# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Photography >  Which camera..

## Bowlshot

Any ideas? Don't be shy now?

  I'm in the market for a new camera and don't know what to get. I see some picture on here that are amazing and I would love to get a camera that can do that. My budget is $800. I should also add In that this will be my first real camera. The one I've been using is the Nikon coolpix and it does it's job but nowhere near as good as the pics I've seen on here. I hope that with my budget I can get something nice. So please guys any help on which one to get would be greatly appreciated. 


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## TheSnakeGeek

i got the canon t3i as my first "real" camera a couple months ago and i LOVE it. $600 plus tax for the body and the kit lens.

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## Boorne

For $800 I'd look into a high-end point and shoot over an slr; like the Canon G1 X or the G16 You'll save money and the optics are just as good if not better than the consumer level SLR Lenses.  Unless you want to upgrade and purchase more lenses and turn photography into a long term hobby, save your money. Also if Carl Zeiss is anywhere on the lens glass it's a top quality lens.

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## DooLittle

Canon t3i here.  Absolutely in love with it.  Gorgeous pictures.

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## Libby

When I finally upgraded to a good camera several years ago, I did a lot of research and went with a Canon Rebel xsi, which was one of Consumer Reports' picks at the time. I paid about $600. The camera is still quite a bit smarter than I am, but I love the photos I get with it. Strongly recommend it or one of the newer ones in the Rebel series.

Edit: I took my profile pic over there on the left with it.

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## sunshinenorcas

Nikons tend to produce vivid colors in-camera, Canon's are more muted. However, I tend to like editing my pictures in post, and I would rather deal with muted colors which I way I tend to like Canon (plus I grew up on Canon's, so the controls are the same... no learning curve!)

With DSLR's, you will ALWAYS invest more in glass then you will in the body so be prepared for that. The Rebel series are a solid starting out point to find out if you are 'into' DSLR photography, and if you do get into it, you can sell the body and keep the lenses (just be aware that if you upgrade to a full frame that EF-S lenses will not fit it. EF mount lenses fit ALL Canons DSLR's.  Pretty sure Nikon has a similar thing, but I don't use Nikons so I honestly have no idea  :Sad:  )

I have a 650D/t4i and love that thing to death. But the 600 (t3i) and 550 (t2i) are still very solid cameras and good entry points as well. I personally wanted the higher ISO (12800 vs 6400) so I went with that model. You can change the aperature with lenses, but you are stuck with the bodies capability for ISO... and personally, I've been in situations where with lower lighting a higher ISO would make or break it. The touch screen is also a plus  :Smile:  

The t3 is also a good little camera and is 349 on amazon with an 18-55mm lens. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Rebel-T3.../dp/B004J3Y9U6

And also, I'd suggest the canon 40mm pancake. It's 149 (with amazon prime, but about that price at the shops), and it's pretty much replaced my kit 18-55. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-40mm-2-8...n+40mm+pancake It's SO SMALL and light, and it's a great walk around and portrait lens. I've used it with Tali with a lot of success. Higher aperture (2.8)=less depth of field, so it's good for isolating subjects. Right now, I use it and my kit 55-250mm lens (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-55-250mm...+-+250+mm+lens) most of the time for my work. Between those three, that's a good and relatively inexpensive-in the grand scheme of photography- entry point to see if its for you or not. 

It's hard to say 'THIS IS THE BEST CAMERA EVER GET IT' because honestly, most entry level cameras are on similar tiers and you can get great results... if you can use them. I know people who have older equipment then me and are SO MUCH better because they can use it, and I know people who have better equipment then me and I'm better because of poor composition or settings. You really want to learn how to use manual for these guys, or at least start out using the semi-manual (Aperture priority- you pick aperture, camera picks shutter and ISO and Shutter priority- you pick shutter, camera picks aperture and ISO) to be able to get great results. Plus having good glass always helps  :Smile:  Learning manual isn't super hard- there are lots of good tutorials!- but it does take time to get it innately so you know how to compensate for lighting and your subject, and what you are trying to achieve.

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## reptileexperts

Used Canon 60D or a new SL1 by canon (400-600 USD body only) add in a Canon Refurbished or used 100mm F2.8 Macro USM lens, and you will be very happy day in and day out. Don't invest in a nice body to start and learn with. The tXi (x=3,4,5) series all have the same Image quality, just different feature set. Some have slightly better ISO handling, but for the most part they are literally all the same sensors. Heck, the 18 mp sensor in the t3i is the same sensor in the 7D! but the 7D has weather sealing and is a lightning fast body with a lot more bells and whistles. But as far as IQ (image quality) goes they are nearly identical in the right hands. 

If you want to go with nikon  . . . .

Go with the D5100 or D3200, both can be found new / used for under or at 500 USD, then add on a sigma 105mm Macro lens for 400. Or the nikon macro 60mm F2.8 for under 300 off ebay. This combo will also give you outstanding results! 

I use www.bhphoto.com almost exclusively. 

Final thoughts . . . 

Nikons flash system is worlds above canons . . . Nikons ISO use to be king, and still is, but only on their highest end bodies. 
Canon is fast, from camera operations to frames per second. They also produce slightly better color tones in skin (and scales) where as nikon just has too much contrast even set at 0 for my flavor. Canons exposure system is GREAT on their high end bodies, and alright on their low end stuff 

Nikon's white balance system is an RGB system looking at all three colors . . . Canon. . . is only 2.  . . so auto white balance (which doesnt matter in raw) will almost always be more consistent on a nikon than canon (my canons changed white balance during a 10 shot burst! but there is a technical reason for that . . .

A point and shoot will never beat a DSLR, even the lowest end body that is a current model from Nikon or Canon will outshoot the highest end point and shoot from these same companies. 

Dont waste money on a kit lens - buy one piece of proper glass and run with it. 

Don't want to believe any of this - that's fine. I shot Nikon for 4 years, and have shot canon now for 3 years and am in love with Canon, even with a Nikon D600 at my disposal I still prefer my Canon 5D Mark II or pro 1D Mark III ;-) 

www.pbase.com/codyconway <-- examples

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henryp (11-01-2013)

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## reptileexperts

> I have a 650D/t4i and love that thing to death. But the 600 (t3i) and 550 (t2i) are still very solid cameras and good entry points as well. I personally wanted the higher ISO (12800 vs 6400) so I went with that model. You can change the aperature with lenses, but you are stuck with the bodies capability for ISO... .


Not entirely true with the models you are referring to. The tXi series cameras, usually have the same sensor, but with an updated processor (Digic 3,4,5 (latest)). The ISO capabilities are technically the same, but the body allows you to increase it a stop in camera. If you were to take a t3i and shoot at ISO 1600 F4 exp 1/250 underexposed by 1 stop . .. and then take the the t5i and shoot at ISO 3200 F4 exp 1/250 (proper exposure) on the exact same image. Then go into post production (lightroom, photoshop, whatever else) and use the "exposure" tool to increase by 1 stop of light. Then ZOOM into the pixels in the shadows, or highlites, and compare the noise of the two cameras, it will be the exact same, and the image will look nearly identical. So even though your t5i can shoot 3200 or 6400 natively, you can still shoot at 1600 and increase 1 or 2 stops to get to 3200 or 6400 in post, and the noise levels produced will / should be identical based on the sensors technology. 

Confusing eh?

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## henryp

> I use www.bhphoto.com almost exclusively.


Thank you. Kind of you to say so and very gratifying.

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## Adamrhh

I have a t4i and love it. That combo with a 50mm is good.

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## Dev_DeCoste

> Nikons tend to produce vivid colors in-camera, Canon's are more muted. However, I tend to like editing my pictures in post, and I would rather deal with muted colors which I way I tend to like Canon (plus I grew up on Canon's, so the controls are the same... no learning curve!)
> 
> With DSLR's, you will ALWAYS invest more in glass then you will in the body so be prepared for that. The Rebel series are a solid starting out point to find out if you are 'into' DSLR photography, and if you do get into it, you can sell the body and keep the lenses (just be aware that if you upgrade to a full frame that EF-S lenses will not fit it. EF mount lenses fit ALL Canons DSLR's.  Pretty sure Nikon has a similar thing, but I don't use Nikons so I honestly have no idea  )
> 
> I have a 650D/t4i and love that thing to death. But the 600 (t3i) and 550 (t2i) are still very solid cameras and good entry points as well. I personally wanted the higher ISO (12800 vs 6400) so I went with that model. You can change the aperature with lenses, but you are stuck with the bodies capability for ISO... and personally, I've been in situations where with lower lighting a higher ISO would make or break it. The touch screen is also a plus  
> 
> The t3 is also a good little camera and is 349 on amazon with an 18-55mm lens. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Rebel-T3.../dp/B004J3Y9U6
> 
> And also, I'd suggest the canon 40mm pancake. It's 149 (with amazon prime, but about that price at the shops), and it's pretty much replaced my kit 18-55. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-40mm-2-8...n+40mm+pancake It's SO SMALL and light, and it's a great walk around and portrait lens. I've used it with Tali with a lot of success. Higher aperture (2.8)=less depth of field, so it's good for isolating subjects. Right now, I use it and my kit 55-250mm lens (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-55-250mm...+-+250+mm+lens) most of the time for my work. Between those three, that's a good and relatively inexpensive-in the grand scheme of photography- entry point to see if its for you or not. 
> ...



+1 I use a Canon Rebel XSi (450D). I love it but I will say that a Nikon will get you better low-lighting shots. However, the biggest thing to remember is that glass is what matters most, hardly the camera. Unless you're shooting for big design firms or ad agency's, 12MP will be more than enough resolution for you. The real money is in the glass. For snakes in particular you'll want a fast lens. Faster lenses typically are fixed focal length lenses, not zooms. Also, typically, the lower the f stop the camera is rated at, the faster the lens is as well.

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## alykoz

I would go for the canon t3i or possibly a newer model if there is one? I have a canon t1 rebel and I love it but it doesn't take videos which came out right after I got it haha. I did get it at eBay for a good price tho, they were going for 500 retail and I got it for 400. 


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## reptileexperts

> I would go for the canon t3i or possibly a newer model if there is one? I have a canon t1 and I love it but it doesn't take videos which came out right after I got it haha. I did get it at eBay for a good price tho, they were going for 500 retail and I got it for 400. 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


t5i is the current, which is currently on replacement by the Rebel SL1 which amazon had on special yesterday for 369 with free overnight shipping :-)

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_alykoz_ (12-21-2013)

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