Looking to buy DLSR

[Disco_ute84]

After my compact digital decided to pack it in i have decided to get a DLSR. I'm not sure what i need, but I want to be able to take better landscape, wildlife and action shots, I'd also love to take a few lightning shots. I plan on doing the big lap in the next year or so, and as such would like something that will help me get some great shots.
As I said abouve in not sure what i need, and i dont want to be upsold by a salesman, hopefully you guys and girls can give me some un-biased opinions.
I've been to a few different camera stores and everyone seems to recomend buying a Nikon, I've also noticed a lot of people on here recomend them. So at this stage I'm thinking that either the D60 or D90 may be a good choice. Will the D60 have all the features that i need or will I "outgrow" its features in a couple of years.
The D90 has more features of course, one of which is video, but is the video quality good and is this camera and its features worth the extra $. I want something that will last me many years to come, and as such if i can avoid upgrading in a few years it would be better.
Now for lenses. I know with rifle scopes what a difference quality makes particully on dusk, Are Nikkor lenses any good? Would a Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED be a good all round lens or should i bee looking at something different.

Thanks for your advice in advance.

[dullbird]

If your looking at Nikon I would defiantly go the D90 over the D60...

the D90 is an upgraded version of the D80 which I have...I have been seriously happy with this camera, I have no doubt that I will out grow it at some stage but am defiantly in not any hurry to do so
the D80 was hailed as a very good entry level amateur photography camera and will have everything you need so I cant see why you would be happy with a 90

If you don't want to pay the bux of a 90 then get an 80! smaller sensor but still 10.2 and no video but if your not after the video then it doesn't matter

Obivoulsy the body plays a big part but its the lenses you get that REALLY MATTER:)

[big guy]

Hmm
Nikon are generally the cream of the crop.
Canon is a bit cheaper and currently probably leader in innovation and has great range of functions.
I used both for a long time as a professional photographer.
Problem with Digital is that technology is making such leaps that in two years yours will be a antique.
Do not just chase the pixels as the software in the camera that records the information and of course the lens(glass) is very important.

Set yourself a budget and go play with them. Take some pics and see which programs you find easy to use.
The nikkor 18-200 is a great all rounder and probably all you ever need.
i used it for a while and did not want to give it back.
the thing to remember is weight, DSLR is heavt, the more you pay the better they are and the heavier usually.

[bblaze]

Some may call me a tight arse but when I purchased my last digital camera I got a budget D40 Nikon with a 18 to 55 lens. At the time it was a budget camera that would handle all the work I wanted to do. I had good look at the features of the camera and decide wether you realy need them or just want them because its the lastest fad. I puchased the first 2 digital cameras in tassie ( the retailer ring me up and gave me the first one in the state for a 14 day trial), they were Kodak dc40's. My first DSLR cost me about $3500 to set up and it was 1.6 mega pixals. Also owned 4 other digital compacts over the time and still carry a compact in the console.
So check out the d40 nikon, good basic camera
cheers
blaze

[JohnR]

I have the D90 with the 18-200mm lens, Awsome. The photo's are briliant the usability is briliant and battery usage in great all round a great camera. I couldn't recomend anything else.
Some Nikon Shot's:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/177.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/178.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/179.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/180.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/181.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/08/1134.jpg


Cheers,

[loanrangie]

I have the D90 with the 18-200mm lens, Awsome. The photo's are briliant the usability is briliant and battery usage in great all round a great camera. I couldn't recomend anything else.
Some Nikon Shot's:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/177.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/178.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/179.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/180.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/181.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/08/1134.jpg


Cheers,


Nice pics there Johnr.

I'm a canon fan but i dont think you can go wrong with any of the top 4/5 brands ,if its in the budget spend extra on the lenses.

[Chucaro]

Before recommending a camera i would like to ask you what will be the application.
I am asking that because if you are going to do landscaping or birds/wildlife then the criteria for selecting a equipment are:

1) top quality lens
2) top quality tripod
3) camera body.
Note: If you are going to do avian photography a flash is must together with the Better Beamer (you can have a look at this accessories HERE (http://www.naturescapes.net/store/product.php?productid=176&cat=87&page=1)

For general purpose the Nikon D90 is very good and you can use it with a wide selection of lens.

The old Canons are better than the new models until all the problems are fixed.

If you are considering birds/wild life the best package will be the old model of Canon 40D which is al most as good as the superseded Nikon D200. I think that they are still available for about $ 1.100
The reason why I recommend the Canon for this application is because you can get the excellent Canon 300 f/4 IS and have a package heaps cheaper than the Nikon.

If the above is not your application then my pick is the excellent Nikon D300 as a first option and if it is to expensive then the D90.
Nikkor lens are very good and there are some third party lens that are excellent as well. For my landscaping I use the Tokina 12-24 f/4 which is as good as the Nikkor f4 for a third of the money.

Have a look THIS (http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/overview) site which is one of the best regarding lens reviews.

Cheers

[dmdigital]

COuldn't have put it better!

I'd go with what's been said by Chucaro and the others. I'll also add one other thing - ergonomics. You are going to use it, so you need to be comfortable holding it and using it. Nikon is usually considered superior in overall ergonomics to Canon. But all the same hold a few and see what you think.

[rmp]

Agree with Chucaro and DM.

Mostly :-)

The new Canons are fine. I own two of the latest.

When you buy a DSLR you are buying into a system of which the body is merely one component, and not necessarily the most expensive. So Canon or Nikon are the two choices for serious photogs. You can take fine pix with either. To start out put your money into lenses rather than bodies. The exception would be if you must do a lot of action then you'll want something with a high frame rate and thus may have to go for cheaper lenses. I would err on the side of cheaper body more expensive lens. Think of it as buying a Discovery 3 then running it on bald retreads, as opposed to a Discovery II on your choice of perfect tyre.

Budget also for a good bag, second battery, at least two memory cards (high speed ones), cleaning kit, a polarising filter, and spare lenscaps. As with 4WD your budget should not be entirely spent on the car (read camera body).

If you opt for Canon then the 40D is better than the 50D, I considering changing over but decided against it.

Megapixels; anything over 7 is fine.

Good luck.

[Phoenix]

Yup, i'm a canon man. very happy with my 400D, but it's the L lenses that i'm addicted to!

[Taz]

Apart from the full frame DSLRs, which I cannot afford, there is only one APS-C format camera I would buy at the moment... S5 Pro. And they represent great value since fuji australia lowered it's price to achieve greater market penitration. However it's not a good camera for sport where you might want high fps. It's arguably the best camera on the market for portraits, also very good for landscapes with un-matched dynamic range and good also for night shots as it has a bulb function and does not seem to suffer from noise build up with long exposure which seem to effect almost all DSLRs.

[p38arover]

If your looking at Nikon I would defiantly go the D90 over the D60...

And Lou is defiantly definite about that! :p

[Chucaro]

And Lou is defiantly definite about that! :p

Ron give us a brake ;):p I would start writing in spanish :D
Bugger.....my spanglish is ok when people would like to find out something intereting for them :D

[Chucaro]

Well....I am also looking at getting a DSLR soon too.....
As I said before, I like the feel of the Nikon. The Canon is too large and heavy for me

I am looking at the D80 at the moment. You can get them with an 18-135mm lens for abt $1200 at the moment


You can get the D80 with twin lens Kit including 18-55mm & 70-300mm AF lens and it is not a grey import for $ 1149.00 HERE (http://www.fotoriesel.com.au/shop/nikon-d80-twin-lens-kit-p-519.html)
Gey imports do not have the warranty of Nikon. Canon provide warranty to grey imported cameras.

[loanrangie]

Well....I am also looking at getting a DSLR soon too.....
As I said before, I like the feel of the Nikon. The Canon is too large and heavy for me

I am looking at the D80 at the moment. You can get them with an 18-135mm lens for abt $1200 at the moment

Depends which canon your looking at the 400/450D are very light ( too light and plasticky for me) i like a bit a weight in my camera so i can hold it steady but the 30/40/50D are a bit heavier and feel more solid.

[p38arover]

DB mentioned sensor size.

This may be important to you.

My Pentax *istD doesn't have a full frame sensor so there is an effective multiplication of lens size of about 1.6 - which can have pros or cons for some users.

Pros: A 50mm lens acts like an 80mm lens and a 135mm lens acts like a 216 mm lens

Cons: A 50mm lens acts like an 80mm lens and a 35mm wide angle acts like a 56mm lens - so if you want a wide angle, you have to go very wide, e.g., 18mm to get an equivalent to a 28mm lens.

Oh, another thing, cameras are often set up for right eye dominant users. I'm left eye dominant (I put my left eye up to the view finder). As a result, my face covers the controls on the RHS back of some cameras.

I use a Pentax because it is very small for a DSLR and it can use my AF lenses from my Pentax film cameras as well as my auto flash gun. A colleague's Canon is huge in comparison to the Pentax.

[p38arover]

You might like to look at this thread, too:

Overlander 4WD :: View topic - 50D Vs D300 (http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtopic.php't=59790)

[Chucaro]

The Nikon D300 is in a complete diferent league than the Canon 50d. It is like compare a LR Discovery with a Toyota Rav

THIS (http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_50D/verdict.shtml) site wich specialize on cameras and not 4X4 have this to say

Quote:
Compared to Nikon D300

Nikon D300


Nikon’s D300 may have been announced a year before the EOS 50D, but arguably remains Canon’s biggest rival at this price-point, and undoubtedly a driving-force for many of the 50D’s new features – not to mention its release only one year after the 40D.

Both cameras feature 3in VGA screens, HDMI output, while continuous shooting speeds are similar: 6.3fps on the 50D to 6fps on the D300 (boostable to 8fps with the optional battery grip). By sharing a number of core specs with the 40D though, the 50D remains behind certain key aspects of the D300. Nikon’s body boasts a viewfinder with 100% coverage to the 50D’s 95% and an AF system with a whopping 51-points to the 50D’s nine; Canon also continues to look old fashioned by forcing you to buy and fit an optional focusing screen to see a grid in the viewfinder, while Nikon offers on-demand LCD markings which can simply be switched on and off. The D300 additionally offers more professional features like 9-frame bracketing, a built-in intervalometer and a shutter block rated for 50% more shots (150k compared to 100k on the 50D).

But again it’s not a totally one-sided argument. The 50D of course features three extra Megapixels and double the maximum sensitivity. Its Live View operates at 30fps to the D300’s 15fps, there’s a live histogram (unforgivably absent on the Nikon), more detailed magnified manual focus assistance in Live View, supplied remote control software for PCs and Macs (including Live View on your computer’s monitor), and in-camera Vignetting correction (although the D300 offers in-camera chromatic aberration correction). Those are key benefits, and the 50D’s prices are already a little less than the D300 which has been on sale for a year.

When the prices are this close though, it’s crucial to carefully compare the specifications and which will honestly make the most difference to your photographic requirements. Some will prefer the higher resolution, sensitivity and Live View enhancements of the 50D, while others will side to the D300 for its arguably more professional-targeted features like the 100% viewfinder and 51-point AF system.
If you don’t already have an existing investment in lenses, it’s also important to check out the ranges from each manufacturer, and of course pick up both bodies in person to see which looks and feels best in your hands. One thing’s for certain though: despite being a year older than the 50D, Nikon’s D300 remains one of the most powerful and fully-featured semi-pro DSLRs on the market, and a key rival for the new Canon. See our Nikon D300 review for more details.

End of QUOTE
SOURCE: Camera Labs: Digital Camera, Digital SLR and Lens Reviews, Workshops, News (http://www.cameralabs.com)

[p38arover]

On the OL forum thread, Ian Wilkinson who is a professional photographer wrote:


The 50d is probably best compared to the Nikon D90 rather than the D300. The D300 has the build quality more like (and probably exceeding the 5d).

Yes yes we know the 5D is full frame and higher res but the 50d would fall somewhere between a D90 and a D300 IMO. Comparing a D300 and a 50d is a bit like comparing a Kluger to a Patrol.

Best reasons to go with the Nikon are the AF and the build quality. re the AF it's considerably more accurate on the Nikon, although with just the kit lenses you probably won't notice. Once you buy yourself something with a larger aperture the difference will probably raise it's head.

[Mick-Kelly]

I picked up a Nikon D40 the other week for $400. Its going to be used almost exclusively for the telescope so i chose it for its low signal to noise ratio. Very happy with it. It is a discontinued model so should be found fairly cheaply and as a Nikon you dont have to worry about quality or service.

[dmdigital]

D90 or D60 would be my choice in the bottom end NM. Whilst I am a die hard Nikon owner, unlike Toyota I can see some good points with Canon, I just hate their controls and feel.

The present stock of Canon DSLR's though is definitely playing second fiddle to Nikon at present. Their EOS 50D succeeds the 30D & 40D which compared to the Nikon D200 but now the 50D is compare to the lesser D90. The Nikon D300 presently has no equivalent in the Canon range. Although in reality the D90, D300, D700, EOS50D and EOS5DMkII are all relatively unique at present.

One thing to consider for learning the camera you eventually buy is to get one of the Thom Hogan or Peter Inova eBooks on how to use it.

[Chucaro]

Thom Hogan page is HERE (http://www.bythom.com/)
Bjørn Rørslett is a guru regarding Nikon lens and his page is HERE (http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html)

If you like nature photography and read articles this forums are among the best world wide:

NatureScapesNet the page is HERE (http://www.naturescapes.net/docs/index.php/home) Ther are excellent articles and good forums. I am active member there and I have learned a lot from them

Nature Photographers Net is another of the best. The page is HERE (http://www.naturephotographers.net/rf.html)

From Australia we have this small but excellent forum the page is HERE (http://www.birdingoz.com.au/)
Cheers

[Chucaro]

Hmmm...I'll keep the books in mind
I thought the D80 was better than the D60? That's how I Understood the info anyway
I can't afford the D90 :(

The D80 will allow you to use more selection of lens. To me is a better camera than the D60 (if you can get one there are not many left)

[Chucaro]

Before selecting the lens have a look on the reports HERE (http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests)

The Tamaron 17-50 is an excellent lens and can be purchased for a very good price.
The report is HERE (http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/290-tamron-af-17-50mm-f28-sp-xr-di-ii-ld-aspherical-if-nikon-test-report--review)

Are you going to use the camera for landscaping? if yes, the Tamaron is great.
In the future you can get a Tokina 12-24 wich is superb,. Is my main lens for landscaping and you can get the image in focus form 1 meter or less to infinite like you see in my sunrise photos.
Cheers

[dmdigital]

There are 2 shops locally that still have them in stock
D80 with 18-135mm lens or D80 with 18-55mm lens both at $1198....the shop I prefer to deal with has the smaller lens but I reckon I can get the 18-135mm from them or a decent price reduction :D
The D60 as mentioned won't take as many older lenses as the D80. The D60 has the advantage of newer image processing ability and is a little better in low light than a D80. A D90 with the 18-55VR should set you back about $1500 (not grey import either) and is a much better camera than the D80. Don't forget the D200 either if you are looking at superseded models as is definitely a better camera than the D80. Both D80 and D200 are now well and truly old models and should be discounted if either one is available.

As for the lens I would try and get the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR over the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED if that's what they are offering and then save for a better zoom to go with it. The 18-55VR has the advantage of a close (28cm) focus ability and the VR. There is also an 18-105VR that isn't too bad a kit lens.

[dullbird]

I don't believe the D80 is discontinued yet......

they did announce when they launched the D90 that they were still continuing on with the D80 for a bit longer...

[dmdigital]

I don't believe the D80 is discontinued yet......

they did announce when they launched the D90 that they were still continuing on with the D80 for a bit longer...
The D80 is now listed as discontinued. You are correct and they usually say this about all new model releases, probably helps because they usually follow it by saying the new model isn't available as yet.

The D90 was announced in August 08 and available from about November 08 so its been around for about 4 months and is readily available now. I think every camera shop I went into with Nikon had both a D90 and a D700 (I really want one of these)

[dullbird]

Not offering the VR lenses all AFS DX IIRC......18-55mm or 18-135mm

i wonder if thats because the VR lenses are offered with the D60 and probably now with the D90

[greg-g]

I'll throw my bit in.

I started with the D60, and the twin VR lens kit. I was having a bit of trouble with stabilisation at 1/100 sec with the 55 - 200 at 200mm, we never really resolved what the problem was. (It was not full stabilising in one plane).

At this stage I was finding I always had the wrong lens on, and didn't really like changing them in some environments. My local dealer gave me a good deal on an exchange to a 18 - 200 lens that I really like.

With more experience, I still kept finding I was missing some shots as the three focus points didn't allways coincide with my subjects. In general it was a nice camera, but !!!!

My brother's now got the D60, and I have a D90, and at this stage I wouldn't have anything else. Its almost as good (some say better) than the D300, but smaller and lighter. the D700 would be great, but its again bigger, and some of the FX lens are very expensive.

Lens. I normally use the 18 -200 VR, but also have a 105 AF-D macro that's a brilliant lens, but won't auto focus on the D60., and is available on ebay for about 1/3 the price of the 105 VR.

I'm looking for a 12 - 24 Nikkor zoom, and possibly a 80 - 400 VR, and the 50 mm f1.4, but we can't have everything.

Have fun

Greg

[dullbird]

you sure the camera is set to centre only on the focus lock

it can be set to more than one area and from what I was taught not recomended at all......Just keep it to center for best results words the words said to me

[Disco_ute84]

This morning i bought myself a D90 with a 18-105vr lens. Considering that i got it form the local camera store which is only less then a minute from my house i'm pretty happy with the price i paid, oh and what i got thrown in. 16gb class 6 sd card, nikon battry, and a bag.

now i just have to learn how to drive it.

Thanks for everyones advise.

[dullbird]

This morning i bought myself a D90 with a 18-105vr lens. Considering that i got it form the local camera store which is only less then a minute from my house i'm pretty happy with the price i paid, oh and what i got thrown in. 16gb class 6 sd card, nikon battry, and a bag.

now i just have to learn how to drive it.

Thanks for everyones advise.

Well done look forward to the pics and the involvement in the photocomps:)

[ciapek]

Seriously, I don't care who reads what review out there. They are all biased towards the reviewer and who is getting payed by whom.
Buy a DSLR body today, and within 12 months the technology is obsolete on the body that you have spent your "hard earned on" !
Get what you can afford and save your dollars towards quality glass on whichever brand platform you have settled on.
Shoot tons of pics and learn by your mistakes, and you will find that your frames will start to show more interest and depth irrelevant of what body you have chosen.
Brand loyalty is out of date. All the new camera bodies are basically supercomputers now offering new gimmicks that you will end up shutting down once you get to know your camera body.
And remember, just because you drop $2K on a body, it will not guarantee that you will get killer frames.!!!
Ha, sorry to offend some, but I sometimes feel that people get too caught up in specs and omit their own abilities...;:D

Buy what you can afford and get out there and enjoy your outdoors and your new camera kit !!!!

Shot taken with Canon 50D and Canon EF 200mm F/2.8 L II
My brothers Daughter opening her Xmas present....it was'nt quite what she wanted.....

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9983/xmas200820872.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xmas200820872.jpg)
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/xmas200820872.jpg/1/w427.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img7/xmas200820872.jpg/1/)

[rmp]

Seriously, I don't care who reads what review out there. They are all biased towards the reviewer and who is getting payed by whom.
Buy a DSLR body today, and within 12 months the technology is obsolete on the body that you have spent your "hard earned on" !
Get what you can afford and save your dollars towards quality glass on whichever brand platform you have settled on.
Shoot tons of pics and learn by your mistakes, and you will find that your frames will start to show more interest and depth irrelevant of what body you have chosen.
Brand loyalty is out of date. All the new camera bodies are basically supercomputers now offering new gimmicks that you will end up shutting down once you get to know your camera body.
And remember, just because you drop $2K on a body, it will not guarantee that you will get killer frames.!!!
Ha, sorry to offend some, but I sometimes feel that people get too caught up in specs and omit their own abilities...;:D

Buy what you can afford and get out there and enjoy your outdoors and your new camera kit !!!!

Shot taken with Canon 50D and Canon EF 200mm F/2.8 L II
My brothers Daughter opening her Xmas present....it was'nt quite what she wanted.....



Interesting. I read this and alternately agreed and disagreed by sentence!

1. Not all reviewers are biased.

2. I would say the rate of development of DSLRs has slowed. Looking at the Canons; the 10D -> 20D -> 30D had good cases for upgrades, 40 and 50D less so. The DSLR body you buy today will be quite capable of taking good shots for many years to come.

3. Agree re glass! But I'd add only Canon and Nikon have a really wide range of accessories. Try and find a pro who uses something other than those two. Sure the range may not be as important to amateurs, but it is still a consideration.

4. Shoot tons...agree!

5. Brand loyalty....not with DSLRs. Once you start buying gear, you're locked into a brand and it's an expensive switch. So, choose carefully.

6. $2k on a body killer frames....agree!

On this forum people are more interested in photography than the camera, which is the way it should be. dpreview.com is another matter though ;-)

[Chucaro]

I do not agree with your comment "Buy a DSLR body today, and within 12 months the technology is obsolete"
I have a Nikon D200 and have a long life in front of it. The camera is capable of process very good images together with a good lens and knowing how to use it.
When I purchased the Nikon D200 it was the only body (at reasonable cost) which have magnesium sealed body an important factor when the camera is used for nature photography in extreme conditions.
If was not for that I woul have a Nikon D80 or a Canon 40D (after all the bugs were fixed)
I say once in this thread, when start in photography follow the rule
1)Good tripod
2)Good lens
2)Camera body
Without the good steady tripod the images will never be sharp regardless of the qulality of the lens
If you are going to use the camera for portraits then a basic Nikon body which can use the excellent Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 = to 75 mm crop factor on Nikon cameras will be the best setup for the money. The lens cost $ 250.00 and is as good as any $ 1000 Leica or Canon lens ;)
You do not need the Canon 200 f/2,8 for that
Cheers

[dmdigital]

I do not agree with your comment "Buy a DSLR body today, and within 12 months the technology is obsolete"
I agree it's a strange comment to make. The P&S market suffers horribly from this but then it is aim squarely at the consumer. The DSLR is a different kettle of fish and you only have to get on a few camera forums to see how many people still use cameras like Nikon D1H, D100 and D70, not to mention the Canon EOS 300D/350D which put DSLR in the reach of the consumer market. Pro-use and their turn over of DSLR's is a different story, camera's wear out or they become better for the use they have for them, if its your living then you use what you need to get the best return. Even so there are a lot of pro's still using older cameras. In general I believe the statistics are that most skip at least one generation before upgrading.

As for the lenses, there is no substitute for good glass. This doesn't mean it has to cost the earth and there are numerous examples of this to be found and not just in the Canon or Nikon camps, but also Sigma, Tamron and others.

[ciapek]

I agree it's a strange comment to make. The P&S market suffers horribly from this but then it is aim squarely at the consumer. The DSLR is a different kettle of fish and you only have to get on a few camera forums to see how many people still use cameras like Nikon D1H, D100 and D70, not to mention the Canon EOS 300D/350D which put DSLR in the reach of the consumer market. Pro-use and their turn over of DSLR's is a different story, camera's wear out or they become better for the use they have for them, if its your living then you use what you need to get the best return. Even so there are a lot of pro's still using older cameras. In general I believe the statistics are that most skip at least one generation before upgrading.

As for the lenses, there is no substitute for good glass. This doesn't mean it has to cost the earth and there are numerous examples of this to be found and not just in the Canon or Nikon camps, but also Sigma, Tamron and others.

Totally agree !
But what gets me is when people base a purchase decision on wheather a camera has 9 or 30 odd focus points, and when you start using it you find that you only need ONE and that's the one which you want to be in the centre of your subjects IRIS and all 30 bloody points miss their target.

Technology totally misses the point. Every brochure that I pull up boasts this is better than this and so on, but at the end of the day all you need is Glass, Shutter, Aperture, ISO, and a good Software Package, because no single photo out there in the great land of Internet, displaying something that captures your emotions, is Post Processed making all the bells and Whistles on your Camera Body irrelevant !

[rmp]

Don't entirely agree.

Multiple focus points are very useful. I'd hate to restrict myself to just the centre one. OK, I usually use one, but it's not always centre, and there's times I want all of them.

As for technology, well if it makes life easier and I can get the shots I need with less effort it's all good. AI Servo..love it. High-ISO performance...wouldn't be without it. High frame rate...essential. High-speed memory cards...can't be fast enough. Bring me more technology! Now I could work around all of the above, but to get a given shot it'd take me several times as long, and time is money. So I wouldn't say technology is irrelevant. If you mean over-reliance on it, or an expectation that's all you need to do, then I'll with you all the way.

And there are some superb post-processed photos. Let's not take away from those who have that skill, something I don't possess nor have any interest in, but I do appreciate those that can and do.

[ciapek]

Don't entirely agree.

Multiple focus points are very useful. I'd hate to restrict myself to just the centre one. OK, I usually use one, but it's not always centre, and there's times I want all of them.

As for technology, well if it makes life easier and I can get the shots I need with less effort it's all good. AI Servo..love it. High-ISO performance...wouldn't be without it. High frame rate...essential. High-speed memory cards...can't be fast enough. Bring me more technology! Now I could work around all of the above, but to get a given shot it'd take me several times as long, and time is money. So I wouldn't say technology is irrelevant. If you mean over-reliance on it, or an expectation that's all you need to do, then I'll with you all the way.

And there are some superb post-processed photos. Let's not take away from those who have that skill, something I don't possess nor have any interest in, but I do appreciate those that can and do.

I hear what you're saying I just can't stand the mentality that one product is better than the other.
YOU will make your gear better than the other's.
I hate numbers and brochure statistics, marketing is an artform and it can blind the masses. lol.....all in good humor....;)

[rmp]

I hear what you're saying I just can't stand the mentality that one product is better than the other.
YOU will make your gear better than the other's.
I hate numbers and brochure statistics, marketing is an artform and it can blind the masses. lol.....all in good humor....;)

Agreed.









[ pretty much :-) ]