Advice Please - 1st DSLR

[Ducky11]

Hi All,

I’m currently contemplating buying a new camera & needed some help before selecting a rig. I thought that this would be a great place to ask a few questions & I would sincerely appreciate it if you could provide me with some help/advice.

I feel that it is time to upgrade my trusty & still amazing Panasonic FZ-20 which has given me 8 years of near perfect service, withstanding most of the elements in the process. I am very keen to progress to an entry level DSLR & need some help deciding which one would suit me best taking my preferences in to account.

Budget – Approximately £500 (can be flexible if it is worth it.
Sensor – CMOS 23X15mm
Flash – Not essential
First lens – 18-55mm & I would not need many more in the future, maybe just a couple
Viewfinder – Not essential
Shutter – Min of at least 30 seconds as I like taking night shots
Image quality & colour depth – Best possible within budget. Should be good in low light

I have done some research & managed to narrow it down to four cameras –
Sony NEX-5N
Pentax K-01
Nikon D5100
Nikon D3200

What are your thoughts on those? If you think I am missing anything then please let me know. The NEX-5N is pretty good but I’m quite concerned about the fact that it is touch-screen. Most of my photography tends to be outdoors so I’m quite apprehensive about the touch-screen.

I don’t really know the benefits of either of the Nikons or how good the K-01 actually is as the NEX-5N seems to be extremely hyped up & getting all the attention.

I would sincerely appreciate any help.

Cheers & Thanks in advance,

Ducky

 

[pixmedic]

if your going to consider Nikon, I would skip the D3200 and D5100 and get a used D90. it will have more features, and give you access to autofocus on more lenses, which is a real budget saver.

 

[KmH]

The Sony and the Pentax are not DSLR cameras.

I to would recommend the Nikon D90 over the Nikon D3200/5100 because the D90 has 2 command wheels, a top LCD, CLS Commander mode, and more external controls to reduce 'menu diving'.

However, you also need to know that while the D90 is very capable, the D3200/5100's image sensor performs just a tiny bit better in low light situations.
DxOMark - Compare cameras side by side

The reality is, the vast majority of people would not even be able to see the differences, and it's the photographer that makes the difference, not the camera.

On that basis, I recommend you choose a camera based on features, like minimizing 'menu diving', because basically all entry-level DSLR's and DSLT's are more than capable.

 

[Ducky11]

Thank you for your responses guys! The D90 does look interesting! I have to admit that my only real resource so far has been the website "snapsort" where I have been comparing the image quality & other features, which is how I concluded the 4 rigs which I stated above.

I noticed that nobody has mentioned the two compact system cameras which I stated. Why is that? What do they lack that the Nikons have? As per what I saw on snapsort & a bunch of other comparison websites, the image quality seems to be more or less the same in standard & low light.

Cheers,
Ducky

 

[Ducky11]

Sorry for resurrecting, but I am intrigued as to why nobody has mentioned the compact system cameras. I ran a comparison with the DSLR’s & the K01 (link below) & it seems to be right up there, unless I am missing something…

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!

DxOMark - Compare cameras side by side

Cheers,
Ducky

 

[orb9220]

Simple the results are so close for sensor performance as to become insignificant. Anyone doing serious photography has to take many other things into consideration beyond sensor performance.

Like:

Built-in motor for wider lens selection. Built in Flash commander mode for operating flashes off shoe. More dedicated controls for making changes on the fly without your eye leaving viewfinder to go menu digging and missing the shot. Faster AF lock More AF points making it easier to get AF. Things like Bracketing,FPS for continuous shooting. Bigger Brighter Pentaprism viewfinder vs. Pentamirror or EVF making for an unacceptable use for many.

One review summed up the K01

" We didn't like the price quite so much - £679.99 / $899.95 with a lens is quite a lot to pay for a compact system camera, and comparable to the excellent Pentax K-5 with the same kit zoom lens. Therein lies the K-01's main problem. While it may look refreshingly different, the Pentax K-01 falls unsuccessfully between two stools - ultimately we'd either buy a similarly sized DSLR or a much smaller compact system camera in preference to the K-01."

Also to consider about Hybrid's,Mirrorless,etc... Is price,availability and range of accessories like Lenses,flashes,etc... Many times they are limited and higher priced than the more traditional dslr systems.

It isn't always just about Sensor Performance. And way too many Put Way too Much weight on those numbers without an inkling how that translate to real world use.
.

 

[swiftparkour94]

I recommend any entry level Canon model that's a few years older around the $500 price range. If the T3 is around that price by now then don't get it, it's a childs camera to me haha. Also consider the factors that others have listed

 

[gw2424]

Canon 40d= cheap with tons of capability!