grock5 Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 I know that this is a snowboarding forum, but I figured there are some photography people out there that might be able to help. We have a budget for an entry level DSLR, interchangeable lens camera system, or a nice compact camera with a better sensor. (we do have 2 Canon point & shoot cameras.) We just don't know what the best option is for us: is a DSLR overkill? We are looking to take pictures of our infant son, but realized that our iPhone & point & shoots have limitations when we print them. Neither of us are photography people, so ability to make manual adjustment is not a big requirement for us, at least for now. The most important thing is that we need a camera that my wife & I can shoot great pictures with ease of use, and we don't need the latest & greatest or 20+MP as we don't foresee blowing pictures up of our son's adorable cheeks to poster size. Anyone have any opinions on overall direction (DSLR vs other options), brands & specific cameras to consider or avoid, anything else we should be considering? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 No opinion but Steve's digicams and DPReview are two popular review sites I have used before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.T. Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 It seems to me that a DSLR would be overkill. With the quality of point-n-shoots available, I would stick with the ease and simplicity of the PNS. For work I have a Canon EOS 5D Mark II (DSLR), Canon Powershot G12 (PNS - older version of the current G1X) and Canon Powershot S120 (PNS). I choose which camera to shoot with based on my needs at that given moment - all three cameras live in the same camera bag so all are readily available. My G-series is my go-to camera 90% of the time. While the DSLR's have a plethora of lens and accessories available, the G-series is more versatile without having to spend $5k+ on the camera and accessories. The S120 is a nice camera, but the image quality is better with the more versatile G-series. I personally consider the G-series a professional-grade PNS. With the recent release of the G16, there may be some great deals available on the previous model (G15). If/when my G12 dies, it will be replaced with a G1X. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 The S120 is really cool, I have a friend who has an earlier version. But for the very little photography I do it was too expensive, I ended up getting a cheaper Canon P&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) Photography is my other passion. Only you can decide whether a DSLR is too big or not. Personally I think babies and kids are the perfect use for them. They're not too expensive anymore, you can get a Canon T4i or Nikon D3200 or Pentax K-30 from stores liquidating them for like $450 or less with lens. They are the previous model but are very mature, capable cameras. Throw them in full-auto mode and they're as easy to use as a point-n-shoot. If you don't want the size of a DSLR but you want the same image quality, have a look at mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras like the Sony NEX series (now called the a5000 and a6000) or the Fuji XE-2, XM-1, or XA-1. These can fit in a small bag or even a large jacket pocket. The trade-off here is the autofocus is not usually up to the task of kids running around or playing sports like soccer. Personally I wouldn't bother with Panasonic or Olympus as they use a smaller sensor which I am prejudiced against. If you really want a point-n-shoot that you can easily bring everywhere without a bag, the hands-down best is the Sony RX100-II, or you can save a bit with the previous but still current model, the RX100. The next best thing would be the Canon S120, but I wouldn't go any cheaper than that. Avoid "superzoom" cameras, and point-n-shoot cameras with lenses with f-numbers that start higher than f/2.8. For example the RX100's lens starts at f/1.8 and goes to f/4.9. f/1.8 is nice and bright at the wide end. Edited May 15, 2014 by Jack Michaud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grock5 Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Thanks for the replies! I'm starting to put together a short list (RX100, NEX5/6, & entry level Canon & Nikon DSLR) but I do think I need to get my wife to handle some of the different options in person to see what feels best for her. Along with the ease of use & quality of pictures, the biggest thing that we're looking for is camera that turns on & shoots quickly, as that's been our biggest frustration with our basic P&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 Cool. Definitely handle them in person before buying. And if it's not too much more money, buy locally. Don't rule out Pentax, they have pro-level weather sealing on their mid-level DSLRs like the K-30 and K-50, which Canon and Nikon do not. If that's important to you. Pentax and Nikon both buy their sensors from Sony, so the image quality is basically the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chouinard Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 Whatever you buy look for a camera with good video functionality. Stop action sports photos (soccer, hockey, lacrosse) are difficult without expensive lenses however you can pull still images out of a video clip (24 plus) frames per second that can rival or exceed the best slr sports lenses. Partisan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 there is also now the sony RX100-III. however i don't buy Sony products because they are ideologically evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) there is also now the sony RX100-III. however i don't buy Sony products because they are ideologically evil. So are Canon and Nikon if you dig deep enough. however you can pull still images out of a video clip (24 plus) frames per second that can rival or exceed the best slr sports lenses. Aaaahhh I'm gonna have to disagree here. Edited May 16, 2014 by Jack Michaud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 I'd agree with Jack. We have a Canon T2i, so older version of the current T5i, and putting it into sport mode and taking a 50 picture series of my son in the race course has been great. The stills I pull out of video are never as good quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarfy Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 I have a Canon 60D, and I really like it.. for the price from T2i to 60D (few years ago), the lens on the 60D worth it.. only backdraw, when filming, you always have to focus manually... after a few hours, you'll get good.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piusthedrcarve Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 hey Goro, First, congratulation! For your question, go with a smallest DSLR. I used to have a Canon DSLR camera (from Costco). Once your new born starts walking, you need a quickest reload camera to capture the right moment. DSLR provided that nicely. I used the DSLR for few years and got few good photos of them at 1st B-day or such. As I see newer point-n-shoot cameras advanced, I wanted it since carrying the DSLR camera for everywhere on top of all the baby stuff was burden. The point-n-shoot camera I got has all the nice features like upload photos thru Wifi, bigger screen, and all that but... quality of photo is not comparable. Since then, I don't have much good photos of my kids. Nowaday, I usually take photos with my phone or GoPro. but I wish I have a DSLR camera for many kids events. hmm... I better get one before my daughter's ballet recital coming soon too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 nerdy canon dSLR owners may wish to look into magiclantern or chdk to enable extra knobs, dials and buttons. chdk works on a broad swath of compacts too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grock5 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Thanks for the recommendations everyone! (& please keep more recommendations coming if you have any input!) We'll definitely start with the DSLR & make our decisions from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have a Canon 60D, and I really like it.. for the price from T2i to 60D (few years ago), the lens on the 60D worth it..only backdraw, when filming, you always have to focus manually... after a few hours, you'll get good.. True. We got the T2i on an amazing deal as the T3 had just came out, and we actually never even had the stock lens as we traded it in at purchase for a better one immediatley. The lenses onthe "kits" just aren't that great, but if you've never had an SLR before ( I had like 8 lenses for my old SLR back in the day) it will still kick ass over the point and shoot you're probably used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Hard to go wrong with Canon, Nikon, Pentax. If you want the smallest DSLR out there, check out the Canon SL1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 It's almost like asking what a good snowboard is - you'll get as many answers as there are people. Looking at the specifics of the OP... "DSLR" cameras have a traditional mirror-and-sensor. I've bags full of those, and they're all heavier than my old film SLRs. The important thing is "what you see is what you get", not the mechanical flappy mirror thing. So my latest toy is a Sony A7r: full-frame mirrorless, and second to no DSLR in terms of quality, but about a third of the weight. So I'd look at modern designs, because the lighter and smaller the camera, the more likely you are to have it with you, and you don't have to compromise on quality. A modern smartphone can certainly deliver much higher quality than a HD video frame grab; if that's your target quality. "Interchangable lens" is good, but only if you buy and carry those other lenses. As someone said, I'd avoid extremely wide range zooms, but a "standard zoom" (say 35mm 24-70) will do most everything anyone other than an enthusiast will want, and you then don't need to change the lens or carry others with you. If you are thinking "interchangeable is good as I can upgrade the body without upgrading the glass" (or vice versa), that's true, but at this level you'll probably be using "kit" lenses, which are not likely to be worth bothering about. Technology moves fast in any case. I would not say there's anything particularly I'd avoid: mostly cameras are way better than they used to be. So I'd avoid old ones then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grock5 Posted May 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 Just a quick update: we ended up adopting a Nikon D3100 from our in laws who was more than happy to pass it along to us so that they can get a canon rebel for themselves. We were considering the 3200 so this will work great for our current needs for now, and my wife likes the size and weight of the camera. Now I need to learn a but more photography so I can actually use this camera :) Thanks again for the input & information, and have a great summer! (Now, does anyone want to sell me their gently used nirvana??) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 Congrats, that will be great. D3100 vs D3200 is insignificant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarfy Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 A good investment is adobe lightroom.. It's reaaly good at managing your albums... Envoyé de mon Nexus 4 en utilisant Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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