Recommend my first slr?
Discussion
325Ti said:
Wanting to buy my first slr camera without spending huge money.
Have a Nikon bridge at the minute, it's ok but basically a pocket camera with better zoom.
Is the Nikon d3100 and 18 - 55 lens a good place to start?
Tbh honest they are all good and capable. So whatever you buy likely won't be wrong.Have a Nikon bridge at the minute, it's ok but basically a pocket camera with better zoom.
Is the Nikon d3100 and 18 - 55 lens a good place to start?
And just like cars you'll get fanboys of each of the top brands, neither are wrong or right. Personally I'd say get yourself to a shop and have a look and a go with some. Understanding how they work and how comfortable they are in the hand can be just as important.
Lenses are probably more important in many ways. While D SLR's have more features than 35mm SLR's did. The biggest difference between the models was construction and durability. The higher end models being tougher and rated to a higher number of exposures before bits wear out.
Often kit lenses aren't great, so you may want to look at buying a quality lens at the time of purchase. But seriously any of them will be able to take good pictures.
My 2nd DSLR is a Nikon D70, although I bought it when it was brand new out. It's 'only' 6.0M pixels. But it has more than enough features for an average user and can still print good quality A1 and A0 poster prints.
Today's DSLR's are all higher MP and with added features such as video recording. But none of them are going to take bad pictures.
Often kit lenses aren't great, so you may want to look at buying a quality lens at the time of purchase. But seriously any of them will be able to take good pictures.
My 2nd DSLR is a Nikon D70, although I bought it when it was brand new out. It's 'only' 6.0M pixels. But it has more than enough features for an average user and can still print good quality A1 and A0 poster prints.
Today's DSLR's are all higher MP and with added features such as video recording. But none of them are going to take bad pictures.
Don't forget that the great thing about a DSLR set-up is that you can change bits as you go. You can't anticipate now what you might need in 2-3 years' time so get what you think is right now. Yes of course the more you spend the 'better' it will be but you'll have plenty to learn and work on to start with.
Nikon's little D3100 or D3200, or the D5100 if you can stretch to it, are both great.
Canon 650D is a decent option as well. Pick whichever you feel comfortable with.
I have owned pretty large Nikon and Canon systems over the past 5 years or so and I have just sold a considerable amount of it.
Right now I am using a little Sony A58. I love it.
What is best for you will depend on what you plan to use it for and availability of the lenses you will need as a result.
I am using the little Sony A58 for general photography and video. It is, IMO, a superior cheap DSLR compared to the obvious brands and it only cost me £380 with a kit lens.
I thought I would miss my Canon 5D2 rig but I don't. Not at all.
Canon 650D is a decent option as well. Pick whichever you feel comfortable with.
I have owned pretty large Nikon and Canon systems over the past 5 years or so and I have just sold a considerable amount of it.
Right now I am using a little Sony A58. I love it.
What is best for you will depend on what you plan to use it for and availability of the lenses you will need as a result.
I am using the little Sony A58 for general photography and video. It is, IMO, a superior cheap DSLR compared to the obvious brands and it only cost me £380 with a kit lens.
I thought I would miss my Canon 5D2 rig but I don't. Not at all.
As others have said, all the major models from the popular brands are good choices.
I would stick with Nikon / Canon to give you the widest possible options for future expandability. They both have a large range of own-brand lenses and accessories that combined with the 3rd-party manufacturers give many options at a number of different price points.
In addition, both Nikon & Canon have a wide range of used gear available.
In general, lenses tend to hold their value better than the cameras themselves, so an investment in quality lenses can be a good option. A great lens on any camera will out-perform a poor lens on an expensive camera
Lots of knowledgeable people on this forum too if you have questions
I would stick with Nikon / Canon to give you the widest possible options for future expandability. They both have a large range of own-brand lenses and accessories that combined with the 3rd-party manufacturers give many options at a number of different price points.
In addition, both Nikon & Canon have a wide range of used gear available.
In general, lenses tend to hold their value better than the cameras themselves, so an investment in quality lenses can be a good option. A great lens on any camera will out-perform a poor lens on an expensive camera
Lots of knowledgeable people on this forum too if you have questions
325Ti said:
Thanks for all the replies.
My next question - is the d3200 worth about 100quid more than the d3100?
Yes, but only if you are going to use the bits that are better on it. I've only had a quick look on the Nikon webiste and it seems they are largely the same, but the 3200 can use an IR remote and is higher MP.My next question - is the d3200 worth about 100quid more than the d3100?
There might be a subtle difference in video quality too.
Downside is file sizes are a lot bigger (double in some cases) with the 3200, so you'll get half the amount of pictures on a memory card. If you aren't going to be printing bigger than A3 often, then I suspect you won't really notice the MP increase.
Might be worth reading some reviews though, not sure how the processing is on either of if they differ.
Don't be so ready to dismiss the likes of the Pentax K30 or a pre-owned K5, with their weatherproofed bodies and lenses.
You can compare noise levels of the ones you're interested in over on DPReview, and how each stacks up on DXOMark.
If you have family/friends with a Nikon, and who'll happily lend you their better lenses for you to play around with, then a Nikon makes sense.
If you don't, then there's no reason to not explore all available options - the brand name attached to the camera is secondary to image quality, which is a mix of sensor resolution and noise algorithm design.
Don't presume high MP count is always better - smaller pixels for the same size sensor means increase in noise at lower light levels.
You can compare noise levels of the ones you're interested in over on DPReview, and how each stacks up on DXOMark.
If you have family/friends with a Nikon, and who'll happily lend you their better lenses for you to play around with, then a Nikon makes sense.
If you don't, then there's no reason to not explore all available options - the brand name attached to the camera is secondary to image quality, which is a mix of sensor resolution and noise algorithm design.
Don't presume high MP count is always better - smaller pixels for the same size sensor means increase in noise at lower light levels.
You want to think of your first DSLR purchase like this.
You aren't buying a camera. You are buying into a system. Cameras will come and go, but good glass and accessories are just that. So I would say research the Nikon and Canon camera systems as a whole and buy into the one you think will get you what you want/will allow you to do what you want.
You basically can't go wrong with either Nikon or Canon. Plenty of lenses and accessories about new and used, there is something for everything. It's more of a difficult decision if you were deciding between that and a smaller player like Pentax.
You aren't buying a camera. You are buying into a system. Cameras will come and go, but good glass and accessories are just that. So I would say research the Nikon and Canon camera systems as a whole and buy into the one you think will get you what you want/will allow you to do what you want.
You basically can't go wrong with either Nikon or Canon. Plenty of lenses and accessories about new and used, there is something for everything. It's more of a difficult decision if you were deciding between that and a smaller player like Pentax.
Otispunkmeyer said:
You want to think of your first DSLR purchase like this.
You aren't buying a camera. You are buying into a system. Cameras will come and go, but good glass and accessories are just that. So I would say research the Nikon and Canon camera systems as a whole and buy into the one you think will get you what you want/will allow you to do what you want.
You basically can't go wrong with either Nikon or Canon. Plenty of lenses and accessories about new and used, there is something for everything. It's more of a difficult decision if you were deciding between that and a smaller player like Pentax.
In addition...You aren't buying a camera. You are buying into a system. Cameras will come and go, but good glass and accessories are just that. So I would say research the Nikon and Canon camera systems as a whole and buy into the one you think will get you what you want/will allow you to do what you want.
You basically can't go wrong with either Nikon or Canon. Plenty of lenses and accessories about new and used, there is something for everything. It's more of a difficult decision if you were deciding between that and a smaller player like Pentax.
I'd go to a local camera store and have a look at the different models. Nikon and Canon cameras have broadly the same controls but can feel quite different to use. Some people just 'click' with a setup and like the way they do things.
With all the additional manufacturer gear Nikon and Canon have a fairly similar line-up. Only really the niche choices (such as specialised macro photography gear) would pull you in either direction imo.
What is it you want to do with your camera? Landscape? Motorsports?
well im sure your all dying to know - ive gone and bought myself a D3100 with the VR 18 - 55 lens
was tempted by the D3200 and D5100 but decided I wanted to stick to a limited budget - so just need to learn how it works now
are any of the how to books etc worth getting or just play with it and experiment?
cheers
was tempted by the D3200 and D5100 but decided I wanted to stick to a limited budget - so just need to learn how it works now
are any of the how to books etc worth getting or just play with it and experiment?
cheers
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