Whatever you do, don't ask a Nikon / Sony / Pentax SLR owner, "Whats the best Canon Digital SLR camera I should buy?". Camera enthusiasts tend to be incredibly brand loyal, and will argue endlessly over why their particular brand is the best of all time . . . and will always be . . . forever and forever amen! Someone who owns several brand name cameras, and therefore owes his / her allegiance to no one brand would probably be a better person to ask. For first time SLR owners, Canon makes one of the best selling and most critically reviewed entry level SLR cameras ever. I would of course be referring to the Canon Digital Rebel XTi digital SLR camera (~$650). Its predecessor being the Canon Digital Rebel XT (still available ~$450), and it's successor (recently announced but not yet available), the Canon Digital Rebel XSi (~$800?). If you've never owned a SLR camera before, and are a little nervous about taking the plunge, you really can't go wrong with any model from the Canon Rebel lineup. For anyone with a somewhat larger budget, the Canon EOS 30D, or the Canon EOS 40D both make excellent choices. Better kit lenses, less image noise, and a nicer LCD are just of the few features you'll find. More controls are nice however, as the potential for artistic expression is greatly increased. Full frame, means that you have an image sensor (CCD), that corresponds with the old 35mm film SLR cameras. To some, full frame is the holy grail of digital photography. Initially this technology was only available for 2 or 3 times the $2000 current price of the 5D.
A. Why Not Buy A Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera?
Will a better camera ensure that you take better pictures? The short answer is of course "yes". The slightly longer answer is of course equally obvious "it depends". I like the long answer myself, as the inevitable follow up debate is far more interesting. Perhaps though what you should be asking is, "Will buying a Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera ensure I take better pictures?". Of course you already know "it depends" is the answer. I depends on several things. First of all, what's your photographic history? If all you've ever taken pictures with are simple point and shoot cameras, then you better be committed to learning. The EOS 40D has a myriad array of features and quirks you'll need to understand. Coming from a point and shoot world, most users would think there's something wrong with the camera. In reality, that's just the way SLR cameras are designed. It basically means you need to use the viewfinder, which shows you the truest representation of your image before you press the shutter button.
Buying the latest and greatest camera can be both a slippery and expensive slope. I've heard from one EOS 40D owner, who really grew to hate his 40D simply because it couldn't compare with the color reproduction of another SLR camera that cost almost $700 more.
B. Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera
A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is one of the most popular cameras amongst photographers today. These cameras not only provide high quality images but the photographer can also largely control how he wants the final product to look like. Hence, people who are extremely fond of clicking pictures have a great time while using a SLR camera. The SLR is not cheap at all. Nowadays however, in order to make the SLR available to a larger number of photographers, companies such as Canon and Nikon have come up with SLRs falling in the price range of around $1000 without extra lenses.
What is it that attracts people to an SLR ? One of the main reasons is that an SLR produces pictures which are of much higher quality than point-and-shoot cameras. The contrast and color are extremely good since the lenses used in an SLR are of very good quality. The better the glass the better the photo, it worked in the film days and it still works in the digital age. The camera is important but don’t skimp on the lens.
The photographer can change the lenses in an SLR, depending upon the shot that he/she plans to take. For example, a wide angle lens is used to take pictures of landscapes such as animals in the wild while telephoto lenses help to take extremely detailed pictures of small objects. Today some of the manufacturers have started building in image stabilization to their lenses. This really helps when taking long focal length images. In addition to the above, the creative opportunity available to the photographer is much more in a SLR than a regular camera. This is because of the fact that a SLR has a lower contrast and image sharpening features. Since a SLR is comparitvely more expensive than other digital cameras, it is very important that you get yourself a proper insurance for the camera. Especially if you plan to travel a lot with your SLR, insurance is extremely important. And also make sure that damage protection does form a part of the insurance deal as some insurance policies do not provide it.
A. Why Not Buy A Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera?
Will a better camera ensure that you take better pictures? The short answer is of course "yes". The slightly longer answer is of course equally obvious "it depends". I like the long answer myself, as the inevitable follow up debate is far more interesting. Perhaps though what you should be asking is, "Will buying a Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR Camera ensure I take better pictures?". Of course you already know "it depends" is the answer. I depends on several things. First of all, what's your photographic history? If all you've ever taken pictures with are simple point and shoot cameras, then you better be committed to learning. The EOS 40D has a myriad array of features and quirks you'll need to understand. Coming from a point and shoot world, most users would think there's something wrong with the camera. In reality, that's just the way SLR cameras are designed. It basically means you need to use the viewfinder, which shows you the truest representation of your image before you press the shutter button.
Buying the latest and greatest camera can be both a slippery and expensive slope. I've heard from one EOS 40D owner, who really grew to hate his 40D simply because it couldn't compare with the color reproduction of another SLR camera that cost almost $700 more.
B. Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera
A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is one of the most popular cameras amongst photographers today. These cameras not only provide high quality images but the photographer can also largely control how he wants the final product to look like. Hence, people who are extremely fond of clicking pictures have a great time while using a SLR camera. The SLR is not cheap at all. Nowadays however, in order to make the SLR available to a larger number of photographers, companies such as Canon and Nikon have come up with SLRs falling in the price range of around $1000 without extra lenses.
What is it that attracts people to an SLR ? One of the main reasons is that an SLR produces pictures which are of much higher quality than point-and-shoot cameras. The contrast and color are extremely good since the lenses used in an SLR are of very good quality. The better the glass the better the photo, it worked in the film days and it still works in the digital age. The camera is important but don’t skimp on the lens.
The photographer can change the lenses in an SLR, depending upon the shot that he/she plans to take. For example, a wide angle lens is used to take pictures of landscapes such as animals in the wild while telephoto lenses help to take extremely detailed pictures of small objects. Today some of the manufacturers have started building in image stabilization to their lenses. This really helps when taking long focal length images. In addition to the above, the creative opportunity available to the photographer is much more in a SLR than a regular camera. This is because of the fact that a SLR has a lower contrast and image sharpening features. Since a SLR is comparitvely more expensive than other digital cameras, it is very important that you get yourself a proper insurance for the camera. Especially if you plan to travel a lot with your SLR, insurance is extremely important. And also make sure that damage protection does form a part of the insurance deal as some insurance policies do not provide it.
