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      09-23-2019, 06:18 AM   #16
LuvMyE92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evelyna42 View Post
So, my question is, with a budget of about $1,000, what can I pick up that will be a solid camera in various situations?
I won't go down the Nikon/Canon debate road, but those are probably the top two consumer/pro choices. A s a friend of mine (semi-pro) always used to say, buy the glass. Don't spend the money on mega-mega-pixels; get a good camera and spend the money on a great lens. I agree.

Find a nice used camera on eBay. Decide on which brand you want to go with and stick with it (the lens are usually not interchangeable). Me personally, I felt like the build quality of the Nikon was better than the Canon when I started looking at crop sensor cameras. Since then, I've determined/decided that Canon lenses may be a bit better than Nikon, but I'm stuck with my choice, which still isn't all that bad. And I'm used to the ergonomics and functions of the brand. I've also moved to full frame, but that was driven by a need for publication, as my editor demanded bigger and sharper files.

So, find what you like and buy a one or two generation old used camera. The prices will have dropped significantly, but you won't be missing much on features. Look for something taken well care of with a reasonable shutter count.

Then get a good prime lens, like 35mm or 50mm (depending on the crop/full frame). You don't need a zoom - you have feet. You will (if you don't already have one) need a good quality tripod, for the night shots. For whatever money you have left over, buy some spare batteries, memory cards and then start looking for the next lens.

You can buy lenses used as well, or rent one before you buy to see if you really like it. However, if you are good at eBay, you can buy used and resell for what you paid (less fees) if you discover that you don't like it.
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