What makes a DSLR camera good?

Euronymous

I would like to be a professional live concert photographer, and I'm looking for a nice DSLR camera, and I expect to buy a good lense for indoor live concert shooting.

I've been looking at all different cameras. Nikon D40, D60, D90, Canon XSI, and what I'm realizing is, it seems that what really makes the photographs great is the lense more then anything. All these camera bodies seem pretty much the same. So, my question is, should I buy a more affordable Nikon D40 or affordable Rebel, and spend the real money on the lenses?

Thank you so much for your help!

Answer
What makes a dSLR camera good?

The person using it.

Seriously - pretty much all of the dSLR cameras out there are really quite decent (all the current versions anyhow). Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus - they all make good gear - they all make some decent (often excellent) lenses (but they also make some stinkers), and they all now have relatively large sensors.

The real magic lies with the person using the camera - do they have an eye for photography, do they know how to set up the camera to capture what they want to show in their pictures etc...Sadly - this is the area I struggle with most - but am working on. It is rarely the camera's fault. Now when I was shooting film - I could blame the camera on occasion since I had no way of previewing what I had shot - but with digital - it's largely up to the operator to get the best out of the shot.

You are right though - the lens is one of the most critical aspects of the total system. Put a sub-par lens on a Canon 5DMkII and you will get lousy pictures. But similarly, put the best lens on the most expensive and full featured camera and hand it to someone with no real photographic vision and you will end up with perfectly focused, very high resolution pictures of something completely uninteresting and uninspiring.

Can I interchange Canon lenses betw/ my DSLR and Film SLR camera?

PDXMom3

I have two Canon Rebel SLR cameras. One is digital (about 2 1/2 years old) and the other is about 4 years old and is a film camera. I just realized that my 28-80 lens from my film camera seems to fit on my digital SLR. Is it okay to put it on there? Is there a reason why I should or should not? Thank you for any advice.
I'm trying to select the best answer but something is wrong -it's not letting me?!?!?

Answer
You certainly can use the lenses from your film camera on your digital. As long as they are an EOS mount lens. All Canon cameras and lenses from 1987 on will be EOS mount.

You can not however use the EFs lens that came with your digital SLR on your film camera. It would cause vignetting and could damage the mirror on your film camera. The EFs lenses are specifically designed for the crop sensor DSLR's.

Typically most people will only have one or two EFs lenses though. The 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera and maybe a 10-22mm wide angle lens. Most other lenses will be the EF lenses and will work on both film and digital.

Bottom line is you can use all EOS lenses on your digital both EF and EFs. On your film you can only use the EF lenses.

Hope this explains everything for you.

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Help with finding the right dslr camera lens?

Jackie

I'm looking into buying my first dslr camera but I'm kind of confused on what kind of lens to get. I'm looking for something with a really good zoom and I know for a point and shoot camera I'd want something that is over a 20x Zoom so what would this equal to for a dslr lens? I hope this makes sense, I don't know much about dslr cameras.

Answer
The most common kit lens is 18-55mm
which translates to 55/18 = 3.05x zoom

Nikon makes a 18-300mm, which translates to 16.67x zoom
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-300mm.htm

A 300mm fixed focus lens means 0x zoom
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/3004af.htm

You are looking at proper DSLR's & they dont operate the same way as point & shoots

Which lens should I buy for my first DSLR camera?

Q. I am going to buy my very first DSLR camera in a few months. It's probably going to be a Nikon D90 or D7000. Problem is, I absolutely have no idea about lenses! I would really appreciate it if you can help me out a bit.

Answer
Normally the standard lenses that come with the cameras are good for beginners.
My Dad brought his first DSLR a few years back and the standard lens has seen more use than both the wide-angle and telephoto lens he purchased too.
My ex also brought a D90 last year and has only ever used the standard lens, which is quite decent.

A 'Nifty-fifty' (a 50mm fixed focal lens) is often brought by beginners, you can get use to taking photographs without relying on the zoom on the lens. These can start reasonably cheaply, and go way into the hundreds for a good one with a low f. stop.

Depending on what you want to do with your camera a wide-angle lens can be useful, there are several companies that make lenses designed to fit to Nikons and Canons, and are often much cheaper than the manufacturers own lenses (though, they may not be as to such a high quality)

Telephoto zoom lenses are good if you are interested in wildlife photography, or photography in which you are going to be a long distance from the subject. However, for a decent one of these you are looking at several hundred pounds, going into the thousands if you require a top - end one.

I would suggest sticking to the basic camera lens at the beginning and see how your photographs turn out. If you realise you like taking more wide-angle shots, then perhaps try a wide-angle lens, and vice-versa for the telephoto.

There are lots of different lenses out there, so I'm sure you'll have lots of fun!!

There are also places where you can hire camera equipment, so it can sometimes to 'try before you buy'. If you borrow a lens for a weekend, and decide you don't like it, it is much cheaper than buying a new lens and then realising.

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