Canon SX201S

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28 Mar 2011 - 9:15 PM

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Coleslaw (e2 Member)

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28 Mar 2011 - 9:15 PM

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It is not a DSLR.

Coleslaw (e2 Member)

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28 Mar 2011 - 9:34 PM

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Dslr style, not Dslr

Mike Otley (e2 Member)

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29 Mar 2011 - 10:28 AM

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SLR=Single Lens Reflex

StrayCat

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30 Mar 2011 - 5:46 AM

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Are you looking for a Camera?

StrayCat

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31 Mar 2011 - 2:49 AM

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Louise, I just bought a used Canon SLR, the 40D, which is a highly regarded body. It is made of stainless steel and magnesium alloy, and is weather and dust sealed. I've only had it a week, and I only have one lens so far, but it's an excellent piece of kit. My main reason for not going back to an earlier model, is that the 40D was Canon's first DSLR with dust removal features. Believe me, you don't want to get into cleaning dust from sensors and mirrors. It becomes a problem with SLRs, because of the changing of lenses, which leaves them vulnerable to dust particles.

There are many great SLRs out there that still have years of reliable service left in them. Most SLRs, when bought new from a retailer, have an option of buying with a kit lens, usually a consumer grade zoom telephoto like the 18-55mm. I have had Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax outfits, and they are all decent quality manufacturers. However, there are some very important things to take into account when deciding which company to go with. Also, you aren't just investing in a camera, it's a system, and this is why it is very important to do your research thoroughly before deciding. You need to look at the availability of lenses, and wether they have the focal lengths you want for your intended photography. In this area Canon and Nikon are far ahead of the rest of the pack, imo, but, and it's a big but, Canon and Nikon don't have image stabilisation built into any of their SLRs; they put it into their lenses instead, so, you pay for it over and over again when you want an image stabilised lens; and it can be very expensive. However, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, and Samsung build image stabilisation into their SLR camera bodies, so any lens you use on the camera will be stabilised, which can be a big advantage. An image stabiliser will give you the equivalent of anywhere from 2 to 4 stops of extra light, which will assist in giving sharper handheld images. These systems are all different, but they all work to varying degrees. Having said that, nothing beats a tripod. I'll give you an example; I want a top quality macro lens. Canon has 2 models that are each excellent in their own right. The older model is 100mm f2.8, no image stabiliser, about $500.00. The newer model is 100mm f2.8 IS USM, which means it has the same available fast aperture, f2.8, as the other, plus it has Image stabiliser built in, and the USM means Ultra Sonic Motor for very fast focusing, and it has weather and dust sealing; price $1000.00. So twice as much for the IS, weather sealing, and faster focusing. I want to take my camera when I go for a walk and take photos of whatever interests me, but I don't want to always have to take a tripod, or monopod, so I want the lens with IS, which costs twice as much.

You mentioned the articulating LCD screen on your camera; these can be convenient, but you won't be framing your photos much with an SLR using the LCD monitor. There is a huge difference in the viewfinder of an SLR and a compact camera; the SLR is showing you a view directly through the lens, exactly what you're going to get, and once you become accustomed to it, you won't want to go back. Some SLRs have the articulating screen, and it's convenient for certain situations, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor, imo.

If I were you, I would begin by going through the reviews on here; you can find a link at the top of the homepage. Start with the Pentax Kx; it is an amazing camera, and I've seen it go on ebay with a lens or two for around $400.00. I think it was the best in its class last year. It has features that many companies only put in more expensive cameras. The Kx has image stabilisation built into it, so all lenses will be stabilised. The 2 main kit lenses are amazing, I've had them both. They are the Pentax 18-55mm, and the 50-200mm, which will give you an efective range with both lenses of 27mm to 300mm with the 1.5X crop with this camera. That may be confusing now, but it's not a big deal to understand. The 18-55 has the added bunus of having a minimum close focusing limit of 8 inches from the subject, which gives great close-ups. The 2 kit lenses received the highest ratings in their class also.

After you've read through the reviews on here, go to dpreview.com and read their reviews; as you go along in your research, you will begin to learn and understand a lot better what you want out of your SLR system. Let me know how you make out.

Cheers,
Denny

StrayCat

8

31 Mar 2011 - 9:25 PM

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The money markets are in a fluctuating state right now with the problems in Africa, and oil prices heading up again. You can say right now that the US Dollar is roughly $2 to 1 pound, or a little less, which is the lowest it's been in years. If you're going to buy used equipment, the retail listings won't help much, best to do a search in ebay and see what the items you want are going for. Also, if you decide on Canon, there are lots of used slrs on Ebay for any price you want to choose.......almost.

StrayCat

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31 Mar 2011 - 10:01 PM

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Here's an example.