Camera Question
- Thread starter rsp
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Great camera - body only will be around $1300. If you are going to house this thing expect housing & bits to be around $1700 at least to start.
Just bought one myself
If you don't need the extra buffer and 5fps you might also look at the 350D Rebel - sweet little camera (too small for some)...it was a real toss up for me and all the reviews have been pretty positive. Have a look around and compare the features to your needs to see which one works better. The Rebel is a heck of a lot cheaper!
Just bought one myself
If you don't need the extra buffer and 5fps you might also look at the 350D Rebel - sweet little camera (too small for some)...it was a real toss up for me and all the reviews have been pretty positive. Have a look around and compare the features to your needs to see which one works better. The Rebel is a heck of a lot cheaper!
RonFrank
Contributor
Posted twice...
RonFrank
Contributor
rsp:
You don't really have the budget for a 20D. A new body with a Kit Lens is about $1400. The housing is going to run you $1500 with a port. You are now officially $1000 over budget, and IMO the kit lens is very junky even if it may produce reasonable results the thing is so light and plactic that I just don't see it lasting under any but very light and pampered use.
I would highly recommend the Nikon D70. It's feature packed, and a LOT less expensive vs. the 20D. It has a slower frame rate, but aside from that it competes rather well with the 20D. Don't let the higher mpix count drive the decision. 6 vs. 8 mpix in a DSLR is about a 10% increase. The 20D does perform a bit better in the High ISO area.
However one can get the D70 for under $1000 with the kit lens (IMO Nikons kit lens is much more robust vs. Canon's).
Rocha
Registered
I agree with Ron, there is no way you will be able to get a 20D with housing for less than $3500. If you are really into Canon, another option is the dRebel 350D which has the same resolution of the 20D (8mp) and costs about the same as the D70.
EDIT: Ops, just saw that Alcina already suggested that!
EDIT: Ops, just saw that Alcina already suggested that!
Overall, $2000 is not going to cut it as far as dSLR is concerned. Unless your $2000 budget is for camera only (not including various lenses, ports, housing, strobes). Nikon D70s or Canon 20D/350XT is a good place to start. When housing becomes available, may be Nikon D50 as well. Olympus 300E may seem a bit cheaper but its lenses especially wide angle one is incredibly expensive and the macro line up is still not quite there yet.
RonFrank
Contributor
Fantasea makes a housing for the D70 this is under $1000, and includes a port for the kit lens. So for $2000 you can in fact come CLOSE to getting the D70, a reasonable usable lens (18-70mm I believe) and a housing with a port.
Now here is the kicker... You need something to haul all this stuff in. I'd plan on $200, maybe more. You need at LEAST a 1 gig card... another $90, maybe less. You really want a strobe... There are some available for under $300, but $250 is about minimum. You will want a second battery. I'd look at aftermarket batteries as they are a fraction of the cost of the Nikon branded batteries, and most manufactures don't actually manufacture their batteries in any event. More, how about a good UV filter for the lens as protection, a sensor cleaning kit of some type, upgraded memory for the computer, a lens pen, or lens cleaning kit, photo quality printer, ink (expensive as all ELL), paper, the list can become daunting. Not trying to bum you out or anything, but don't kid yourself, getting into photography with a digital SLR especially UW is NOT inexpensive even if the bodies run under a grand. And even if you get EVERYTHING on my list above, you still only have one low end lens.
Unfortunately this is why so many of us who already own DSLR's and love photography opt for PnS solutions UW. I would have loved to put my D1x in a housing, but for 5K, hmmm. When we move to FL (which we have plans to do in the future) then I'll be diving enough to justify shoving a DLSR in a housing. For now, my S70 is providing memories, and getting me comfortable with UW shooting.
Now here is the kicker... You need something to haul all this stuff in. I'd plan on $200, maybe more. You need at LEAST a 1 gig card... another $90, maybe less. You really want a strobe... There are some available for under $300, but $250 is about minimum. You will want a second battery. I'd look at aftermarket batteries as they are a fraction of the cost of the Nikon branded batteries, and most manufactures don't actually manufacture their batteries in any event. More, how about a good UV filter for the lens as protection, a sensor cleaning kit of some type, upgraded memory for the computer, a lens pen, or lens cleaning kit, photo quality printer, ink (expensive as all ELL), paper, the list can become daunting. Not trying to bum you out or anything, but don't kid yourself, getting into photography with a digital SLR especially UW is NOT inexpensive even if the bodies run under a grand. And even if you get EVERYTHING on my list above, you still only have one low end lens.
Unfortunately this is why so many of us who already own DSLR's and love photography opt for PnS solutions UW. I would have loved to put my D1x in a housing, but for 5K, hmmm. When we move to FL (which we have plans to do in the future) then I'll be diving enough to justify shoving a DLSR in a housing. For now, my S70 is providing memories, and getting me comfortable with UW shooting.
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