The DSLR Information Thread


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Todays economictimes has one nice article on DSLRs.



SLR CAMERAS


Pro photographers would use nothing less, but what’s so great about SLR cameras, and what witchcraft goes on inside those mysterious black cases? Let’s find out…


WHAT IS AN SLR?

A Single-Lens Reflex camera, with a viewfinder that sees through the lens.

WHY WOULD I WANT ONE?

Compacts are simple to use, but SLRs offer greater control. Lenses can be changed, a viewfinder allows you to quickly compose photos without looking at a screen, and sensors are superior.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

1 Light enters the camera through the lens

2 and hits the mirror

3 directly behind it. The mirror reflects the light upwards towards a pentaprism (or pentareflector)

which corrects the image so that you see what the lens sees. This system means that SLR viewfinders provide an accurate rendition of the resulting photograph.
Press the shutter release button…
and the mirror swings up, the aperture sets to the correct width and a shutter

4 in front of the image sensor opens, allowing light from the lens to fall onto it. The image sensor

5 converts the light into electrical impulses that are manipulated by the SLR’s processor and recorded to a memory card. Snaps are then stored either as compressed JPGs or uncompressed RAW files.

WHAT ABOUT...



SLRs with Live View?

In Live View, the mirror and shutter are held out of the way so that the sensor can feed the screen with pictures. Shooting this way is slow because most SLRs need to close their shutters before taking a snap, and also because they use their mirrors for autofocusing.

And video?

In some respects SLRs have a head-start when it comes to video, thanks to quality lenses and sensors. However, to record video, the camera must also have sufficient grunt to compress each frame and string them into a sequence. The challenge increases with higher frame rates and hi-def.
can.jpg


INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

There are lenses for every type of photo. Focal length affects how much of a subject is captured. Short focal lengths (eg. 24mm) capture light from a wider area and are, in effect, “zoomed out”. Long focal lengths (eg. 115mm) are “zoomed in”, accepting light from a tightly cropped area. Lenses with wider maximum apertures (f2.8 or less) are referred to as “faster”, because they let in more light and thus let you use higher shutter speeds. Prime lenses have set focal lengths (they don’t zoom) and suffer less distortion.


Also prices and details of some of the camera -

Nikon D700 Rs 1,10,000 (body only)
What do you get when you cross the flagship D3 with the outstanding D700? Yep, this full-frame beauty that sits just in reach of enthusiasts’ pockets. That large 12.1 MP sensor gives amazing results at all ISO settings and the build is pro level. Astonishing.


Nikon D5000 Rs 48,950 (body only)
Take the winning tech of Nikon’s entry-level SLRs, add 720p hi-def video recording and what you have is the tasty D5000. The controls are friendly for beginners while still offering plenty of options, and the 12.3 MP images present minimal noise.

Canon EOS 450D Rs 42,995 (body only)
A good, solid all-rounder that’s packed with cuttingedge tech. Great shots, with excellent tonal range, are backed up by the impressive – nay, class-leading – 3 inch LCD, 3.5 fps continuous shooting, Live View and superb, intuitive control layout.

Nikon D90 Rs 78,990
The D80 rewrote the rules about what to expect from a mid-level camera and the D90 picks up where it left off. Resolution has been bumped up to 12.3 MP, images are superb throughout the ISO range, plus you get Live View and 720p hi-def video recording.
 
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I have not made up my mind.
Budget DSLR - because I am not going to be prof photographer, so basic DSLR would do. But then I am not going to buy new DSLR again, so have to be good.
I hope you understand the dilemma.

Budget I have not fixed, but may in range of 30-35K.
 
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I have not made up my mind.
Budget DSLR - because I am not going to be prof photographer, so basic DSLR would do. But then I am not going to buy new DSLR again, so have to be good.
I hope you understand the dilemma.

Budget I have not fixed, but may in range of 30-35K.
@RSM: Visit whizz at Mantri mall Malleshwaram.
They have started a new showroom & are offering huge discounts on DSLR Nikon.
 
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try out Nikon D3000, perfect budget DSLR, only thing i miss in this cam is its real time lcd view, else works perfect.
 
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i like nikon more than canon due to lens compatibility and consistency.
needless to say both nikon and canon are equally good strangely both shares number one position among photographers.

nikon d3000 is not at all a good camera to be recommended even though cheaper with flaws.regression shall follow if you purchase .though its cheap and alright for general use .but not up to the standards of modern quality dslr.

nikon d3100 is one great camera successor of d3000 and it is amazing device with full hd 1080p video recording capability.

i own nikon D90 and it is excellent. its lower sibling d5000 is also equally great except for some features being compromised. precisely nikon d90 and d5000 are provides equivalent picture quality both provides hd video recording but 720 p only.

next arrives the latest d7000 with full hd 1080p .that is the one if you are real serious.


prices will vary according to locations and their is grey market options too giving 15-30 percent reduction in quoted price.
 
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Thread Starter #30
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We have DSLRs ranging from 25K from Sony.
Stick to Cannon, Nikon and Olympus. Sony and Panasonic DSLR's are not very good. Sony's cybershot P&S camera's are good but only the ones with a Carl Zeiss lens.

try out Nikon D3000, perfect budget DSLR, only thing i miss in this cam is its real time lcd view, else works perfect.
Once you start using DSLR's you will never use the Live View function. I'm using the D3000 and I was confused between the D3000 and the Cannon 1000D. I almost bought the Cannon because of the Live View but the shop guy convinced me that it was not really required. I'm happy I opted the the Nikon.

BTW check out this thread. Infact can the mods please merge both the threads.
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/gadgets-more/1433-dslr-information-thread.html
 

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