SLR-Camera Reviews

This lens is widely held to be one of the best if not the best wide angle professional zoom lens for 35mm and Digital SLRs compatible with Nikon's lens system. I've had mine for about 6 months on a Nikon D-100 and have absolutely nothing I don't like about it. It's sharp from corner to corner at all zoom settings and any pincusion destortion is negligible even at 17mm @ f2.8. The AFS focusing motor is lightning fast and accurate. Filter size is 77mm, same as my Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR lens. Since filters this size aren't cheap, it's nice to be able to share. This lens will support 35mm, APS, and DX format film and digital sensor sizes and comes with a 5-year warranty. If you want the best, and can afford it, you won't be sorry you purchased this lens.

Of the auto-focus Nikkor lenses, I've owned the 20/2.8D, 24/2.8D, and 35-70/2.8D. My current lenses are the AFS28-70/2.8D, AF80-200/2.8D (2-ring version), and the AFS17-35/2.8D.

The AFS17-35/2.8D is the sharpest lens of all the manual and auto-focus Nikkor lenses I have owned/used. Since purchasing this lens almost 3 years ago, it has become the standard lens on my Nikon F5.

I travel with the AFS17-35/2.8D and (in my opinion) it's natural companion the AF80-200/2.8D. Both zoom lenses are ranked number 1 and 2 in sharpness respectively.

This camera has been one of the best investments I have made. I spent a year studying and traveling in Europe with it and got some GREAT pics. The lighting is always near perfect... great for shots of people, landscapes, pretty much anything. One of my profs reccomended it to me and I am SO happy I took his advice. I've had it for about two years now. GREAT CAMERA!

I got this camera after a long confusing time of research for a photography class. After shooting two rolls of film i am very impressed with the ease of use and quality of pictures that have resulted from my camera. It's also a Nikon so I can be sure that there are plenty of upgrades that I can buy if I ever wanted to go further into photography. But 400 some dollars is alot to pay for it (i got it at my local talls camera for 280). Definately go out and buy this camera if you were lost and confused like me. It's also cool when you see every one walking around with their Rebels taking worse pictures than you are.

Well, maybe not ALL of you. If you are a professional who earns his living by talking photos, read no futher, because (a) you will want to get more a robustly built N80 or even N100, and (b) you know about cameras so much already you do not need my guidance anyway.

Rest of you, please read on.

Do not be fooled or made feel like a cheapskate by those chilling words: "amateur", "entry level", "budget priced". With Nikon N65 (marketed as F65 outside the U.S.), you are not spending a lot of money, but you are not getting an inferior, cheap, bargain-basement product, either! Make no mistake - this is one solid product, an example of very advanced precision engineering DELIVERING stunning results.

Why is N65 is REALLY all you need. Because if you were to go for pricier models, then for a lot of extra money you will be getting a heavier, more heave-duty camera and some extra features which you are unlikely to use anyway. For some of us, it's worth the extra money, but the rest of you will buy little more than more prestigious badge.

I will not go into detail as to what this camera can do: there is a good description by Amazon, and anyway, it is so loaded with features that for me personally there was nothing left to be desired.

I have tested this Nikon in Africa for three months (including tropical rainforest in Ghana!), with plenty of dust and humidity around. It performed like a dream. It also worked beautifully in January, on a particularly cold winter day (-28 Centigrade) in Lithuania, which, being in northern Europe, can be biting in winter, thank you very much.

My friends who spent similar amounts of money on cameras in the same class (Canon, Pentax and Minolta) admitted that mine delivers appreciably higher quality, especially on close-range shots and in high-contrast situations.

The main competitor in this class is Canon EOS Rebel 2000 (again, marketed differently outside the U.S., where it would be EOS 300). They are very similar in functions but Canon is slightly cheaper (and hence more popular, one would think); the only trouble with Canon is its appearance - jazzy shapes and rather sad looking black plastic makes it look a bit like a large compact camera with a large lense... My opinion, anyway. And for bigger hands, Nikon N65 just feels chunkier, more secure and more satisfying (in fact, Nikon specially made N75, which is really a later version of N65, which is slimmer and more suited to feminine hands). Again, "feeling" is a matter of opinion. And while we on about N75, it's been "sexed up", seemingly to catch up with Canon's soapy shape. Big mistake, the way I see it.

Many people ask me - don't you want to go digital? I have to explain to them that digital is not for everyone: if you are happy that most of your photographs would be shared by e-mail, then of course, digital is fine. You will save film money, developing costs, and with digital, you do not have to wait for films to be processed.

HOWEVER, if you are after high-quality printed pictures, which can be enlarged to be put in album or hung on the wall, you would have to spend SERIOUS money on digital to achieve results even approaching what a relatively inexpensive film camera can do. We're talking thousands and thousands of dollars - to match the quality provided by this Nikon for 300 bucks.

With traditional photography, you do not have to forgo the convenience of electronic storage and sharing online: scanning from film is cheap, for a few bucks you can have the whole roll on a CD, with much, much higher file quality than ANYTHING that you can produce with an average digital camera.

Back to Nikon N65 - if there is a five-star product, this is it. Do not think about it as an interim entry-level solution: you are likely to be with this camera for years, and it will give you enormous amounts of satisfaction and pleasure. Go for it.

Nikon N65 QD has all the features that any professional photographer needs. People serious in photography should own one.

This camera is NOT a true SLR camera, as Olympus implies in the camera's description. In fact, many web sites list it under their Point-and-Shoot models. Nevertheless, this camera is an excellent compromise between big, expensive SLR cameras and smaller, easy to use Point-and-Shoot cameras.

The camera does have true SLR features not found on lesser Point-and-Shoot models. The view-finder is TTL (through-the-lens), so you can get an accurate preview of your photograph. The pop-up, bi-directional, color-correcting flash unit does a great job lighting your photos without the harsh shadows inherent in most small flash units. The flash also does a fairly good job reducing red-eye, but does NOT eliminate the problem. Using the "Red-Eye Reduction" flash mode helps significantly, but causes the flash to pre-fire for a couple of seconds before the shutter releases, so while it's highly effective with posed portrait photography, it's totally impractical for spontaneous photographs.

One of the most unique features of this camera is the 52mm threaded lens, which allows you to use all of the various filters available for SLR lenses. In fact, I HIGHLY recommend immediately purchasing a 52mm UV filter, which can be attached to front of the lens permanently to protect the lens itself. The UV filter also significantly improves photos taken outdoors. (Note: I also recommend shelling out a few extra dollars to buy a multi-coated UV filter instead of the cheap uncoated filters. The anti-reflective coating on a Hoya or Heliopan filter allows over 40% more light through to the lens compared to uncoated filters).

If you already own an SLR and have invested in larger filters, you can purchase a 52mm-58mm step-up ring for less than $15. The step-up ring is very thin, and is barely noticeable (although you can't use Olympus's fancy flip-up lens cover with the step-up ring). This option alone makes the Olympus IS-5 a great back-up camera for SLR owners.

The primary reason I contend that this camera is not a true SLR is simply because it doesn't offer the same flexibility as a Canon or Nikon SLR camera body. For example, you can't use interchangeable lenses with the Olympus IS-5, so you're stuck with the 28-140mm focal length. Furthermore, and perhaps more significantly, the camera doesn't have a "hotshoe", so you can't add a separate flash unit (like a Canon SpeedLite) or a multi-flash set-up to extend the range of your flash capability or increase your options when it comes to lighting.

In summary, the Olympus IS-5 is an excellent camera with a very high-quality lens, and would be a great choice for the vast majority of people who simply want an easy-to-use camera for everyday photos but don't want to settle for the lesser optics and flash units found on more compact Point-and-Shoot cameras. It is also a great back-up camera for more serious photographers who may already own an SLR and lens filters.

Although I've only had this camera for 6 weeks, I LOVE it! It's easy to use and the picture quality is quite good.
I purchased this camera after two months of research into all makes and models. I chose this one mainly for the extra zoom and date imprinting feature. I'm still learning to utilize all the features, but I'm VERY happy with it so far.

I have had my *ist D for about a month. What a delight to own and use. I like almost everything about it. I am a long time Pentax owner with a collection of lenses so have never considered any other brand as I patiently waited for Pentax to come out with a digital camera. I am so not disappointed. As a camera, not considering the digital part, it is the best of all the ones I have (LX, ZX-M, ZX-5n, ME, ME Supper, Spotmatic, etc). It is well balanced and small. I love the controls and the features. You may read reviews that say the memory card is difficult to remove. With my ScanDisk flash this is not a problem. Just tilt the camera slightly, press the release with your thumb and the card magically moves to your hand. It is really very easy, the trick is you don't try and grab it, you let it come to you. The first time I used it I took over 200 high-resolution JPEG shots of my daughters ballet performance. I used my old 85mm f2 lens and it was wonderful in the dim light. I also have the two new zooms (18-55 and 75-300) and recommend both as they are very reasonable in cost. The only thing I don't like is that using the old manual lenses requires either full aperture (OK for my use so far) or a manual setting of the exposure as you cannot do stop down metering as far as I have been able to find. Other than that, I like everything. The only point to consider is that I have no knowledge of any of the competitive digital cameras, have never even held one. But when you are in love with the one you have, who cares about the others.

This is an excellent new camera. Pentax has definitely innovated in the design and manufacture of the *ist. The form factor and light weight, yet well constructed, make it seem like a next generation camera compared to the Canon Rebel Ti and the Nikon N75 (both very good cameras also). The advanced features are all easy to access and use on the *ist, or you can use the pre-programmed mode wheel (sports, macro, landscape, portrait, etc.) to let the *ist make the decisions. So far, the pre-programmed modes have produced excellent photos in a variety of conditions.

One recommendation, upgrade to the Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.7 Lens that Amazon sells for $149.99. It is highly rated and produces excellent photos. The Pentax SMC 50mm/1.7 probably offers the best price/performance ratio of any Pentax lens made and will allow you to tap the full potential of the *ist. (Pentax, Canon, and Nikon tend to sell their consumer SLRs with mediocre zoom lenses to keep the overall cost down, and the quality of the photos produced is average as a result and often disappointing to new SLR owners.) The Pentax SMCP-FA 28-105mm f/4.0-5.6 (IF) Zoom Lens is also a very good lens.

I have only owned this camere about 3 months, so far I absolutely love this Pentax ZX-L, I own A Minolta, Olympus OM-1, Olympus
OM-4. Not that this other cameras are bad. but this pentax is such a joy to operate, It's lite, exposure is very acurate, you need to to feel and look through the viewfinder to experience the ease of functionality. I recomend this camera to anyone how loves to take photos as much as I do.

If you have ever own a Pentax camera before you knew that the quality of their product speaks for itself. This ZX-L camera is no exception to the rule. It is well designed with lots of features. I'm not very good in going into detail of all the features it has on the camera but I'm sure impressed by it. Checkout the spec. of this camera you will find that a lot of the function offered by the model are usually found on a much higher end (more expensive) of SLR.

For the price you will be paying to get a ZX-L you are really getting a great bargain for an all-around well built camera. Don't take my word for it, go to your local camera shop and review it or go online to find out more about this camera from other Pentax owner, I'm sure you'll find it hard to beat a bargain like this.

I just purchased this item and I must say it is perfect! It holds my camera (Canon Rebel 2000) w/ lens 28-200mm attached, a 70-300mm lens, and a flash. It has pockets for my film, filters, cleaning cloths, batteries, everything you need to keep with your camera. I bought this because I wanted a bag that would hold all my stuff, but was not cumbersome to carry around. It also seals the main compartment really tight; I bet it works great in the rain. This is a top-notch bag for an aggressive amateur or anyone who wants to travel light without forgetting the essentials.

I purcahse this bag because i need space for my flashs and lenses. This was one of the best bags ever. It is durably and it holds everything. This is a great buy.

I went to a few privately owned camera stores--very overpriced for what they were offering. The Samsonite camera bag is tough, durable, and SPACIOUS. I carry a flash, two lenses, along with my canon elan 7, and I have tons of room to grow, which is what I wanted. Very reasonably priced and well-made.I'm pleased with my purchase.

This is the second bag I've owned, and it's great. I looked at a lot of bags and this was easily the best one. I have a 35mm camera, three lenses, flash, lens doubler, and other accessories. I was able to fit everything in it with some room to spare. The bag is durable, light weight, and the construction is top notch. There is plenty of protection for your gear - lots of foam and the bottom is hard under the foam to protect against penetration from underneath. Getting to your gear is easy with the single front clip, yet you can make also make it more secure with the zippers. All zippers are covered for protection from dirt. Even fully loaded the bag is easy to carry with either the handle or shoulder strap. I am very pleased with this bag and definitely recommend it.

What I have read in other websites supports Monica's comment,it's all in one lens.

This is an excellent tool to make better photography though the art is in your "eye". It's small and lightweight, and a very useful feature is that it covers almost all lens sizes, which allows you to carry only one lens on your gadget bag so you can make from wide angle to close-up shuts without having to switch between lenses.
Just Excellent!!!

An excellent combination, the Sigma SA-7 and the Sigma 28-200mm zoom lens. This is a well built camera expecially considering the price range. I've used Canon, Pentax and Fuji SLR 35mm cameras and the lower priced Sigma SA-7 gives just as good results and saves you money for an extra lens etc. Metering system performs as good as the name brands (actually Sigma is a well known lens manufacturer, just not known for their cameras since they are fairly new in that field). Auto Focusing slightly slower than some others but as accurate and is not a problem for me. Well made and completely "FUN" camera and lens. And it actually has some features found only on more expensive cameras. You'll fall in love with it right off and save a lot of money in the process. What more could you want!!!

I have shot several rolls of "test film" with this camera and I am very pleased with the results. I used to use a basic manual 35mm slr for several years, then went to point and shoots for awhile and finally decided it was time to get a "real" camera. I spent many weeks researching the different brands and models on the manufacturers web sites, photo magazine articles and photo shops. I chose the Sigma SA7 because I want to explore photography more and wanted a camera that is a little more sophisticated than some of the other "entry level" 35 slr's but without being intimidating, the SA7 is just that. It feels comfortable in the hand, it's easy to use and it gives you lots of options in your photo taking. It has excellent build quality (100% Made in Japan, camera and lens, an added value at this price level)and comes with a great compact hyperzoom macro 28-200mm lens. I chose this lens because I did not want to carry around several lenses and I was impressed with it's aspherical design (smaller and lighter than other 28-200 lenses, with no focal loss or distortion) and since most of my shooting will be of my children, family, sports, nature etc., I felt this lens would probably cover about 85-90% of my photo taking. The kit includes: camera, lens with dust cap, strap, batteries, lens hood and carry bag (some of these items cost extra with other brands). The instruction manual is well written. The autofocus is sometimes a bit slow to "lock on" but I think that is due to it's sensitve nature (I'm used to manual focus)and you learn to compensate for that. I did purchase the Tiffin 62mm filter kit with this camera (uv, polarizing,inside lighting filter)and have gotten great results. I would like to see Sigma offer a battery pack for the SA7. If you want a well made, easy to use camera that you can grow with the Sigma SA7 is it.