I need a DSLR...

[Leftseat86]

I would prefer the image to be slighty soft out of the camera then oversharpened by it.

-Clovis

[GrantT]

Ok i'm going to ask a real newbie question here. I've only been into photography for around a month now, anything i used before was either a disposable or something that cost about £30.

I don't really know a definative answer to this but why is a dSLR so much better than say, your own Oly?

Go easy now

[JeffinDEN]

Nice shot Clovis. Your right though. You don't need 6.x megapixels. Out of the 4 most recent Canon cameras (4 already?) I think the d30/d60 has the best output. May not be the case, but to my eye, there is something lacking in the last two releases.

[ikara]

think nikon

we have both the 10d and a nikon system in our house(my wife is a canon user and i have nikon D100 etc) so i can say i have used both. I am now of the opinon that the d100, for the price $2900 approx, gives you the best picture for your money. The nikon lenses especially the 80-400 vr and the 70-200vr are spectacular and built like the proverbial masonary dunny- same with the body for that matter. For those who are not commited to a system have a look at the d100

[indian airlines]

If you folks had to pick one camera, the choices being a 10D, D30, D60 and D100, which one would you pick and why?

Reason I'm asking is because I'm planning to buy a new camera this Christmas (of course, there are quite a few obstacles in my way. )

[Leftseat86]

I will be going Canon simply because I'm already pretty familiar with how they work, I've used them, and its cheaper (an important issue for me and my tiny income).

Jeff, I dunno if there really are any big differences D60/10D that make the D60 better, but I just like the build and the performance of the D30. Paulsen uses one, we are good friends, and he has had it for around 2 years now with now major problems that I've heard of. This taiwanese made 300D just doesnt sound right to me.
Even with half the megapixels, I'd rather have something solid and of great quality, then a plastic camera. The D30 is a solid, proffesionally built camera, and thats why I like it. Sharp images with the D30 can be cropped to 1600 pixels wide easily, and thats as wide as it goes at any of the online aiviation sites, more than enough for me...and I LOVE the clarity once again!
Besides, if I go for the D30, I'll have an extra 300$ to spend on nice glass Not much extra but it goes along way on my budget!

-Clovis

[JeffinDEN]

Clovis,
You are exactly right about the d30. I can't explain the difference between the d30/d60 and the 10d either. I just think there is something better in the output on the d30/d60. I have been shooting a Nikon for almost 10 years prior to getting the D100, so I felt very comfortable right away with it. I think Canon has an edge in output quality, but not by a margin that is not offset in other areas.

Tanuj, the best advice I can give you is to try and get your hands on one of each and "play" with it at the store. Figure out what your needs are in lenses as they are the big expense, not the camera. Plus, do you like to shoot stuff inside, or outside only....? Your looking at almost $3000 "out the door" if you are talking D100 or 10D, so you should make your decision based on your likes and dislikes, not what you see or hear on here.

The big advantage to 6.x megapixels, is in enlargements. I am routinely making 11"x14" and 13"x19" prints from my Nikon that will blow you away. I'm sure the Canon 6.x mp's will do the same. Although, I would imagine a RAW from a D30 will be just as nice.

[ckw]

Well I owned a D30 and currently have both the D60 & 10D.

In terms of sheer image quality, I think the D30 is perhaps the best of the 3 at 100 ISO. Silky smooth images, but of course limited to 3mp. The D60, while increasing to 6mp has lost a little of the "silkyness". Comparing the 10D to the D60 is tricky. Yes, the images out of the camera have a slightly different feel to them - but comparing similar images side by side on the screen, its hard to pin point what the difference is. I think slightly different tone curves give the D60 a warmer feel, while the 10D is slightly more neutral. Also I think the 10D images are slightly more "edgy" (more edge contrast?) - though not actually sharper.

This is at 100 ISO - as you go to the higher ISOs, the 10D shows a significant improvement to the D60 and D30.

As a tool, the 10D has a number of noticable advantages over the earlier models. The AF is signifcantly faster and more responsive. The metering is more accurate (but less forgiving). The camera is overall more responsive, and fits an extra frame in the buffer and uses a CF card more efficiently (about 15%). The LCD is better, and review mode much more useful.

Cheers,

Colin

[Leftseat86]

Colin, all I can say is that coming from a consumer digital 3.2 MP camera and trying the D30.... almost feels like I've gone from 2MP to 6!!

The resolutions out of my camera and the D30 are almost identical, yet the difference in the amount of noise is amazing! A sharp shot can be heavily cropped and still look great in the end. Case in point, the above image was taken at ISO 100 1/90th, with NON canon glass, and at 1600 pixels wide and cropped it still looks quite good imo, barring the lack of good lighting.

I will definitley be going for a D30 as it will suit my needs in terms of photography perfectly, and having a sharp lens is really where the money should go. I think the 75-300IS USM will do me fine to start. Still unsure about the IS, all my panning shots were non-IS and I have a pretty steady hand. Is it really worth the extra 200$?

-Clovis

[Rez Manzoori]

not really...

Hi Clovis,

First off, I can wholeheartedly recommend the D30. I got mine back in August and the only thing I'm regretting is not getting it sooner!

As for the lens... I have the 75-300 USM III non IS. I too thought long and hard about getting the IS version but from what I've been able to gather the IS onthis lens is not particularly well suited to what you and I want, i.e. the panning mode. For the static stuff, I bought a tripod!

Whilst I would dearly love to go out and drop a few grand on some 'L' glass, I think my next lens purchase will be a more modest Sigma 170-500 (possibly secondhand too), which again I've heard good things about.

Start applying the pressure to Jay now... you won't regret it!

Cheers!

Rez