So I need to buy a DSLR for a photography class, my teacher suggested a place that has used equipment so I went and looked at what they had.

They had a 20D, about 4 years old 8 megapixel. It has a lens, but the lens isn't in great shape, clicks and is a little loose. For the body and lens the guy said he would do it for $300. He said getting a decent lens would probably cost about $90, but didn't have any in.

I wanted to spend about $500, at most $600. Would this be a good purchase, or would something like this make more sense:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-+...&skuId=8929699

New Rebel XS, 10.1 megapixel with lens.

I don't really know about cameras, so help me out. Thanks guys. Also, getting it for class, but would like to do some recreational photography after class.

 

If he puts a guarantee for 30 days on the cam get it, but check the click count before you buy it.

Buy a "thrifty 50" it is the single best lens purchase you will make it is a 2.8 50mm lens with plastic attach point. It is a great lens and I have thousands of shots in all conditions on mine(Dust,rain etc) with no issues.

Go to B&H photo and check out their used lenses for further purchases or rent before you buy and be honest about how much lens you are honestly going to use.

I have three lenses I use...Canon 50 (thrifty 50), Canon 70-200 L and a Sigma 13-35 aspherical wide angle. I rarely if ever need more than that and if I do I tack the rental onto the shoot billing.

 

Thanks John. So you would go with that over the new Rebel XS? How do I check the click count and what would be a red flag for that? I guess my biggest concern was that it was 8 mp and it might be obsolete in the near future. Again, I do not know anything about photography so any suggestions would be great

 

The MP debate is a bunch of bullshit up to a point.

No you won't be shooting bus sides with an 8mp without some pixel stretching but you can shoot commercial easily with it. I still shoot on a 10d and have been printed full page, half, 3/4 and 1/4 as well as cover and advertisement placement easily enough...and technically the 10d was outdated a year after I bought it If you let it limit you then it will always limit you as there is always a bigger MP count available and until you start shooting medium and large format digital you will always be "too small". Learn with what you can afford and progress from there, you may find it is all you really need unti it wears out.

You should be able to go into the menu and get a shutter count (forget the correct name right now) but it will give you an indication as to how much it has been used and when you may need certain servicings such as shutter repair (they wear out once in a while but rarer as time and technology advances). A lot of people buy too much camera when all they really wanted was a P+S so sometimes you can score a 1000 click camera for a smoking deal just because they can't use it anymore.

 

if you are near a Costco, they always have great deals on DSLR's.

 

http://www.keh.com/Class-Products/1/DC/2/79269/WG.aspx

 

you text ert for any advice :O

 

IMHO a 50mm lens is still very useful on a crop-sensor DSLR but it's not really a "standard" lens more like a short tele. The first lens I messed with on a film camera was an 50mm but for crop sensor I have a 28mm lens as my "standard." I also have a 55mm though. h:

In your price range I'd look at any of the following bodies, can explain in more detail if you want.

Canon XSi, 30D
Nikon D70
Pentax K100D, K100D Super, K110D, K200D, K10D

I'm a little biased towards Pentax (I have a K-x) because I nerd out on the ability to buy a $15 manual focus lens on ebay and use it with semi-automatic exposure and image stabilization. h:

 

For Canon equipment, I like KEH or fredmiranda.com's for sale forum. You can score some pretty great deals there. I know booty's all about the pentax so I'll let him cover that. Speaking from experience, moving to a prosumer body was very rewarding. I wholeheartedly support the decision to get a 30D or XSi and a nice med. telephoto.

I think 20D's can be had for like 250 and a good sigma/tamron 17-50 2.8 should be like 350. That would be a great all purpose setup.

And yes you can make the argument that some bodies can use old MF lenses. You can also argue that you can buy 25$ adapter plates to get those to work on all other bodies as well. Not endorsing or supporting one or the other. Just my 2 cents. The equipment is only one component of great photography.

 

Well yeah, you can use an adapter plate, but on a Pentax I have this handy green button that stops down the lens to whatever the aperture ring is set to, takes a meter reading, and sets a shutter speed. Plus I can enter the focal length and the in-body image stabilizer works too.

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