Cheap digital system camera, halp plz

[Deleted]

Hi guys.

I recently got interested in photography and I'm considering buying myself a cheap digital system camera. Problem is, although I'm familiar with the different parts of a camera, I know nothing about what specs I should look for and what I should expect to pay.

Is there anybody out there who's heard of or seen a decent cheap-ish system camera? I do not need professional quality, I do not need to be able to capture extreme photos, I just want a camera capable of taking solid pictures with manual settings, not some auto crap. Perhaps it's standard on system cameras, I got no idea, but I don't want to change settings through an interface.

Has cameras improved much the last few years? Could get my hands on an old, possibly used, system camera that's a few years old? Just how bad are the "cheapest" system cameras you see on online sites?

edit: Oh and, I want to be able to take pictues in RAW, is this a standard these days?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

I got a Canon 350D that I picked up a few years ago. Afaik, most digital system cameras come with pre-made "modes" (like landscape, portrait, etc) but the whole point (to me at least) by having a proper system camera is that you can learn and fiddle with different settings, letting you explore things like lightning, exposure, shutter times, etc, etc.

My sister, who is more into photography than me, has a Nikon D60 which I believe is more expensive and also more advanced. She is looking at this point to pick up a Canon PowerShot G12 to use when she doesn't want to carry around her more advanced and expensive equipment. It's a hybrid compact and system camera to my knowledge, and might be perfect for your needs.

Edit: I believe it goes for around $480.

[Deleted]

She is looking at this point to pick up a Canon PowerShot G12 to use when she doesn't want to carry around her more advanced and expensive equipment. It's a hybrid compact and system camera to my knowledge, and might be perfect for your needs.

What's the definition of a system camera anyway? Seems like I got something wrong, because that PowerShot is labeled an "advanced digital compact camera", but it seems like you can handle it/change settings with manual buttons like I expect from a system camera.

[Deleted]

I believe "system camera" is just a common name for SLR and TLR cameras (single-lens reflex and twin-lens reflex). It basically specifies what type of mechanic the camera uses. In the case of a system camera I believe it per definition needs to have interchangeable parts (like detachable flash and objective).

The camera I linked, the PowerShot G12, is a compact camera and does not have an interchangeable objective, but it can (for example) be fitted with an external flash. Not sure if it is a SLR camera, I doubt it is. You could label it as a "compact camera with system camera features" or a "system camera wannabe" if you so please.

[Deleted]

So technically I can get just what I need from a compact camera as well? Oh lord I'll never be able to find the right camera...

SLR, TLR says nothing to me. Could either be said to be better?

[Laurcian]

I would not buy anything that isn't a Nikon. The lens systems (and thus the image quality) is superior to Canon.

The D60 and D300 can be had for around $400 brand new for the "Kit" which includes a lens, memory card, bag and other goodies.

These two take great pictures and they have all the features you are looking for.

[Deleted]

So technically I can get just what I need from a compact camera as well? Oh lord I'll never be able to find the right camera...

Well, manual settings has nothing to do with the mechanic that the camera uses. It just so happens that most "system cameras" offer manual settings because they are more advanced by nature (and also more expensive) and thus caters to more professional users. They are also almost always mechanical and not digital (even if the sensor is digital) and thus allows for better raw quality. In comparison, a "compact camera" caters to more average users that just want a camera for the sake of having a camera (vacation pictures, for example).

Set out a budget that you find reasonable, and go to a good photo-store and ask them straight out what they recommend. You could probably get a decent SLR digital camera for around $500, but if the picture quality will be better than the compact camera I linked is hard to say.

SLR, TLR says nothing to me. Could either be said to be better?

Afaik, TLR is hardly used anymore. Perhaps by high-end professionals. SLR is the most common. It is usually fitted with a mirror mechanic together with the shutter to redirect the image to the seeker. When a picture is taken, the mirror flies to the side and the sensor picks up the image. That is a very simplified explanation on how it works though...