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bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I'm fairly new to photography. Right now I just take shots with my Nikon Coolpix L3 for fun. But I want to get serious and start selling here. Can anyone recommend a good camera around $1000 (preferably lower) that produces good enough pictures for stock?

scott5797 · Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 658

With that budget you can't go wrong with any of the big name manufacturers. I recommend a DSLR for more user control. I have a Nikon D70 which for me works great and feels comfortable in my hands.

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I found a D70 and D70s. What's the difference between the two?

photonut1978 · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 542 Location: New York

Not much, alot of what is in the D70s can be DL with the latest firmware upgrade in the D70. I believe the LCD on the D70s is bigger as well.

shiffman · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 8:59 am

The difference is that the D70S is the later, upgraded version of the original D70. You should also look at the D50. It's missing some higher end features from the D70, but nothing that will keep you from getting great pictures. And it has a few improvements as well.

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I don't know about the small viewfinder and no depth-of-field preview on the D50. I would like a large viewfinder. I'm not entirely sure what DOF preview is. But I do know DOF.

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I've decided on a Nikon. Which should I get, D50 with AF-S DX 18-55mm lens for $700 or D70 with AF-S 18-70mm lens for $1000?

Bmaintz · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:22 am

WHOA..... Did you look at the Canon 20D, great camera & low noise at high ISOs.....

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I don't want to pay over $1000 for a camera right now. I think the D50 would be a good choice for me since it has a good price and good performance.

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I found at Costco what looked like a good deal. D50 with carrying case, 256 MB memory card, 28-80 mm lens, 70-300 mm lens for $800. About $100 over the regular price. But I want to know if each of the lens alone is better than the 18-55 mm that comes with the D50 elsewhere.

jab · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Norway

Any new DSLR sold today has a good image sensor that can produce images with great quality. So the lens is probably the most important factor for image quality. I have tried some cheap sigma and tamron lenses and they usally all have abberation or bleeding to some degree. I have the 10.5mm DX fisheye, the 18-70mm DX and just got the new 18-200mm DX VR-II lens. In my experience all Nikkor DX lenses are great for semipro usage and worth the extra money.

alcodesign · Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 26

I agree with what jab said. Get a basic DSLR, like a D50, and save your money for some good lenses. You can't go wrong with a high-quality Nikon DX series lens. By the way, as per Nikon's home page, they will be coming out with a new 10.2MP DSLR in a few days. My guess is that it will be around the $1000 price point since the ad says "passionate photo enthusiasts" as opposed to something like "to meet the demands of the pros." Even if you are not interested in such a camera, its introduction will likely drive down prices of cameras like the D50 and the D70S. The deal you found at Costco seems pretty decent. My only concern would be if you wanted to get an extended warranty. I'm not sure if Costco offers one or what it covers compared to stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. Either way, good luck choosing a camera!

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL

I heard about the new Nikon. I'm going to get my D50 when the new one comes out. I want a decent DSLR for the best price I can get.

htjostheim · Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1286 Location: Norway

I see mostly Nicon cameras mentioned here. Have you considered Canon EOS 350D. 8mp. I'm very satisfied with mine.

And there's always retail cameras. You can get very good used cameras cheep.

I bought mine retail. Was barely used.

bonkboy90 · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Chicago, IL