Please advise, best 15mb DSLR camera ??

[JezUK]

Hi,

First post.

I'm going to be going on a once in a lifetime trip later this year and want to buy a better camera.

I have always been into Photography from an early age, but feel the current point and shoot digital camera I have is really not up to what I want and expect to come out in terms of quality.

I'm not really affiliated with any particular brand, I'm more concerned about buying into a lens set so that I can always keep those and upgrade the body.

I see the Nikon D5000 has good reviews and that's the sort of money I'm looking to spend but I'd like to get something more towards the 15m pixel area.

Can anyone please advise ??

Thanks in anticipation,

Jez

[Fen]

15m pixel...

Why? Lots of photosites all packed together on a smaller sensor isn't always a good thing.

[4BIKER2]

Nikon seem to have run out of ideas on keeping noise down with sensors larger than 12.3 mega pixels on there smaller sensor.

[JezUK]

Okay, so from both responses so far, maybe 12.3 is fine.

Camera recommendations ?

I'm after best quality pics. About £600+ for body.

[Roger_Provins]

Okay, so from both responses so far, maybe 12.3 is fine.

Camera recommendations ?

I'm after best quality pics. About £600+ for body.

Problem is there isn't any "best" camera, at any given price point you'll get much the same from any brand. Obviously there are differences in main features and individual user preferences but the end result, a photo, from any will be all but indistinguishable.

Choose on the ergonomics which best suit you and and which particular features are most important to you.

[nspur]

This week's AP has a group test. No surprises about the joint winners. No camera got 82%. Three of them had 12.3 megapixels. The only one with 15 mexapixels was a joint winner. If I were you I would get the Nikon.

[ASTROVANMAN]

Nikon seem to have run out of ideas on keeping noise down with sensors larger than 12.3 mega pixels on there smaller sensor.

Hardly.... Nikon have not fallen for the more is better syndrome, more pixels = more electronics = closer pixels = more noise. While it is possible to reduce noise to a certain degree by careful design, ultimately it's down to the physics of the device.

And before anyone asks, I work with very high speed optoelectronics on the R&D side.

[AlexMonro]

Welcome, Jez!

The best camera for you is going to be the one you feel most comfortable with. Try to get to a camera shop where you can try out as many models as possible. See how they feel in your hands, how the controls fall under your fingers, how you like the look through the viewfinder. If you have small hands, a compact body such as Olympus might suit you best. If you have larger hands you might prefer a larger camera.

Give some thought to the type of photography that most interests you. Sport / action? A high frame rate could be useful. Landscape? You might actually make good use of 15 megapixels. Bands / gigs / parties? Low noise at high ISO sensitivity will be important. Macro / still life? Good live view could be what you want.

Although pretty well all DSLRs produced today are "good" cameras, they all have individual strengths and weaknesses, which might make a particular model more suited to you and your way of working than another.

Do you prefer in body or in lens image stabilisation? In body is available with any lens you can mount, but is possibly slightly less effective at long focal lengths, and you don't get the benefit in the viewfinder, so in lens might be better if your main interest is wildlife - though good stabilised long zooms get expensive, and you need to pay for the IS with each lens.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I chose the Pentax K20D. My main interest is landscapes, so I do make use of 15MP. I appreciate the weather sealing when I'm doing stormy weather shots. The in body IS means I added a long zoom for occasional wildlife shots without too much expense, and there is great backwards compatibility with inexpensive 2nd hand lenses. And the controls are very convenient and customisable.

But you're not me. You may well find that something different suits you better.

[RogerMac]

Okay, so from both responses so far, maybe 12.3 is fine.

Camera recommendations ?

I'm after best quality pics. About £600+ for body.

Problem is there isn't any "best" camera, at any given price point you'll get much the same from any brand. Obviously there are differences in main features and individual user preferences but the end result, a photo, from any will be all but indistinguishable.

Choose on the ergonomics which best suit you and and which particular features are most important to you.

^^^^WHS^^^^^^
Just one additional point - if the £600 you quote as a target is for your full system then you should look very carefully at the quality (and range) of the kit lenses that are included in the bundle.

Edit: Sorry I have just spotted that the £600 was for the body - so please ignore this post


Roger

[JezUK]

From what I'm reading around, I reckon it could be a Nikon D90.

Seems like a good camera that'll more than suffice for my needs.

Someone mentioned a group test, is this on the Net, if so can someone provide a link as I can't find it !

Jez

[Scphoto]

When asking about cameras please be aware of brand Fanboyism.

As Roger said:

Choose on the ergonomics which best suit you and and which particular features are most important to you.

[JezUK]

Sorry excuse the ignorance but what's Fanboyism ??

I do have a couple of old F3HP and an F2AS with a few lenses so would I be able to use those lenses with a D90 ?? I appreciate that the lenses I have are Manual ones - fixed length at that.

Thanks,

Jez

[GeoffR]

Sorry excuse the ignorance but what's Fanboyism ??

I do have a couple of old F3HP and an F2AS with a few lenses so would I be able to use those lenses with a D90 ?? I appreciate that the lenses I have are Manual ones - fixed length at that.

Thanks,

Jez

The simple answer is yes but you would need to check with the compatibility chart in the D90 manual to be absolutely sure for each specific lens.

[Scphoto]

Sorry excuse the ignorance but what's Fanboyism ??

It's when people tell you what to buy cos they've got one

No matter what you buy, someone will claim brand X is the best cos they own one. It's not just cameras, but any technology.

As you're familiar with the Nikon brand it make sense to look at what they offer.

[Wheelu]

As you're familiar with the Nikon brand it make sense to look at what they offer.

Sounds sensible to me, but I can't resist a bargain and, ignoring gismos that I will never use, my feeling is that the Canon 450D offers the best ratio of image quality per pound at this point in time.

[Scphoto]

but I can't resist a bargain

I guess if you're in a position where changing over wouldn't cause you too much trouble then it's worth it.

[GeoffR]

As you're familiar with the Nikon brand it make sense to look at what they offer.

Sounds sensible to me, but I can't resist a bargain and, ignoring gismos that I will never use, my feeling is that the Canon 450D offers the best ratio of image quality per pound at this point in time.

Which misses the OP's point that some old Nikon lenses may be part of the deal.

[Wheelu]

As you're familiar with the Nikon brand it make sense to look at what they offer.

Sounds sensible to me, but I can't resist a bargain and, ignoring gismos that I will never use, my feeling is that the Canon 450D offers the best ratio of image quality per pound at this point in time.

Which misses the OP's point that some old Nikon lenses may be part of the deal.

Sell em

[JezUK]

I'm thinking of either a D90 or a secondhand D300 - I think I'll stick with Nikon.

[AlexMonro]

I think the D300 would give you at least some metering options with your old AI/AIS lenses. Not sure about the D90.