DSLR?

[Mo2vation]

Right off the bat - I know nothing about them.
If you were considering to purchase one, what would it have to have, what doesn't it have to have? Which brand do you prefer?

As you know, several of these manufacturers are my clients - so I speak directly to their sales groups, marketing teams, service people, and their consumers.

Last year I shot the Olympus E20 for about 7 months. Had the complete outfit, all lenses, filters, etc. Great stuff, but Oly had clearly lost their footing and this camera is a compromise. I ended up downgrading to my current 5050 so I could get rigged for underwater. I've been shooting this current unit for about 6 months.

In water, I'm the limiting factor. On land, I simply can't do what I want to do with a camera with the 5050.

Recently, I decided its time to go back to a DSLR and just be dry until I can get the $$ for a housing, etc. I've done many, many weeks of research, borrowed cameras for a few days, taking a bunch of shots, reading thousands of pages in forums, magazines, reviews, technical specs, etc.

For me, the money was important, but the value is more important. Getting the most camera for the buck. It got down to a choice between the Canon Digital Rebel and the Nikon D70. The Nikon is my run-away choice.

I didn't come into this with any Nikon v. Canon baggage or agenda, and I have no residual equipment considerations driving the decision (as in no old Canon or Nikon lenses laying around.) They are both fine cameras, but the Nikon simply meets more of my needs.

You will love the search. For me, that's half the fun. I shot a dozen cameras... some within reasonable financial consideration and some just dreamland - the wacky 6-digit "pro DSLR's".

The decision driver gets down to this: I don't enjoy shooting the 5050 anymore on land. And I do 80% of my shooting on land, 20% in the water... so if I can't express myself artistically on land they way I want to, 80% of my shooting is no fun. I needed to fix that, so its back to a DSLR, and I'll just shoot wet later on in '05 when I get the cash for the UW rig.

Some excellent resources include:

www.kenrockwell.com

www.bythom.com

www.dpreview.com (duh...)

Go lurk in the forums ar DP review and see what current users are saying. We have Manufacturer Reps visit camera shops out here - so I went on Nikon Day and Canon Day and spoke to the reps, shot the units, fired off questions, and filled my own cards, brought them home and worked with my own shots at home (the ultimate test...)

For me, Nikon had the better camera, the better package, and the better flash gun. Its just a better cam for the money.

Enjoy.

K

 

[mstudley]

I purchased my first DSLR not quite a year ago and I'm still getting used to it. I chose the Canon 300D (Digital Rebel) kit which came with a lens which is OK. Haven't added any other lenses yet and still haven't purchased a housing (which is more than the camera body + lens).

They're expensive but worth it. If I had to do it again (or if I had waited a bit) I would have picked up Nikon's new equivilant (the D70 or something). I like Nikon better than Canon and all the lenses my wife has for her SLR would have worked with it. Oh well.

-- Matt

 

[justleesa]

Stupid question here.....I can use my lenses from my SLR for a DSLR? I think I remember the LPS guy saying that that didn't work.....but he just might be trying to sell.

 

[Mo2vation]

Stupid question here.....I can use my lenses from my SLR for a DSLR? I think I remember the LPS guy saying that that didn't work.....but he just might be trying to sell.

The Nikon and Canon (the two that made the cut and the once I went into the most depth with) are both backwards compatable. You may not have full finctionality for some lenses (ITTL with the Nikon, for example), but the mounts are good, and most AF will work.

There may be some corrections you'llneed to make at the edges, but your center of frame should be ok. This is my understanding.

K

 

[chippy]

Lisa what "normal" SLR Lenses do you have? The incompatability probs seem to be that the newer DX type digital lenses aren't backwardly compatible.

I.e. Most older nikon lenses will work with a DSLR, but a new DX lens won;t work with a film SLR.

 

[Mo2vation]

Lisa what "normal" SLR Lenses do you have? The incompatability probs seem to be that the newer DX type digital lenses aren't backwardly compatible.

I.e. Most older nikon lenses will work with a DSLR, but a new DX lens won;t work with a film SLR.

.

 

[Gilligan]

I guess if I lived where you and Gilligon do and could dive pretty much any time I wanted AND had the money, I'd seriously consider it.

Send all donations to the "Gilligan DSLR Fund"

 

[justleesa]

I have a Cosina SLR, most poeple never heard of it...I bought it while I was living in Europe and it was a big brand over there
I have:
a Cosina Cosinon-s 50mm
Super Cosina 70-210mm 1:4.5-5.6
MC Soligaor C/D Wide-Auto 1:2.8 F=28mm

 

[fdog]

Stupid question here.....I can use my lenses from my SLR for a DSLR? I think I remember the LPS guy saying that that didn't work.....but he just might be trying to sell.

All my AI-S Nikon lenses (these are older, manual-focus, manual aperture lenses) have worked just fine. Just expect the metering to be whacked if the lens has no electrical contacts.

The AF lenses function perfectly.

The lenses that I have that work:

14mm f2.8 ED AF-D
20mm f2.8
28mm f2.8
35mm f2.0
55mm f 2.8 micro
85mm f 2.0
180mm f2.8 ED-IF AF (not D)
300mm f2.8 ED-IF
300mm f 4..5 ED-IF
500mm f8 (NO filters on the back)

Can't say for Canon, I have heard from a former workmate who shoots Canon that they have changed some things for digital, that make them not backwards compatable.

All the best, James

 

[nlbford]

As has been said, there are several things one has to aquire for assemble and UW DSLR set up. There's no way a round that or the expense associated. So realy the question comes down to how involved you want to be with the process of using and maintaining your camera and equipment. Personally I am more than willing to make the commitment to the extra work involved with an SLR setup because the quality and ability to control various factoes makes it more than worth it. But I also have a background and history of dealing with that. To many, it would understandably be not worth it. If you are really into photography and will be shooting more than family photos above water, it could well be worth taking the step up to the DSLR world. If not, it probably isn't worth the time and expense since many standard digital cameras are darn good these days (my coolpix 4500 is awesome and is as simple as simple gets).

If the DLSR world is new - especially for UW work - gettting a decent housing and a port that allows a wide variety applications is a good way to start. You can learn the ins and outs of prepping the camera and using it's functions without getting bogged down with what lenses do what with what ports and diopters etc. When you have that down, throwing in a new lense and port will be easy. Starting with a standard zoom lense that has a somewhat wide end to it and an appropriate port will allow some flexibility without needing to get used to anything other than putting that specific system together. When I got into housed pohotography underwater, I went all out and got a few lenses and associated ports and gears etc. and it was somewhat overrwhelming for me (even with a long time photo background and a stint as a commercial photgrapher). There were also times when it got to be a drag switching things around because it took a little extra thought, effort and oprganiztaion. Of course now I am morre than pleased I went through it.

As for preference, I have the Nikon D70 and love it. I got it as a replacement for my old film based SLR, a N90. I loved that camera as well, and the results were always very pleasing (though I have yet to house it and shoot with it UW). I'm a Nikon guy all the way. Have been for years and years.Always been a great and reliable product that stands up well to the type of photography and traveling I do - from my Nikonos V to my recent purchase I have always been pleased. That said, while investigating this new purchase, I was very intrigued by some of the Canon products, but really the only model they had that stood out from the rest was way too high priced for me and the others just seemed like the same things I could get from Nikon. Also, a look at a freind's digital Rebel left me feeling like it was a little fragile and unsubstancial construction-wise, but still a nice camera. Given the fact I had a few quality Nikon lenses already in my arsenal that I knew and trusted, making the change to Canon seemed silly. In response to the statement someone was told about the SLR lenses not being compatible with the new cameras - sounds like you were being fed a line by a salesman who didn't think you could check that information out and debunk it quite quickly. All my old Nikon lenses work just fine with my new camera, it's just that some don't take advantage of the newer technology the camera has - none lost any of their original funcionality. Other reasons I stuck with Nikon were that I like the Nikon software and since I own a Nikon Coolscan it just seemed like a good idea to stay "in the family" . . . and I haven't looked back. My D70 is a breeze to use even in it's more complex functions and the controls and buttons couldn't be more intuitive. Other rcameras I tried just took some thought and trial to understand the way they functioned - but that is probably due to familiarity with Nikon.I also like the builtin wireless strobe control with the new Nikon strobes (after a few years in the commercial photography that were filled with hooking up lights, the idea of just turning something on and putting it down is awesome).

Anway, there is a lot to think about by going to the SLR type setup, but if one thinks they are remotely up to making that leap and will actually use it enough to make it worth it, in the longrun results and functionality will reward the effort most assuredly. It's all in what extent you want to commit to using and setting up your camera. I know from my experience I am thinking about getting a housing for my 4500 so on some lazy days I can just through that camra in the housing, hook up a strobe and not worry about lenses, gears and just set the camera to TTL and click away. Sometimes that sounds like the way to go and the quality of the results is quite good.