Is a point and shoot Casio Elixir considered a 35 mm camera? I want to make photography a new hobby and I know I need a new camera. Should I buy this camera, Canon Rebel XSi(D-SLR), to start my hobby and for the class, or are there other cameras that would be better for a beginning photographer?

any advice?

 

I'd vote for the Nikon D40...how much are you looking to spend?

 

The Casio Exilim has a decent amount of manual controls for a Point and Shoot camera, but definitely not as much as a D-SLR. Also, they have relatively small lenses so the amount of light entering the camera is less. If you are considering photography as a hobby then I'd get a D-SLR. A lot of people think that a Nikon D40 is just a glorified Point and Shoot, but it's not as expensive as the higher end cameras and you can still learn a lot.

 

when i took my photography class we had to use a film camera, not digital...so i used my mother-in-law's Canon Rebel XT...

but i agree with the D40 as a good starter camera...or almost any camera that lets you shoot in RAW and manually control its settings...

 

$500-700

I found a Canon Rebel XTi(D SLR) for $629

Is the Nikon D40 a SLR? I think I am going to get SLR...

I should of rephrased my first sentence.. I have a Casio Exilir.. Trying to decide if that camera is good enough for class or if I should buy a better camera..

 

The xti, will not have the limitation that the D40 will have. The D40 is limited to the lenses you can use. The xti can use FULLY with any lens that Canon has made in the last 20 yrs.

With that said you can't go wrong with either one to start, you need to put them in your hands and see how they feel. If you have small hands, I don't think you're going to like either one. Then you'll have to look used for a Canon 20D or 30D, or a Nikon D80.

 

I did not think about how they feel in my hands.. Great Tip!! I will have to go to Best BUy and try them out before I order online..

 

If your hands are big (I think that's what jupity meant to say...not small), they will definitely feel cramped in either the D40 or XT/XTi.

When you go, check the whole feel of the camera though, not just whether or not your hands are cramped.

In the end, when I chose my D300 over everything else, one of the big (definitely not first, though) deciding factors was how it felt just holding it. I was really comparing that and the 40D. I preferred how the D300 felt more 'solid' in my hands. Some people may or may not think the same. It's really just preference, as is many of the other things.

 

I think i'm missing something in this discussion.

Do you need a 35mm film camera for the class? Or do you just need a camera with manual control.

 

If you need a 35mm film camera, most of this discussion is pointless.

 

Ya, I do need a 35mm camera.. I have a point n shoot Casio Elixir.. My original question was is this camera sufficient to fit the requirement of a 35 mm camera? If not, then I want to buy a new camera. Preferably a SLR.. I dont see the point in buying a new camera just for this class if I intend on getting a SLR eventually.. I might as well buy the SLR now and use it for the class...

If my Casio is a 35mm camera(not sure if it is), then I can use it for the class and buy a SLR later..

 

No, the Casio is a Point and shoot, you need to check on your class list as to what is needed. A film camera or a Dslr.


I just found a Elixim that is a superzoom, a EX-F1. What model do you have?

 

If the casio elixir is anything like the elixim it doesn't use 35 mm film at all, Neither does the canon digital rebel series or the nikon digital slr series. I would call or look in your class scedual to see if the class is film only. If it is you will be looking for film cameras.

Even though we were well into the digital photography age I took a class that required only film slr cameras. I used a minolta srt-101 and learned quite a bit. The dark room experience even carries over a into the digital world when you start to talk about using programs like photoshop or lightroom.

 

And to make the point even more - no digital camera is the same thing as a 35mm film SLR. Yes, there are some digital SLRs that are very comparable (and in many ways superior) to film SLRs, but they are not the same thing.

Find out if you must use film before making any purchases.

 

its a digital photography class..I doubt we will be working with film..
I think I am just going to buy a SLR camera.. Canon or Nikon..

Thanks for all of the input and advice.. It sure helped.. I'll let you guys know what camera I decided on..

 

So you are going to by a dSLR camera. The confusion came in when you said 35mm. That term is generally reserved for film cameras.

 

35mm, 36mm, whatever it takes.

 

If that's all it takes for who you're with, then good for you.





And, no, I didn't miss the Mr. Mom reference. Just doesn't quite have the same impact.

 

yeah, it was a bit forced...