Everyday, do-everything rig camera?

[Townsend]

Hey guys - always had a passion for photography, but by no means consider myself well versed when it comes to the finer points of the hobby.

Here's what I'm looking for: a replacement to constant, worthless iphone photos while I'm on the road. Whether it be the daily work commute, or driving into the mountains for camping and skiing, I constantly find myself wishing I had a worthy camera sitting in the passanger seat with me so I could pull off to the side and document the daily beauty of Colorado. For a little Florida boy like me, it still hasn't gotten old, and likely never will.

So here's where you all come in - with a SMALL budget (while I save for a new 80 or 100 series Land Cruiser), what would be a great setup for under $300 or so? I pride myself on my craigslist abilities, and have seen some steals on Nikon D40's, Canon 20D's, etc etc etc. I also THOUGHT I was the king of research, but have been humbled by my lack of camera knowledge and complete lack of comprehension when perusing camera blogs. I've owned a Rebel XT in the past, loved it, but don't necessarily need to stick with Canon. I'm honestly looking for nothing more than a body, and a "do everything" single lens. The photos will be a lot of Colorado landscapes, pictures of the rig, and random shots in between and on road/camping trips. I'm open to all suggestions and advice - thank you all in advance.

 

[burnoil]

You might try this site to help sort through features on various models:

http://www.dpreview.com/

It helped me with quite a few camera purchases. My go-to camera these days is the Olympus OM-D E-M5. They are not cheap when new, but have been out long enough to find them used. It is a rugged little camera and I have a 14-150mm lens that stays on almost all the time. A do-it-all lens of sorts.

 

[SDDiver5]

Considered a GoPro? Not the greatest camera in the world obviously but it sure can do a lot for the small price tag. And the fact its waterproof and shockproof is awesome. I shot about 2 hours of footage (pics and video) on my last trip I took.

 

[Townsend]

Considered a GoPro? Not the greatest camera in the world obviously but it sure can do a lot for the small price tag. And the fact its waterproof and shockproof is awesome. I shot about 2 hours of footage (pics and video) on my last trip I took.

I could see grabbing one down the road, but for what I'll be doing with it, I'd rather have an actual full size camera at this point.

 

[Townsend]

It helped me with quite a few camera purchases. My go-to camera these days is the Olympus OM-D E-M5. They are not cheap when new, but have been out long enough to find them used. It is a rugged little camera and I have a 14-150mm lens that stays on almost all the time. A do-it-all lens of sorts.

Sadly way out of my price range, but a sweet setup for sure!

 

[sickchilly]

You're not going to find a decent "full size" (I assume you mean DSLR) camera kit for less than $300. While the bodies depreciate rapidly, the glass doesn't. The cheapest kit I would consider, assuming I was going to keep it for a while, would be a Nikon D7000 (maybe a D90) with an 18-200VR lens. Not fast glass, but definitely an all-in-one.

You may want to look into some of the smaller DSLR-like super zoom cameras offered by the likes of Panasonic and Fuji.

Honestly, for how you describe your purposes, an "enthusiast compact" may work for you too. Something like a Fuji x20, Panasonic LX7, Canon G15 or Nikon P7700. Those will give you a lot of full control DSLR features in a smaller all-in-one form factor great for travel and easier on the wallet.

 

[Townsend]

You're not going to find a decent "full size" (I assume you mean DSLR) camera kit for less than $300. .

Sorry, I should have clarified. I meant full size as just not a little go pro, not necessarily a DSLR. I've been researching the Canon G15 you mentioned, and for even less, the G12 is out there inexpensively too.

 

[nwoods]

The canon G series are great cameras and will do what you want. You also mentioned dslr style cameras like a 20D. The 20D is a solid camera, but dslr's need lenses, and good lenses significantly exceed your budget. I'd stick with a G series.

 

[Ryanmb21]

You can find refurbished Nikon 3100's with 18-55mm kits lenses for $350 at Adorama and B&H (sometimes). That's what I'd do and give you the potential for some great images.

 

[Townsend]

You can find refurbished Nikon 3100's with 18-55mm kits lenses for $350 at Adorama and B&H (sometimes). That's what I'd do and give you the potential for some great images.

Was just looking at one of these. Is there an issue with going used vs. refurbished? TONS of deals all over my local craigslist...

 

[burnoil]

Another vote for the Nikon (D3100, D5000, D5100, etc.)

Not small bodied, but take very good pictures with relatively inexpensive glass. Pretty darn rugged, too. Had a D5000 (donated to a member here running a charity) and had very good luck with that rig. Many lens options from expensive to quite cheap.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Not sure about craigslist, I have sold a couple of lenses on it, but never bought anything. Cameras are precision machines and with all electronics it would be hard to see any gremlins in a few minutes at Starbucks before the purchase. If you buy anything refurbished from Adorama or B&H they give you a 3 month warranty, and if you join Adorama's VIP club (~$7) you get a 1 year warranty (I think going from what i've heard here). I would recommend that route for a few more duckets.

 

[vicali]

We've been really impressed with the D3100 we got as a 'family' camera, it takes great pics out of the box and is easy enough to use by anyone.
I'm still saving my coins for a new D series though, but there is always a newer better camera out there.

On the other hand I've still got my clean D70s that takes great pics and uses the same glass, it rides around in the truck with me and goes where I go. You can probably find a handful of them on CL, and I would laugh at any of them priced over your budget. put another $100 together for the 1.8 50mm and enjoy taking all the pics you want..

Someone already linked you to dpreview, so I'll leave Ken's site here too -not everyone agrees with him, but I've found his reviews pretty helpful in the past.

 

[Townsend]

We've been really impressed with the D3100 we got as a 'family' camera, it takes great pics out of the box and is easy enough to use by anyone.
I'm still saving my coins for a new D series though, but there is always a newer better camera out there.

On the other hand I've still got my clean D70s that takes great pics and uses the same glass, it rides around in the truck with me and goes where I go. You can probably find a handful of them on CL, and I would laugh at any of them priced over your budget. put another $100 together for the 1.8 50mm and enjoy taking all the pics you want..

Someone already linked you to dpreview, so I'll leave Ken's site here too -not everyone agrees with him, but I've found his reviews pretty helpful in the past.

Are you saying a D70 with only the 1.8 50mm, or the D70 with an 18-55 lens AND the 1.8 50mm. Would you suggest the D70 over the D3100?

 

[vicali]

Are you saying a D70 with only the 1.8 50mm, or the D70 with an 18-55 lens AND the 1.8 50mm. Would you suggest the D70 over the D3100?

D70 with the kit lens is pretty basic, the 50mm is a really nice fixed lens, it will teach you a lot about taking photos.

Well we paid almost $400 here for the D3100, it's super nice and takes good pictures, the VR on the kit lens is really nice too..
I paid $2000 for my D70s in 2004, it works great and I know what all of the buttons do and how to use it with my eyes closed..

What I'm trying to say is that there are a lot more nice DSLRs out there older than the D3000 series. If you are looking for the best and newest sensor camera out there by all means get a brand new one. If you are looking for one to bang around in your truck and take photos when you need it I would go with an older model for a better price.