- Joined
- May 25, 2011
- Messages
- 854
I think you'll find that taking good photographs (pro looking) isn't as easy as it seems; you'll still need to learn your camera and lighting in order to take professional type photographs. That said, you can learn how to take great pictures but I'd caution you against any expectations of those types of pictures just happening if you buy a dslr. You will probably find that you will need to do some post processing (of the photographs) before the picture passes for a professional picture (another learning curve) but the good news is.... you can get very powerful software (for processing pictures) absolutely free.
With the exception of indoor photography needs and poor lighting, I would reccomend that you either stay with the Canon you have or get something similar to what you have - such a camera will fit the outdoor needs very well (plus the camera is lighter and smaller).
If you're going to do quite a lot of indoor/poor lighting type shots, a dslr would be something I reccomend.
Given your budget I would reccomend that you look in the used market. The two bigger photography stores (New York stores) offer used equipment for sale and both stores are highly reccomended.
Believe it or not, the camera body isn't all that important - all the brands offer bodies that will far exceed the average person's skills or knowledge. I'd suggest that you choose the body that feels comfortable to you - fits your hands well, is ergonomic and intuitive.
If most of your camera use will be outdoors, consider looking for a weather sealed body (and lens). Most of these models will be some of the higher end models - but buying used should get those older high end models within your price range.
The most important factor - aside from learning your camera (and lighting) is going to be the lenses. Choose the best you can afford (fixed lenses are usually the better lenses). Again - shopping used lenses will generally get you more bang for the buck, although lenses tend to hold their value far better than camera bodies. There are sites on the Internet that are a great help in deciding which lenses are good/great and which lenses to avoid. Also, be aware of the fact that some camera bodies will not accept some of the older lenses put out by that manufacturer.
As for myself, I am partial to Pentax - they make a great body and some of the very best lenses ever made. There are millions of used lenses available - and every K-mount lens will fit the modern Pentax body. I've got lenses that are close to 50 years old - and they work wonderfully. The old lenses aren't automatic - but sometimes a manual lens is just the ticket for capturing the image I'm looking for.
As for Pentax models...
For a weather sealed body I would look at a used K20d - the top of the line model from 5 years ago. It's a great camera and (with practice) you can take pictures that will just amaze you. It isn't the choice I'd make for long hikes though - as it is a bit bigger and heavier than the entry level models. It also isn't the body I'd reccomend if you're planning to shoot a lot of low light photographs. It does a good job out to ISO 1600 but beyond that things tend to get very noisy.
That said, I absolutely love my K20d and still use it frequently - despite the fact that I also own the current top of the line Pentax dslr.
For an entry level Pentax...
I highly reccomend the Pentax Kx. It is a fantastic camera - smaller, light weight and a perfect choice for low light photography. I often shoot ISO 3200 and have shot ISO 6400 with very good results. As an added bonus, this model uses AA batteries (available nearly everywhere) and gets (roughly) 1200 shots out of a set of 4 batteries. This body is not weather sealed though. The Kx is a more recent model - though no longer made - and used versions are very reasonable. I think this body was around $500 brand new (a couple of years ago).
If you plan to shoot in low light situations and want to use flash - you will need to buy an external flash. The good news is that there are flashes available that are inexpensive and will do a nice job (available for all brands).
One advantage that Pentax has is the fact that their stabalization system is in body - meaning every lens will be stabalized. (Nikon and Canon both have their stabalization systems in the lens - meaning the stabalized lenses are usually quite expensive). I believe Sony usues in body stabalization also.
That doesn't matter if the shutter speeds are fast enough to avoid camera shake - but in lower light situations, a stabalized lens is a must if you're shooting hand-held.
All the brands make fantastic cameras; some brands do some things just a bit better and some brands to other things just a bit better. But for your stated use, any of the mentioned brands will do a great job once you learn the camera. I made the choice of Pentax because it fit my needs best; and now I'm heavily invested in Pentax lenses so I'm (more or less) tied to that system. I'm happy with the Pentax system and would make the same choice if I were starting all over again - but I guarantee you that I'd be happy with any of the systems mentioned.