Buying My First dSLR

Today I’m addressing the many questions I received about why I bought the camera I did, and how to go about choosing a dSLR. If you would like to learn how dSLRs work, you can read it in very technical terms on the Wikipedia page. If you want a really easy to understand (dummy guide, if you will) explanation, go here.

I think the first question is, What kind (level, not brand) of dSLR should I buy when I am ready to buy one?

Before you buy a dSLR, there is something you should know. It’s a very serious lesson that every single professional photographer (I’m talking the real pros, the ones who make $250,000 on one wedding, and the little pros who are just starting out) will tell you. It was the first thing Bambi Cantrell said it to me in Vegas when I met her:

Buying an expensive camera will not make you a better photographer.

Yes, I have better pictures now that I have a nicer camera. But I’m using the skills I had already developed with a point-and-shoot. I guess the meta-message behind this message is, don’t go out and buy a Canon 1d Mark III for $8,000 (yes, they really cost $8,000!) and then wonder why your pictures don’t look as great as that one guy you saw shooting for Vogue. Start with what you can handle, and then work your way up from there.

I think this page breaks up the different kinds of lower-end dSLRs and explains them very well. The pricing is all from late last year, so you should be able to make an informed decision. My personal advice to you? Unless you know what the terms Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed mean, and how to manipulate and use all three together, you don’t need much more than a pro-sumer level camera, and even a consumer level camera should be a good starting place for you to learn.

I’m inserting a picture here because I have a hard time writing long posts without pictures. Usually the pictures I choose apply directly to the post, but I don’t want to put up a bunch of pictures of cameras, because I think that sounds boring. Instead I will show you a picture I took in Rome, with my Canon G9. See? You don’t need expensive equipment in the beginning, just the ability to take your camera off of “auto”.

I’ve had several of you ask why I chose the camera I did. I’ll break those replies up into two parts:

1. Why did I choose a Canon brand camera?

2. Why did I choose the Canon 50D?

Why did I choose Canon?

In the world of digital photography, there are two brands that most photographers choose between, Canon or Nikon. With my friend Kelli, mom, and sister all shooting Canon, this was a no-brainer for me. My mom has already offered to sell me a $1,300 lens for $500!

If you are trying to make the choice yourself, but don’t have any outside influences like I do I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Canon and Nikon are both multi-billion dollar corporations that make stellar products, and that’s why they are both in business today. If one or the other was exceedingly better, the underdog would have gone out of business years ago.

Everything I have read online about the debate suggests that it all comes down to personal prefernce. My personal preference was what others around me were shooting with, and the good things they told me about their cameras. I also learned to shoot on manual using my Canon G9 and I liked the way it worked, so I figured the Canon 50D would function similarly. I have also spent time shooting with my sisters Canon 40D and know that I liked the way it worked.

I believe the easiest way to make the choice would be to find a friend or family member who has a Canon or Nikon dSLR and try it out to see if you like how it works. If that isn’t possible, do some internet research, remember that everyone has a bias for some reason, and just make a decision and start shooting. Both brands can take unbelievable photos with a skilled photographer behind the lens.

Why did I choose the 50D?

Once I had made my choice about what brand I wanted to use, it was time to decide which camera body to go with. There are three tiers of Canon cameras I considered:<

Tier 1: The Rebels (XSi, XTi, and XS)
Tier 2: The 40D and 50D
Tier 3: The 5d Mark II

Tier 1 was out immediately for me, as I knew they would not be powerful enough for me to do what I wanted. As mentioned previously, I learned what I know now using the Canon G9, a point-andshoot body that Canon considers to be “High End, Advanced”. It has a manual mode (allowing me to manipulate ISO, shutter speed, and aperture as I would be able to on a dSLR), 12 megapixels, and the ability to shoow RAW. At the time I purchased the G9, it cost mesomewhere close to $500. The Canon Rebel XSi (with 12 megapixels, same as the G9) retails for $699 on Costco.com, and I decided that a $200 difference likely meant that I would outgrow the XSi rather quickly and find myself pining for a better camera.

Tier 3 was also immediately out. The 5d Mark II is absolutely fabulous (and does high resolution video!), but remember the words of Bambi Cantrell. Buying a $2,500 camera wasn’t going to make me as good as some of the pros. I have to give myself time to learn and grow by shooting to get to that point. (Plus, my wedding photographer uses the 40D and I think her photos prove that you don’t need the most expensive equipment possible to take amazing photos!)

That left me with Tier 2, attempting to choose between the 40D and the 50D. Before I go into that, let’s look at another pretty picture.

This is definitely one of my best shots ever, but I won’t deny that it was enhanced heavily in Photoshop. I made the sky bluer and the rock darker to add a little dramatic effect. Kelli Nicole was trying to channel The Little Mermaid, but we forgot exactly how Ariel was positioned on the rock, so it didn’t quite work out the way we wanted.

Okay, enough Little Mermaid talk, let’s get back to the cameras.

After reading hundreds of reviews about the 40D and the 50D, I was starting to forget what the real differences were. Everyone who has the 40D loves it, and everyone who has the 50D loves it. Then I found this review, which helped make things a little clearer for me. The things that stood out ot me the most about the 40D were higher ISO (means I can take pictures in lower light with better results than the 40D), significant improvements to the LCD screen (and I use the LCD screen a LOT, especially as a beginner), and 15 megapixels (versus the 10 megapixels of the 40D).

Then it was time to look at price. Currently the 40D body sells for $889 on B&h. The 50D body sells for $1193 on the same site. I had to decide if the improvements Canon had made were worth $300 for me.

You might laugh when I tell you that Costco.com essentially made my decision for me. I couldn’t seem to make a decision whether the extra money was worth the new features. I had read somewhere that Costco had a year-long warranty on cameras, which unfortunately isn’t true any longer. Now the policy is only 90 days, but that was still 90 days of no questions asked return policy that no other retailer would give me. Plus, the exact same camera body and lens on Costco.com was $100 less than what I found on B&H, and I knew I wanted at least one inexpensive kit lens to start. So I purchased the 50D from Costco.com. (Which we now realize may have been a mistake because of the amount in taxes that they charged, so I really just bought the camera from them for the 90 day policy.)

If you are considering making the same decision, and money is a huge factor, go with the 40D. No one who has it complains about it wishing they had the 50D instead (as far as I have read). My sister shoots with it and loves it. Kelli Nicole shoots with it and loves it. I shoot with my 50D and love it. Can you see how so much of this comes down to personal preference?

Keep in mind that no one ever seems to say “I want to upgrade my 40D to a 50D.” They say “I want to upgrade my 40D to a 5d Mark II.” It’s quite possible that you could save yourself $300 now, shoot with the 40D until you outgrow it, and upgrade to something like a 5D Mark II later on.

I think it’s time for one last picture. Taken on our honeymoon, fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams (to write my initials with a boy in this sand I grew up driving past).

I hope those of you who are interested in starting out or upgrading your cameras have learned something from this post. Writing about what camera to choose is difficult because every situation is unique when skill level, budget, goals, and many other important factors are considered. Whatever you do decide I hope you are as happy with your results as I am with mine!

Are there any other photography related posts you are interested in me touching on? I’m planning on writing one on why I love Lightroom, a before and after post on what investing in actions can do for your photos, my favorite lens (I own 2 so I don’t have much to teach you, but I almost exclusively use 1), how to register a photography business (I have yet to do this, but I’ll tell you all about it when I do!), and a few simple tips for taking better photos. I’m not an expert, but I enjoy sharing things with you “along the way”. Please give me more ideas about what you would like to read in the future in terms of photography related posts!

Next up in my series, we’ll learn about white balance!