Equipped with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm standard zoom lens is ideal for just about any application. IS technology compensates for camera shake by providing the equivalent effect of a shutter speed up to four stops faster. This allows you to take sharp handheld shots even in low-light conditions–a must for sports and nature photography. The lens also offers an aspherical lens element that corrects for aberration, thus producing a topnotch image throughout the zoom range, and a circular aperture that exquisitely renders out-of-focus backgrounds. Despite its minimal size, weight, and cost, the lens expands the picture-taking possibilities any time slow shutter speeds are needed.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars An OK lens, not a great lens
The AF is slow compared to Canon USM lens, is slow even compared with Pentax screw-driven lens.

The image quality is improved significantly over previous non-IS versions. The image quality is good for its price. But don’t expect too much, it is nowhere near other higher grade lens from Canon. Even Canon 50/1.8 and 50/2.5 Macro lens beat the 18-55/IS easily.

5 Stars Good value for money
This lens is a vast improvement over the kit lens that came with the Rebel XTi. Good low light photos and less noise. I would definitely recommend this lens for anyone suffering with the kit lens.

5 Stars Great basic lens
This is the lens that normally comes in the kit. If you need a new Rebel, get the kit! We ended up paying more for it separately. What happened was my old camera quit working. We thought it was the body, so we just purchased a new body. Nope. The lens was broken! So then we had to purchase a lens separately. This is a nice basic/starter lens and works great for general photos. I do a lot of animal photos, and it’s worked fine. The next lens up cost more than the camera! So if you just need a basic lens, this does work, takes nice photos, and won’t break the bank.

5 Stars Great, yet cheap little zoom lens
While Canon produces many fantastic lenses, they do offer a lower-quality line at a much cheaper price. Mind you, Canon does this to broaded their market-share and to potentially create loyal customers from this group.

I have been looking for a simple small lens to attach to my camera when I am not doing work for money. I read about the size and weight of this lens and was pleased by the many good ratings, so I decided to get it. I was not disappointed. After a month now, the lens performs as it was stated, smooth zooming, the USM is heard, but it’s nothing bad, and the IS works flawlessly.

I have had no problems whatsoever mounting or dismounting the lens from my EOS 30D body, which stores beautifully amongst my other gear due to its small size. My professional lenses are twice the size and not having to carry the extra weight is a godsend.

I do wish the lens was made from more robust plastics, but if they did, the lens’ price would be higher. I will merely try to baby the lens every step of the way so it will last the longest possible. All in all, this lens is worth the money you spend on it, which is why I rated 5 stars.

4 Stars Nice Suprise
I bought this lens just to have it as a back up to my trusty Sigma 17-70 lens. It has not left my 40D since.I picked up the 18-55 IS as a “USA White Box” lens(was removed from a kit by a retailer).It is light,easy to handle and very sharp.The auto focus is fast and accurate.My thinking was that this might be an temporary lens until the New Canon 15-85 came out. I don’t know that the new lens would justify the extra $650.00. The 18-55 IS does have its short comings,but I feel the image quality and price outweigh them. I team this lens up with the 55-250 IS (another amazing value lens)and a fast prime like the 28 f/1.8 and I am covered for a day of walk around photography.

Buy/More Info

A lens hood is one of the most important accessories for each lens you own. A lens hood provides multiple functions: it shades the lens from stray light, improving your contrast and image quality; in inclement weather, it can assist in keeping moisture or wind-blown debris off the lens; and it protects the front barrel from the inevitable impacts against walls, door frames, and other real-life obstacles.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A little overpriced
The product and the package it came in was actually a lot smaller than expected, so I feel that it is a bit overpriced for such a simple product.

5 Stars Fits fine on Canon EF 85mm 1.8 lens
I found that the hood goes on real easy and not hard at all to get off if you use a gentle touch.

It locks on nicely and only needs a soft compression of side tabs to get off. Press too hard and you will get frustrated. Definitely over-priced for what little plastic there is but the black felting on the inside does eliminate any reflected glare. If someone could make a knock-off for half the price they would get rich.

4 Stars Does the job, but should come with the lens.
Really wish Canon would include hoods with all lenses, seems silly to nickel and dime for a platic tube.

4 Stars Does the job
There’s not much to say. The hood does its job. It’s easy to mount/unmount and can be mounted in reverse.

3 Stars Not that secure
The product works as advertised. But the design of the lens and the hood attachment is not the most secure. My other lens hoods screws on to the lens. This is attached through 4 prongs that attaches to a thin grove on the lens. With any force, the hood can pop out so may to serve to protect the lens when dropped.

Buy/More Info

Hoods offer several benefits to the photographer. Primarily the hood shades the lens from stray light that may result in an unwanted discoloration or hazing of the image, or the appearance of lens flare. Shading your lens helps improve contrast and image quality. A hood is not required to eliminate these problems, as any item used to shade the lens will provide the same protection from stray light. The hood is convenient in that it is built to offer protection while ensuring that it will not inadvertently find its way into your image. Photographers often state the protective abilities of a hood as a reason to have one.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars works perfectly
Works as its supposed to. You can reverse bayonette it when not in use. Has already protected my lens a couple times when I’ve accidentally banged it against something. Plus, it looks cool!

5 Stars doveTouch
Canon has a great camera. It provides great flexibility with a lot of help to be more user friendly. Great pictures with a little study – nice – plenty of other things to do with your time.

4 Stars A good hood for a rather expensive price
Perfect Canon hood, but you can find a cheaper alternative that can get the job done.

5 Stars Nice lens Hood
This lens hood twists on and off very easily. Much better than the old screw-on version I thought I was saving money on (but not time). Too bad the lens hood does not come with the lens. Recommended.

4 Stars Fits
The thing fits forward and backwards for easy storage. I haven’t done a lot of testing for effectiveness but if you want a hood for this lens then this is it for you.

Buy/More Info

With its effective focal length range of approximately 16-35mm in 35mm format, the EF-S 10-22mm f/3. 5-4. 5 USM is a remarkable lens with outstanding image quality that will take your photography into new dimensions and areas of dramatic expression. The super-wide zoom not only gives you the freedom to get exactly what you want in the shot, it dramatically alters perspective to allow for dynamic expression. The lens allows you to get extremely close to subjects, exaggerating the difference in size between a near object and its background. Creative photographers can use this phenomenon to create excellent separation between subject and background for a strong sense of presence, or for a pan-focus effect with everything from foreground to background sharply in focus. Exceptionally light and compact for its focal length range, the EF-S 10-22mm f/3. 5-4. 5 USM also has an incredibly close minimum focusing distance of just 24cm. A ring-type USM works in concert with the camera to provide super-fast, precision auto focusing and predictive tracking – with full manual override available at any time. Designed specifically for digital photography, the lens has specially shaped lens elements and Super Spectra coatings to suppress ghosting and flare, which can be caused by reflections off digital camera sensors. An exclusive optional lens hood can further reduce the incidence of flare. A circular aperture provides a pleasing background blur when shooting with a wide aperture; ideal for creating a sense of depth and getting your subject or model to stand out from the background.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good Lens, but not up to Takina’s 12-24 F/4
I bought this lens a week ago and have found it to be a good choice, though not up to Takina’s 12-24 F/4 which I would say is the best lens in this class. The Canon is lighter which makes it comfortable to shoot with a heaver camera like the 50D espically with a battery grip on, which I don’t own yet but plan on buying soon. The extra two degrees at the wide end is a big advantage also with this lens, though you lose it at the zoomed range this is not such an issue as I think most people who will buy this lens will have that covered buy another lens if the really need it.

This lens is soft in the corners especially wide open, this is common in a lens of this class and the Takina also does this but not to the degree of this Canon it also handles CA better and the Takina I would say has a much stronger build. Takina is well known for making tank lenses. I would take this lens over the Sigma and Tamron versions (Tamron usually I find to be the best for 3rd party lenses), but in my opinion, the Takina just out performs these lenses and does so with a constant F/4 aperture which is very important to me. Flare control does seem a bit better also with this lens though not by much, it can make a big difference in some shooting scenes.

This is a great lens overall, so don’t think I am unhappy with it. If the lens was cheaper I would probably recommend it but it’s the same price a Takina’s, Sigmas and Tamrons without the benefits so I will be returning it.

If you can’t get the Takina this would be a great second choice.

5 Stars awesome lens!!
I got this lens when I first got into photo and I had no idea what I was doing. I’m sure glad I blindly bought this lens! It’s such a fun lens to shoot with, super wide, nice crisp images. extremely durable too, mine has been hit by a couple skateboards and there has been no damage.

5 Stars Very Sharp Lens!
I took this lens out on a photo shoot with my Canon EOS Rebel T1i the day after I received it from Amazon.com. I had been a bit skeptical about purchasing it because I did not know how much I would need or like a truly wide angle lens, since I tend to prefer telephoto lenses. However, when I first used this lens, I was very impressed with the image quality and with what I saw through the viewfinder. The wide angle of view offers some very interesting new photo opportunities!

The images this lens produced for me were superb in terms of color saturation, clarity, and sharpness. The pictures were so sharp that I could crop them, keep only about 5% of the original image, and still have tack sharp pictures! Aside from the cheaper build of this lens, it performs on the same level as my “L” lenses.

As an added bonus, this lens offers an excellent depth of field with a close focusing distance of about 9 to 10 inches! That makes it possible to get close-up shots of flowers where every part of the flower is in focus – no more depth of field concerns!

When zoomed out toward the widest angle, my camera’s built-in flash causes a shadow from the lens to appear in the picture. But when an external flash is used, this is not a problem. I used a slim Circular Polarizer filter with this lens with no problems – no vignetting!

Before buying this lens, please understand that it is an EF-S lens that can be used only with Canon cropped sensors, such as the T1i, 50d, etc. It will not work with the full-framed Canon cameras (eg, 5d, 1ds, etc.).

5 Stars 10mm is just OMG!!
Everything you see through 10mm lens wide view is totally OMG-!! It is pretty expensive for beginner like me, but it was definitely a good buy. Build quality is very nice. USM is quiet and fast. Before you buy it, make sure you know it is 77mm, and not 58mm, so you need new UV Haze filter for it. I got a lens hood and it is huge!! Thats another OMG for me, but I will tell you, this lens is awesome. (or I should say, 10mm wide-view is awesome. I am a beginner and I don’t know much about sharpness and colors)

5 Stars Can’t beat the pictures this lens takes
bottom line, this lens takes amazing pictures you just can’t get with any other lens for this camera. Worth every penny.

Buy/More Info

This telephoto macro lens is capable of focusing to life-size (1X) without attachments. Although it replaces the EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, it is a completely new design. It incorporates a ring-type USM giving quiet, high-speed autofocus. The full-time mechanical manual focus gives very smooth manual focusing. For the first time in a 1X focusing telephoto macro lens, inner focusing is used.The lens length remains constant and a long working distance of 149mm makes worrying about getting too close to the subject unnecessary. Also, during focusing the front ring does not rotate making use of front-mounting accessories like macro ring lites simple and effective. “Three-group floating” focusing construction uses three independently moving groups, which holds focusing-related changes of aberrations to a minimum giving excellent image quality all the way from infinity to life size.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars I use this for nature close-ups…
…but it’ll work for portraits. It’s as sharp as the more expensive a 24-70L lens and its color rendition is nearly as good. I’ve loaned it to budding photographers who have used kit lenses only and they can’t believe the image quality. Some of my best photos have come from this lens.

5 Stars Awsome Lens!!
One of my favorites. I tried the 50 and 100mm macros before buying the 100 and I couldn’t be happier. I take a lot of pics of flowers and bees and the extra reach of the 100mm allows me to get the good shot without scaring off the bees.

5 Stars What a great Lens!
Image from this lens is superior, deep and field come incredible and very sharp pictures. The macro allow you to take very small objects…almost every picture I take with this lens come out as high quality wallpaper.

It’s a little bulky but this is what you can expect considering the optics involved.

Highly recommended.

5 Stars My favorite lens!!!
First, I shoot with a Canon 40D and am an on-location photographer of families and children. I also love shooting nature and “things” – close ups of rust, the curve of a bench chair, dew on clematis, etc…

This lens is amazing for my purposes! At 2.8 I can follow playful toddlers around in a variety of lighting conditions and still get the shot. And for posed portraits, the bokeh is amazing, people have never looked so good! So overall, I prefer this lens to my 70-200 f4 L, even though I can’t zoom and have to move myself to compose shots. But the lower f-stop, the tack-sharp images, the ability to shoot macro, the weight (it seems lighter and less bulky than my 70-200), all tip the scale in the 100mm’s favor.

If you were considering the 70-200 f4 and decide to get the 100mm, you might want to consider picking up the “nifty fifty” 1.8 – another prime lens, and quite inexpensive too, but one of my FAVORITES, so versatile, I just love it. You can get wonderful dof effects by shooting things up close – the eyelashes of a child, an engagement ring perched on a newborn’s foot, the stamens of a lily….plus it lets you shoot group shots indoors with relative ease….

Anyway, back to the 100mm – a great investment, I use this lens all the time and it is fantastic.

4 Stars Great lens for the price!
I am an advanced amateur. I bought this Canon lens to round out my array of lenses for my Rebel XSi. I was interested in taking macro shots of bugs and other small objects, plus have the capability of a portrait lens. I haven’t had it for very long and I haven’t taken a lot of pictures yet, but it is impressive in its sharpness and accurate focusing. It focuses to .9 foot but you have to have a steady hand since it doesn’t have IS. Construction is solid (notice the weight) and all focusing is internal, so the barrel doesn’t move in and out. This is a great feature for macro images.

I recommend it highly but if I had the extra money I would go for the Canon 100mm macro lens with IS. That is the only reason I gave it a 4.0 rating.

Buy/More Info

Compact, lightweight with environmental protection, EOS 5D successor boasts a newly-designed Canon CMOS sensor, with ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for shooting in near dark conditions. The new DIGIC 4 processor combines with the improved CMOS sensor to deliver medium format territory image quality at 3.9 frames per second, for up to 310 frames. Triggered from Live View Mode, HD video capture allows users to shoot uninterrupted at full 1080 resolution at 30fps — for amazing quality footage with outstanding levels of detail and realism. The integration of HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1-megapixel camera opens a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. With its full frame CMOS sensor and outstanding ISO performance, the EOS 5D Mark II will appeal to any photographer in search of the finest camera equipment available — from studio and wedding to nature and travel photographers.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Excellent full frame but also look at competition
I will only write a short review about this camera because others have already written very extensive reviews about it. For an even more comprehensive one, I would refer you to the website DPReview.

After thinking about this camera for 6 months, I finally convinced myself to buy it. I am not regretting the decision at all. This is an excellent camera for my needs and the picture quality and resolution from its 21 megapixel sensor is simply mind boggling. In my mind, the main advantage of all those megapixels is the ability to do an extensive crop without sacrificing the image quality. I owned a 30D and if I crop files from it just a little bit, the sharpness suffers.

Let me now talk about the high ISO performance of the 5D Mark II. It is definitely amazing. Different people have different tolerances as far as image noise but for me it is excellent up to ISO 1600. I went to an indoor place with Christmas lights display and shot ISO 3200 and I was still happy with the results. I did have to clean up half of the files with the Noise Ninja software. But guess what, the files clean up very easily with the noise reduction software. Images from my 30D did not clean up as easily.

The only reason why I did not give this camera 5 stars is because of its autofocus (AF) system. Now, I mainly shoot portraits and nature. I don’t do much sports. And for subjects that are father away, I mainly use the center AF which is extremely adequate. However, when I shoot portraits at closer distances and shallow apertures, I like using specific AF points (to avoid blur). In these instances, I can’t help but feel that there should be more focus points.

How about using the camera for moving subjects? I don’t think it was designed to be a sports camera. It can take 4 frames per second which I don’t think is very adequate. Although I’ve seen pictures from very talented photographers from DPReview take amazing pictures of birds in flight with this camera so it can be done. (Google “liquidstone pbase” and you will be amazed.)

While I love this camera and will use it for many years, I advice you to also read about the alternatives. I will list them below.

If you are a Canon user and have Canon lenses, another alternative is the 7D. The 7D is not a full frame camera but an APS-C (cropped sensor) camera. The 7D is superior to the 5D in terms of its autofocus system (faster frame rate, more sensitive AF points, and more AF points) and features (better LCD, bigger viewfinder, electronic grid, customizable buttons) but inferior to the 5D in terms of image quality and ISO performance.

If you are starting from scratch or if you are willing to switch, you also should consider the Nikon D700. As far as image quality and high ISO performance, I think both cameras are at par. Canon is superior in terms of having a higher resolution (21 vs 12 megapixels) and 1080p video. But Nikon is superior in terms of build quality, weather sealing, and autofocus system. The D700′s autofocus system is really more advanced than the 5D2′s. It has 51 AF points (15 of which are the more sensitive cross-type kind) and a frame rate of 5 FPS without the battery grip and 8 FPS with the grip.

So which should you buy, the D700 or the 5D Mark II? If you will use the camera mainly for sports, then you should definitely go for the D700. Otherwise, it’s a matter of preference. If you prefer a higher resolution camera with 1080p video, go for the 5D Mark II. If you prefer a more robust camera with excellent weather sealing and a pro-autofocus, then go for the D700.

5 Stars You will never want to put this camera down!
I shot 35mm film ages ago, but stopped when the cost of purchasing film and processing fees became prohibitive. I have been a photographer in one form or another for nearly 20 years. I decided that I definitely wanted to go digital, but was not happy with any of the cropped sensor bodies available at the time (early 2000′s). When the 1Ds and 5D models first became available, I drooled, but couldn’t justify the amount of money. So I waited. Along came the 5D Mark II (or as we say in the software industry, version 2.0) The price was lower than the original 5D and the quality and speed were even better then the now-three year old model. I saved my pennies and nickels for a while and finally purchased one!

From the moment I picked up the demonstrator model in the store, I knew this was the camera for me. Well balanced, large view-finder, and *gasp* video! I’m not much of a videographer, but seriously, taking HD clips with a prime lens on a full-frame sensor is just insane!

Pros:

- Low-light performance has to be seen to be believed. I’m sure you have heard the hype, but it’s not hype. You really can take reasonable pictures in much darker rooms than you ever thought possible.

- Well balanced in your hands

- Simple menu system that does not require an engineering degree to use.

- Image quality (IQ) that simply blows away everything else in its class.

- Price is actually reasonable for what you get; hundreds less than the competition.

- Video!

Cons:

- The IQ is _too_ good. You can actually tell the difference between pictures taken with “L” glass and those that were not.

- Frame rate isn’t great for sports. If this is your intended use, look at the 7D or 1D.

- Video limited in odd ways. Then again, this is a DSLR, not a camcorder.

In spite of what I just said about taking pictures with “L” glass, this camera is perfectly serviceable with regular lenses. Just realize that they are “consumer” grade and will have issues when shot wide open or when at the minimum or maximum of the zoom range. That said, the “nifty fifty” (50mm f/1.8) that sells for around $100 takes astonishingly good pictures.

If you’re just starting out, the lenses that I would recommend buying with this body are:

17-40mm f/4 L – Eye-popping landscapes. The 16-35mm f/2.8 L is a stop faster, but neither lens will see much indoor use as you would have to be mere inches away from your subject to fill the frame. The extra stop also doubles the price with little benefit in the scenarios that it is likely to be used. At 2.8 the faster lens is quite soft, and the image quality in general is not quite as good. Save your money and get the 17-40. You won’t be sorry!

24-70mm f/2.8 L – Fantastic walk-around lens. The 24-105mm f/4 that comes in the 5DMkII kit has more reach and is image stabilized, but I still prefer the speed of the 24-70. You can do more with it in lower light sitations.

70-200mm f/2.8 L – The IS version of this lens is silly expensive, but the standard version shares the same glass with its brother. For portraits and weddings, you cannot have a finer lens. The f/4 cousins are smaller and lighter. If you plan to shoot outdoors most of the time where there is sufficient light, then you should be fine with it. Indoors you will find yourself using a flash more often, even with the IS version of the f/4. The bokeh from the f/2.8 is noticeably better too.

50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 – The “L” version of this lens is f/1.2 and about $1k more. It’s soft at f/1.2 and shoots its best at f/1.4 and higher. The “L” glass _is_ better than its cheaper cousins, but is it really worth it? This is one of the rare cases where there is little need to buy the “L” version. Buy the f/1.4 for $350 or the f/1.8 for $100 and enjoy it.

5 Stars Finally a DSLR that perform as good as Film SLRs with long exposure
I used to own Nikon FM10 35mm film SLR, I enjoyed shooting long exposure shots at night in city areas, when I switched to DSLR, the first one was Canon EOS Rebel XT, I tried the same night long exposure and the photos always have lot of grainy red dots, no matter how much the ISO is low and different size aperture.

Then I bought Canon 40D, and I got the same problem, I even tried Nikon D90, the red dots were reduced, but still very noticeable. The exposure time was always less than 30 seconds, but the shooting was always in the city night, were there are always light pollution.

Finally I got the 5D Mark II, and I did few testing and the red dots were very minimal, my friend gave me a tip, to disable the long exposure comp in the camera, which is the opposite of what someone should do, but that did the trick, the shots looked much better and cleaner. This is truly an amazing sensor, that can match the 35mm film quality.

4 Stars game changer
If you’ve made it this far you’re basically looking for encouragement to buy this camera – not for actual information. I can offer encouragement.

I’ve been a working professional for my entire life and have spent fortunes on gear. I own a complete Hasselblad H3DII system and that system was so good I sold my entire backup Canon EOS 1Ds MkII system since it simply wasn’t good enough for ad campaigns. This camera still isn’t as good as the Hasselblad but it’s close – close enough that I use it a lot. The video function however puts it in another realm altogether. It’s got issues with sound but as I make my transition to moving images this camera is helping the process. The camera needs manual level controls for the audio and it needs firewire for shooting tethered – USB is so slow it’s worthless. Those are my complaints.

I consider it my Hasselblad point and shoot. Good enough for print work and cheap enough to replace when it get’s smashed. I did a two week off road motorcycle trip in Canada and the camera was dropped, mounted to the motorcycle, used in pouring rain and whipping dust storms – things I’d never do with the Hasselblad. It didn’t miss a beat.

4 Stars Fabulous camera when it works
This camera takes fabulous photos and HD videos. The 24 – 105mm f/4L IS USM lens in the kit version is also superb–probably the best all-around lens you can get for this camera. The lack of autofocus in video mode is a slight drawback, but the HD quality is astounding. The only drawback I’ve found is the lack of reliability: mine has conked out twice already and had to be sent to the Canon repair center! Don’t count on it as your only camera in a critical situation.

Buy/More Info

A remarkable blend of simplicity and highly advanced D-SLR capabilities, the compact and powerful D5000 offers breathtaking 12.3-megapixel image quality, along with a flexible, Vari-angle, Live View monitor for fresh picture-taking perspectives. Nikon’s EXPEED image processing further enhances performance, contributing to split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4 frames-per-second to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Took my time looking for my first real DSLR
I’d been thinking about moving up to a DSLR for over a year, and actively researching brands and models for about four months. I started out looking at the Canon offerings including the Rebel XSi, T1i and D50 then extended my search to the Nikon D5000 and D90 and also the Sony 4/3rds Alpha offerings. After reading a lot of reviews and comparing full-sized sample photos from each camera I concluded a number of things:

1. I probably couldn’t afford the lenses that would do justice to more than about 12 megapixels

2. Nikon and Sony sample photos were the best. The Canon photos showed more aberration, possibly from the kit lens but it was hard to say

3. The entry-level Sony models were just a bit too small for my hands and the range of lenses (I could afford) was somewhat limited

That left the two Nikons. I liked the “hand feel” of the D90, and the much higher resolution of its LCD was really nice as was the top information LCD screen. Its only real drawbacks were weight and whether the high-res LCD was worth the extra money (which I could otherwise apply toward a lens). Then, too, the D5000 had a few features the D90 lacked – features I actually thought I could use. (Interval timer, in-camera image corrections, etc.) Since I didn’t have any old Nikon lenses the internal focus motor in the D90 was not useful. And, while obviously lower-res, the D5000′s LCD is quite adequate.

So, I went with the D5000. Since I didn’t want the usual kit lens I bought the body only and bought a Nikkor 35mm f1.8G prime lens initially. (My previous film camera was used mostly with a 50mm f1.4 Zeiss lens so the Nikkor was a reasonable replacement.) I then bought a refurbished Nikkor AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR zoom lens (the kit lens for the D90, and a much better “walking around” lens than the D5000′s kit lens in my opinion). I ended up spending a bit more, but I got the lenses I wanted (the 35mm is really sharp and is great for low-light work).

So far, it has produced terrific photos. My previous digital cameras were various point-and-shoot compact models (some of them work very well, but the small sensors have their limits) and a Fuji S9000 (also a small sensor, but is rather DSLR-like otherwise and I did some good work with it). The first few photos I took (with the 35mm lens) really knocked my socks off – the sharpness was astonishing (and without tweaking the default settings). The out-of-the box settings aren’t bad at all, and there is a selection of “scene” settings (some on the mode dial, some available through menus) to fine tune things. (You can modify or design your own scene settings as well.)

To really get the full benefit of this camera be prepared to put in some time with at least the manual. I found the menus easy to navigate after a little exploring, but there are a lot of options you can adjust especially if you want the camera to do some of the kinds of processing you might otherwise do with after-the-fact software.

Cons: Not many. I wish it had the LCD of the D90 (or Canon’s T1i). I also wish Nikon included more software – you pay extra for the computer control software on the Nikon while Canon provides it for free (not a dealbreaker for me, I don’t expect to really need it for the foreseeable future, but …)

Summary: It’s a lot of bang for the buck, lots of features to play with, and it makes great pictures. Can’t really ask for a lot more than that.

5 Stars Nikon D5000 vs Canon Rebel, keeping it short …
If you’re looking at this camera, my guess is you’ve done your home work and figured out that if you want a good DSLR on a budget, your choice is pretty much down to D5000 or Rebel. I came to that conclusion fairly quickly but making that decision was not easy. On paper Canon had better specs for the price but both cameras looked close …

There are numerous reviews comparing those cameras. Most of them are long, detailed and come to the same conclusion – both cameras are good – not really helping much at the end. So here I’ll try to keep it focused and tell about the key differences which helped me to set my mind.

1. Low light shooting. Recently I went to a party and a friend of mine gave me his Rebel. What I didn’t realize before is in order to autofocus the Rebel needs to pop up flash and fire it a few times. Of course, it’s not at full power, but still it ruins everything because you can’t take a picture without distracting people. You catch some interesting face, point, shoot and those few flashes totally distract the person. Nikon has a white lamp, it’s enough to focus but most people won’t get distracted. So if you plan to take pictures of people in party like set up – Nikon gives you an advantage. (well, to be fair you can get an external flash which has a lamp for autofocus assist, but we are talking about the cameras here)

2. Tilting LCD. Rebel has bigger and better LCD. However, I’m not a paparazzi, but time to time i need to shoot over a line of people in front of me (parades, street performance, small crowded room etc). With the tilting LCD you can raise the camera above your head and still be able to frame the picture. I found that very useful and Nikon has an advantage.

3. Extra preset modes. Probably like the most people I used to keep the dial on “Auto” most of the time. And it worked ok most of the time. But I never could quickly figure out how to take a picture of my daughter blowing birthday candles or perfect sunset or something white on white etc. So when I tried the extra “Scene” preset modes on Nikon, I was really surprised how much better can those pictures be comparing to the “Auto”. Try them out and keep in mind Rebel doesn’t have many of those modes.

4. Feel. Nikon has very solid feel in your hands. Maybe it’s subjective, but I do like this feeling.

So overall, Rebel does have a lot of specs slightly better than Nikon. It’s smaller, lighter, the screen is bigger and has better resolution, it has more megapixels. Yes, it’s all nice to have but this is a choice between good and even better. However Nikon offers some things Rebel just doesn’t have (see above). So I bought Nikon and feel happy about it.

A few side notes. The cameras are getting better and better and in a couple years you’ll be able to buy a much better camera for the same price. The lenses and flashes on the other side are not changing much and hold value really well. So if you have a choice, try to buy the best lense (and for an expensive lense don’t forget to buy a protective filter) and flash you can afford and maybe save some money on the body and upgrade it in a couple years if some new cool technology pops up.

Hopefully my review will help you to decide one way or another.

5 Stars first serious SLR digital camera
I am a serious amateur photographer new to digital equipment and processing. Find the camera very easy to use, am amazed at the menu options available “in camera”. Once one becomes familiar with the menu options available and learns how to access them quickly, the camera is a joy to use. I am currently trying a free trial of Apple’s Aperture photo processing software and find it very easy to use. Expect that I will buy (think it is about $200) it when free trial is over. I am truly amazed at the features incorporated into the camera. Believe that I will soon be buying a quality photo printer to take advantage of the capabilities of the camera.

4 Stars D5000
i ve just got this camera about 3 days ago , i really like it so much but one thing that i feel depress is i didnt get the waranty form in the box.how should i do? if i dont have the warranty form , Will I be able to send my camera to the Nikon comoany if my camera have a problem?

5 Stars Best DSLR for the money!
I purchased this camera about 4 months ago and it is an excellent choice! I would recommend the body only, then add the Nikon 18-105mm and 70-300mm. It works extremely well in all lighting conditions and is as fast as the lens you mount on it. The only other thing I would add is an SB600 speedlight. If your thinking about this camera, just buy it, you won’t regret it!

Buy/More Info

A remarkable blend of simplicity and highly advanced D-SLR capabilities, the compact and powerful D5000 offers breathtaking 12.3-megapixel image quality, along with a flexible, Vari-angle, Live View monitor for fresh picture-taking perspectives. Nikon’s EXPEED image processing further enhances performance, contributing to split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4 frames-per-second to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Nice camera, mediocre lens
I purchased this camera a little over a month ago as my first DSLR; previously I have used manual film SLR cameras, and I wanted a digital camera that gave me the same kind of control as the film SLRs. The camera itself is nice and takes excellent images. The interface could be faster; in a fast moving situation I often don’t have the time to navigate through the menu to select the precise ISO or white balance setting I’d like to use, but this is a minor quibble. Some of the preset “scene” settings are better than others; the snow setting produced excellent pictures with excellent, well saturated color during a recent blizzard, but the portrait settings often leave the subject looking greenish. I can get around this using the auto or manual setting, however.

My major gripe about the camera is the lens kit; at about 45-55mm zoom, the smallest aperture setting goes all the way up to 5.2, which sometimes makes it difficult to create a soft, out of focus background for a tightly framed subject in the foreground. I’ve also noticed significant barrel distortion at the higher end of the zoom range, again 45-55 mm.

5 Stars great buy!
this is my first slr camera and love it! easy to use. i’ve never used slr camera before but it only took me a while to master it. there’s a lot of features and youll have fun working with this baby!

4 Stars Rookie
Got this camera a month ago, maybe 1000 pictures, to replace a few different point and shoots. My wife used to use a Canon 35mm and my sister has a Digitial Canon, not sure which model. I was determined to buy a Canon. Read all of the reviews and had my mind made up. Went to the store and was able to handle both cameras for about a half an hour. Nikon had me from that minute. I really love this camera. Feels great, easy controls, good build quality, lots of options. I have a baby due soon and was tired of missing shots with spotty point and shoots. I am a rookie and I am still learning how to use this thing but so far so good. My friends have all asked if I got a new camera because I instantly started to taking better pictures. No, I’m not quitting my day job. The software that came with the camera was weak. I will have to invest in Elements or something.

I am sure all the experts can tell you why “x” is so much better than “y” but I’m telling you, as an average joe, if you want to get an entry level DSLR with more than just basic features, then you can’t go wrong with the D5000.

5 Stars turning an amateur photographer to Pro
first and foremost i wanted to thank my good friend KHQ for cutting me a sweet deal on this camera! i was really about to get into the SLR until i saw some of the photos he took with it. He apparently was opting for another camera which allowed me to get my grubby hands on this! I wish i would have gotten the Nikon School DVD, Fast, Fun and Easy III Featuring the Nikon D5000 Digital SLR to understand it immediately. But after messing with it in Dubai and after 800 varying pictures which leads me to believe i have a very long way in photography! But this camera has it all! you see creative sides of yourself with this!

5 Stars Newbie to Digital SLR and love this camera
The D5000 has surpassed all our expectations. Image quality, the Vibration Reduction, manual settings, ease of use, easily understood menus and quick keys on the exterior of the camera. The Battery life is amazing and lasts much longer than our old point and shoot camera even with the flash being used 50% of the shots and over 500 pictures taken. The video (Live View) is good but is not why we bought the camera and we haven’t used the software.

Buy/More Info

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 camera combines style with power and intelligence. The W290 comes in 4 sophisticated colors and has a stylish look. With the W290 taking great pictures is now easier than ever. The iAuto mode goes beyond the traditional auto mode, thinking and working for you; recognizing scenes, lighting conditions, faces, and automatically adjusts camera settings resulting in clearer images, and faces with more natural skin tones and less blur. The W290 also features HD Movie mode, recording in 720p for capturing your precious moments on video. Compose, review, and share your memories on the large 3.0” (230k pixels) LCD.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Nice camera, but…
I tried this camera for a very specific purpose: The HD video quality had to greatly exceed that of my Fujifilm F10′s VGA video quality. In a head-to-head comparison, it flunked. The resolution at 720 Fine was not quite as sharp as the F10, and the autofocus searched excessively. The macro function is also not as good as the F10, losing focus at about twice the distance from the subject. For someone less fussy, who doesn’t already own an F10, it might be a fine choice. My F10 is 5 years old or so. I hope we don’t have to wait too much longer for truly crisp HD in a point and shoot. The limitation might be the compression. It’s in motion video that the new Sony seems to lose out.

4 Stars great for the money but not perfect
pros

quick cam, cheap, great functions, video hd 720, good perfomance, great batery, great lcd, awesome bang for the buck, no rivals

slim, good looking, great overall

m2 with adapter and micro sd with adapter works fine

flash is great for night pics, they look very nice

cons

image quality sucks, is not the best at all, even at great light the pics are kinda blurry, not great detail

stupid sony pro duo sticks, are expensive and sucks

video hd is not compatible with dxva

only mp4 video is supported, old sony cam recorded mpeg2, it would be nice having options

sony pro duo clones do not work

taking more than 5 pics in burts mode creates a great lag, but is because of the memory speed, it should have more ram and internal memory for cache

4 Stars Great Camera.
The only downside that I have found so far is that you have to take the battery out to charge it. It comes with this little box that the battery pops into, then that plugs into the wall. Just a little different. Also you cannot zoom while you are taking a video. But the ease of use and picture quality are very very easy. Takes quick pictures in succession, with very clear pics. The image stabilizer seems to work well. Especially for me.

4 Stars My best camera so far for that price!!
Wow, finally i got this excelent camera from SONY. The 5x optical zoom and flash are awesome. All my photos are very clear. My wife was very happy and decided to keep as a christmas present. All was easy friendly to use and in 5 minutes i was taking all my shots with smile and face detection: all happy faces and perfect shots. I am totally convinced of the great quality of this camera.

5 Stars USER FRIENDLY!!
Just got this camera for my b-day and I’m very happy with it! Super easy to use – I don’t want all the bells and whistles – I just wanted something that would take clear pictures easily. It is replacing a camera I could never get to work properly with terrible directions. If you want a camera that’s easy to use, has clear directions and takes nice pictures and video – this is the one for you!

Buy/More Info

The FZ35 records HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It uses the AVCHD Lite format to achieve higher image quality while storing less data than the conventional Motion JPEG. Plus, the FZ35 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great value
I love this camera. You can spend a lot more and get a little more. Or spend a little less and get a lot less.

Great feel, lots of customizability, better than the older Lumix I have. It’s a little confusing for my wife, but I show her the basics and she’s good to go.

And I can get great shots of my kids playing basketball, inside, without a flash. Nice ISO range.

5 Stars Love This Camera
This camera rocks! The way the buttons, joystick, and menus work together let’s me change settings easily from different places, and it’s not so linear like Canon.

I won’t go into tech details, but suffice it to say this little camera is super robust and if you like Canon, you’ll love this one as the UI is full of features.

It has THREE AVCHD bitrate modes AND Motion Jpeg, AND RAW!

5 Stars AWESOME !!!!
This camera is awesome. Picture quality is perfect in the auto mode. I still have to learn how to use this camera though.. looking at the pictures that i took in auto mode gives me the confidence that I can get stunning pictures if I learn how to use the camera. Finally, I recommend this any camera to anyone.

5 Stars Great buy.
Excellent small camera for those who want manual controls without a monstrous DSLR package. HD video quality is great. 27mm-486mm equivalent range is very helpful in all situations. Some of the controls don’t work quite right, but a firmware upgrade should fix these. Manual ISO override doesn’t always work (I set ISO 80 and the camera takes a picture in ISO 200) and the auto white balance isn’t always correct (carry a little piece of white cardboard to set manually if this happens.)

All in all, this is a great camera for the price and size. It does absolutely everything I need. And the size is such that I actually will carry it around and use it.

4 Stars how do i open these MSS movie files on a MAC?
Am i the only one who uses a MAC? This camera makes MSS files and there’s no software i know of that will open these movie files.

Does anyone have a clue on what to use? it certainly isn’t in the manual.

Buy/More Info