Hmm … so I need to buy a DSLR, cheaper and quality. Open up Google and you will find prolly millions of links providing detailed guides to Digital SLR world. Frankly, I dont need all those details. I am not even sure what a DSLR is .. I just need a nice Camera to get professional pictures, and then I will learn how to use it 🙂
So, I started my research. In a couple of days I had already shorlisted the manufacturer i.e., Top of the Line: Canon or Nikon. Others just go down the list. So with this I started searching for Cameras. Not aware of the features and stuff, I started with Nikon D3000. Almost ready to buy but delaying …. just in case I am missing something in my research. Next day I found out this one doesnt have videos at all. costs around $450 CAD. Ok, so i move to the next step Nikon D5000. Now this one has video at 720p (better than nothing). 12.3 MP i guess. Looks cool. Priced at around $650 with standard 18-55 lense. Now stuck on this one, did some further research. Sooner, I read reviews stating the video is very difficult and doesnt really produce professional results. I might be wrong, but thats what i gathered the next day. Now, whats the next one …..
I talked to a friend in an arts company and asked for his opinion. “Cheap with Quality” is something that we all ask for and where all professionals laugh. They are right, but what do I do … I need a good one with teh cheapest price. This guy said he personally likes Canon instead of Nikon. Canon lenses are a bit costly, but you get the same quality. Cheap, he said Nikon D3000 is cheap and is good starter camera for still pictures only. So, now, I started looking for something equivalent in Canon. Later my wife said, if you have to spend that much, why not spend a bit more and get a good quality camera instead of regretting later why didnt I buy xxx model. Something like that is hardly expected from a wife, but wasnt bad at all. So i jumped a step up. Was thinking of buying Rebel T1i, but then decided on T2i.
Canon Rebel EOS T2i 550D is really a nice one. Its 18.x MP, deal got me a 16MB SDHC card as well, and a camera cover. And its Canon … so I just bought it for 999 + taxes/warranty.
Initially I was just using it with full automatic mode. Which actually gives you some real nice quality pix, but … thing is, if you want to get pictures like that, why not buy a $200 camera and enjoy the ease of use? 🙂 Thats what my friend told me who has some quality DSLRs. Very true. But when you turn away from automatic, things change drastically. You are suddenly sitting in an aero plan and you know nothing about it. Some experimentation and paying around with image settings,i got around 5 good ones out of a 100 that i took. I specially like its continuous shooting mode. Taking a picture of someone, we normally have sudden unexpected things. The person blinked or moved a little and picture got screwed. In this one, instead of 1, take 2 or may 10 snaps at a time. At least one will be really good. Frankly, I got more than one out of those 10. Yu get pics with eyes closed. looking away from camera and stuff, but you get really nice pictures as well.
I love this camera for indoor and outdoor shooting. Indoor, i still need some tuning and practice to get nice pictures. Kind of the same with outdoors as well 🙂 but outdoors is easy. Sunlight pictures, shaded area pictures, images with backlight, taking a picture with camera facing the sun. I am loving it.
Video, havent tried long ones yet but unlike standard point and shoot cameras, you have t be an expert to record videos. Focusing is a problem when the object is moving. Will post more when i am done with the reading-manual step (hard for me), and watching some more learning videos.
Feel free to leave your comments or questions if you want.