advice on taking one step further in my photography journy.

[sup3rm2n]

hi, i need some advice. i have been using a PnS Canon camera for 1 year now, and now i am wanting to take 1 more step further into digital photography. i have been thinking for a while to get a new camera to help me take that step further. after research and contemplating for a while, i have narrowed my choice down to these 2 cameras, one is Nikon D60 and Panasonic Lumix LX-3.

My "so called way" of photography is that i love to carry my camera around where ever i go and take photos of " beautiful" things i come across. Therefore after considering this few points -

a camera that has more potential to bring me further into the photography world. The D60, i feel will have more control over the setting of the pictures, as u will use a inter-changeable lens, but it is heavy, and it requires more maintenance. The LX-3, from the picture it can take from the Panasonic section, looks beautiful, thou i have nv treated it first hand.

Please advise, i am confuse as the price for both the camera is around the same and it is within my budget.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CS TAN]

Actually both D60 and LX-3 are able to satisfy your need. D60 will have additional cost associated with it when you start looking at lens options other than the kit lens. LX-3 is small enough for what you want to do - carry it everywhere you go and be ready to take beautiful things when you see it.

Not knowing your expectation on the image quality, I really cannot give you a recommendation. LX-3's sensor will be smaller than D60 so perhaps if IQ and weight are both your criteria, you might have to weight aganist each other and make the necessary compromise.

 

[ortega]

so the real question is....

are you ready for a DSLR?
it is big and heavy, not so easy to bring around with you where ever you go

but hor, i bring mine almost everywhere

 

[daredevil123]

Ya, a lot of brothers and sisters here are very hardcore one. Will bring their entire DSLR kit and equipment whereever they go. That is dedication man... it's a cult!

But that aside, LX3 sounds more like a more logical choice. Thing is, certain tricks like DoF is harder to achieve on LX3. So it really comes down to what you are looking for, in terms of your "next step". Or you can just get both.

 

[gradesm]

Alternatively you your look at the olympus E420. The smallest DSLR around...

 

[xylestesins]

Don't know what your budget is like, but to be offer a more "reasonable" choice would be a Epson rd-1s/x rangefinder. Rangefinder optics are superb and the rangefinder is a great machine to be brought around everyday without much complaints, if any at all.

It will probably cost around double of what you're ready to pay for with the D60 but satisfaction is almost guaranteed if you like taking photos on-the-go. With this camera, you'll be unlikely to lose interest in photography. Sounds like a gimmick? If you think about it, many people give up the interest because they find the dslr something they can't pack into their bags everyday and have to find a specific time/day to take the camera out for use. It's not hard to understand that most of us would sell something we underuse. Personally, if i were to keep only a dslr, not that i would quit photography but i guess it's not something i'll be able to relate to everyday.

Rangefinders are something you can probably slip into your everyday-carry bag. Me, i'm a student and not willing to carry around my dslr daily. My Rangefinder is perfect for carrying around and i love it. For many other office workers, the dslr is not something you may want to bring back and forth in a slim office-pack/briefcase, but the RF might fit

If i had to sell all my cameras and choose only one format, i'd definitely run with the rangefinders. :thumbsup:

 

[agape01]

actually cameras and lenses are just tools and will not really help your photography further.

To get ahead, learn more about exposure.