nissisigner

Right now I have a Lumix DMC-FZ8, I am in the market for a new camera as this one is no longer available and I am interested in purchasing extra lenses. I was looking at the Cannon Rebel EOS T3, simply because cannon has a ton of lenses and accessories for their cameras. Are there any others that you may think I should look into?

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

check out Nikon olympus or pentax. My best advice is find a professional camera store (not wally world, sams best buy office depot). THe kind of place that a real photographer is behind the counter. go there handel different models and brands see what fits the best, has the most comfortable to you controls. Once you made a decision PLEASE BUY YOUR CAMERA FROM THE LOCAL STORE. yes you can save a little bit on the internet or discount houses. by buying from a camera store you are helping to maintain a local resource to have your photography questions answered correctly by a professional versus a discount store answered incorrectly by a minimum wage untrained drone. In addition the local camera store serves as a social gathering place for photographers like a barber shop or local cigar shop. good luck :thumbup:

Robert Loc: Round Rock, TX

Hello nissisigner,
I'm sorry I won't be much help to you on your question (P&S kind o guy) but was wondering how you liked the FZ8. My main workhorse is the FZ40 with a Sony NEX3 sidekick for low lights.

nissisigner

Thank you very much, great idea and I am all about helping the little guy stay in business.

nissisigner

I have really enjoyed my camera, I have posted some pictures that I have taken with the camera. I am mostly looking for a newer camera that if I have problems with it there will be parts and help available, plus I am really starting to get back into taking pictures and would like more lenses and the kptions are limited with the FZ8.

aaron Loc: brooklyn ny

what's wrong with the T3i? canon makes good stuff. just check consumers reports to see if its not so. also canon has great phone support and its free

DB Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

I love my Nikon D90 and lots of friends have other Nikons and Cannons... A pro I know says, pick a body then invest in the glass.... its more about the lenses than the camera itself...

Nikon D90

Nikon 18-55 Kit lens (came with the camera)

Nikon 50mm prime lens (no zoom YOU have to move your body closer or further away)

Sigma 70-200mm

SB700- Speedlight

Thats my equipment list at the moment... I absolutely love it and am learning how to use them better everyday...

JimH Loc: Western South Jersey, USA

While I tend to agree with sinatraman insofar as finding a good, reliable source of information, you can't always put blind trust in a local camera store either. They may or may not have a knowledgeable person behind the counter, they may also be pushing a particular brand of camera due to promotions, etc. What you may want to do is go to a camera store and test out their knowledge - for example, ask the counter help if s/he can tell you the difference between a GND and a Neutral Density filter. (It helps tremendously if you KNOW the answer ahead of time..lol)

Or ask them if "Image Stabilization" will help to freeze action. (Hint: NO. Image stabilization helps keep the camera/lens steady, not the subject. A wrong answer here is a big red flag, because it means the person is not especially knowledgeable about lenses.)

Buying local is of no use if you get bad or incorrect information. All you do then is perpetuate the ignorance.

pooterpa76 Loc: Lebanon, Pa.

everyone who has comented so far has given you excellent advice. it truly is difficult to make a bad choice as most of your higher end dslr's are all going to be pretty good.

liv2paddle Loc: Wall, NJ

I own the D90..its really great.have some third party lenses..which work well with it..highly recommend Nikon..like the new d7000 too.

robtekirsch Loc: Bergenfield, N.J.

Cannon Rebel is an excellant choice. Cannon's & Nikons are best. comes to personal choice. Research: what is your line of work? what do u plan to shoot? You cant rule out Olympus, Fuji either. Alot comes down to cost. I just picked up a NEW Nikon 14.0 megapixel L120. & I'm very happy with it. But I also have Nikon N70 & N80. My sister on the other hand shoot Cannon Rebel's & swears by it.

richard Loc: Mamaroneck, NY

Hi,
Do you find yourself using the 50mm prime lens mostly?

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I was in need of upgrading so I started researching on the internet. I read about Nikon & Canon and so forth. And then there was Sony. Hmmm... I read the reviews and specs on this one also. A pattern started to develop. All cameras in the same class have their pros and cons. And these ran in peaks and valleys. However, these peaks and valleys weren't very deep at all. One brand had this particular feature. That brand had a different feature and so on. I was fortunate enough to walk into a camera store that had all of the cameras that I was looking at. Pentax, Olympus, Sony, Canon and Nikon. I tried them all and they all had some neat features. Mind you, I did not make my decision all in one trip. I was about to spend a lot of money here and I wanted to make the right decision for my needs: not some one else's nor the sales clerks'. I stared leaning toward the Nikon and the Canon and believe it or not, the Nikon was winning. And then there was the Sony. I loved it! It did not have video ( I could care less ) while the others did. The lack of this feature did not phase me but I am sure that it was affecting Sony's sales. Sony has since come out with a nice one that has video so it can keep up with the competition. All of these cameras took great pictures. But the Sony offered a couple of features that I liked. I repeat - features that I liked. One can not get this kind of feel from mail order. You can't do it. Now then, I will admit that a big seller on the Sony to me, was the built in image stabilization ( in the body ) versus in the lens. This, I thought would save me some money because Sony lenses would be a couple of hundred dollars less than the other brand. Good thinking. Until, I realized that It is not the camera body one has but rather the quality of lens. And in Sony's case, the quality lens that I would like might as well be just as expensive as the others for it was several thousand dollars also. I work nights, I work in receiving, I am not rich. The build quality of the Sony was the same as the others so, it came down to price. The Sony was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper and they had some lenses on sale so I was able to get more bang with the buck. I am very happy with my Sony. Just look at my introduction pictures. These were all done with a kit lens. This was my story. Do your own homework, get a feel of a particular couple of cameras and pick one out that has features you like and at a price you can afford.

Randyb1969 Loc: Armpit of California

I have a Canon XTi and have been very happy with it. If you go Canon, I would go more for the T3i or the 60D rather than the T3. The T3 is less money, but from what I've read, it looks like a pretty big step backwards. As for brand, they all seem to have their features that make them stand out. Nikon has better low light sensitivity, so if you like taking low light pics using a lot of natural lighting, they are a good bet. Canon has the best video quality. If you like shooting video, Canon is hands down the favorite. Sony has Image Stabilization built into the body, so you save on lens cost. Nikon, Sony and Pentax all have the advantage of having more backward compatibility. You'll have an easier time finding used lenses than with Canon. Lastly and probably the most important is how the camera feels in your hands. How comfortable are you with it? How do you like the controls? The best camera is the one you'll use. I know I probably just muddied the waters even more, but I've been looking to upgrade and doing a lot of reading.

nissisigner

Thank you all for the wonderful advice. I have gained much from all the posts, at this point I believe I may rent the different types of cameras that I have narrowed the choice to, in order to see which one would work best for me. Your help is greatly appreciated.