And I've decided....
I might....
need one of those DSLR's all you pro bloggers have.
But not for blogging reasons.
Mostly for traveling reasons.
I've said it on here before and I'll say it again. Don't expect big things from me in the blogging photo department. I prefer to take my food pictures on my iPhone. It's much more discreet. I don't think I'll ever be the blogger who whips out her big ol' DSLR and starts snappin pictures in the middle of a sit down restaurant. Embarassing much? I'm a Shy Susan sometimes and I don't want the stares that come along with propping a DSLR stand up thingy outside of Chipotle to get some hipster shots of my second day outfit.
However, I DO want a fancy camera for special events. Like traveling, birthdays and other special occasions. I want to print my photos and have them come out clear. I want to really be able to capture the atmosphere of the moment. I mean yeah instagram can fool you into having that atmosphere but I want to be able to have large prints of memories I captured.
A special event could also be a blogging event. Because it's not embarassing to be a crazy photographer when you're with others who are doing the same. I gotta say though I wasn't the least bit embarassed when I showed up at the So Cal Blogger Event with my digital camera in its travel case...aka a mitten. Other bloggers were horrified.
I'm a creative person and I think I'd really enjoy taking my own photos when traveling.
I LOVE to travel and love having pictures to document that time.
So for all of you DSLR-ers, what did you look for in buying your camera?
Do you have any middle of the road suggestions?
I don't want a crappy camera but I don't need a crazy professional one either.
I may take a few classes so I'm comfortable using it but I don't want to spend more than $500-$800.
I have the Canon T3i and I love it! I started with a Canon Rebel and sold it to take this step up. I highly recommend that you take some of the Alt Summit classes if you aren't familiar with shooting in manual - they're super helpful and easy to follow!
ReplyDeleteThis is the camera I have - http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_rebel_t3i_18_55mm_is_ii_kit - it's only sale for $100 off at Best Buy right now!
Good luck!!
i asked a professional photographer friend what I should do and he said a Canon Rebel. He usues canon and loved it. I stated with a XSI and used it for a year and then moved up to a T1i. I really love the pics it takes. The price is good too.
ReplyDeleteI just got the Canon Rebel T2i and I absolutely love it. I did a bunch of research before and figured this was a good starter camera. It wasn't the newest model so it was a bit cheaper (which is a big plus, I'm pretty cheap). I'm not super professional, I don't aspire to be a wedding photographer, I just wanted some good, quality pictures for myself so this camera was a perfect fit!
ReplyDeleteahem...that "DSLR stand up thingy" is called a tripod. looks like you've got a long road in front of you. :)
ReplyDeleteI have a Nikon D3100. I think it's a good, reliable camera - easy to use, nothing too fancy. if you or someone you know has a Costco or Sam's membership, I think that would be a good place to start looking, just to see what they have. my camera came from Costco - it came with a big package of goodies, in addition to being $100 off its already low Costco price. score.
I have a Canon T1i, it's great and in your price range =) Also check out Amazon they always have REALLY good deals.
ReplyDeleteNow... where will you be traveling 2?
xoxo
I just bought a DSLR for the same reason! :) I got a Canon Rebel T2i and I LOVE IT! Best Buy had a deal where for $200 more, you could get two lenses. I think I paid $700 for everything! (memory card included!)
ReplyDeleteI have the Canon Rebel. I have always had Canons and love them. I would say though, if you aren't going to learn how to work the camera...then it's not worth it. Get a book or two or take a class or read tips online. Really learn how to use the camera! It is fun to practice and the best thing is it doesn't matter if you mess up 1 million times :).
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Canon T2i or T3i and maybe a second lens. I bought the body on Amazon with an 18-155mm lens instead of the stock lens and it is awesome. Costco usually has really good deals on the T2i package.
ReplyDeleteI have the Canon Rebel. I love it! We went on our honeymoon in April and wanted a new camera to take with us. I swore Europe wouldn't be captured on my BB camera. I didn't want anything crazy expensive and this was about $500 (Canadian) so not too bad. I do really want a telephoto lens as well but you'd probably have to buy that as a secondary lens no matter what camera you end up with. I think it's a great entry level camera :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
You just need an entry level DSLR. If you're not interested in professional pictures, you're seriously wasting money buying a more expensive, "better" camera when an entry level will do just fine (think Canon Rebel T1i or Nikon D3100). If you can find any Rebel Xt's or Xti's, check out used or refurbished ones. Lots of professionals start out with those and then use it as their backup camera when they upgrade, so you may be able to find a really good deal.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Gina though, you don't need a DSLR to take good photos if you're going to use Auto mode. A DSLR's main purpose is to be able to manipulate your light and shutter speed, white balance, etc. If you just want to have high quality pics, check out an upper end digital camera.
I bought a Nikon 3100 almost a year ago and I love it! I recently purchased a 50mm lens for it. I started out not knowing anything about DSLRs and picked up the Nikon 3100 and had no problems using it at all. I love it and would recommend it to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI use a Canon Rebel T1i and I absolutely love it! I think it's around $600 right now. We got ours at Costco and they had a good package with lenses too :-)
ReplyDeleteI have the Canon Rebel T2i and it is UH-mazing! I bought it as a package deal with another lens, and I payed 900 dollars. It was definitely worth the price. If you look at my most recent blog post you can see.
ReplyDeletehttp://itsmylife-brittany.blogspot.com/
I started off with the NIkon D3000 about two years ago. I much prefer Nikon over Canon. I, now have a more midrange/professional model, the D7000. I would check out snapsort.com It lets you compare cameras and tells you the advantages and disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteCanon Rebel!!
ReplyDelete