Recommned mE a body.

[Veng]

I'm an amature, I'll always be an amature. I'd just like to take clear macro shots of my corals. Nothing supper amazing, but I don't wnat it to look like it came off a cell phone. Something I can capture in rawr and run the engine later. I can look and see the Canon 400$ Rebel w/ lense kit. And honestly, I've used a Reblel Ti1 and it seemed to do just fine for a lot of what I wanted to do. I wished it you focus a little closer, but outside of that I don't have anything that I really want for the price budget I'm looking at. What do I get for stepping from the 400$ budget into the 1000$ budget combo kist?

[Lawnman]

Recommend your body? You drunk?

 

Title needs a little love buddy.

[shaner014]

Drunk or not. I am in this boat too. Gonna see what pops up.

[metrokat]

[eddiecorrea]

T3i. I bought one for myself. My wife stole it and loves it. It turns out really good pictures. And I learned I don't have the patience to take them. So she does. haha

[Acielot]

I'm an amature, I'll always be an amature. I'd just like to take clear macro shots of my corals. Nothing super amazing, but I don't want it to look like it came off a cell phone. Something I can capture in RAW and run the engine later. I can look and see the Canon $400 Rebel w/ lense kit. And honestly, I've used a Rebel Ti1 and it seemed to do just fine for a lot of what I wanted to do. I wished it would focus a little closer, but outside of that I don't have anything that I really want for the budget I'm looking at. What do I get for stepping from the $400 budget into the $1000 budget combo kit?

I think I cleaned up the drunk a little bit. I still don't understand the title though.

 

 

 

I'm no photo expert but by any means if the $400 one works for you then why jump up to the $1000 one? A little skill development and it should work just as well.

[TheWAND]

I say go for the rebel kit if you just want to get closer. Keep the kit lens for walk around shooting and buy a 100mm 2.8 macro for shooting close-ups.

[Bishop]

I say go for the rebel kit if you just want to get closer. Keep the kit lens for walk around shooting and buy a 100mm 2.8 macro for shooting close-ups.

 

I'll second this. Lenses control image quality and Bodies control performance. If you are on a budget and image quality is more important that performance (such as how many frames per second you can shoot at) then save money at the body side and spend it at the lens side. If shooting high speed sports for instance, you may be needing the performance more than the image quality.

 

Lenses I most recommend: Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 and Canon 100mm 2.8 macro.

 

Method for cheating to get higher quality tank shots: Overhead flash and post process for color. Although not always great for coral, a speedlite goes a long way for image clarity and sharpness.

[Hexadron]

I use a Canon T2i and it has been nothing but great.

 

Really any DSLR body above 10Mega Pixels is fine; it's really the lenses and the man behind the lens that make the shot! Go where the deals are!

[danimal1211]

I have a t2i as well. I purchased macro filters and have been practicing a bit and am surprised with the results. You can also rent macro lenses online and unless you're going to be taking those type of photos regularly it makes sense to just rent.

[ZX6Reefer]

If you already know someone into photography buy the same make as them. I'm kicking myself for going Nikon when I know someone with $$$$ loads of Canon lenses I could borrow. Oops...

[Veng]

So should I lean more towards the 18-135 or the 18-55 lens kit? My gut says the 135 would be much more versatile and isn't much more $$$ relatively speaking. Odds are I'll ever only buy the kit lens and a macro lens.

[Hexadron]

I have the 18-55 and it is good. If you don't mind spending the extra, the 18-135 would give you more diveristy in what you can do with your shots.

 

ZX6Reefer had very good advice as well!

 

Always wait for a sale too! That's my advice. I ended up waiting about 4 months to get mine, and saved about $200 and got a free camera bag too!

[shaner014]

Always wait for a sale too! That's my advice. I ended up waiting about 4 months to get mine, and saved about $200 and got a free camera bag too!

 

Spoken like a true Canadian.

 

Haha Black Friday is a ways away. Any other times of the year to score a camera deal?

[ZX6Reefer]

Or buy a refurb

 

Boom

[Hexadron]

Spoken like a true Canadian. Haha Black Friday is a ways away. Any other times of the year to score a camera deal?

 

LOL. Well the taxes are too damn high!! Actually they aren't where I am, but prices are too damn high!!

 

I just go to the major stores, Best Buy, Futureshop, BHPhoto etc.. and do the "wait and see" approach. They pretty much just put them on sale whenever, and switch between brands, bodies and kits.

 

If you're okay with used, you can score very good deals too. Refurb is always nice as well as ZX6 mentioned.

[Roam]

I have a Nikon d3200 that I love, it is cheap and a great camera. I have owned a d7000 and found it nice as well for a bit more money. Honestly, for the money get an older d3100, they are cheap and shoot higher ISO really well.

 

The price range that you have you are safe with either a Canon or Nikon. The kit lenses on both are fine, I love the very close minimum focus distance on the 18-55. Don't forget about the little nifty 50's I use an older version on my Nikon and have great results on static items in nature.