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hey guys, its been a minute....

im in need of a new/old hobby and i was trying to think of things that would make me get on my bike some more because i have been blowing it in that area and it hit me. i think i want to start taking pictures again and i could use some of your expertise. i guess i am in the market for a good starter camera for someone who might want to stick with it and take it further at some point. definitely want it to be digital and also would want to be able change lenses if i wanted to. also not trying to break the bank. what would be your suggestion vc? i know there are lots of photo nerds here. thanks guys!

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what's your budget/what are you going to be taking the most photos of?

not really sure about the budget. maybe $200-$400 for the camera. i plan on shopping around a good bit on ebay and craigslist and amogst old friends whi i havent kept up with. as far as what i plan on shooting, its pretty much an all things go. a little of this, a little of that. stuff on bike rides, outdoor adventures, skateboarding, shows, bar hopping, etc.

im sure it will be trial and error but i got time and imagination.

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what's your budget/what are you going to be taking the most photos of?

not really sure about the budget. maybe $200-$400 for the camera. i plan on shopping around a good bit on ebay and craigslist and amogst old friends whi i havent kept up with. as far as what i plan on shooting, its pretty much an all things go. a little of this, a little of that. stuff on bike rides, outdoor adventures, skateboarding, shows, bar hopping, etc.

im sure it will be trial and error but i got time and imagination.

you can't really get much with that budget, but you could get a semi-decent used SLR if you're careful. I don't recommend ebay, as most things on there are 'too good to be true' cheap and stuff tends to be gray market knockoffs a lot of the time.

i use all Nikon equipment, so of course that's what i usually recommend.

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not to cockblock, but i'm getting ready to do the same. but i want a camera for live shots at concerts. probably about 5 feet out from the stage.. nothing to far. was looking to get a decent camera with a hot shoe, flash/filter, etc, etc. it doesn't have to be a SLR but a good digital mid grade level snapshot that i can add filters and change settings like SLR just doesn't have a chage of lens capabilities... or maybe getting a used slr for around $400 and then just adding on later or before. any suggestions..

im looking at you a-money and sharkticon... (as i have seen your work and value both your opinions)

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I'm currently using a Canon Rebel XTi and they're pretty decent so I could recommend that if you can find a used one. Only thing I'd maybe say is if you're not entirely familiar with knowing how to adjust your ISO, Exposure, etc for what you're taking a picture of or the lighting conditions, you might want to look into the XSi since it has a live view mode and you'll be able to see what the photo will look like rather than guess and check after you take them (or whatever brand you go with).

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I'm currently using a Canon Rebel XTi and they're pretty decent so I could recommend that if you can find a used one. Only thing I'd maybe say is if you're not entirely familiar with knowing how to adjust your ISO, Exposure, etc for what you're taking a picture of or the lighting conditions, you might want to look into the XSi since it has a live view mode and you'll be able to see what the photo will look like rather than guess and check after you take them (or whatever brand you go with).

live view is one of the worst thing to ever happen to DSLRs. it's pretty much worthless. i don't think that it would help at all with adjusting the controls manually, because i don't think that it shows those changes you make on the screen.

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live view is one of the worst thing to ever happen to DSLRs. it's pretty much worthless. i don't think that it would help at all with adjusting the controls manually, because i don't think that it shows those changes you make on the screen.

Good point, it's been a while since I even used an XSi so I don't remember if it showed the adjustments in real time. If not then it's just a useless extra feature. I remember having it on my SD1000 and that was helpful to me since I'm still not the best at getting my settings right the first few attempts but since SDs aren't SLRs it's pretty much completely irrelevant. Ignore what I said about live view then haha.

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live view is one of the worst thing to ever happen to DSLRs. it's pretty much worthless. i don't think that it would help at all with adjusting the controls manually, because i don't think that it shows those changes you make on the screen.

Good point, it's been a while since I even used an XSi so I don't remember if it showed the adjustments in real time. If not then it's just a useless extra feature. I remember having it on my SD1000 and that was helpful to me since I'm still not the best at getting my settings right the first few attempts but since SDs aren't SLRs it's pretty much completely irrelevant. Ignore what I said about live view then haha.

my camera has it and i think in the 1.5 odd years i've had it i've used that feature maybe once or twice to do something like....take a photo over a wall, haha. SLRs weren't intended to have live view, so it's not live view in the traditional sense most people think of (i.e. what a point and shoot uses). It takes a lot longer to focus correctly, and actually take the photo because it has to flip the mirror up and then back down before taking the photo.

if you shoot manual long enough, you get pretty good at guessing what your settings probably need to be. if you're just an amateur shooting for fun, and don't want to think super hard about it, setting it to aperture priority should work just fine!

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I have this one, the Nikon d3000. I'm still pretty new at taking photos but I like it a lot and it's been working out great. But I think it's been replaced with the d3100 which has video-mode as well. They're both around $650 though and they're the cheapest DSLR's from Nikon from what I understand. If you're willing to strech your budget I'd recommend this one. I hear awesome things about the d90 as well, but it's pricier.

[image]

A few shots I took using this one:

[image]

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^Whoa. A+ Man those look great.

@ Allison: I don't mind thinking about it, it's still just new to me I guess. I wouldn't mind working more at it but with work, illustration stuff and my music projects, photography has kinda been put on the back burner for now. Thanks for the tip though!

oh, i totally understand! i'm the same way with my painting. sometimes i get really bummed about it, cuz there's just not enough hours in the day to do it all!

also, everyone in this thread also needs to keep in mind that the quality of photos has as much or more to do with the quality of the lens you're using as it does the body of the camera. i realize that you're not gonna go out and spend a ton on things, but do yourself a favor and invest in a 50mm 1.8 or 1.4. you can get one for a little over $100 and it is well worth it! another thing to keep in mind is that nikon and canon have used the same mounts for years and years, and you can keep your lenses forever even when your body needs upgraded or wears out.

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also, that bird photo has great bokeh in the top left corner! :]

stop being so technical allison...

and yes, i was actually planning to buy a nice lens. just not sure whether i want a canon or a nikon..

nikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonni konnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnikonnik onnikonnikonnikonnikon!

i'm not biased or anything ;]

man, that word looks weird smashed together and repeated.

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