nikon | those noisy dogs

The great camera search goes on.

I have now laid hands on the Nikon D3000, and wow, the ergonomics just don’t work for me. It’s very light, but felt huge in my hand and I couldn’t get a comfortable and secure grip on it. I don’t want to have to be keeping both hands on it at all times. The guys in Jessops also said they really don’t think it’s that great for outdoor shots; it performs well in low light or indoor, but it’s nothing special outdoors. They recommended the Canon range, which I’ve kind of bypassed. I do feel a bit guilty about skipping over the Canon’s because they are supposed to be great, but nobody has really made an argument for them yet!

Chatting with the assistant in a different shop (a little independent camera store) and she said they don’t even carry the new Nikons or Canons as they just don’t think they’re worth it. I think her phrase was “cheap and plasticky”, which seemed accurate! She showed me the Pentax K-x, and from a purely ergonomic point of view, the difference is just amazing. It is heavier than the Nikon, but it’s smaller, more compact, felt super secure and safe in my hand.

The Pentax is quite a bit more than I ideally wanted to spend, but the kit lens looks good and if I stretch my budget by another 50%, I can get the body, 2x lens (18-55mm and the 55-200mm), plus 2 filters and a SD card. The only other thing is that it’s bordering on a mid-range rather than entry level DSLR, which means I’ve changed the goalposts from my original search! It theoretically opens up a couple more options, like the Nikon D5000 or Canon EOS 500D, but I know the D5000 is a lot like the D3000 and the Canons haven’t really attracted me at all (as per note above!).

So, back to the start again?

I know I can get great shots with my little Kodak.

However, I’ve been hankering after DSLR camera for a while. I can get action shots with the Kodak, but it’s not fast enough to catch the exact moment I’m aiming for. I’m sure that’s partly down to me, but my timing isn’t that bad. I can changeovers in flyball.

There are various other reasons, like picture quality and having a really great lens, but it’s mainly for the dogs. As you would expect.

I have some very kind friends who let me play with their DSLRs, on occasion, and although I love Emma’s Canon EOS 400D (aka the Canon Digital Rebel XTi), I really love Cat’s Nikon D50. Which hasn’t been produced in forever.

So, the hunt goes on. From the reviews I’ve read, the D50′s replacement, the Nikon D40 seems to be held up at the best entry-level DSLR ever, worshipped by camera lovers everywhere, partially because it comes with an awesome kit lens. Unfortunately it’s also no longer in production, and the new equivilent D3000 is apparently a) terrible, and b) more expensive.

So, does anyone have any other suggestions? I will consider other options to the Nikon, I just really like their kit lens’.

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Take Two: Cameras

Cameras