mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

It's time to upgrade my old D50 setup. I don't love the lenses I have so I could stick with Nikon or switch to Canon, doesn't matter to me.

Best deal I've seen so far is this:

Canon Direct Store- EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens Kit Refurbished

$360 for a refurb Canon T1i plus the 18-55mm IS kit lens.

Can you beat that?

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

You can get a Nikon refurbed D5100's for a little over $400. A bit more, but I prefer Nikon over Canon, so to me that is a better deal. Pretty comparable cameras, but I think the Nikon edges the Canon out just slightly. I just upgraded from my D50 as well, and the D5100 is a WHOLE new ballpark, especially in lower light. I found a full 9 stop difference between the two cameras when it comes to low light performance.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, the D50 really struggles with low light performance. And since the high ISO quality is so terrible, you can't really cheat that way either. Looking forward to a noticeable improvement.

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

Oh, you'll notice it right away, with any more modern camera you get. To me, I was limited to either 200 or 400 ISO with the D50, 800 and 1600 I couldn't use, too much noise. Even with my 50mm 1.8 lens, I could still barely manage dark shots. When I did get one worth using, it was pure luck that there was no hand shake detectable in the image. Now with the D5100 and the 18-55 VR lens, I can shoot handheld at 1/4 sec at ISO 1600 and the images come out really clean and sharp. It's so nice.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Yes I can beat that deal on the same camera. *Call* Canon and speak with the loyalty department. I got the same T1i package for $325 shipped (plus sales tax) a few months ago.

If you are taking pictures of motorsports events, I recommend also purchasing a 55-250 lens.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

I thought you had to send in an old Canon for the loyalty program?

revlimiter

iTrader: (1)

What lenses do you have? Because it would have to be a HELL of a good deal on a body to also pay for replacement glass.

Bodies are nearly disposable and should be treated as such. Lenses are what matter.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

18-135mm 3.5-5.6 -- Not a bad lens, but it's easily replaceable. If I were staying Nikon, I'd eventually be wanting to move up to the 18-200 VR anyway.

50mm 1.8 D -- Great little prime, but would have to replace it with the G model for most newer Nikon bodies.

And that's it.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Best comparisons I can find so far:

D5000 + 18-55VR (preowned) Nikon D5000 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera w/ 18-55 Lens - CowBoom.com $372

D3100 + 18-55VR (preowned) Nikon D3100 14.2MP DSLR Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens - CowBoom.com $387

Either of those would let me keep my 18-135mm lens. I'd still have to sell my 50mm 1.8 D.

revlimiter

iTrader: (1)

Got any local camera shops? There might be deals on used bodies to be had.

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

That is one bad thing about the D5100, is losing autofocus on the 1.8D lens. It's tough to get a sharp image even when using the af indicator light. With such a shallow DOF, it's tough to get it just right.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Ben -- did you have to send in an older Canon camera to be eligible for the loyalty program? Or just tell them you really want a Canon and are so poor and oh what kind of a price can they offer you?

Ben

iTrader: (33)

I told them my Canon camera was broken and I asked for a discount on a replacement. IIRC, the discount they offered was 20% off refurb + free shipping. Had to pay sales tax. Did not return a broken camera to them.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Think I'm going to pull the trigger on this today:

Canon Direct Store- EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens Kit Refurbished

There's a $25 off discount expiring today that brings it down to $333 plus tax.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Nice, that's the same one I got.

If you'll be taking pics of motorsports events, I recommend also getting a longer lens.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, working on getting the 55-250 IS from Brainy.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

That's pretty much a done deal. Just gotta work out the logistics.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Ran into this on techbargains.com:

Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR Camera w 18 55mm Lens II and EF 75 300mm F4 5 6 Lens 610563301157 | eBay

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

That's a good price, but the T3 < T1i from what I can see, and the 75-300mm is supposed to be a bit of a dog. Almost every review or comparison I read said to save your money and just get the 55-250mm unless you absolutely have to have the extra reach (or, save your dollars and step up to the 70-200mm L 4.0 non-IS).

Ben

iTrader: (33)

Good catch. Techbargains had it listed as T3i.