Camera Recommendations?

[dugarner]

I found a money tree! Well, I didn't "find" it. And it's more like a money shrub than a tree, but I am oh so grateful for it! My grandmother left me a good bit of money for an inheritance---more than a year's salary---and it was quite a bit more than we expected. Not that we "expected" any. I hate for her to be gone, I'd rather her here than have the money. But my grandfather invested wisely and left a legacy for his family, all the way down to his great-grandchildren.

Hubby said I should take a couple thousand and buy a new camera and lenses before we sock the rest away into a retirement fund.

So let the mudslinging begin. Give me your recommendations.

System? Not entry-level, not professional. I'd rather skimp on the body so I can get the lenses I want. But I'd like one that handles up to 800 ISO without too much noise.

Lenses? I must have a wide-angle, telephoto, and fast lens.

Current system? Should I try to sell it? Is it worth paying someone to clean the sensor on the body before I try to sell it?

Can't wait to hear your input.

[iUma]

Go to a real store and hold Canon and Nikon cameras. See which fit your hand and your heart.

I'm Canon with the 5D MII but the new 7D is a great body and has the low light capacities you are looking for. As you already know it really depends on the lens.

Personally, I'd take a few more thousand and get a great set of lens. I'd recommend a 50mm 1.2 if you can go there. and the new 70-200, 2.8 IS II is divine.

Investing in images is as important as investing in dollars.

I can so relate to your loss/gain equation. My Dad died last Thanksgiving but he was urging me to go ahead and get the good camera and lens (and travel, too) before he was liberated.
I miss him but every time I use the Big Girl Canon I feel connected to him.

Enjoy the search and don't just buy.

[connieg]

Sarah, So sorry your gain was do to the loss of a loved one. I'm sure your grandmother would be happy you are spending a little money on something you love.

I just bought the Nikon D700 and love it. I haven't see any noise at 800 at all . The D90 ( or it's replacement D 7000? ) also gets rave reviews. As far as lens, the 50mm 1.4, either the 28-70 or 70-200mm 2.8 are top notch.

[carollee]

Sarah, I don't have anything to input re the Canon/Nikon as I am a Sony girl (and at the point wondering what to do next).

However I can tell you I bought my DSLR with some money I received when my darling grandma passed away. And I tell you, every single time I'm out with my camera, my grandma is with me, it's a wonderful sense of peace I get. Just wanted to throw that in so you know you're doing the right thing.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by carollee

Sarah, I don't have anything to input re the Canon/Nikon as I am a Sony girl (and at the point wondering what to do next).

@Carol, I currently have a Sony and I was wondering today if I should just upgrade the body and get the lenses I have cleaned. The alpha series has improved greatly since I bought my a200 several years ago.

Then I could drop big bucks on one of the premium lenses I want. I could also replace the 50 1.8 that's not autofocusing any more. Unfortunately, the 1.4 is pretty far out of my price range if I want to do anything else. I was happy with the 1.8 but I would really like to have either the 70-200 2.8 or a 200-500, which is about $1000.

@Patricia, I think a 1.2 is way out of my price range---I haven't asked Duane how much he thinks I should spend. But either way, I was planning on spending more on the lenses than the body. I have limited options here in my town; Target and Best Buy are the only places that carry cameras and only a few models at that (the best-sellers). But that might be a place to start!

[cstaff]

what a sweet gift... I have an entry canon and am not a great photog but would really like to have better lenses. I agree... do the best you can with comfort, fit and $ and you won't be sorry... a true investment that will bless you in so many ways... memory making with a really nice camera will be a very special bond with you and your gm... I think Best Buy might have something for you to hold to get an idea and then you could amazon or costco for price comparison.. enjoy your blessing

[esther_a]

Sarah, what a lovely way to keep a connection with your dear grandmother! I bought the Canon 7D because it is $1000 less than the 5D Mark II. The 7D is designed for sports photography so it has a very fast shutter speed and has quite a few new features such as a built-in remote flash trigger (saves spending $300 on an attachment for off-camera flash).
Photographers choose the 5D for really clear, milky portrait photography because it has a full-frame sensor.

[cedarhil]

I always go to the store
hold all the cameras in my hand that I can afford
choose a couple that feel best in your hand - (Canon feels best to me)
go home
go to the internet and look at reviews
look for the best price
buy it!
Then do the " I got a new camera dance"
and change your signature at DD!

[dugarner]

I think I am going to stick with the Sony system, and upgrade three models. It's the last model before their $2500 professional model.

It comes with an 18-55 and 55-200 lens, neither of which I have. I think for my splurge I'll either pick up the Tamron 200-500mm or the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm. I'll need to buy another 50 1.4. That all should get me right at my budget.

The 200-500 does not get stellar reviews. Some people said stick with the 100-400 and get a 1.4 TC for the extra distance. So I'm still making the decision.

[Amy L]

Sarah, enjoy your new toys! So happy for you!

[esther_a]

Ooh, that should be fun! You will be spoiled for choice. I hope a big new camera backpack fits in the budget, too!

[b2halter]

Whatever camera you get, Sarah, you'd love that Tamron 200 - 500 lens with all your nature photography. It's an awesome lens. Takes up a lot of room, but it comes with a really good USEABLE carrying case!! And a polarizing filter would be a nice little thing to top it off, too. (They're pretty reasonable - even in the 86mm size you'd need.)

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by b2halter

Whatever camera you get, Sarah, you'd love that Tamron 200 - 500 lens with all your nature photography. It's an awesome lens. Takes up a lot of room, but it comes with a really good USEABLE carrying case!! And a polarizing filter would be a nice little thing to top it off, too. (They're pretty reasonable - even in the 86mm size you'd need.)

Do you have that one? It really got mediocre reviews. I'm scared to make a purchase like this. My problem is that I don't have a tripod---I'm guessing you can't handhold a megasucker like this. So my decision is a long lens like this one, or a Carl Zeiss wide angle zoom, or a fixed length fast lens. Which one???

[anxela]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Sarah... But what a nice thing of your hubby to suggest you upgrade your camera gear!

I don't have any input, as I'm a Canon girl... Longing to upgrade to the 5D MkII

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by anxela

I'm so sorry for your loss, Sarah... But what a nice thing of your hubby to suggest you upgrade your camera gear!

I don't have any input, as I'm a Canon girl... Longing to upgrade to the 5D MkII

Well, now I am, too! Couldn't afford either the 5D or 7D if I wanted to have any lenses to put on the camera, so I ordered the T2i kit with the 18-55 and 55-250 IS lenses, and the 50mm 1.8. At the end of the month I'm going to order the Canon 400mm 5.6 L. Friends advised me to dump the majority of my money into lenses, assuring me I can upgrade the body later as my disposable income increases. I waffled back and forth on systems, but in the end, the availability and affordability of Canon lenses is what sold me. There just wasn't nearly as much for the Sony systems, and they only have one camera that is between the one I have now and the full frame option.

So I'm a Canon convert! It should come by Tuesday. I'm really excited because my Sony and I have been fostering this love/hate relationship for about a year now and I'm ready to give it the boot. "It's not me, it's you!" I think I'm going to list it on craigslist.

Thanks for all the advice!

[GoingtotheSun]

Congrats on your purchase, Sarah! I've been following this thread closely as I think I'm finally ready to step up to a good quality camera. : )

[Jen D]

Have fun with your new toys I know I would!

[esther_a]

Congratulations Sarah! That is a good combination of zoom to start with (well, that's similar to what I started with ). What's the T2i kit? Which Canon body is in that?

[Amson]

Congratulations!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by esther_a

Congratulations Sarah! That is a good combination of zoom to start with (well, that's similar to what I started with ). What's the T2i kit? Which Canon body is in that?

It's the EOS T2i Rebel, I think . . . mid-range. I'm a little bothered that I won't have 250mm to 400mm covered, but hopefully soon I can get a hold of a 1.4 TC.

[Aino]

I am so pleased that you are able to use the money that you inherited for some fun investments. I think it is a lovely lovely way to remember your grandmother.

And although I was about to tell you to go Nikon.... (:grin, I congratulate you on your choice and I am sure we all will benefit from more gorgeous bird shots amongst others from you !!!

[esther_a]

Aha, I looked it up and found that it's called a "550D" outside the USA. It should be terrific! Let us know how you find it compared to the Sony! I imagine it will take a bit of time to get to know.

[tylertooo]

I'm a big canon fan myself. I think that is a fabulous choice. It will be a wonderful way to remember your grandmother. I think something as precious as a new camera would make her happy.

[anxela]

Originally Posted by dugarner

Well, now I am, too! Couldn't afford either the 5D or 7D if I wanted to have any lenses to put on the camera, so I ordered the T2i kit with the 18-55 and 55-250 IS lenses, and the 50mm 1.8. At the end of the month I'm going to order the Canon 400mm 5.6 L. Friends advised me to dump the majority of my money into lenses, assuring me I can upgrade the body later as my disposable income increases. I waffled back and forth on systems, but in the end, the availability and affordability of Canon lenses is what sold me. There just wasn't nearly as much for the Sony systems, and they only have one camera that is between the one I have now and the full frame option.

Thanks for all the advice!

How great, Sarah! You'll have fun, the 50 1.8 is such a value for money! (I haven't tried the other two lenses you bought.)

And with your photograpny, the 400mm is the perfect choice

[esther_a]

Wow, that lens should be fabulous! Anxela is spot on with it being the perfect choice for you! I used a friend's 400m lens (f2.8 with teleconverter) on my Rebel XS (entry level DSLR) to photograph the moon and the quality was not quite as good as on the friend's 5D but not not significantly different.

[MIDA78466]

So excited for you Sarah. Enjoy your new toys.

[prairyk]

I bought a dslr (just out at the time) Sony a390 in March & am in love. I know it's not quite in the range of what you're getting, but I purchased the extra SAL75300 - 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens. I cannot believe the quality. Esther mentioned photographing the moon?so did I the first week I had the a390. Without a tripod or telephoto even, & I was blown away. I take lots of wildflower photos, as well as of my granddaughters. The color reproduction is outstanding! The value, I think, beats the more expensive options. Have fun....

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by prairyk

I bought a dslr (just out at the time) Sony a390 in March & am in love. I know it's not quite in the range of what you're getting, but I purchased the extra SAL75300 - 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Compact Super Telephoto Zoom Lens. I cannot believe the quality. Esther mentioned photographing the moon?so did I the first week I had the a390. Without a tripod or telephoto even, & I was blown away. I take lots of wildflower photos, as well as of my granddaughters. The color reproduction is outstanding! The value, I think, beats the more expensive options. Have fun....

It's close to the one I bought---Sony doesn't have any of their alphas in production anymore (it seems) except for the 580, unless I wasn't understanding their website correctly. When I first bought the a200, there were several options (200, 300, 700, 900) and now it seems they've gone to a ZLR/dSLR hybrid, an entry-level model, and their professional model. I have the 75-300 lens and I've taken some great pictures with it but it is really slow to focus and it hunts and whirrs all the time. I think I've outgrown the system and the kit lenses, which is fine---I'm going to try to sell it to someone who'd like to take a shot at learning a dSLR.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by esther_a

Wow, that lens should be fabulous! Anxela is spot on with it being the perfect choice for you! I used a friend's 400m lens (f2.8 with teleconverter) on my Rebel XS (entry level DSLR) to photograph the moon and the quality was not quite as good as on the friend's 5D but not not significantly different.

Esther, this is good news, though I'm not getting the 2.8, it's a 5.6 but hopefully it will still do a great job. No matter what, I have a lot of confidence that anything coming out of this camera will look better than the one I have now! I'm sorry I didn't know about the different model numbers---why does everything have to be different everywhere? I just assumed it was the T2i everywhere.

[b2halter]

Congratulations, Sarah!!! I know you'll be thrilled with your new camera. I DO have the Tamron 200-500 lens, and I love it in spite of it's mediocre reviews. I haven't had any issues at all with it. Got it because I couldn't afford to spend 4000 to 9000 for a Nikon. Seriously, who CAN afford that? You go with what's comfortable and affordable for you. I have broad shoulders.....