Digital SLR Camera

Updated on December 06, 2011
J.H. asks from Saint Paul, MN
11 answers

I am looking for a good SLR camera. It is time to upgrade! I take tons of pics of my kids and am interested in taking a photography class and get more serious about photos. Does anyone recommend a cretain brand? What to look for? What NOT to get? I don't want to spend a ton of money (less than $1,000) but want something that is pretty good quality. Thanks in advance!

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C.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

Both Canon & Nikon make good starter DSLR. If you intend on investing into a class and moving forward with photography, I suggest you get either one.

3 moms found this helpful

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S.H.

answers from Green Bay on

I just bought the Canon Rebel T2i on Saturday. I have a few friends that own the camera and love it! I got a great deal at Best Buy, I got the camera, regular lense, a 75-300 zoom lense, camera bag and SD card for $799. I can't wait to get it out today and figure it all out. Good luck with your decision!

1 mom found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I would recommend a canon rebel. I am a pro photographer and this is what I started out with. It's pretty easy to use and it's not as expensive

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D.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

I agree with the others that Canon is a great brand. The Rebel line is really good and I have several people that own them. I intended to buy one of those but ended up "buying up" a little to the Canon D60. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

The quality is exceptional, I love getting 5+ frames a second at times, and I bought a decent lens with it when I did. My 2-1/2 year old asked me on Thanksgiving if I wanted to see how fast she could run. So when I said yes, I took action shots of her running and they were incredible and she loved to see them. I absolutely love how the quality of the shots look and I can do videos as well.

I bought mine on Amazon and it was a few hundred dollars cheaper than any where else I looked. I got free shipping as well. Best purchase for a camera I have ever made.

Good luck.

D.

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

NIKON!! I have a NIkon and LOVE it and most people I know who take great pictures use a Nikon.

I've heard Cannon DSLR's are good also, but I'm not a fan of their point and shoots and it just gave me some hesitation towards the brand.

But really, you're okay with either of those. Go talk to the sales people, tell them what you want out of the camera, and they'll guide you in the right direction.

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S.F.

answers from Lincoln on

Highly recommend Canon Rebel cameras. I've had them for years and LOVE them. Easy to use, high quality, great photos and a variety of models to fit your needs and budget.

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H.N.

answers from Minneapolis on

I love my canon rebel 2ti We paid less than $800. It came with an additional lens and lens protector. It's easy to use for me and my husband has loves doing adjusting settings and all that fun stuff. I would recommend making sure the camera you get has an image stabilizer (that's the difference between the rebel 2t and the 2ti). I think we paid a little more to make sure we had that feature.

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J.F.

answers from Bloomington on

I just looked at these types of cameras as well. A friend who does photography suggested Canon Rebel xsi. She said it was the best there was for the money.

I also needed a point-and-shoot and decided to go that route for now, and get the Canon later.

I've been using a Nikon Coolpix and when I was looking at all the other point-and-shoots two weeks ago, I noticed that I don't like the menu options on a Nikon. I've had my Coolpix for over 2 years and still struggle with it....I've been using my Sony Powershoot for just over a week and it is so much easier. You kind of have to jump through a few hoops with the Nikon to get to the scenes selection and to delete multiple pictures... Just something for you to consider. :)

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S.C.

answers from New York on

We just got the Canon Rebel T3 a few months ago (our first venture into digital slr) and it has been fantastic and easy to use.

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

If you have a Costco membership they have the Nikon D3100 package for around 800. It comes with DVDs to show you some of the features and how to take great pictures and two lenses, a wide angle and a zoom. It is freaking amazing the pictures that camera takes. If you can frame it up the camera makes you look good. :)

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L.K.

answers from St. Louis on

I bought a Canon Rebel t2i around 6mos-a year ago. I love it, and the option to upgrade the camera, but keep the lenses, if I choose to. (But this is something you should be able to do with any DSLR.) I have definitely seen a difference between the pics I took with my old camera, and the pics I took when I first got my Rebel. I took a photography course to help me better learn to use the camera, and while I still have a long way to go, I can also see a big difference between the pics I took when I first got my DSLR, and the ones I took after taking the course. I definitely would recommend a photography course, whenever you get the DSLR you choose!

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