fav DSLR under $3k

[tropicalrips 0]

i'm actually trying to decide between the E-1 & 20D

the other choices will help cover what others think of the camera

 

with the E-1, i'm familar with its menu system (similar to my C8080) labels on the controls plus i hav external flash & batt that can also be used on it.

the price of the E-1 now is very close to the 20D whcih is why i'm considering the later as well, the 20D is probably the closest u can get to a true "pro" DSLR camera like the 1Ds without the big bucks

but the E-1 has a metal body and its weather proof, together with USB 2.0 + fire-wire connection (not to mention ultra-sonic CCD cleaner) which can only be found on the high end DSLR camera of the other brands

 

E-1 5.0mp Vs 20D 8mp together with all the above pros and cons of the 2 camera makes it hard to choose

 

with my current budget of $3000, the D70 will leave me with enough $$$ for extra lens and maybe a flash, plus i can join the "SGH D70 club" (current total members 2) so this is also a good contender as well

 

the 7D is the dark horse of the 4 choices, i hav not seen or feel the camera yet, but it looks good on paper and the price is within the budget

 

my heart is with the Olympus E-1 cause i like the color tone that Olympus cameras produce and judging from the test shots that i took with the E300 evolt (same 4/3 system) the E-1 should not be worse then the E300

Edited February 17, 2005 by tropicalrips

[Blues 0]

canon 20D....

I would have loved to recommend the fuji S3pro too but too bad it's 500 over your budget

and .. oh yes if you can wait.. the digital XT will be released soon.. specs is pretty close to 20D , replacing the 300D's place. That's if you don't mind the different 'feel'

And what about the upcoming Nikon 'D200' ? hrm..

so many to choose haha

[idkfa 0]

D70! It's either Canon or Nikon isn't it?

I heard lotsa local pro photographers swopping their nikons for the canons recently.

But for the money, I'll go for the D70 cos it's just a scaled down version of the D100.

But then, really do you need that a good one?

I rather spend more on lens then on the body.

Get a good tripod + a super head.

 

Don't waste too much dough on the body.

[N@Z 0]

I assume that you are familiar with manual controls, would like to get a far better improvement over your OLY 8080 & don't have any qualms about each brand's different user interface & looks hence I voted for the 20D. Also because it is capable of producing really amazing photos in the hands of a good photographer. Your budget allows you to (I prefer to be able to buy the body & at least one kit lens initially rather than getting the whole accessories in one go. Accessories you can buy anytime later).

 

D70 is good if your a beginner like myself who want to try out full manual control or want a good spare/backup DSLR. Beautiful build. It has that 'Club' feel to it because it's bang for the buck hence many people tend to choose it. I wasn't too worried about that.

 

E1 & Minolta for me are the 2 dark horses. My main concern (due to my locale) is servicability, back-up & accessory choices. Also, I haven't seen & tired out the 2. The E1 doesn't Look like a 'real' DSLR either unless you don't mind that. Personally, I like the tactile feel & look of a typical DSLR. Believe me if you you're going to live with the camera for how many years & you have a niggle with it's looks you will never be satisfied after that irrespective of how capable the camera is. Plus sbased on your test shots I don't like the skin tone colour produced on the E1.

 

Unlike me, you have the privilige of being able to test out these cameras before you buy so since you've already tried out the E1 & D70, try out the D7 & 20D. Only then will you fully satisfy yourself. Forget about the MP count (unless you intend to print out huge photos), they will produce sharp images regardless. It about finding the camera that suits your intended use, results expected, ease of use & suits your budget.

[Q00 0]

For dslr's mp's can almost be irrevelant. The E1 is a good camera but ultimately its an ageing one. High iso shots (above 400) are very very noisy and quite possibly worse than yer c8080. I think its really a toss up between yer preferences the E300 or the 20D. I dont think you will like the D70 out of the box because you will need to get to get used to the underexposed nature of the cam. If you really want to get more lenses, U may want to get a 350D (digital rebel2). The annoucement and specs just came out yesterday and its very much, or almost the same as the 20D! The extra cash comes in very handy. Give yourself somemore time and really play with the camera's. U will then know which camera is you preference.

[Blues 0]

Actually I think the D70 is not a scaled down version of d100... granted the d100 is more to cover the medium range of nikon's dslr and d70 is for the entry level but the technology on the d70 is superior by at least 1-2 years. The d100 though, has a superior body.

[Firefox 0]

E1 & Minolta for me are the 2 dark horses. My main concern (due to my locale) is servicability, back-up & accessory choices. Also, I haven't seen & tired out the 2. The E1 doesn't Look like a 'real' DSLR either unless you don't mind that. Personally, I like the tactile feel & look of a typical DSLR. Believe me if you you're going to live with the camera for how many years & you have a niggle with it's looks you will never be satisfied after that irrespective of how capable the camera is. Plus sbased on your test shots I don't like the skin tone colour produced on the E1.

Actually, they have/ will have lense support. Panasonic is ditching Leica for the 4/3 system. They're going to release a 4/3 DSLR in 2006 together with Olympus and Fuji (looks like they're dumping Nikon too). With an electronics giant backing the 4/3 system, I don't think there will be a lack of support for the system. The 4/3 system also makes the camera more lightweight as an advantage.

 

The Dynax 7D can use the same lenses as the Maxxum/ Dynax film SLR cameras so there's no lack of lenses as this series is fairly mature. In fact, the Dynax 7D is basically a Dynax 7 film SLR with an anti-shake CCD built-in instead of 35mm film.

[tropicalrips 0]

thanks for the input guys

i hav made my choice bought it this morning before going to work, i got myself the Nikon D70

 

here's my reasons for the choice

the E-1 i felt was not value for money, it has a lot of nice features that only high end cameras hav but it still feels like its a "boutique" camera, for Olympus i'll stick to the smaller pocket size digicams, still too early for their DSLR

 

the EOS 20D may be within my budget, has features that can out shine the E-1...i felt this was too much camera for me since this is my first DSLR, although i shoot in manual mode on my C8080 its still not a DSLR, i want to enjoy the shooting and not worry too much with setting the camera just right.

 

the 7D like what N@Z & me both agreed, is a dark horse...so i don't want to be the "guinea pig"

 

in the end the D70 came out on top, with the extra $$$ (about $1k) that i saved from the budget, i'll be able to get the add-ons for the camera i'm very happy with the performance of the D70, it was everything that i had expected, the menu was actually easier to learn then those on the Olympus, i had figure out how to shoot in manual mode in just 1/2 hr after charging the batt.

i was a little dissapointed with the built-in flash of the camera, this is probably the only thing that the D70 lost out to the E300, good thing i still hav left over budget for an external flash .

i bought the D70 from Alan Photo in SLS, i hav also ask him for price on a telephoto lens, 70-300mm ED Nikkor was $500+ , but theres a cheaper version that cost $200+ i think this is without the ED elements.

 

one more thing...blues & N@Z, do u guys know what is the little piece of plastic for in the picture below? i hav not read the manual yet

[Blues 0]

rubber eyepiece. If you were to store your camera for a long time you put that to protect the optical viewfinder from dust etc. How does it feel to hold the D70 and hearing the tzzaakkk sound? shiok isn't it

and yeah welcome to the 'd70 club;

[N@Z 0]

Congratulations! Welcome fellow Nikonian! Hehehe!

 

If you mean that little bit at the bottom right, it's the DK-5 optical eyepiece cap.

 

With that extra $1K you saved, get the Speedlight & spare battery & extra CF card.

[Blues 0]

ps N@z does your D70 come in the same box as tropical's too? the black one aka kit set?

Coz mine is a separate... it's actually 2 box.. one gold for d70 and the other smaller box for the lens. From what I gather, some shops do that coz they run out of the 'kit set' stock.. but ultimately at the same pricing

[N@Z 0]

Whoops beat me to it.

 

If I recall correctly, it's for preventing stray light from coming through the viewfinder when shooting long exposures.

[N@Z 0]

Yep, I got the same box as 'rips.

 

Oh yeah, I finally decided not to get VR lens... my present photographic skills does not justify it at the moment. I might consider the Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8D (cheaper non IF version) as I'd rather get a Nikkor lens than anything else.

[tropicalrips 0]

the "tzzaakkk...tzzaakkk" sound is very shiok

i already hav a 1 gb card for my c808, so i'll use that on the D70

for spare batt, i'll use the included CR2 adaptor and ask my supplier to "sponsor" me 3 CR2 batts

more important add-ons will be the speedlight & a circular polarizer, i'll most likely adds these next month and the tele-photo lens the following month

 

how much is the VR lens? the one i saw today i think was the 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED AF Zoom-Nikkor

 

below is a shot i took in my shop this morning, i must say the D70 perform better then the E300 out of the box, or at least it was easier to get a good shot, this was taken using manual mode no flash, the white balance was much better compared to the Olympus cause my shop has warm light which fools most cameras (including C8080 & E300) and makes the pictures turn out very orange

[Blues 0]

The power of Nikon's 3D matrix metering

one look and I knew something was amiss with your E300's shots.. most of them the WB looks off and colours don't appeal to me.. well at least now u've got the real deal!

let me know if u are going to go down town tomorrow to shoot the chingay festival.. I will probably be going as well

Edited February 18, 2005 by Blues