1000D vs. D3000 for newbie

iDenTiTy said:
This is going to sound super ghey...

Coming from an ancient Sony DSC snap cam thing, how does one hold a SLR?
It feels weird using one hand to hold and push the button, where does the other one go?
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photography.jpg


:)
 
O wow I am also trying to decide between the two and it seems as though I am in the exact same boat as you. I have been to every single shop in Durban and on every photography website, I've spoken to guys with a canon that recon the canon is better and I've spoken to guys with a nikon that say that the nikon is better. I am at the point where a very good deal with sway my decision.
 
The thing is..

I felt both the Canon and Nikon, but I find the Nikon much more 'welcoming'. Just felt better (to me).

I'm just waiting for a special to come along.. difficult as my birthday is next weekend, but payday is a week later...
 
iDenTiTy said:
The thing is..

I felt both the Canon and Nikon, but I find the Nikon much more 'welcoming'. Just felt better (to me).

I'm just waiting for a special to come along.. difficult as my birthday is next weekend, but payday is a week later...
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D3000 definitely feels better than the 1000D, ergonomics and build quality. I really think in your case it comes down to this. I also much prefer the wheel placement on the Nikon, too, which you use to change shutter speed and aperture, among other things.

I would look out for the D3000 twin lens combo, goes for R6999 IIRC and comes with the 18-55 VR and 55-200VR - which will most likely be the next lens you want, and you get about R500 off in the twin lens deal.
 
I think at the moment, my price really tops out at R 5500.00.
I think getting started is the best course. If I feel, later on, that I would like to experiment with more exotic shots etc. then I would get another lens.

But I'm only starting out now, so I should focus on taking better shots. Baby steps..
 
iDenTiTy said:
I think at the moment, my price really tops out at R 5500.00.
I think getting started is the best course. If I feel, later on, that I would like to experiment with more exotic shots etc. then I would get another lens.

But I'm only starting out now, so I should focus on taking better shots. Baby steps..
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If you want to consider easy HDR look for a camera that offers AEB now. In the nikon range that would be the D5000 (and up) or any of the Canons.
 
Angellus said:
You hold the camera and the lens. But you let the lens rest in your hand which allows you to tuck in your elbow and rest in on your chest to steady your shot even further.

Quickly googled to get you an example.

http://dphotoa.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/my-take-on-the-grip/



The first image shows exactly how not to hold a camera and teh 2nd shows how to do it properly :P
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Wow, thanks alot.

I have one niggling thought..

My cellphone takes really crappy pictures when I'm out and about with friends.

I fear that carrying around an SLR, would be too much hassle..

Would a super zoom be an okay trade off? Since I'm starting out.. surely a super zoom would suffice..

I mean, I can always upgrade to an SLR if I find that the (then) current cam is insufficient?

What is your take?
 
Tiny sensors mean more noise. A point and shoot won't give you nearly the same IQ in low light.
 
Yeah. If I'm traveling light I'll take one of my 400Ds. I do have an excellent aP&S but unless I'm wearing cargo pants it doesn't fit comfortably in my pocket.

I got the P&S long after my 400d thinking I'd use it all the time but the IQ was so much poorer it didn't happen.
 
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bwana said:
Yeah. If I'm traveling light I'll take one of my 400Ds. I do have an excellent aP&S but unless I'm wearing cargo pants it doesn't fit comfortably in my pocket.

I got the P&S long after my 400d thinking I'd use it all the time but the IQ was so much poorer it didn't happen.
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Okay.

I suppose I can leave it in the car, then bring the boy out to play when I think it's right..

I just HATE the delay on a P&S between the button click and the shot taken.. It irritates me like nothing else.

I recon, for crappy fun photos, my phone will do - but when I would like to take memorable shots, the cam will do fine..

Bwana, what carry bag do you use for the 400d?
 
iDenTiTy said:
Bwana, what carry bag do you use for the 400d?
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Generally the 400D on its own doesnt rate a bag, A body (any of them) with some glass, a flash, and the usual sundries gets put in this (r79 from Mr Price + some foam).

I dont like camera bags if I can avoid them. Announcing to the world that you have a bag full of expensive gear is never advisable regardless of where you are.
 
iDenTiTy said:
You mean hold the lens?
Doesn't that put strain on the mount point?
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When you have a big lens (such as the Sigma 50-500 which weighs about 2kg), you don't want to be carrying its weight by picking up the camera (especially if you have an entry level camera weighing 500g). You rather carry the lens and use it to hold the weight of the camera. Here a Sigma 300-800 (weighing about 6kg), with several converters, carrying the weight of a 20d.

Of course, you'll never use the camera to carry the weight of this 16 kg beast.

Out of habit, I usually pick up the camera/lens combo by the lens, unless its a short lens (or the 18-55 kit lens).
 
I did the D3000 vs 1000D comparison in December and chose the Nikon, thinking that the Guide Mode would be a great way to teach a noob about SLR photography. It helped me for about 2 weeks and then I stopped using it altogether. I love the D3000 immensely and from sites like Flickr, it's clearly a very good camera which takes fanatastic photos. If you take photography a bit more seriously though, then you might actually appreciate LiveView and AEB. Those aren't the main uses for the camera, so neither are show-stoppers for me.

That said, I wouldn't buy the 1000D, but rather the 450D. So if your budget simply won't allow the 450D and you aren't too sold on the Canon brand, then I'd go for the D3000.

On the bag side, I used a similar bag to bwana's for a bit, but really missed a backpack, so I opted for a Lowepro and just feel safer. On the lens front, I got the twin lens bundle and I really love using both the 18-55mm and the 55-200mm lenses (for macro and longer zoom respectively). You will want a zoom really soon, once you've played around a bit, I almost guarantee this. Basically, I'd save up the extra 1,500 and get the twin lens bundle.

Then there are the other extras, like a good SD card, an extra battery and a tripod. All have been of value, assuming you use the camera often.
 
Auto exposure bracketing.
 
iDenTiTy said:
You mean like the bracket on the top for a flash?
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Takes different photos at different exposures, at the same time. Then you can combine the photos together in what is called HDR photography to create vivid colours and surreal look.
 
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