend's D100.
I have had it recommended over the D100 more than once. The Canon Eos line
is excellent, as well. I already had a lot invested in Nikon lenses, so it
was a no-brainer as to selecting a DSLR. I have NOT been
disappointed...dragged it all over the UK with me last summer...sturdy!

On 1/13/05 11:40 PM, in article
t, "Howard"
wrote:

I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie


I have had the Nikon D70 for a couple of years and get great stuff out of
it. Of course, much depends on who is BEHIND the lens. But I have found it
to be reliable, versatile, and actually like it better than a friend's D100.
I have had it recommended over the D100 more than once. The Canon Eos line
is excellent, as well. I already had a lot invested in Nikon lenses, so it
was a no-brainer as to selecting a DSLR. I have NOT been
disappointed...dragged it all over the UK with me last summer...sturdy!

Howard wrote:
I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie

Hi Howie...

Both messages came through just fine. Only difference
is you seem to have found another 500 bucks

Sorry, I just couldn't resist Especially because
I have no worthwhile or valid info to offer on your question.

Take care.

Ken

Howard wrote:
I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie



The only persons who can meaningfully answer a question that general are

ones who have actually used and compared most of the latest offerings.
There are very
few, if any, people in this NG that have had that much first hand
experience.
However, there are two excellent digital camera review sites available
on line.
See: http://www.steves-digicams.com/
And: http://dpreview.com/
Bob Williams

Howard wrote:
I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie



The only persons who can meaningfully answer a question that general are

ones who have actually used and compared most of the latest offerings.
There are very
few, if any, people in this NG that have had that much first hand
experience.
However, there are two excellent digital camera review sites available
on line.
See: http://www.steves-digicams.com/
And: http://dpreview.com/
Bob Williams

Howard wrote:

I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice
about which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie

Here's why I chose the model I did. The only two I've used much are a 10D
that a friend of mine owns and the E300 I just bought. The images from the
10D looked fine when I borrowed his camera for a weekend, I just didn't
like the way the camera handled. Felt "plastic" and the viewfinder was too
cluttered for my tastes. It didn't fit my hand well and just felt like I
was fighting with the camera using it. Then again I'm coming from full
manual, non-autofocus cameras. I shoot mainly landscapes with wide lenses
on a tripod at low ISO and am very impressed with the processed RAW images
from this E300 olympus camera. I also like the flash system that can use
the on camera flip up flash along with the larger flash used as a bounce
unit with both bulbs adjustable to each other, very nice and hard to tell a
flash is even being used. The controls seemed easy to learn and use as
well. I like aperture priority and the thumbwheel by the shutter defaults
to adjusting the fstops. The OK button does DOF preview and anything else I
need to adjust seems simple enough to get to. I like the review screen,
seems very sharp and allows you to blow up the images in the camera on the
screen easily to check focus/details/DOF etc. The in camera Jpeg processing
isn't perfect but since I knew I was going to shoot RAW, it doesn't bother
me. I tried the other olympus, the E1 but it too just didn't fit my hand
very well and I didn't like the FOV in the viewfinder as well.

Also you should look at the color palette as each camera produces a
different "look". This was the other thing that swayed me to the olympus
E300. I was able to take my flash card to the store I use, go outside and
fire off a few frame with a couple of different cameras and then look at
the results later. I just liked the look the E300 images had.

It boils more down to you need to go handle a few and see which appeals to
=you=. I posted why I bought the camera I did as an example of the things
YOU have to consider. No one else can tell you which is best for you. If I
had just asked here, most would probably say buy the canon but it wasn't
the best choice for me. Look at the features, read some reviews at
somewhere like http://dpreview.com/ and see what the good and bad points of
each model is, look at the lenses available and see if it can work for you
and what you shoot. If I needed long fast IS glass or great noise free high
ISO performance, I wouldn't have bought the camera I did. I wanted a good
wide zoom and a fast 100mm macro lens and this line has what I wanted in a
camera body I liked at a price I could afford.
--

Stacey

Howard wrote:

I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice
about which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
Howie

Here's why I chose the model I did. The only two I've used much are a 10D
that a friend of mine owns and the E300 I just bought. The images from the
10D looked fine when I borrowed his camera for a weekend, I just didn't
like the way the camera handled. Felt "plastic" and the viewfinder was too
cluttered for my tastes. It didn't fit my hand well and just felt like I
was fighting with the camera using it. Then again I'm coming from full
manual, non-autofocus cameras. I shoot mainly landscapes with wide lenses
on a tripod at low ISO and am very impressed with the processed RAW images
from this E300 olympus camera. I also like the flash system that can use
the on camera flip up flash along with the larger flash used as a bounce
unit with both bulbs adjustable to each other, very nice and hard to tell a
flash is even being used. The controls seemed easy to learn and use as
well. I like aperture priority and the thumbwheel by the shutter defaults
to adjusting the fstops. The OK button does DOF preview and anything else I
need to adjust seems simple enough to get to. I like the review screen,
seems very sharp and allows you to blow up the images in the camera on the
screen easily to check focus/details/DOF etc. The in camera Jpeg processing
isn't perfect but since I knew I was going to shoot RAW, it doesn't bother
me. I tried the other olympus, the E1 but it too just didn't fit my hand
very well and I didn't like the FOV in the viewfinder as well.

Also you should look at the color palette as each camera produces a
different "look". This was the other thing that swayed me to the olympus
E300. I was able to take my flash card to the store I use, go outside and
fire off a few frame with a couple of different cameras and then look at
the results later. I just liked the look the E300 images had.

It boils more down to you need to go handle a few and see which appeals to
=you=. I posted why I bought the camera I did as an example of the things
YOU have to consider. No one else can tell you which is best for you. If I
had just asked here, most would probably say buy the canon but it wasn't
the best choice for me. Look at the features, read some reviews at
somewhere like http://dpreview.com/ and see what the good and bad points of
each model is, look at the lenses available and see if it can work for you
and what you shoot. If I needed long fast IS glass or great noise free high
ISO performance, I wouldn't have bought the camera I did. I wanted a good
wide zoom and a fast 100mm macro lens and this line has what I wanted in a
camera body I liked at a price I could afford.
--

Stacey

In article et,
Howard wrote:
I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.

The current offerings from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Fuji are all
capable cameras which should produce excellent results. That being the case,
and given that you'll spend more on lenses over time than the camera, work
out which lenses you're likely to want to buy over the next few years, and
pick the DSLR that fits on the back of them. Of the above, they all have
their own, different lens mounts, apart from Fuji who use Nikon lenses.

For example, If I were chosing today, from scratch, I'd be tempted to go the
Pentax route. I currently have a lot of Canon stuff, and it's good stuff,
but I like manual photography and prime lenses, and Canon seems to be
increasingly in to zooms and extreme telephotos. Others will have different
preferences.

In article et,
Howard wrote:
I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice about
which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.

The current offerings from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Fuji are all
capable cameras which should produce excellent results. That being the case,
and given that you'll spend more on lenses over time than the camera, work
out which lenses you're likely to want to buy over the next few years, and
pick the DSLR that fits on the back of them. Of the above, they all have
their own, different lens mounts, apart from Fuji who use Nikon lenses.

For example, If I were chosing today, from scratch, I'd be tempted to go the
Pentax route. I currently have a lot of Canon stuff, and it's good stuff,
but I like manual photography and prime lenses, and Canon seems to be
increasingly in to zooms and extreme telephotos. Others will have different
preferences.