So, top of the line Point and Shoot or 'starter' DSLR?

i'm going to weigh in here with a suggestion that's been overlooked so far, maybe consider jumping into the pool with a used body and a good quality used zoom, there's actually a lot of not too old gear out there, on the market coutesy of people who just have to have the latest and greatest.several of my L grade lenses i have purchased used from a company based in atlanta,
www.keh.com

i have found them very honest and straightforward to deal with, their rating system is very honest, i've never made a dissatisfied transaction with them

addendum, quick search at keh finds the following canon gear, i only searched 1 brand because it's models i know
30d excellent + $569, kind of an old body, but a good starter

40d excellent $741, and this is one heck of a camera to start with

rebel xti, excellent, $449, great camera, for samples check out my phanfare site, med cruise album , all shots in that whole album were xti, better starter than 30d

these are body only prices, but these are all relatively new bodies, esp 40d
 
Re: So, top of the line Point and Shoot or 'starte

Thanks for that link Gary, I am always a little leary of buying used stuff, but I am glad to see that you have had good experiences with them.
 
I can back Gary's suggestion too; I've both bought and sold lenses and cameras with KEH. ; I bought my Minolta 50mm F1.7 there for $60, listed as good condition. ; I expected scuffs and scratches but good optics...I got a lens that looks nearly perfect. ; They are VERY conservative on their rating system, so you can trust that you'll get what they say, or even a little better.

They've got pretty fair deals for used lenses and bodies too, as far as used places go (of course you're going to get a little lowballed as they have to resell it...but it can save the hastle of trying to sell on your own to a private party).
 
Hey ArnyVee! ; Recognized you from WDB, and thought I'd gave my humble two cents worth. ; I'm pretty much in the same situation as you regarding camera choices. ; My daughter has the Canon SX10-IS, and it's a fantastic P&S. ; Canon's also just done a small upgrade to an SX20-IS. ; Just got back from WDW, and while my friend toted around a piece of luggage with all the DSLR equipment, I had a small bag, and with the SX10 only. ; The zoom is fantastic, has alot of neat features, a hotshoe, and one of my favorite things is the swivel LCD. ; I'm vertically challenged, and was able to hold the camera up high, and swivel the lens down so that I could get good shots over people's heads of the MNSSHP parade and Hallowishes. ; The SX20-IS sells for about $400. ; I have been debating this question but honestly can't afford all the accessories I know I'll want with a DSLR, and I do love just having the small bag. ; At lensmateonline.com, there are some accessories that can be purchased for the SX10 and SX20. ; Please, no offense, to all the DSLR lovers out there - I'd love to have one too - but these are just my thoughts as someone in the same situation as ArnyVee. ; Good luck in making the right decision.
;
 
Thanks folks!

Great stuff....love the info and will continue to do research. I'm going to try and get to Best Buy this week and hold a few of these bad boys in my hands and get the pros and cons list going :D
 
My 1.5 cents worth: Get a Canon G10 (or wait a week or so and get the soon-to-be-released G11). The G-series cameras have everything you need, including portability. They're just more FUN!
 
From B&H: Nikon D40 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-55mm Lens for $469.95 includes shipping. ; Use link to B&H at top of this page. ; Good starter kit if you go with dSLR.

I, however, feel you should consider getting the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight. ; Flash is not hard to learn and will come in handy for family events. ; My 2 cents. ; :)
 
Scott, that's a decent price. Is that lens a good one? Automatic?

There's also a refurbished one from B&H for $374.95. So, it's looking like I might be going that route :)
 
Re: So, top of the line Point and Shoot or 'starte

My "little" camera is a Canon A630. Not sure what the newer model is but it takes beautiful pictures (I think its 8 MP), has customizeable features and a screen that you can tilt on sunny days or turn around to take a picture of yourself :) Its not a compact P&S but definately smaller than a DSLR!

Good luck!
 
Okay, I did it! :D

I purchased my first "real" camera as there was a deal at B&H on a 'used' (in the box - rated 9+) D40 DSLR for $349.00 .... just couldn't pass it up. And, I picked up an extra card as well as an extra battery! :)

So, now I have to start looking at some possible bags to carry the camera in and a tripod. They were out of stock on the "official tripod of tmip", so I'll just have to wait a bit.

Thanks to everyone here for the great suggestions and comments...it really helped me tremendously in making the decision to purchase the camera. Now, I can take it on my "business" trips to Disney ;)
 
Welcome to the DSLR club. ; Now, say goodbye to your bank account and buy a few spare wallets because you're going to wear a few out. ; Now comes the quickening...sometimes known as LAS (Lens Acquisition Syndrome), or specifically to you, NAS (Nikon Acquisition Syndrome). ; And LAS/NAS never comes alone...it usually comes with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). ; This is where folks who buy entry-level or 'cheap' DSLRs discover that there really is no such thing as a cheap DSLR, because of these diseases that are part of the deal with the devil you made buying into one. ; You've already shown the first symptoms...looking for bags and tripods. ; Next, it's more lenses. ; Then, flash systems. ; Then, VR lenses. ; Then, only pro lenses. ; Then, your lenses are better than your camera, so upgrade the body. ; Then, upgrade to full frame. ; Then, replace crop lenses with full frame. ; Then, new camera bag because old one is too small. ; Then, bigger tripod as old one can't handle heavier lenses. ; Then...well you see where it goes. ; You're either rich enough to support the habit and end up with a wing of your house sectioned off for camera gear...or you end up homeless, wandering the street in a bathrobe clutching thousands of dollars of camera gear like The Jerk, mumbling about just one more thing you want.

:)
 
Geez, Justin. ; I've already bought two lenses and a body this year. ; Now you tell me I have to buy a bathrobe, too?

Congratulations on your purchase, Arny. ; I'm sure you'll love it. ; Spend the first week with the camera in one hand and the manual in the other.
 
"ArnyVee" said:
They were out of stock on the "official tripod of tmip", so I'll just have to wait a bit.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about the Luxi F, that won't be coming back in stock, because it's no longer made. ; The Luxi L has also been out of stock for a while I've noticed, so you might be better off buying from one of the sellers on Amazon or waiting until Velbon comes out with the next successor (if they do).
 
"WDWFigment" said:
If you're talking about the Luxi F, that won't be coming back in stock, because it's no longer made. ; The Luxi L has also been out of stock for a while I've noticed, so you might be better off buying from one of the sellers on Amazon or waiting until Velbon comes out with the next successor (if they do).
Click to expand...

Or wait until someone decides to sell theirs. ; ::)
 
LOL...thanks for the optimistic outlook Justin! :D

Thanks guys! I'm definitely excited to receive it and start to mess around with it. It should arrive around 10/26 based on the confirmation I received. So, we're still about a week away :)

As far as the tripod goes, I guess that I'll look on Amazon or somewhere else (unless there is another tripod that does the job as well) for it.

Any suggestions on bags? Remember, I only have the body and lens along with an extra battery and card at this point. But, I want room for expansion in the future ;)
 
Thank you sir! I watched the video on the actual eBay auction description and seems like it's a very good option for me. :)

I haven't used Bing.com yet, so I'll have to look into that.

Any other suggestions?
 
I bought a Slingshot over a year ago and never used it. ; I may have to give it a try now that I've seen that video.

I use a component system from Think Tank Photo. ; I have a camera bag, a flash bag and a lens bag which all attach to a belt, leaving my hands free.

Like buying a camera, picking a bag is a personal choice and you really need to handle them before making a decision.
 
Places like Best Buy and such have a limited supply I would imagine. Anywhere here in South Florida (for those that might know) that I should visit?
 
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