Which camera package

pgr11 · Jun 16, 2012

Not a camera guy but want something that will take good pics while we are on vacation and for our tank. Which kit seems the best. Help me out im lost
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...E7M_7?ie=UTF8&m=A3G19UOFL4CE7M&n=&s=&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...E7M_4?ie=UTF8&m=A3G19UOFL4CE7M&n=&s=&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...7M_10?ie=UTF8&m=A3G19UOFL4CE7M&n=&s=&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...7M_10?ie=UTF8&m=A3G19UOFL4CE7M&n=&s=&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...7M_10?ie=UTF8&m=A3G19UOFL4CE7M&n=&s=&v=glance

pgr11 · Jun 17, 2012

Any help??? I know we have some camera gurus around here

Shawn D · Jun 17, 2012

I'm more of a Nikon man myself. I have the D3100. Love it. For the tank there entry level micro lenses is great for the money. The aperture lenses is fun for other picture. I picked mine up at Nation Camera Exchange. Not sure if you have one near you, But they offer free classes with there SLR camera purchases, This is a big help if your new to SLR also.

mfdrookie516 · Jun 17, 2012

I wouldn't recommend any of those kits. They all include a bunch of unecessary crap with them. You don't want to use 32 gig cards, you want 8 gig max... even that is a bit more than you want to rely on, since cards to go bad and you don't want to risk losing 32 gigs of pictures at once, 8 gigs is bad enough. Filters (with the exception of very few like circular polarizers, neutral density, and a few others... but not cheap ones) aren't needed, and cheap filters generally end up causing image quality issues. The front glass on camera lenses is extremely durable, I've seen videos from an online lens rental company where they took a hammer and beat the daylights out of the front glass without even scratching it. Even scratches usually won't cause any real image quality issues.

I'm not sure what your price point is, but I'd look more in to something like one of these -

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera / 18-55mm IS II Lens 5169B003

Refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera / 18-55mm IS II Lens - Refurbished 5169B030AA - you could argue that this is a better deal, since this camera has been sent back to Canon with a problem, and they've run it through every test possible to make sure it's in tip top shape before sending back out. Only a small percentage of new cameras are tested like this.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera 5169B001 along with something like Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 Di LD-IF AF Zoom Lens for Canon AF09C700 which is a lens I have and love. A macro lens like this Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens, USA Warranty 4657A006 is also good for getting closeups of corals and fish. It also makes a fantastic portrait lens.

If you have any other specific needs or questions, that may help narrow down the best package for you.

pgr11 · Jun 17, 2012

Thanks for the input. So you prefer the t3i? Any particular reason for this over the t3? I want to stay around 700 for the time. I can alaway add lens later. Any other suggestions you might make on a good camera

mfdrookie516 · Jun 17, 2012

I guess it depends on what your primary use will be. I have a T3i and a 5D. I've found that when shooting macro, or any time that I need to crop down quite a bit, I lose a LOT of quality with the 5D, which is a 12.8 MP camera. The articulating screen on the T3i is also a very nice bonus. A T2i would be my next suggestion, though the price of the T3i should be coming down a bit with the announcement of the T4i recently. I can't recommend any others in that price range, as I have no familiarity with Nikon, Sony, etc... but do yourself a favor and go with Canon or Nikon, as lens availability with those two brands is much better than with the other brands.

Here's a pretty good comparison - Canon T3 vs T3i - Our Analysis

With your budget, I'd go for the refurb T3i kit and save up for a macro lens. The 18-55 isn't a terrible lens, and it does have IS which is pretty nice, though it's not a USM lens, so you'll be able to hear it focusing a bit more than you would on a USM lens. It's definitely not the best lens out there, but for the price, not bad at all. I think you'll definitely appreciate the T3i more than you would the T3.