DSLR used choices...

[89911]

What great timing. I recently upgraded to a full frame dslr Nikon D600 and am selling off all my old stuff on ebay Nikon D5000 12 3 MP Nikkor 18 55 55 200 Lens Case 2 Batteries Manuals A Deal 182088836778 | eBay

It was a great system that served me well.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by 89911

What great timing. I recently upgraded to a full frame dslr Nikon D600 and am selling off all my old stuff on ebay Nikon D5000 12 3 MP Nikkor 18 55 55 200 Lens Case 2 Batteries Manuals A Deal 182088836778 | eBay

It was a great system that served me well.

Nice price. Were it one month ago I would have taken that off of your hands. I wish I could justify the 18-200 VR lens.

[rusnak]

I bought a Leica V-Lux 3 point and shoot, and absolutely love it. Of course, it's no DSLR, but then again I can cram the camera, extra battery, and TTL flash into a small bag and take it anywhere I go. I am way too busy to be fussing with a lot of gear anymore....

[89911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Nice price. Were it one month ago I would have taken that off of your hands. I wish I could justify the 18-200 VR lens.

Sadly to say, it's not jumping off the page in bids even with the "best offer". Not much of a market for an older camera but I didn't pay a lot to begin with. The lens is getting more offers, but from buyers from Singapore. Don't you love ebay.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by 89911

Sadly to say, it's not jumping off the page in bids even with the "best offer". Not much of a market for an older camera but I didn't pay a lot to begin with. The lens is getting more offers, but from buyers from Singapore. Don't you love ebay.

It's an intermediate level camera and lenses for an entry level price, had I not just bought a D3000 package last month I'd be making you an offer. Don't worry, I'm sure shipping to Singapore is cheap.

[slakjaw]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

My questions are these:
- Should I use the fact that I have a few good non-auto focus lenses as a factor in this equation of which brand I buy (most AF lenses cost anywhere from $50 to $1000's based on brand and specification)?

Depends on what you intend to shoot.

- Do non AF lenses work well for sports photography and landscapes in a DSLR or am i going to want a fast AF lens for sports?

Landscapes yes, you tend to have a whole bunch of time to focus for those. Good landscape shooters are very patient people. Sports Sure but you should be able to focus fast...

- Is there another choice out there that will be a good starter DSLR (I have seen a few Canon and Nikon DSLR's in the same price range for the body only without lenses which can also use legacy lenses.)

Any camera bought today that costs 400.00 or more can give you great images.

- Should I just go ahead and buy a new Canon or Nikon and forget the Pentax.

Brand fanboyism is really starting to bug me in this hobby. All of the cameras in this price range will give you images so similar no one would ever be able to say "I can tell you shot that with X brand of camera"

Any suggestions or opinions on the subject are welcome. Tell me what you use and why you like it. TIA.

I shoot a D300 and a D800 with a whole bunch of fast lenses. I also shoot film sometimes and develop it myself. Its a great hobby and I get a lot out of it. I went with Nikon because I liked the layout and I like their lenses.

The one thing that is more important than any camera body you purchase is direction and quality of light. if you have that mastered you can make great images with any camera.

Hope that helps man.

[Aragorn]

Lots of good information.

It seems that Nikon lists that most of their cameras are good for at least 100,000 cycles before mechanical failure. So any used camera with under 5,000 shutter clicks should be ok.

Lenses were my main consideration here. I have spent some time and effort over the years amassing a good set of glass for film. I don't mind starting over though. My main reason for wanting to go used was to see if I could get any better pictures from a DSLR over a point and shoot without spending $1,000 to $1,500 for something I will not use that often because I don't like it. I have found a few Nikon's in the same price range and am leaning more that way now. Get some good AF lenses and then upgrade the body over time. Onewhippedpuppy has just about convinced me to get a package deal similar to his. With the price of lenses and the camera, it seems to be a good deal when you price them all separately.

[slakjaw]

My D300 had 186,000 clicks on it last time I checked.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Lots of good information.

It seems that Nikon lists that most of their cameras are good for at least 100,000 cycles before mechanical failure. So any used camera with under 5,000 shutter clicks should be ok.

Lenses were my main consideration here. I have spent some time and effort over the years amassing a good set of glass for film. I don't mind starting over though. My main reason for wanting to go used was to see if I could get any better pictures from a DSLR over a point and shoot without spending $1,000 to $1,500 for something I will not use that often because I don't like it. I have found a few Nikon's in the same price range and am leaning more that way now. Get some good AF lenses and then upgrade the body over time. Onewhippedpuppy has just about convinced me to get a package deal similar to his. With the price of lenses and the camera, it seems to be a good deal when you price them all separately.

Glad to help! If our experience is any guide you'll get better pictures. We have a nearly new Nikon Coolpix S4300 (bought on vacation when we forgot our camera) and a 3-ish years old Canon SD850IS, which was a pretty good point and shoot a few years ago. Both my wife and I are able to get better pictures more consistently with the DSLR just shooting in auto mode. If it were me, I'd be all over the D5000 that 89911 is selling. The lenses are VR, which are better than those included in my new D3000 kit. Maybe he'd throw in the 18-200 and make you a good Pelican deal on the package?

[bleucamaro]

Before I went with a Nikon system several years ago, I went down to the local camera shop and played around with both Canon and Nikon cameras. For me it was a matter of feel and ergonomics. I just liked how Nikon did their knobs, buttons, and menus better. Which in a way kind of sucks because it seems Nikons are a bit more expensive for equivalent gear.

[89911]

The 18-200mm lens was a great lens combined with this camera. And yes, I would work out a combo deal!!

[89911]

Too bad I had to severely lower the res for this one. You can see the expression on her face and the color of her eyes. Taken from about 200ft.

[RWebb]

yes, someone get that D500 - the lens is outstanding

[Aragorn]

First of all thanks to all who posted with some really good information.

So... I listened to all the good advice I was given by kaisen, owp and others (some of which I didn't really understand until many months after purchase) and did what most people on here seem to do... I went ahead and purchased the Pentax camera I wanted to buy. My first Pentax DSLR was an ist dl model (6mp) which, when combined with some of my old manual lenses returned some of the best portraits and candid photos I have taken. Clarity and definition abound with this combo (ist camera/ M135mm f3.5 and A50mm f2 lenses.) And when you get right down to it, that is the reason to buy a camera like this. The old lenses that I have are being put to good use and there is some enjoyment in combining an old lens on a new camera (well, 2005 new.)

Total initial outlay was in the $100 range (because of the old lenses I already had) but if I had to put a price on my old glass, an A50mm f2 runs in the $25 to $50 range and a good M135mm f3.5 can be had for around $35. All the other legacy glass (vivitar/pentax/sigma) combined would be in the $600 range. I did get a few newer Pentax used “kit” lenses in the 18-55 and 50-200 range for under $100 total as well. The best purchase so far has been a Sigma 70-300 lens. Paid around $115 for it used, but it has a long reach and is not too soft at longer distances.

My older point and shoot is a Nikon coolpix L120 which is a good camera but has its shortcomings. It takes grainy low light pictures and has a hard time focusing on reds and purples. But I still think it returns decent actions shots (usually one out of ten is usable.) But it only has liveview and no viewfinder which I really don't like.
Still it has taken some good pictures





I did recently get another newer Pentax camera, a k-x (12.4mp) as well, and am satisfied with it too. I do realize that Full Frame cameras are the future and that if I want to take better, more clear motorsport pictures, I will probably have to switch to Canon (just because of the expanded fast lens availability) but for now, the k-x seems to take pretty good low light photos (high iso) and seems to be a good learning camera. I further am in the process of finding a nice used Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX APO DG or Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 APO EX to round out the motorsport lens collection (have an old vivitar series 1 70-210 f2.8-4 that is sharp as a tack.) If a Canon EF lens pops up at a good price I will probably snatch that up as well to use with a future full frame camera.
Mid Ohio with the Sigma 70-300



same lens Petit LeMans around dusk
(around 6:40 p.m. 260mm iso 3200 shot from midway up hill in between turn 4-5)

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by slodave

For those that say that large sensors are best are mistaken. It depends on what you are shooting. Landscapes - full sensor.
Birds - small sensor is better.

Why would that be true?

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Why would that be true?

I will let slodave answer for himself, but I think he is referring to the crop sensor's ability to amplify lens length to get better reach (which is better for birding.)

Top DSLRs For Wildlife | OutdoorPhotographer.com

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I will let slodave answer for himself, but I think he is referring to the crop sensor's ability to amplify lens length to get better reach (which is better for birding.)

Top DSLRs For Wildlife | OutdoorPhotographer.com

I think it's a cheaper way to get a longer focal length, but better?
If you put the right lens on a full frame camera it will give you the same size image with more dynamic range and better depth of field separation.