I have said many times throughout this website that I will not be pushing products or trying to sell you anything. This is still true. However I do have some ads posted around in a hope that they will help defray the cost of hosting this site. They are for relevant (I hope) products and services which are randomly selected through Google. I selected irrelevant categories to block them and they select what they consider relevant ads from their service. I really have no other control of what they post. The jury is still out as to the effectiveness and viability of them.

The Amazon ads, on the other hand are for specific items I think are products my readers would actually want or like to research. I’ve chosen each one as a product I would recommend. I’ve chosen Amazon because I’ve used them for many years and have found them to be trustworthy and reliable. Their pricing is usually the best too.

Do your Homework!

If you click on an Amazon ad it won’t cost you a thing and it will bring you to their product page for that item. It’s a good starting place to begin your research. You can buy from there or not; or go to a retail outlet and buy from them –the choice is yours.

I’m often not comfortable buying big ticket items through the Internet and want to touch and feel a camera before I purchase. Sometimes I do my research on line to figure out what I want, go to a retail outlet to touch and feel it, then go back to an online source and actually purchase it (sorry Camera Stores, but you just can’t compete with online pricing).

This brings me to my new page:  “Ron’s Recommendations”. Access it through the link above, or the navigation links  at the top of the Page.

I’ve Selected Three Levels of Digital SLR Recommendations

Entry, Intermediate and Advanced Consumer (some folks call it “Prosumer”). These are products I’ve personally researched and held in my hands and would buy for myself if I were in the market. Just buying the camera is only the starting point, though. If you don’t already have them you will need a UV Filter to protect the Lens and a memory card. So, I’ve added them to the “kit” I put together for each level. The UV filter I’ve chosen is the correct size for the camera I selected and is a good quality, affordable choice. Likewise for the memory card.

I recommend only Canon and Nikon because those are the two brands I’m most familiar with. There are many other great cameras out there, but these are the two I can personally recommend. You can look at my recommendations and use them as a starting point if you want to look at others as a basis of comparison.

My rule of thumb is buy a camera from a company that is actually in the photography business. While many companies produce great products, few concentrate on photography like Canon and Nikon. They began in photography and expanded from there. They understand the importance of the expression “A lens is only as good as its glass”.

While Canon has gone on to produce many products to support their photography roots, like printers, copiers and industrial equipment, Nikon has primarily stayed with photography. Some might say that means Canon has diluted their focus and maybe they aren’t as photo-centric as they once were. I’m still a Canon guy because I have so much invested in lenses and peripherals it would make no sense to switch to another brand.

When I first started out Canon was the more affordable alternative, catering to the consumer that wanted great products for a reasonable price. Nikon was for the pros, or pro want-a-bees that wanted everyone to know they had the best available product. You paid for the “designer name”. I never cared for designer names. I never bought products for their name alone; I was only interested in quality at an affordable price. That’s how I became a Canon guy. I never wore Jordache jeans either.

Canon, or Nikon?

Today Canon and Nikon’s pricing is comparable and you can see pros wearing both Canon and Nikon straps around their necks. In my research, I still think you may pay slightly more for a Nikon, though. That may be because they never expanded into other products like Canon and don’t have that large base to defray the costs. The gear itself? I think it’s comparable between the two. It’s a matter of personal preference. Just like there are Ford people and Chevy people; Toyota people and Honda people; there are Canon people and Nikon people. By the way, I’m a Toyota person, and I think Toyota is the Nikon of the car industry and Honda is the Canon equivalent.

A company like Sony began in electronics and expanded into photography. I’m sure they are great at the electronics of the modern digital camera. And let’s face it, today the electronics is the major part of the camera. The lenses? Maybe, maybe not. I really haven’t researched that –hence I cannot recommend them. But, I’m sure a major reputable manufacturer of electronics will also pay attention to the non-electronics portions of their gear.

So, if you are “in the market” check out my Ron’s Recommendations. If you aren’t in the market –skip it. And let me know if you are a Canon person or Nikon person (or a Sony, Pentax, Ricoh, or any other kind of person –all are welcome here)

~Ron G.