Big deal, right? Well, once we got to looking, the price range is enormous. Anywhere from $500 to $1,000.00. She got me to give in like she always does. So I agreed to about $600.00. She found one. I was pleased. Then she said, "Oh yeah, I need a lens for it too." What?!? It doesn't come with a lens? "Not a good enough one." Apparently to capture pictures of our kids playing peewee soccer, we need to be Alfred Stieglitz.
We've been through numerous digital cameras over the years. We had a Kodak Easy Share camera that my wife loved. But it got damaged during our big Christmas van wreck of 2009 (more on that in a later hub) and so we bought a "new and improved" version of the Easy Share and it just didn't take very good pictures. We have proven the old maxim, "You get what you pay for" over and over, so we have begun saving a little longer before buying. Especially since we got rid of the old credit cards. For example, we bought each of 6 kids who are in school a Samsonite backpack for about $100. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, we were buying our kids between 1 and 2 backpacks EACH a year because they would wear out. So take $40 per year for cheapos, or buy one that will last for several years and you come out better spending the money up front.
We found those Samsonite backpacks because our middle daughter had to have a pacemaker installed and can't carry a backpack, so she needs one with rollers. This is a kid who is point man on her soccer team and runs head on into boys twice her size because "that's her ball" and she can't carry a backpack over the lead on her shoulder. Anyway.
Back to cameras. So I need a $600 camera and a $200 lens now. Not without the power of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a new phenomenon with the internet where large numbers of people pool their collective knowledge on a subject which reduces the chance of error--if it's done right. My wife has figured this out, so she started asking around on her "momma" boards about successes and failures with digital cameras. Here is what she found:
"LOVE the Canon T2i. Had a Nikon prior, but Canon is way better"
"I have a Nikon D5000. I like it a lot, the only drawback for me is that I am limited to lens that will autofocus within the lens, though that isn't really a problem because I haven't bought any extra lenses and when I do, the tops of my list will all work with my camera. If I were buying today I would get a D7000"
"I have pro level cameras but if I were buying today to start out, I'd go for the Nikon D7000 if it was affordable, and if not, then I'd go for a used D90 or D300.
I've shot with Canon Rebel XS, XSi and XT cameras but I'm not familiar with the recent Canon Rebels."
"I am a huge Lumix fan."
"All Canon's entry level DSLRs will autofocus with all the current lenses but some of Nikons do not. Both are great brands -- I shot with Canon DSLRs for over a year before switching to Nikon."
"My SIL has the D3000 (the older version of the 3100) and she loves it. She only shoots on auto and gets some very nice shots. You'll definitely be able to get some great shots right out of the box (once you get used to the camera and adjusting your lens) and once you're comfortable with it, you can get into the more complicated settings."
"Check out Ken Rockwell for a review."
"Manual zooms on both the Nikons & Canons. If you want to be able to to zoom in very much at all you will likely have to get another lens other than the ones that come standard"
"The lens that comes with the Canon t2i kit, is a good lens, but for closer type pictures. I still use mine a lot. If you're going for Zoom...the IS is a HUGE MUST! I just got one that is amazing. Play play play. It's the best way to learn with the DSLR's. There are a bunch of sites too that you can go to that help you learn to play with all the options. "
All those soccer moms have different preferences, but one camera stood out. So it looks like the Canon t2i is it. Every once in a while a company makes a product that it can't top. So far, everyone loves the Canon t2i and says not to bother with the next version.
What does the Canon t2i offer? A large viewing window for one. My old Minolta SG7 student camera in college had a little viewfinder you had to peer through. Now you just look at the tv screen on the back of your camera. My parents had a state of the art VHS camcorder back in the day. I'd heft that thing onto my shoulder and I was the coolest. Now your Canon t2i takes full HD video as well. Darkroom? I always enjoyed the effects I could create in the darkroom in my photos. Now just load the SDHC card into your PC and you can do anything a professional photographer can do if you play around with it long enough.
I'll come back and update this review after my wife plays around with her camera long enough. Who knows, she might even let me use it!
Update: This camera is the real deal. Great pictures...and for an amatuer user, it has great automatic settings. I have taken some great action shots of my kids playing soccer. The autofocus has the ability to toggle between two focal points so you can catch action both near and far when shooting across the field. I still haven't been able to take many pictures since my wife is usually hogging it. At any rate, if any camera setup is worth about a thousand bucks, this one delivers as promised!
