However, the $600 price tag on Amazon scares me. I love taking pictures and want to upgrade my camera... I'm currently shooting with a $200 Sony point & shoot that takes great pictures in the day light and crappy pictures the rest of the time. I'd love to upgrade to a DSLR, and everyone who has the Rebel seems to like it...Do I just go for the purchase (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Black Friday discount!!) or should I think about using a service like BorrowLenses.com, where I can rent an XSi camera body, memory card, and lens for about $150 per week (including insurance)? If I rent for a week, I can at least figure out how it works and if I'll be comfortable using it enouigh to spend the $600 on it... but is that worth $150?
What do you all think? Does anyone have a DSLR they like?
PS - Thanks for the suggestions on the window panels... I'm looking around and will report back!
8 comments:
I've always been told that renting is never a good idea. If you need to rent something for a party, OK. But something that you need everyday (like a TV, your furniture, etc.), not a good idea. It is a complete steal of your money. To rent that camera for $150 is to put a 25% "down payment" on the $600 camera, only to give it back after a week! Just some food for thought.
DSLR's are great. Before you get one I'd suggest doing some serious how-to research online. The point of spending $600 on a DSLR is to use all the tricks and settings. Learn how to use one before you buy one so once you've purchased one you don't feel overwhelmed and use it just like a point-and-shoot (meaning only using the Auto setting).
It's like going from a typewriter to a computer ;)
You guys can do it! You can learn the settings, save the money, and get a DSLR! no doubt :)
I hope I offered two sides to this and not just "DONT RENT!"
good luck Kate!
Love,
Gussy
waste of money
I don't have camera advice, but I agree that renting for $150 for one week seems like throwing money away. I would think you could do some major investigating online to get a general idea of how people feel about the camera. I would also suggest making certain there is a good return policy just in case you don't like it.
Good luck!
Sue
Thanks for the comments! I do think it's a waste of money, BUT as Maggie said, I don't want to get it to only use to auto setting... but I can't practice if I don't have a DSLR.... hmmmmmmm.
some digital cameras allow you adjust settings manually. It's a great starting point between DSLR and a point and shoot. That said, I have a Canon XTi and I love it :) Why don't you start with an XTi instead? It will be cheaper, still is GREAT quality, and any lenses you buy for it will also work on other Canon camera bodies if you choose to upgrade to a bigger and better camera in the long run! I bet you could could an Xti for about $350, maybe $400. Also look on Craigslist!
I'm saving for a Canon, but the one I want is more like $1,200. I agree, DO NOT RENT. I also agree that you don't want to spend all that money to use it as a point and shoot. Almost all of my friends that have one use it that way and it just kills me. I mean really, why did they feel the need to upgrade to an DSLR? There are more powerful point & shoots out there. I'm borrowing my Father In Law's Panasonic Lumix - it isn't an SLR, but it has more features than a regular point & shoot. That was kind of a tangent, sorry.
If you want to take more artful photos (be it of your family or anything else), get a DSLR and learn how to use is so you get your money's worth. Just keep in mind, the lens that comes with the camera body is a basic lens. If you want to do anything long range or up close, you're going to have to invest in more lenses - which adds to the expense. The entry level DSLR's have gotten less expense making it more affordable for non-professionals, but I don't think the lenses have come down significantly at all.
I have a photo blog (http://www.photogra-me.blogspot.com) - save for the hot air balloon pictures and the blue marbles, all of them have been taken with a Fuji Finepix 6mp point & shoot. The pictures are pretty good for a point & shoot.
Something to ask yourself is, "Do I really want to invest the time to learn how to use the camera AND go out there and practice using it? Or am I keeping up with the Joneses?"
I feel for you, I have been wanting to invest in a dslr camera for awhile now but I just can't decide which one I want. I have a canon p/s that I bought in summer of '06 and it's getting pretty old. I know that I will shoot on automatic in the beginning with the camera but I'm much more of a hands on person so until I get my hands on one and just start practicing and playing with it, I just won't know. Personally, I wouldn't spend $150 to rent it because even if I decided that more advanced photography wasn't for me and I wasn't going to take advantage of all the manual options on the dslr, at the end of the day I would still have a really nice camera that took nice pictures on automatic, yes I'd have paid more for it then just renting but...renting to me just kind of feels like throwing the money away. Plus, I know that if I were to rent it, a week just really wouldn't be enough time for me to figure it all out anyway and it would be a new toy and I'd want to get my own anyway... Sorry for all the rambling, I've been debating on getting a new camera since last fall and just haven't pulled the trigger yet. Life's been too expensive I guess!
@ Mrs. Life Accounts - My thoughts exactly. And thanks for making me feel better about using the automatic setting on a DSLR, at least in the begining! I just know I won't be able to use it on manual out of the box... but I do want to get there!!
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