I want to take my Photography hobby to a new level and buy a nice camera. I'm a hobbyist, so I don't need the top of the line camera, though I do want something with quality. I'm just looking for some help to push me in the right direction. Canon or Nikon? I don't have the slightest clue on what the difference is. So any help you can offer for what sort of lenses I should invest in, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Steve,
There are a lot of nice cameras out there, be it Nikon or Canon. I think since both dominate the market, you can't go wrong with either brand.

I personally shoot with Canon and have since 1989...but, with the new Nikon gear, I have to say I am impressed.

Glass? Well that could be a tough one to answer... It all depends on what YOUR particular end result would be. Lots of choices out there... Some prefer prime lenses, some like zooms, etc.

I have all "L glass"; the top of the line stuff, but I need it as I shoot sports mainly and in order to do so, long glass is needed which costs $$$$... For example, I'm looking at the new 800mm f5.6L for football and baseball, but it's price tag is $12000.00... So, it's on the wish list right now.

What you can do is go out and rent cameras and bodies for a day or so and play...

My advice, talk to people like here on MeetUp... See what they have, what they like or dislike. Go to stores and check out stuff where you can actually see it and hold it in your hands. Go to DP Review and read up on lenses and bodies there. There is a ton of info online... If I can help out any more, feel free to ask.

Hope this helps,
Larry

I'm also toying with purchasing my first SLR and have been advised that the Canon Rebel XT1 or XT2 is a good transition camera. It's pretty reasonably priced and Borrowed Lens has them for rent if you want to try it out before you purchase one. They have plenty of other cameras and lenses for rent as well. Probably not a bad idea to try one out before you make a big investment. Good luck!

Susan,
When I first saw the original Rebel Digital was when Canon brought it out to Laguna Seca and let us (the media) all take a look at it. They brought a few with them so that whoever wanted to shoot with them at the event could. It was just before the formal launching of the line. It was impressive then, esp. for the price point and all the features.

It's evolved a couple of different times since then and for the money, it's hard not to consider. It's a fun camera to use. The only thing I DON'T like about it is, it's gotten a tad smaller in size. I have fairly large hands and it just doesn't feel right when I use it. I guess I'm used to my 1D Series bodies...

Oh...and don't forget, it shoots video too. :)

Borrowed Lenses is a great way to check out gear also.

Lots to choose from...
Larry

Hi Larry!

Thanks for the feedback! I think one of the reasons I like the rebel is because of the smaller size... so it is a good transition camera from a point and shoot. Still, the idea of a Canon 5D looms. :-)

I actually love my Panasonic Lumix DMC (you can see samples of my pics in my profile) as it's has 18x zoom and is pretty fast. I love traveling to undeveloped countries and people don't seem as bothered by me taking pictures with an itty bitty camera compared to some of the others with "real" cameras. In Mali (Timbuktu) they would invariably yell at another woman that was in our group of 3 because of the size of her camera and lens (which was 300mm). My little camera has the equivalent of 28-504mm all self-contained. Plus, I recently discovered that it can also shoot in raw... so, I may just decide to upgrade to the next Panasonic with 24x optical zoom for less than the price of a lens. It also shoots some halfway decent video as well.

Hi All,

I see some great responses and I just wanted to add that I prefer Canon for the user interface of the camera.

I would recommend renting the body/lenses you would consider buying before actually buying them.

Borrow lenses are great for that.

Good luck.

Tsafrir (Mike)

Indeed,

I shoot a Canon 5D Mark II and have been happy ever since day one... Also my first DSLR... Basically, you get a Full Frame sensor and does decent HD video... Overall, I would recommend it as a good starting point as it may be the only body you'll ever need in your lifetime as a one time purchase...

Work within your budget, the lenses tend to hold better value than the bodies so when picking your lens, try to pony up the extra $$$ for "L" / f2.8 for your shooting needs...

Good luck,

Susan,
If you like the panasonic and it's size, I still have the DMC-G2 for sale - new in box, unused.
I shoot Sony and I like it, but there are some trade off's with the the brand (ie proprietry hotshoe mount - means I have to use a sync cable with a pocket wizard ). While not as popular as Canon or Nikon, you should look at Pentax or Sony, as you can get some bargins by using old full-frame film lenses for those brands. But the Rebel XT2 or probably the new Nikon D3100 could be a choices to look at.

So did you get the camera yet? What did you get?

One other thing to consider is your friends and family. What do they use and somewhat importantly, can you borrow lenses and accessories? I have a cousin that switched from Canon to Nikon due to "Family Pressure".

So did you get the camera yet? What did you get?

One other thing to consider is your friends and family. What do they use and somewhat importantly, can you borrow lenses and accessories? I have a cousin that switched from Canon to Nikon due to "Family Pressure".

Thanks for the notes on the "pressure" I indeed intend to so so with my friends, who own Nikons for the most part. I haven't yet purchased one. The Holidays snuck up on me, and now I'm broke :)