Advice On Entry Level Camera Needed == $300 To $350 Range

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 2,142
kenscott Pillar of the Community United States 787 Posts	Posted 02/22/2012 6:50 pm I seem to have a decent return coming back and I am going to cash in some of my scrap sterling. Thus, I think now would be the right time to get a good, digital slr camera if possible. I will likely get it on E-Bay or off my local Craigslist. My question is which models should I be considering. Also, are Nikons or Canons better at the entry level? Thanks in advance all. Kenscott Report this Post to the Staff

SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 02/24/2012 2:29 pm $350 might buy you a well-used, older model dSLR with a cheap kit lens. Such a combination will allow you to take decent images, but that's more like the price of the lens alone. In that price range you're probably better off considering a high-quality point-and-shoot. Report this Post to the Staff
kenscott Pillar of the Community United States 787 Posts	Posted 02/25/2012 01:55 am I have been considering a Nikon DX40. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 02/25/2012 04:32 am I am going down the track of acquiring a USB microscope. It goes from 1x to 400x. Cost? About $90. I have seen an example demonstrated. There is no eyepiece, images directly to the computer screen in real time. Very appropriate to coin photography. The record button automatically records a jpeg file directly to the computer. Chinese made. Now I will be able to photograph Chinese coin fakes! I wonder when they will do a fake microcsope? Report this Post to the Staff
kenscott Pillar of the Community United States 787 Posts	Posted 02/27/2012 03:02 am Yes, I have read about the microscopes. I understand they are a decent, cost-effective alternative to high end cameras. In my case, I would be using the camera for more than coin shooting though. Thanks for the response. Report this Post to the Staff
tights24 Pillar of the Community United States 2254 Posts	Posted 02/27/2012 11:41 am I find it worth exploring DPreview.com when in a situation like this. It may be worth finding a "highly recommended" point and shoot that is maybe a year or two old. Usually they can be had for pennies on the dollar and are still very capable of all types of picture taking. Manufacturers come out with new models constantly, so you can save yourself a ton of money by buying a model a year old. Report this Post to the Staff
DVCollector Bedrock of the Community United States 10045 Posts	Posted 02/27/2012 1:15 pm Quote: In that price range you're probably better off considering a high-quality point-and-shoot. $350 might get you a decent camera body, but a dedicated dSLR macro lens will set you back another $300 or more; kit lenses just don't do it for macro work--you will end up frustrated. I would also highly recommend that you consider a point-and-shoot with good macro capabilities. Along those lines, I can highly recommend the Canon SD790IS and SD780IS. You can buy these from Adorama for ~ $140--you can't do much better anywhere for the price. Here are some of the results I have achieved with a Canon SD790IS, which compare favorably to my Nikon dSLR with the 60mm micro-Nikkor lens. This coin is smaller than a Lincoln Cent: Report this Post to the Staff
VetStudent Valued Member United States 306 Posts	Posted 02/27/2012 3:41 pm Another vote for Canon. I have the SX120 which is in your price range. It's a versatile camera but sucks for taking pictures of things that are moving (ie- my baby boy!). Great MACRO function and 10x optical zoom with 40x digital zoom (not the greatest quality @ 40x but definitely better than not having the option). Report this Post to the Staff
kenscott Pillar of the Community United States 787 Posts	Posted 02/27/2012 8:32 pm I will check out the Canons here and see if they are a better fit than a dSLR. Thanks for the recommendations; I appreciate them. Report this Post to the Staff
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