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Anonymous
I'm trying to buy my first digital SLR camera. I've looked around on some websites, found a few hopefuls on ebay. But I haven't found one yet that has all the features that I want.

So, I come to you, /p/, for guidance.

I'd like to find a camera for less than $600, I might be able to stretch it to $700 or find some amazing deal on ebay.

I'll be using the camera for a few different reasons. I am digital artist first and foremost and I need my own camera to make my own stock photos instead of borrowing from other stock contributers.

I may also try my hand at fashion and macro photography, because I just eat that shit up.

I want one that has manual focus and manual zoom. This is pretty important to me. I hate hate hate auto focus and zoom and try not to use it if I don't need to.

Megapixels aren't super important to me because I probably won't be making many prints of my photos. But I guess more megapixels won't hurt.

I don't intend to get famous for my pictures or anything. I'm not a professional and buying this camera won't make me one. So it's just for personal use.
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>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>133000
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>I haven't found one yet that has all the features that I want.
Dude, the features you want are manual focus and manual zoom, and some number of pixels.

Pick any fucking digital SLR ever made. Canon 300D/Digital Rebel, Nikon D40, whatever. I've only seen like one lens for Canon and no lenses for Nikon that don't let you manually zoom and focus.
>> Anonymous
If you want to do mostly manual focus, all of the entry level cameras are going to be shit. They have bad viewfinders and lack compatibility with real manual focus lenses.

I'd recommend a used Nikon D1x on ebay. They shouldn't go for more than $500. They have good viewfinders and are compatible with older Nikon manual focus lenses. Be sure to get a couple spare batteries as the battery life on the D1x isn't very good. Luckily spare batteries are dirt cheap.

As for lenses, it depends on what you want. I'd recommend starting with a manual focus 50mm f/1.8. The Series E version is dirt cheap (like $20) and still better than most zooms.
>> Anonymous
>>133887
Thanks. You're the most helpful person in this thread.
>> Sicko !L3HRY/miC.
>I want one that has manual focus and manual zoom. This is pretty important to me. I hate hate hate auto focus and zoom and try not to use it if I don't need to.

Just wondering, why?
>> Anonymous
>>133889
I used to use my friend's camera (I can't remember if it was Nikon or a Fujufilm) and I hated the way pictures would turn out when I used auto focus. Now I'm not going to claim that the auto focus was the complete problem, maybe I just completely suck at photography, but I always got better results when I just used manual focus.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>133891
Sounds like you were letting the camera pick the autofocus point rather than setting it yourself and doing the focus-then-recompose method of focusing.

I.e., learn to use autofocus properly and it's extremely useful.
>> Anonymous
>>133892
alright, thanks. I'll definitely experiment more with auto focus when I get a new camera.
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>133893
If it was user error not AF error then there wont be any reason to get an old D1x for its MF capacity.
>> Anonymous
>>133894
so you think I'd be just as happy getting like a Canon Rebel or something? I'm not terribly picky, I just don't want to shell out the money and then not love the camera.
>> Anonymous
>>133888Thanks. You're the most helpful person in this thread.

ahahahaha, ac BURRRRRN
>> Anonymous
>>133881I want one that has manual focus and manual zoom. This is pretty important to me. I hate hate hate auto focus and zoom and try not to use it if I don't need to.

oh, wow LOL

sounds like you don't even know what you're getting into and have been using point and shoots

manual zoom, lol