[RikWriter]

I have a 20D---recently upgraded from a 10D. If I had the money, I'd be shooting with a 1DsMKII...but that ain't likely barring a lottery win.

[Schellamo]

Thanks Jules....that link answered my next question too so you get double thanx

[wulinka]

Hi,
I am currently using a Konica Minolta Dimage Z2. I bought it 2 years ago to have a learning camara that allows both, taking snap shots with fully automatic settings, but also controling parameters myself once I would be ready to do that.
two years later now, I only ever take pictures with my manual settings for aperture and exposure. I never used the available A and S settings much. instead I did a lot of exposure / aperture series.
I like the Z2 because it has
- a wide zoom range (10x),
- a macro settting which, in my hands, gives decent pictures,
- the low range of sensitivity, starting with ISO50, which I use for most daytime pictures.

what puts me off a little is the fairly limited range of aperture (2.8 to 8) and the max. shutter speed of 1/1000s.

I feel ready for something "nicer" now, and have, in my wildest dreams, been wishing for a Canon Eos 5D, because it has the full frame sensor. realistically I am more likely to get an EOS 350D, which I read good things about, or something in a similar range.

So as I am still trying to find out what I want, this is a really cool forum!

[wulinka]

did I look at the dates of these postings before I posted mine....????

[shuttertalk]

That's cool... it's an ongoing thread.

[patch17]

finally got a Konica autoreflex T3 with a 40 f1.8 pancake lens! can't wait to try this baby out.

[Don Schaeffer]

I guess I'll go first.

I've got a Fujifilm S5000, and I chose to purchase it because (1) it offered the creative features (10x zoom, aperture priority, shutter priority) (2) it was within my budget, (3) I liked the SLR-like form factor, and (4) because it looked and felt so good!

What I would like to have in my kit though, is the Nikon D70 because I miss my film SLR and would love to have the flexibility, quality and convenience of digital.

Same comments--except mine is a Kodak 740. I sold and gave away my Canon point-and-shoots.

[shuttertalk]

Wow Don... just had one of those "did I write that" moments?

It's funny coz I now have a D50...

[wulinka]

so, say, after digesting all this information and getting over initial total confusion, I decided to go for the 350d, then
what lense/s do you recommend to get with it initially??

For the kind of pictures I've been taking so far, I haven't felt a great need for the most powerfull tele, it is rare that I use the full range even of my camera's 38-380mm. more often I like to use it's "macro" setting.

is there an "easy" answer?

[zedbra]

I have a Nikon D70s that I bought September 2005. It was a choice between that or the Canon 350D. I very nearly went for the Canon because of it's higher resolution and lower price. However, I read lots about how the Nikon was more solid and the lower resolution didn't, in reality, made a lot of difference. I also read how the Canon was quite small and not for people with large hands (such as myself!). So I found the extra 1 or 2 hundred quid and went for the Nikon. I did wonder about the Canon D20 as that was similar in specification to the Nikon but higher resolution, but that was stretching my financies too far.

Just to answer the other question at the start of this thread - If I had a choice of any camera, I'm not honestly sure what I'd choose. I'm very happy with the features on mine which I researched very well, and I don't feel it's lacking in anything I'd use apart from higher resolution. I'd like that mainly so that my photos where only a part of them have something worth keeping in, can cropped to that section and retain usable resolution. So something with the same features but 12MP or more would suit me nicely. Otherwise I think it can be over-kill to get extra features you'll never use. I'd rather spend the money on better lenses.

[photojazz]

Greetings new guy here! I have the amazing, remarkable, fabulous (Did I mention Award Winnng?) Nikon D50!
Cures all my photographic needs for now. D200 or the forthecoming D? are in my sights real soon!

[momshouse1959]

I have a Canon Powershot Pro 1; I bought it from a friend because I wanted the transition from the Point and Shoot to Pro. I love the quality of my pics with this 8MP camera. I've had a lot of fun learning the features and tricks for special effects. However there's a drawback, it has a slow buffer; I can't catch action shots when its needed like the point and shoot. I'm ready to try something better (as in buffer speed). My friend traded this camera out for a D2X! I've been looking around...Nikon D200 or Canon 20D or 30D. I really don't want anything lower than 8MP. I help my friend out with his professional business. I think the Powershot Pro 1 was a great Digital starter for both of us...It is a Great Camera for still photos and I have gotten lucky with some action shots. It certainly taught me well... I'm still looking...any suggestions?

[Pat]

I also have a PowerShot Pro1, bought it earlier this year, am hankering for something better after seeing some of the work on this forum, but which camera? - confusing for someone new to photography and unfamiliar with SLR's.

[NT73]

My first camera that I can remember was a little plastic pinhole camera which took roll film (1950 ish)

When I went in to the RAF I progressed to Leica, Rolleiflex, Speedgraphic, Robot/royal, and others I cannot remember. These were government cameras which we were loaned for a weekend (for instructional purposes),
We then processed our own films and printed them. I was not very good having more interest in girls.

Later in life when the novelty of girls had passed (abot 40 years) I bought a minolta underwater camera which took brilliant photos out of the water, and not too good under, compared with the throwaway ones.
A few years ago I lost it in the Canaries.
So I bought the little Fuji f420 after reading good reports on it. It is very small and slips in a shirt pocket taking up less room than my wallet.
Well I still use it, but wanted something with better reach so after a lot of reading bought the panasonic Lumix DMC FZ5 (small size light weight) and I really like it. I just cannot get the clarity that I want from it.
So after getting used to it I plumped for my other choice at the time the Canon 350d. (The 400d came out shortly after but it does not irk me one little bit. It has nothing I require.)
I have not regretted buying it one little bit. All I need is the expertise to use it correctly. I hope I live long enough
I bought the canon because 99% of the reviews said it was, (like the 50mm f1.8 lens) the best for the bucks.
I tried it in shops first a few times also.

[guerito]

Finally, I have arrived at a point where the camera I have is the camera I want to have: The Canon 1D Mark II N.

Why did I buy it? The feature list is too long to post here. The main reasons for me were the speed (8 frames per second) combined with the picture quality (usable shots in high ISO numbers). This is great for things in motion like flying birds, insects, sports and so on. The sensor is not a full frame but slightly larger than usual, it has a crop factor of 1.3 (the 350D has 1.6). The pixel count is the same as in the 350D (8 MP), that means the pixels are larger which is the reason for the high image quality. It doesn't count much for me, but this camera is also beautiful. And sturdy. As one reviewer put it, "the body seems to be carved from a block of solid unobtainium".

Where to go from here? I can imagine that, if I won the jackpot in a lottery, I might get me a Hasselblad H2D-39. Thirtynine megapixels, a sensor size of 36.7 x 49.0 mm and a raw file size, uncompressed, of 78 Megabytes... This camera comes for the price of a brand new car, and not a small one. Alas, it's rather unlikely that I win the jackpot, I'm not even playing the lotteries. I will just stay with my baby.

[Toad]

Congratulations on the new camera, G. With Irma getting the 5D, it looks like you guys should be nicely setup for a bit.

[Shahbaz Rehman]

Hello to all the res pected member of shuttertalk.

My name is Shahbaz and i am new here. I am a Admin officer in Educational institute and my passion become profession which is Photography.

I am using Nikon D100, digital SLR. any one like to share his / her experience with me .

thanks
shahbaz

[carmelitta]

I have a Canon EOS XTi digital SLR.... relatively new to me, as my daughter (a professional photog) talked me into it. I love it, am still learning about its features, and would welcome any advice you valued members might have for a newbie like me. I also have a Nikon Coolpix 4100, which I used while I was working for a local newspaper. It's like an extra appendage, I am so used to it. In fact, I had nicknamed it my "BC" for "bra cam", because I could carry it around in my undergarment to keep my hands free to take notes. Can't seem to manage that with my Canon, but as I am no longer with the newspaper, I guess it isn't necessary.

[EnglishBob]

I Recently upgraded to the same camera Carmelitta, from the previous 300D. Loving it so far.

[maheanuu]

I currently own 4 digital cameras and use 2 of them constantly. One, the Minolta Dimage7i is out on loan to my grandson as he is beginning to develop a keen interest in photography. One is a small point and shoot, and was given to me which I keep in the car as a "just in case" camera. The other two are my favorite units and I do all my serious learning/work with them. They are the Nikon D70 and the D200 and I have a back pack just for all my lenses. I own more old glass than the new auto focus ones, but I do keep my 18-200 AF VR on the D200 and usually the Kit Lens on the D70. I first moved up to the D70 as I didn't really like the capture speed or the noise levels in the Dimage, and love the way it performs. I bought the D200 last year, and after using it, I decided to change out the view screen for the Katz Eye Opti Brite screen and now I'm saving up my pennies to do the same for the D70...

As far as what I would like for a future camera, I would have to say that if I won the Lotto or had a very rich unknown relative who would leave me around 50K or so, I would sink the whole thing into a Hassleblad H3D along with and extra back and a gazillion lenses...

But in the meantime I have hanging on my wall here in my pit.... 2 Olympus OM10s, a Minolta Maxxum 3xi, and 2 vintage Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex medium format film cameras that are wonderful for portraits and landscapes.

Actually, I don't think that I need anything new right now, but if someone wants to contribute some old antique beast that is gathering dust in their attic... I wouldn't hesitate to try it out. I am still looking for a full frame 8 x 10 format turn of the century or earlier film plate camera that allows a person to shoot a building without getting the lean back effect that I get with the standard rigid focus plane cameras of today.

As I am an old codger, I probably will not want or need anything over what I have today, but only hope that I can be around long enough to see one of my progeny develop into a photographer and use this old chief's equipment to show the world the soul and culture of the Polynesians... Just a dream, but we all have them..

[mistik]

As for me - I'm happy owner of Nikon D40X
By popularity at TestFreaks my camera is on 2nd place: http://www.testfreaks.com/digital-cameras/
So there is no need for me to introduce this digital camera...
Nevertheless I'll do that coz I love my sweety cam

Nikon’s D40x is a digital SLR that weighs around 17.5 ounces. Its width is 5 inches, its depth is 2.5 inches and its height is 3.7 inches. It has a 10.2 megapixels for its resolution and its sensor resolution. Various shooting programs can be chosen like close-up, night portrait, children, portrait mode, landscape and sports mode. Special effects include monotone and black and white. It has color support and can do continuous shooting speed for three frames per second.

[Don Schaeffer]

Quoted below. I'm getting a near fisheye converter probably this week.

[Rabid Penguin]

Currently Sony A100 (as below), but going to upgrade to the A700 as soon as I can afford it.

[daknarr]

I'm currently still shooting a Canon 1D. Not mkII or s, but a 1D. I chose this camera because of the feel, the speed, and the durability of this camera. I'm now sold on the construction of the EOS 1, so my next will be a used 1Ds MkII...soon!

[Pippin Says]

I have: a Canon xti w/ 17-85. I waited a long time for quality and my price point to align.
Epson 3100z w/ a 2.0 lens. It's slower than molasses, but sharp. I got it because of the reviews of a wedding photographer.
Canon sd850, because of good reviews.
Canon sx100, because of a weak moment when I wanted a long zoom and couldn't get my hands on a Canon S5 IS.

I would like a Canon 50D, with some prime fast lenses and/or Lumix G1 system.

I'm new to forum and an enjoying the posts and reviews.