Advice on purchasing a SLR Camera

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Permalink Reply by Ken Fields on December 21, 2008 at 5:04pm

Hi Noelie,
I am assuming you are referring to a digital SLR. There are lots of choices out there. What I suggest is you first consider the lenses you will want and from there, go to the SLR. Most of the dSLR's today are quite sohpisticated and very capable. As you grow into the camera, it is more likely that you will want to add lenses as you grow into it. So, consider what kind of photography you are most interested in now, what lens(es) would work best for you and do some research on those. Nikon, Canon, the 4/3 system (Olympus, Panasonic) and Pentax are some of the major players in the field. They each have common and unique features and a range of lenses from consumer to pro level as well as options for third party lenses, such as Sigma or Tamron. -Ken

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Permalink Reply by Todd on December 22, 2008 at 8:54am

Hi Noelle,
I'd like to chime in on what Ken was saying. One of the things you might want to look at are reviews like on PC Photography and magazines that can be found online. How easy are their programs to load on your PC and do they work well. If you stick with the name brands like Canon and Nikon,you really can't go wrong there. Changing lens are important and adds value. Just buy anything that's on sale for now and once you are really into it,then you'll know exactly what you'll want two or three years from now and then bid for it on ebay,lol!

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Kodis on December 24, 2008 at 3:24am

Hey Noelle,
If you are buying a camera online, just be careful that you are not buying a grey market camera. Some of them may be in good shape, others might be junk. So careful not to get scammed or ripped off from the internet. Stick to ordering from companies that you have heard of. I usually like to order my gear from www.calumetphoto.com, they always have decent prices and you might be able to find a refurbished camera if you want to save even more money.

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Permalink Reply by Exposure Perfect Photography on June 5, 2009 at 1:12pm

Google Ken Rockwell. He has probably the most informative site full of reviews of just about every DSLR, Point and Shoot, Rangefinder, and Film body there is, as well as every lens imagineable. He will cover the basics, and cover things that you would never have even thought of. Because he is so good at it, many manufacturers GIVE HIM cameras and lenses just so he will review them on his site. I should be so lucky. http://www.kenrockwell.com/

And I agree with what Ken was saying: explore lenses first. It;s a shame, but digital bodies are practically disposable now...expensive, but seemingly disposable. My $5000 D2XS is now a backup camera to my D3. Can youimagine that? A $5000 backup camera? It just blows me away. The one constant however is my pro lenses. They are interchangeable through all the bodies.

Good Luck!
Randy - Exposure Perfect Photography

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Permalink Reply by Hawaii Photo Rental on July 8, 2009 at 11:51pm

And the lenses keep their value for years and years. I have a 600mm telephoto lens that's nearly 20 years old and it's still considered a super lens and can still fetch a pretty penny on the used market. The only place in life a 20 year old Digital SLR body will have in twenty years is perhaps a doorstop!

Aloha,
Joshua Strickland
Hawaii Camera Rental

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