Help me before I go bald, please. DSLR

[bohannbj]

I have been reading a lot of posts and I am pulling my hair out to make a decision on a DSLR. I figured I would call on the experts for a little direct help. Here is what I want to do.

Take B+ aquarium pictures (Droid phone quality = D).
Be able to carry it in a backpack (whole setup).
User friendly.
Take Pictures of general items.
Price at or under 1,000.

Do they make any that go underwater, or do I have to take out a mortgage for one? Thanks

 

[IPT]

Mortgage required for the underwater part. Might want to look at used for that price range. i like Canon. Been a long time since I bought anything and am sort of out of the loop on model numbers. Might want to look at 50D, 20D, 5D. Need to decide if you want to go with full frame sensor or crop. That is a major decision. If you're not sure what that means do some searching and check it out. Personally I couldn't deal with only a crop sensor again...so I have one of each . Learn about the pros and cons for your needs.

 

[dirland]

The new canon rebel 2ti is a great camera. It also has 1080p video capture and you can get a package deal for around 900.

 

[Luckylouse]

The new canon rebel 2ti is a great camera. It also has 1080p video capture and you can get a package deal for around 900.

Agree here. Ti2 is the way to go. Besides the 1080p video it's an amazing camera. Probably the best deal for a quality Dslr. The only affordable full sensor Canon out there is the 5D... it's not really affordable for amateurs unless you have a very good amount of disposable income. I wanted the 5D but it didn't suit my family's lifestyle. I have a 4 year old at home that it getting into sports. I wanted a high frame rate of over 7fps. I went with the 7D. It's a cropped sensor but has a host of featured and advantage over the 5D for my personal situations.
The 5D is clearly a better camera for a ton of situations but the Ti2 would be a great camera for you and it won't break the bank. The Ti2 has the same sensor as the 7D so you know the quality is there.

My 2 cents. Once you get a feeling for the Ti2 start investing in lens. I'm investing in ES lens only now so if I eventually want to switch to Full sensor camera I'll be set.

 

[bohannbj]

Been comparing the t2i with the 60D and I'm having a hard time telling the difference except the $200 difference in price. If there is a noticeable difference let me know, but right now the t2i is looking pretty appetizing. Thanks for the suggestions. What type of lens would be good for general photography (dogs and such) and a macro for intense aquarium shots? Is a macro telephoto lens a good buy?

 

[xtm]

A good lens is always a good buy. Mediocre lens is a goodbye. Anyways, I was impressed with the Canon T2i. The Nikon D3100 is also good choice. The kit lenses that come with these are the basic 18-55 and is good for general snaps, but they are NOT macro lenses. Macro lenses will cost you another $300 at least, and I'm not sure if your budget will allow that, since these kits are already in the $800+ range. When you buy a DSLR, you're actually buying a SYSTEM, not just the body. It's always best to go to a camera store and physically hold the bodies and see which one feels better. For one I could never get used to the Canon's on/off switch and huge wheel on the back. Some people hate Nikon's menu. It's all personal and only you can decide, that's why it's best if you go to a store or borrow a friend's camera to play with it.

Read this guide: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1503490

I'm not too familiar with Canon's offerings, so I can't offer any suggestions there. On the Nikon side however, I can suggest these:

Adorama has Nikon D3000 + 18-55 kit lens for $400
http://www.adorama.com/INKD3000KR.html

Then get this Nikon 85mm Macro lens for $500
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656971-USA/Nikon_2190_AF_S_DX_Micro_NIKKOR.html

That's one suggestion. You can also get the D3000 body only for $299, add a 16-85 and a Tamron 90 which gives you a more versatile zoom lens. you can also check out my Macro lens list here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1762095

 

[bohannbj]

So here is what I have come up with so far. I really want to thank dirland and lucklouse for their input. I wouldn't mind some input on whether the image stabilizer is worth the extra 400 smackers. It means cashing in some stock and eating a strict water and noodle diet but maybe it's worth it.
Camera: Canon Rebel T2i
Lens: (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8) or (Cannon EF 100mm f/2.8 IS)
Extra Battery: Power 2000 LP-E8
Memory: Lexar 16GB 100x Platinum II
Backpack: Canon Delux Photo Backpack
Protection: Delkin Snug-it Pro Skin
If you have had any bad experiences with these products let me know. I am looking to purchase from Adorama.

 

[pascal32]

IMHO image stabilization isn't worth it if you are going to tripod shoot through the glass. using a lookdown box I can see the benefits, though i have had great results handheld with a lookdown box on my D3100, though it took a bit to get good settings.

is that card fast enough for that camera?

If you are going to hand held shoot insects etc the IS is a great addition

The Nikon kit 18-55 can shoot some great macro shots - focus is about 11" off the plane if memory serves correct (this is not guaranteed )

 

[Luckylouse]

So here is what I have come up with so far. I really want to thank dirland and lucklouse for their input. I wouldn't mind some input on whether the image stabilizer is worth the extra 400 smackers. It means cashing in some stock and eating a strict water and noodle diet but maybe it's worth it.
Camera: Canon Rebel T2i
Lens: (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8) or (Cannon EF 100mm f/2.8 IS)
Extra Battery: Power 2000 LP-E8
Memory: Lexar 16GB 100x Platinum II
Backpack: Canon Delux Photo Backpack
Protection: Delkin Snug-it Pro Skin
If you have had any bad experiences with these products let me know. I am looking to purchase from Adorama.

Are you talking the 100mm Macro f/2.8 L with IS??? That is what I just bought and I think it's amazing for snapping Acros. The only problem ... it cost me $1,200!!!

Here's 3 samples for you from this lens. Both shot without tri-pod.
My little guy.

An acro tip shot at f/2.8. It's not great but the power heads and flow was still on and I was without tri-pod. You get the idea.

This is with tri pod.

I went for the L series with the IS version and L series because I'm not always going to be shooting from a tri-od so the IS for me is important. If you're going t obe shooting from a tri-pod then save you money. On a good note for $1,200 you get a very nice hood and carry case! lol!

 

[Luckylouse]

Oh... I would not get the 18-55 lens that comes with it. You can buy it used for $50 at any camera store. Get the Body only and save for the lens you want. The 15-85mm lens is one of the best EF-S lens money can buy for a general lens. It's pricy though. I bought my 7D with this lens included. If you can find the T2i kit with this lens you won't regret it!!! Search this lens online and you'll see the amazing reviews!

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

I agree you should use a tripod. With hand held shooting IS can be really nice, but while shooting an aquarium I think a tripod is a much better route. When using a tripod, IS does not help at all. Unfortunately, a good tripod setup could run $300-400 so you may not be out of the woods financially.

 

[bohannbj]

So I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Decided to buy the IS and not have to upgrade lens EVER. Thanks for the pictures luckylouse. The picture of your son, showing the beginnings of a one day mighty beard convinced me. That is some serious detail and clarity. Thanks a bunch.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Going bigger and better with lenses is a hard thing to regret later.

 

[bohannbj]

Do i need any sort of protective lens for it?

 

[pascal32]

Personally I'm not sold in putting a sub $100 piece of glass in front of $1200 worth of glass. That's just me though. I use the protective cap and regularly dust the lens with a hand "squirt" air blower

 

[BlueCorn]

Personally I'm not sold in putting a sub $100 piece of glass in front of $1200 worth of glass. That's just me though. I use the protective cap and regularly dust the lens with a hand "squirt" air blower

This. X1000

 

[bohannbj]

Got it in today thanks to overnight shipping. Still getting the hang of it, but I like it so far.
I highly recommend the skin I got for the camera. It is a nice grip and labels all the buttons. The dogs, as you can see, aren't the biggest fans of posing. What do you do about pods on the glass. I like having them its just an issue with pictures?

 

[Brett9917]

Hmm, well the links are broken, can't see the pictures. The pods though are going to have to be removed via Photoshop or some other photo editing software.

As far as the dogs posing, I have one dog that is like that and hates her picture being taken, but the other comes running when he hears either the auto focus beep, or the shutter. haha