Recommend entry level DSLR

[tech_oasis]

I am a noob P&S photographer but wife is suddenly into photography and wants to purchase a DSLR.

Will use camera mainly for:
- Potrait shots (we have a baby now)
- Wants "back ground" faded effect ;p

Currently I'm looking at the Sony A230/330 or perhaps a used one of the same series.

Will the 18~55 lens be sufficient for my needs. is there a need for the 55~200 or 70~300 lens?

Sony shop claim they will tive 8GB, carry case, battery and tripod whole retail shops won't for the promo price of 899. True or ...?

Need advice.

Thanks

 

[ricleo]

if its to shoot a baby, any one of the entry level dslrs from canon/nikon/sony paired with a cheap but good 50mm F1.8 lens will be good.

thte 18-55 kit lens is a slow lens at 55mm at F5.6 (lets in very little light), and will not get you the blur background as easily as the 50mm prime lens

 

[Galdor]

Hello...welcome.

The Sony A230 is the most basic entry level cam from Sony which retails at $600+ only from the shops. You also have the option to purchase the extended warranty and get a 50mm f1.8 lens for free. The 50mm lens will be good enough for portrait shots with blur background.

However, do note that the Sony A230's grip is rather small. It will be more suitable for ladies, students or guys with smaller hands. Do try them out at the shops first.

 

[android17]

As mentioned, if u r planning to get A230/A330, do get the additional 2 yrs extended warranty (making total warranty to 39 months). The extended warranty cost $230 for A230 and $250 for A330, and comes with a free 50mm f1.8 lens (retail price of this lens is $219, so in actual fact the warranty for additional 2 yrs is just $11-31 only!). The warranty given by Sony is excellent. Besides repair and servicing works, it covers everything from camera body to lenses, and also covers cleaning of camera sensors and lenses, calibration of lens etc.

The free 50mm f1.8 lens is extreme sharp, great for portrait shots and it gives a wonderful bokeh (the blurred background).

The last time i checked with shops, the A330 + lens cost $800. Not sure what are the freebies they giving for $800, so u might wanna check with the shops themselves. Then u can decide if the freebies by the shop is worth it, or sony's official price of $899 with freebies is worth it. Really depends on what the shop gives...

And do register the warranty online. You will receive a complimentary DSLR course conducted by Sony

PS: if u are mostly taking portraits / landscape, u probably wont require the 200mm or 300mms lenses. Recommend u to just get the kit lens + 50mm lens 1st, and in future if u really need a long focal length, then just buy a 2nd hand lens to use. Alot of people selling 55-200mm and 75-300mm anyway, so shouldnt be hard to find.

 

[tech_oasis]

Thanks for the advice.

Seems like the F50 F1.8 lens is a must have for me. Nood qn but what is 200/300 mm lens for?

Mention covers cleaning and calibration, does it mean I can just bring in the camera to Sony service center as and when I like Read a few threads seems like getting from Sony shop is the way to go

 

[Reportage]

might want to look at this, http://forums.vr-zone.com/chit-chat...ots-santa-village-gifts-electronics-fair.html

Sony also opened shop but they had no brochures.

For the price range of the A330, might want to consider the Pentax KX as well...

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Thanks for the advice.

Seems like the F50 F1.8 lens is a must have for me. Nood qn but what is 200/300 mm lens for?

Mention covers cleaning and calibration, does it mean I can just bring in the camera to Sony service center as and when I like Read a few threads seems like getting from Sony shop is the way to go

Getting from Sony shop would be quite expensive, wouldn't it?
They'll likely be selling it at the RRP.
Usually the freebies aren't so attractive once you start using them. Things like free tripod or cleaning kit are pretty crap. I regretted getting my camera with such a bundle.

Much better to get the basic camera + lens + warranty at the cheapest price possible.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

.
.
Nood qn but what is 200/300 mm lens for?
.
.

For taking photos of distant objects, or maybe zooming in to your baby's head from across the room hahaha rather unnecessary (and expensive) for your intended use.

 

[nysheng]

have u considered a prosumer camera? like canon g11 or panasonic lx-3, etc...

a dslr is expensive to maintain (i.e u will need to get stuff like dry cabinet, probably filters, etc..)
are u willing to invest in these stuff?

 

[Octarine]

Seems like the F50 F1.8 lens is a must have for me. Nood qn but what is 200/300 mm lens for?

There is not "must have" - only that you should have at least one lens cause body alone cannot take pictures.
50mm prime lenses are recommended for portrait pictures because of their specs and quality. Read up about aperture / Depth of Field to understand this. But that doesn't mean all other lenses cannot be used. Define your scope / purpose, then take the right piece of glass - that's the advantage of SLR.
200/300mm offer a smaller Field of View - in laymen terms the object comes closer / you zoom into the picture. But it's not limited to distant objects. People also use 200mm for near objects or even portraits. Read up about perspective as a result of different focal length.

 

[Galdor]

Thanks for the advice.

Seems like the F50 F1.8 lens is a must have for me. Nood qn but what is 200/300 mm lens for?

Mention covers cleaning and calibration, does it mean I can just bring in the camera to Sony service center as and when I like Read a few threads seems like getting from Sony shop is the way to go

The 50mm is not a must have lens but rather cheap and useful lens especially when you want to shoot in low light condition. Do read up a bit on aperture size and depth of field first, otherwise, you would think how come the pictures taken by this lens is not sharp, etc.

Sony Style shops will usually sell at RR which is much higher than the reputable shops. You may wish to get a quote from MS Color or Cathay Photo for a better deal. You can do a search on the net for their addresses and contact details.

Hope you'll get your cam soon.

 

[tech_oasis]

Why DSLR ... I will no argue with a lady who has made up her mind

Seems like it comes with a 18~55 default and if I'm going to take potrait thought I just get the F50 with warrenty

Sony shop is the only one that offer extended warrenty right? I heard stories about those provided by HN and Best so ...

 

[nysheng]

Why DSLR ... I will no argue with a lady who has made up her mind

Seems like it comes with a 18~55 default and if I'm going to take potrait thought I just get the F50 with warrenty

Sony shop is the only one that offer extended warrenty right? I heard stories about those provided by HN and Best so ...

both canon and sony has that promotion now.
as for the extended warranty..it's how u handle ur camera...
i've had my canon400D for abt..almost 3yrs now.. works fine..never had to bring it for servicing once.

 

[rgy1993]

ok so seeing as youre just taking happy snappys i think its probably best you stick to the major brands ie canon,nikon,sony.
the most budget models from them would be the canon 1000D, nikon D3000 and, as you mentioned, the sony a230.

each brand brings with it, its own pros and cons so to sum it up:

canon 1000d:
pros:
-great support from the canon service centre after you have bought your product. of course there are mixed opinions but down there they have always treated and fixed my gear 100%
-getting a canon allows opens the door to the massive range of canon lenses should you ever wish to take photography more seriously
-can't remember but if i'm not wrong there is a promo at the moment where you get the 50mm 1.8 lens for free when you buy a lower end canon model.
cons:
-the build on the body of a 1000D tends to be quite cr@ppy, since its their lowest end model.
-its quite a small camera so make sure you play around with it first before you dive into getting it.

nikon d3000
pros:
-gives you access to most of the nikon lenses available out there.
-inbuilt guide mode to help you take photos in different available lighting
cons:
-can't use all lenses since this body doesnt have the autofocus motor built in
-don't think theres any promos for free lenses at the moment

sony a230:
pros:
-has built in image stabilisation so you no longer need ot worry about IS in lenses.
-cheapest camera amongst the three
-currently sporting that promo for a 50 1.8 with extended warranty
cons:
-maybe its just me, but the bodys on a lot of sony's i've tried out are plasticky and a little tacky for me
-the body of the camera is freakin tiny, make sure you/your wife's hands are about the right size for it

the photos from each will honestly turn out pretty much the same,
its about how good the photographer is, but the decision of which tool to use for photography is up to you...

 

[blueayz]

Wait for the Sitex fair (26-29 Nov) to see what freebies or pwp (purchase-with-purchase) offers they might have. Also check out your friendly reliable camera stores like MS Color, Cathay and John 3:16 for the best prices.

I agree on the 50mm prime being a good buy especially if you want to capture your baby. I'd also recommend you get a cam with live-view for those baby-on-tummy or baby-in-cot shots.

And since I use a Sony, the perks are that their service centre is reliable, open after office hours, located centrally, and has more than enough lenses to meet your needs. New lenses are continually being added. More working photographers are also using Sony nowadays. The above shops mentioned can also provide the extended warranty offer. Do call to confirm. One con of Sony's DSLRs for new dads and mums is that they do not offer video recording at the moment. Might or might not be a must-have for you.

Check out this thread for the bokeh images from Sony/Konica Minolta lenses.
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=479460&page=29

Other camera brands also offer their own strenghts and weaknesses, like specialty lenses, video, cheap cameras, plasticky bodies, small grips, etc.

No matter which camera you choose, all can give beautiful images if used correctly.

 

[night86mare]

the photos from each will honestly turn out pretty much the same,
its about how good the photographer is, but the decision of which tool to use for photography is up to you...

that is true.

but if you want value for money, look at this thread:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607559

enough said.

 

[Octarine]

Sony shop is the only one that offer extended warrenty right? I heard stories about those provided by HN and Best so ...

Look carefully who provides the warranty finally. If you sign up with Canon then it's Canon Service Center for you. HN and others also offer extended warranty but then you must go to their shops / customer service centers, Canon will not honour this warranty. Read the fine print. Also, not sure whether you want to explain the issue to a HN customer service lady (who will send the camera to CSC) or to a Canon CSC staff directly

 

[jackzhangxiao]

Why DSLR ... I will no argue with a lady who has made up her mind

Seems like it comes with a 18~55 default and if I'm going to take potrait thought I just get the F50 with warrenty

Sony shop is the only one that offer extended warrenty right? I heard stories about those provided by HN and Best so ...

I agree. DSLR nowadays is not a must have one. those small DC now also can change lens. I even those can change sensor.

 

[daredevil123]

that is true.

but if you want value for money, look at this thread:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607559

enough said.

The K-x is kicking serious butt! And it comes in so many colors!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Octarine]

The K-x is kicking serious butt! And it comes in so many colors!!! :thumbsup:

Just wondering when we will see DSLR with changeable covers so that one can change the colours according shooting location or topic
Entirely white for weddings, black for night photography or serious customers (professional look), orange for sunset / sunrise, camouflage for birding (saves all the gaffer tape), gaudy for Cosplay shootings ... - just the lenses in classic black will stick out :bsmilie: