Best camera under $1,000? - DPChallenge Forums

01/29/2005 03:49:14 AM · #26

Originally posted by BJ:

Hi,

Looking for at least a 6.5 MP camera or more MPs for under $1,000. Have a coolpix 4500 Nikon now, which I love because of the swivel lens (not sure if they make them anymore), but very disappointed with low light situations making it virtually impossible to take an indoor photo. Not totally against Nikon again (had a coolpix 995 that I liked), but don't want to run into that problem again. Any ideas, or is $1,000 or less not possible to get something decent at 6.5 MP. Going to thank everyone in advance as I have something going on and will be in and out of the internet for a while. Thanks!

bj

Consider the Nikon 8800.

radiman

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

01/29/2005 03:56:13 AM · #27

If you want the best buy for a camera, get the rebel (300D) you can get some hack firmware that will give you ALMOST all the options you need. Personally I cannot survive without FEC.

01/29/2005 04:24:57 AM · #28

Originally posted by coolhar:

Consider the Nikon 8800.

Non-interchangeable Lens SLR Digital Camera
Color Depth 24-Bit RGB
Shutter Lag 0.1 Second
Sensitivity ISO 50-400

Canon 300D:

Interchangeable Lens SLR Digital Camera
Color Depth 36-Bit RGB (RAW files) Also supports Adobe RGB Color
Shutter Lag 0.05 second
Sensitivity ISO 100-1600

Nikon D70:

Interchangeable Lens SLR Digital Camera
Color Depth 36-Bit RGB
Shutter Lag 0.01 second
Sensitivity ISO 200 - 1600

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 04:30:41.

01/29/2005 05:08:15 AM · #29

Originally posted by nsbca7:

Originally posted by coolhar:

Consider the Nikon 8800.

Non-interchangeable Lens SLR Digital Camera
Color Depth 24-Bit RGB
Shutter Lag 0.1 Second
Sensitivity ISO 50-400

The 8800 is not a SLR, it has an electronic viewfinder.

Many people are reccommending the 300D and the D70. They are good cameras and were, until recently, the best in low priced DSLRs. But there are newer models available that challenge them.

Olympus E-300, Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D and Pentax *ist DS need to be considered if you must have a DSLR.

01/29/2005 05:11:37 AM · #30

Originally posted by coolhar:

The 8800 is not a SLR, it has an electronic viewfinder.

Electronic Viewfinder (0.44", 235,000-dot, polysilicon TFT color LCD) with Diopter adjustment (-3 to +1m-1)

My bad. The camera looks like an SLR.

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 05:12:20.

swagman

Nikon D200

01/29/2005 05:48:56 AM · #31

I'm looking at the Sony DSC-F828.

It's everything I like about my f717, plus it saves RAW mode, and has 8 megapixels.

My F717 functions well with my wide variety of flash gear, and my studio lights. It also has that swivel feature you like. My only real nit is the lack of smaller aperatures.

I'm also looking at the Finepix S3 Pro, for twice as much. I also have a selection of Nikon lenses already, which saves on the initial system cost.

Just my two cents.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/29/2005 05:54:07 AM · #32

Current pro-sumer DSLRs on the market:

Sigma SD10 3.4 Mp $ 1,349.95
Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro 6.1 Mp $ 1,499.95 * **
Pentax *ist D 6.1 Mp $ 1,239.95
Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D 6.1 Mp $ 1,599.95
Olympus E-1, 5.0 Mp $ 1,299.99
Canon EOS 20D, 8.2 Mp $ 1,499.00 **
Nikon D-100, 6.1 Mp $ 999.95 **
Nikon D70, 6.1 Mp $899.95 **
Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 Mp $799.99 **
Olympus Evolt E-300 8.0 Mp $ 999.95 **

Under $1000:

Nikon D-100, 6.1 Mp $ 999.95 **
Nikon D70, 6.1 Mp $899.95 **
Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 Mp $799.99 **
Olympus Evolt E-300 8.0 Mp $ 999.95

Cameras with available lenses currently upgradable to a profesional body by their respective manufaturers:

Nikon D-100, 6.1 Mp $ 999.95 **
Nikon D70, 6.1 Mp $899.95 **
Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 Mp $799.99 **
Canon EOS 20D, 8.2 Mp $ 1,499.00 **
Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro 6.1 Mp $ 1,499.95 * **

* The S2 Pro takes Nikon F mount lenses which will also upgrade to the S3 Pro, 12.3 Mp professional body.

** Available lenses will also upgrade the the full frame sensor Kodak DCS Pro 13.8 Mp professional body.

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 06:14:51.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

01/29/2005 08:25:23 AM · #33

Best bet for under $1000 is to buy a used 10D that wasn't used a LOT.

They can be had for about $850 or so on Ebay these days. I know someone selling one for $850 WITH battery grip and 2 batteries - if you want the info.

:)

M

TomH1000

Olympus E-3

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

01/29/2005 08:43:54 AM · #34

Originally posted by nsbca7:

Current pro-sumer DSLRs on the market:

Olympus E-1, 5.0 Mp $ 1,299.99

Under $1000:

Nikon D-100, 6.1 Mp $ 999.95 **
Nikon D70, 6.1 Mp $899.95 **
Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 Mp $799.99 **
Olympus Evolt E-300 8.0 Mp $ 999.95

Cameras with available lenses currently upgradable to a profesional body by their respective manufaturers:

Nikon D-100, 6.1 Mp $ 999.95 **
Nikon D70, 6.1 Mp $899.95 **
Canon EOS Digital Rebel 6.3 Mp $799.99 **
Canon EOS 20D, 8.2 Mp $ 1,499.00 **
Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro 6.1 Mp $ 1,499.95 * **

Small correction on your list. The E-1 is NOT a pro-sumer DSLR. It is a pro level camera with quality build and outstanding image quality. There for the E300 body can be upgraded to the E-1 (E-3 coming soon). Sorry for the rant here but I am so tired of the thinking that there are only to cameras out there to pick from Nikon & Canon.

No offence intended

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/29/2005 08:51:46 AM · #35

Originally posted by nsbca7:

The term "prosumer", or "pro-sumer" as you have written it, is not normally used in conjunction with DSLR cameras. It is used to describe the top level of digicams that are not DSLRs, cameras that are too sophisticated to be called Point & Shoot and usually have almost all of the features of a DSLR without interchangeable lenses. The way you have used it serves only to confuse. Was that you nsbca7, or are you quoting another source?

smoon273

Sony DSC-F828

01/29/2005 09:35:44 AM · #36

Originally posted by swagman:

I'm looking at the Sony DSC-F828.

I picked mine up at Best Buy for about $1000. And when you buy from them they have a rebate for a free 215mb Compact Flash.
But...If I could afford one I would get a digital rebel to have as a backup. It is a great camera! I have the rebel...just not a digital one and I really liked it before I went digital! I was looking into them at a local camera shop and you can always pick up a refibished factory one for pretty inexpensive, then you can spend more on your lens!

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

01/29/2005 09:43:41 AM · #37

Originally posted by coolhar:

While this used to be the case, the 300D (and later the D70 and several cameras since) have blurred the once-clear line between prosumer and DSLR. With its more limited capabilities as compared to the 10D, 20D and 1DS, the 300D certainly cannot be considered a professional camera, nor is it simple enough to be classified as a consumer-level point and shoot. As such, it has been classified as a prosumer camera even with its use of interchangeable lenses. For one example, see this review:

Originally posted by dpreview.com:

This camera is designed to take the prosumer end of the digital camera market by storm, everyone is fully aware of the image quality of the EOS 10D (considered by many as the benchmark six megapixel digital SLR), and so a consumer priced digital SLR based on the same sensor is irrefutably attractive to anyone who would have previously considered an 'all in one' prosumer digital cameras.

From Canon's own web site also makes it clear that the 300D is targeted at consumers, albeit consumers looking for a highly capable camera:

Originally posted by Canon:

The EOS Digital Rebel is for everyone, offering SLR excitement and quality, digital convenience and unlimited EOS system creativity. High performance is ensured with Canon's "Digital Trinity" - 6.3 MP CMOS sensor, DIGIC Image Processor, and compatibility with dozens of EF lenses and EOS system accessories. Novice photographers can quickly become expert with easy, enticing SLR functions like high-speed, 7-point wide area AF with superimposed focusing points, 3 AF modes, 12 shooting modes, automatic and enhanced exposure controls, highly adaptive white balance controls and intelligent pop-up flash with automatic red-eye reduction.

Popular Photography, in The Camera of the Year 2004, clearly defines the D70 as a prosumer camera:

Originally posted by Popular Photography:

A revolution began in 2003 with the Canon EOS Digital Rebelâ��its $899 sticker, its 6.3-megapixel sensor, and its attitude of "Everybody into the digital SLR pool; the water's fine!"

The question for '04 was how quickly a camera maker would seize on this revolutionary fervor, and add some sophistication, features, fine-tuning, and, well, "maturity" to what the D Rebel had wroughtâ�¦without pushing the price to a pro-caliber level. . .

Yet for all the pro-caliber talk, this camera reaches out to beginners. With its program modes, extensive but easily understood menus including handholding help menus, this camera really does allow any photographer to move smoothly and painlessly into a digital SLR. . .

LIVING IN BOTH WORLDS (above): The D70's familiar, uncluttered top plate, functional and well-organized back, and info-packed finder appeal to many pros, but its easy-to-navigate, explanatory menu and feature set have made relatively inexperienced shooters quickly feel right at home.

While "prosumer" and "DSLR" were once mutually exclusive, this is clearly no longer the case.

-Terry

01/29/2005 11:51:24 AM · #38

Originally posted by coolhar:

Pro-sumer or prosumer (low end professional, advanced consumer) refers to any SLR or DSLR with a pop-up flash and simple mode capabilities.

The designation was made long before DLSRs ever came on the market by such companies as Canon and Nikon with their SLR lines. No professional photographer would want to pay to have a near useless pop-up flash cluttering up their camera nor would most professionals need a simple mode as standard equipment(it's called Fully Automatic on the Rebel). These are features tageted at the consumer or advanced amatuer market which are not found on top line professional cameras such as the 1Ds, the 1D MarkII, the 1Ds Mark II, the DCS, the D1x, the D2h or the D2X.

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 11:54:31.

01/29/2005 12:31:07 PM · #39

Originally posted by TomH1000:

Not argueing your point, but what is a 4/3 full frame system and how does it work. Does this camera have full frame 36.0 x 24.0mm sensor or is the lens moved in relation to a smaller sensor to iliminate the crop factor? If it is the later then I'm guessing the full line of existing Olypus SLR lenses are not available to this camera and you are limited to just eight 4/3 system lenses, 5 zooms and 2 primes, to choose from. As opposed to say over sixty zooms and primes available for the Canon DSLR system and well over seventy for the Nikon line. This is something an advanced amatuer or professional should consider before buying into any system. (These numbers are not even factoring in the extensive 3rd party leneses available which in the case of Nikon and Canon would probably more than double the selection.)

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 12:38:13.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/29/2005 02:16:43 PM · #40

Apparently some dpc'ers also feel a great need to blur the once clear line. Who benefits from this confusing approach?

What's wrong with helping to clearify the line by referring to DSLRs as such- they can be entry-level DSLRs like the Rebel, D70, E-300 and *ist DS; and they can be pro level DSLRs like the 1Ds Mk II, D2H, and the Fuji S3; or some can be semi-pro level DSLRs like my D20. Let the prosumer definition end where the SLR starts so everybody will have a clearer idea of what the term means.

Originally posted by TomH1000:

... I am so tired of the thinking that there are only to cameras out there to pick from Nikon & Canon.

You are by no means alone in that sentiment TomH.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

01/29/2005 03:13:15 PM · #41

Let me get this straight... we on DPC are confusing the issue by using industry-standard terms in a manner consistent with their industry-standard definitions? It seems to be it would be more confusing to have those terms mean one thing on DPC, and another virtually everywhere else.

-Terry

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Nikon

01/29/2005 03:20:35 PM · #42

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

They don't get to be industry standard if people like us in the dpc community don't accept the confusing usage. Who benfits when we adopt their confusing usage and abandon the "once clear line"?

blemt

Nikon D70

01/29/2005 03:25:38 PM · #43

Oy! Enough with the threadjacking! ;)

Best camera under $1000? The one that accomplishes what you want it to.

'Nuff said. ;)

Clara

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

01/29/2005 03:31:18 PM · #44

Well, I just got my 300D kit today!

Black 300D + Grip + kit 18-55USM + 1Gb CF card + card reader USB2 + UV filter...Â£823.

Now starts the learning curve from Fujifilm to Canon. This ain't nuthin' like my EOS650.

Value for under $1000...if US price is normal dollar 4 pound conversion ie $799 US price/Â£799 UK price...then this looks to be great value for money. Go for it!

Plus there's the Â£100 cashback too!!

Message edited by author 2005-01-30 13:00:52.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/29/2005 03:55:43 PM · #45

Originally posted by coolhar:

They don't get to be industry standard if people like us in the dpc community don't accept the confusing usage. Who benfits when we adopt their confusing usage and abandon the "once clear line"?

I don't find the usage confusing at all. The term DSLR simply means a camera with single-lens-reflex mechanics and a digital sensor to capture the image. The term "prosumer," on the other hand, has nothing to do with the camera itself (and in fact is not a photography-specific term at all, and instead defines the type of purchaser to which the product is targeted -- an amateur knowledgeable and serious enough to need some level professional features. The term "prosumer" is used in comparison/contrast with "professional" or "consumer" to define a product's target market.

Through mid-2003, there was a de facto separation between DSLR cameras and the prosumer market. This came not from any contradiction in meaning between the two terms, but rather from the fact that no one had yet managed to produce a digital SLR at a price point marketable en masse to anything less than a professional photographer.

With the relase of the 300D in late 2003, this changed very abruptly. Suddenly, it was possible to walk into a camera store and walk out with a digital SLR camera, complete with lens and ready to use out-of-the-box, all for less than $1,000. Does that make this a professional camera? A simple comparison of features with the 1Ds or even the 10D show that it is not; the camera lacks some key features important to most professionals, and attempts to market that camera to professionals would surely fail. It is while its price puts it out of the consumer market, its added professional-level features are unnecessary for consumer use, and in fact undesirable to many consumers who just want an easy-to-use camera without a lot of extraneous settings they could mess up by mistake.

That puts the 300D, and the other similar cameras that followed it, squarely in the prosumer market. These are product that have some professional features, but lack the full range of features necessary to target the professional market.

-Terry

TomH1000

Olympus E-3

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

01/29/2005 06:09:21 PM · #46

Originally posted by nsbca7:

It is true that it is the later and right now there are a limited number of lenses to pick from but, the number is growing with more lenses coming out this year. It is nice to have lots of lenses to pick from but for me I don't need 60 or 70 to pick from. The few that Olympus and Sigma offer are enough for me. The are all high quality lenses. I can go from 14 to 200 f2.8-3.5 (28 to 400 35mm equiv) with just 2 lenses. The 50mm F2 macro lenses is a great lens and although the price for the 300mm is high it is also a great lens and plan to have one buy the end of next month. You may all remember it was once said that 35mm would never catch on and look at it now. With the 4/3 system I have have the power of a 600mm lens in a 300mm package. This is the whole point of the 4/3 system with it's smaller sensor.