High-End Digital Cameras...?

What do you consider to be the best semi-professional to professional digital cameras on the market? I'm not looking for one specific model, but rather a few so that I can compare them and decide on me own.


Here is what I currently have:

1.Sony Cybershot 4.1 mp (entry level, takes good pictures under ideal conditions, but is very limited and cannot be changed under not-ideal conditions). Does good job only if you shoot perfectly still and under IDEAL lighting conditions.


2. Cannon Powershot G6 7.1 mp: Very good picture quality, but the construction seems not-so-good for the price. Has a fair amount of extras on it so that I can set the camera settings for not-ideal conditions.


I'd like to eventually get something higher end than the Canon Powershot G6, and my price range will be under $1,500. What options are out there? I've so far been looking at some of the Nikon SLRs...are they any good? Which would you all recommend?

1,500 will buy you a nice entry level Digital SLR with a zoom lens or two. Take your photography to the next level with full manual control, or relax and shoot on auto.

I think a D70 or Digital Rebel XT would be a great choice. I went with Canon because I already had money invested in their lenses. If I were to do it again, I would still go with Canon!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=6222

Then you can slap on a super wide angle or this lens

1200mm, 40lbs, and $80k, and as far as I know, No shock isolated bezel or Hard anodizing so don't drop it!

I use a Canon 20D and really like it. Good picture quality at high ISO etc. Shoots fast enough for me. There is also the new Canon 350D out, which is supposed to be good if you trust reviews. check out www.dpreview.com for in depth reviews. With DSLRs like these you'll get a great deal of control over all aspects of your picture taking, including the exchangeable lenses.
I'm a Canon user, so I'm biased here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Haven't used any Nikons for years so others have to chime in.

I second V8.

I have the old digital rebel and love it. The new XT is smaller and has more MP's. Seems like Canon and Nikon are running neck and neck in the race for the best entry level SLR. Right now Canon is ahead by a nose (IMHO), but that will probobly change with Nikon's next model. I recommend checking out dpreview.com or stevesdigicams.com for excellent reviews and forums for researching your purchase.

Greg

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X33 said:
I use a Canon 20D and really like it. Good picture quality at high ISO etc. Shoots fast enough for me. There is also the new Canon 350D out, which is supposed to be good if you trust reviews. check out www.dpreview.com for in depth reviews. With DSLRs like these you'll get a great deal of control over all aspects of your picture taking, including the exchangeable lenses.
I'm a Canon user, so I'm biased here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Haven't used any Nikons for years so others have to chime in.

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Are the higher end Canons built a little better than the G6 Powershot? I've been disapointed in the build quality of my G6 Powershot, even though it takes very good pictures. Maybe its built this way because it was a value camera?

I'd definitely consider Canon, especially if the higher-end models are built better.

A buddy of mine has a Canon Digital Rebel XT...its freaking nice. I am going to start investing in one starting right now. $1300 will get you a great setup. From playing with his a little, it is fast at autofocus, which is handy, extremely quick picture taking, and turns on so fast. ( 1/5 of a second is its startup time)

The lens he has on it was really nice as well. Some outragous zoom. And from the amount I have played with it, I would say its much better built that my Canon A80. The XT is plastic, but a very dense plastic. Feels very sturdy to me. While a metal case would have been nice, the 20D does have metal casing, it makes it heavier.

So from my little expirience of DSLRs anyhow, I highly recommend a Canon Digital Rebel XT.

Cameron

I'm a photographer and use the 20D every day as my main camera. That includes changing lenses often and firing off hundreds of frames every day. The cameras are made of some plastic or polymer, laminate whatever. I used the D30 and 10D before and the only problem I ever had was a blown shutter with the D30 in 2001, which was replaced under warranty. I think the build quality is fine. I never broke one. Obvioulsy for a few thousand dollars more you'll get a full magnesium body 1D mark2 where every button has rubber seals etc, etc. My medium level Canon DSLRs have so far taken all the beatings I've given them.
Also a word about Megapixels. Picture quality is not all about how many megapixels a camera has. You have to look at how it performs at different ISO settings in terms of noise and colors etc. Thats where the SLRs are performing far superiors to compacts like the Canon S70 for instance. I will get nicer photos at ISO 800 from my 10D than from my S70 at ISO 400 which has more Megapixels than the 10D. It's because the DSLRs have better built in image chips and in-camera picture prosessing I think.

I can only comment on the analog-to-digital comparison. I have a Nikon F5 and shoot with some really low-ISO film to get great depth in my (purely amateur and not very good) images. I really don't like the flatness that digital photos have been yielding because the resolution just isn't there... or, I should say, wasn't there.

Last week I helped a client of mine set up her new EOS 20D. (I do small-business IT support, which means it usualy expands to "hey, I just got a new camera for my home stuff. Could you help me set it up?" and I can't resist.)

WOW. We printed some of the images onto the client's Epson 4000 roll printer (17" wide, I think?). Looks amazing even at that size. I just may be heading over to digital and have to shut up about the digital resolution issue. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Be sure whichever camera you get, you check out the mfr's websites and like the way they distribute firmware and software updates (easy to find, discussion forums, useful tech support access & FAQ's, etc), as that's an important part of the camera maintenance these days since it's nearly a computer itself.

Yep, thats right about the firmware. On Canon you can easily upgrade the firmware yourself. Download it, put it on a Compact Flash card and put it into camera to install. But you have to do it by the book and follow the step by step instructions that come with the firmware upgrades.
Another site to look at is www.robgalbraith.com. Lots of stuff in the forums there too.

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357 said:
What do you consider to be the best semi-professional to professional digital cameras on the market?

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Wow, at that level, I would bet that your knowledge already is superior to what most people know about digital cameras.

My Brother-in-law is already on his 2nd Canon DSLR EOS Digital Rebel XT.

I would think that at your level (pro), "the best" is subjective, and you probably already know all the main players, it is now a matter of you deciding what tool you feel most comfortable with.

I would bet that each high end "pro" camera has it own following.

I consider the G6 to be more then just a "value" camera. For other cameras, it depends on what you are looking for. If you want speed of operation then yes a DSLR is the way to go and I would recommend the 20D. The Rebel 350D XT does appear to be a good camera (I have a 300D) but the 20D is built more solid and offers faster autofocus then the 350D. However with any DSL you will spend a whole lot if you want quality lenses that cover a wide focal range. If I were in your shoes with your equipment, I would either buy a 20D or wait and see what the inevitable Pro2 will have to offer while still using the very excellent G6.

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BuddTX said:
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357 said:
What do you consider to be the best semi-professional to professional digital cameras on the market?

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Wow, at that level, I would bet that your knowledge already is superior to what most people know about digital cameras.

My Brother-in-law is already on his 2nd Canon DSLR EOS Digital Rebel XT.

I would think that at your level (pro), "the best" is subjective, and you probably already know all the main players, it is now a matter of you deciding what tool you feel most comfortable with.

I would bet that each high end "pro" camera has it own following.

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No no, I don't mean I'm the pro. I apologize for this mistake. In fact, I'm just a beginner photographer. When I said semi-pro to pro camera, I meant which cameras out there are good enough to be used by pros. I'm just the beginner, but I want the best equipment so that I can learn with the best. Eventually, I'd like to reach the ametuer or pro level, but that will be quiet a while, and I figure that I should have a good camera in order to eventually get to that point.

With the 2 cameras I have now, they are fine for my level, but being the perfectionist I am I want an even better camera, and also want to learn the methods of becoming a better photographer.

Ha! You want the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) with the 17-85mm lens which is better than the one you normally see bundled with the camera.

B&H sells them for $1400

Note the camera comes w/o a flash card.

Here is the dpreview.com review.

-john

I know a pro photographer (he used to be a professor of photographics at some university I think) who went and purchased a Panasonic Lumix FZ-15 or 20. He says that if he doesn't know which lens system he will need for a field trip, he knows that that camera can handle it pretty well, so he takes that instead of a whole car-load of stuff.

I guess if he likes it then it must be good. I went and purchased an FZ-15 and I love it. I think the 4MP version gives better pics than the 5MP FZ-20 because you get less noise.

If you want something affordable and don't care that you can't use your existing lenses, this one is great, and the lens is superb!

cool bindi glad ya love it. im very pucky and i love it.it takes great pics feels good in my hand. very realble

o ps some day ill get a digital slr hopefully pansoics will make one but to that day aint a camera in the fz range that can beat it

I think you should pose your question here but meanwhile the G6 is a great camera for learning and under normal lighting, the quality of the pictures will rival DSLRs.

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357 said:

No no, I don't mean I'm the pro. I apologize for this mistake. In fact, I'm just a beginner photographer. When I said semi-pro to pro camera, I meant which cameras out there are good enough to be used by pros. I'm just the beginner, but I want the best equipment so that I can learn with the best. Eventually, I'd like to reach the ametuer or pro level, but that will be quiet a while, and I figure that I should have a good camera in order to eventually get to that point.

With the 2 cameras I have now, they are fine for my level, but being the perfectionist I am I want an even better camera, and also want to learn the methods of becoming a better photographer.

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I would suggest that if you want to move beyond the upper level of point&shoot like the G6, you would want to go to the Canon or Nikon DSLR's. Pros do use both of these brands.

Here is a link with a little discussion on the relative merits of each brand. I think they are equal but each brand his its pros and cons so one might suit you better than another.

Ken Rockwell DSLR comparison

I have done some research on point and shoot digitals with the intent of replacing my wife's cheap digital and I have decided that the Panasonic Lumix is probably the best, the Konica-Minolta Z's are next best. Sony and Canon both have upcoming 5MP superzooms that probably will fit in this range too. I think if a person wanted to spend more money than this they should get a DSLR.

I'm a film SLR user (which expains my user name- using a Nikon N70) and I am waiting for the day when I can afford a Nikon D70 for myself.

The Canon 20D is a terrific camera, and if I were starting over, I'd get it in a second. However, I was too heavily invested in Nikon glass, and have been shooting quite happily with the D100. I like the D70, but it has its limitations.

daloosh

Thanks all for the suggestions, I now have a starting base of knowledge to compare these cameras thanks to you all. I will take a look at each of the ones you all recommend, and compare their features, quality, and price, and when one offers the best combo of what I want, I'll order it.


Thanks again for all your helps.