Beginner - Camera Selection Advice

[Damiandevil]

I'm looking to buy my first DSLR camera and I'm not sure what the best choice is. I am a true beginner and my subject matter interests would be birds, wildlife and landscape/nature shots. I don't really have any interest in portraits.

I'm looking for the best choice for between $500 - $1,000. I see a number of bundles that fall into that range and don't know what the best choice is. I don't know if a camera bundle with IS is the better choice for my interests. I've done a little reading online and I've read that IS is important when shooting birds, but can be bad for photographing birds in flight (may add blur). A couple of cameras I've looked at are...

Amazon.com : Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-300mm VR Lens + 32GB Card + Case + Filters + Tripod + Telephoto & Wide-Angle Lens Kit : Digital Slr Camera Bundles : Camera & Photo

Amazon.com : Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm IS Lens with 75-300mm Lens + 64GB Card + Battery + Charger + Case + Filters + Tripod + Flash + Tele/Wide Lens Kit : Electronics

I'm not set on it being one of the above and any feedback would be appreciated.

Anxious to get started...

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

Avoid the "kits" which include tripods, filters, etc. The extra items are generally cheaply made and not worth what they add to the price - what you should look for (IMO) is a bundle from Canon or Nikon which includes the body and the 18-55 and 55-200mm lenses. The truth is, there really isn't a lot of difference between the Canon and Nikon, especially at the consumer level. Either one will work very well. The best thing you can do is head down to a real bricks & mortar camera store (NOT a big-box store that sells cameras!) and actually "play" with the cameras and talk to a knowledgeable sales person. Handling the bodies and finding out which one feels better is a lot more important than the name on the front of it.

 

[Designer]

I don't know if a camera bundle with IS is the better choice for my interests. I've done a little reading online and I've read that IS is important when shooting birds, but can be bad for photographing birds in flight (may add blur).

I am not familiar with the way Canon's IS works, but probably similarly to the Nikon vibration reduction (VR).

The VR reduces the effects of camera shake when it is "on", and will work in panning by reducing the effects of motion that is not associated with the panning motion. So if you're following a bird in flight and panning horizontally, the VR will mitigate the vertical shake.

As for the bundle deals, IMO the camera, lenses, and SD card are things you will need anyway. The case that they usually include is practically worthless in real life. I bought one of those package deals, and the case is so small that I can get the camera and one lens only in it. No room for the second lens. The little cheap tripod is kind of handy because it actually fits in my new (recycled) case. If the filter is a UV filter, there is limited value in that. They want the average beginner to have everything they need to get started, but after a while the cheap stuff will just start gathering dust. The problem is then, that for the money you get a cheap bag, tripod, and whatever, but to get just the camera and the cheap lenses you will probably have to pay the same.

If you are comfortable with buying just parts, look for a decent body and an upgrade lens. You will use an upgrade lens for much longer without wishing for a better lens anytime soon.

 

[ConradM]

I'd recommend looking into the Sony Alpha DSLR and Mirrorless line. They have the distinct advantage of having an electronic viewfinder which allows you to compose in real time. As opposed to a conventional optical viewfinder which doesn't show you what the sensor is doing. Being able to compose in real time is much faster, easier to learn and convenient. They're also class leading in terms of FPS and AF-C which is something you'll like for wild life.

 

[Damiandevil]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[TCampbell]

As John points out, those bundled kits are generally a bad idea. When we think of a "kit" we mean the camera body and one lens (offered by the camera manufacturer that way). When you get the third party kits they try to create the illusion of adding value by throwing in all kinds of ... well lets be honest, it's crap. If you had to buy an accessory stand-alone and saw the accessory included in one of those "kits" vs. something you could buy elsewhere you would never choose the one they include.

Just get a camera and single kit lens, a GOOD memory card (e.g. something made by Sandisk or Lexar for example. There are a lot of bad cards on the market and since this is THE thing that stores your photos until you unload them, cheeping out on the memory card could result in the loss of everything you shot.)

As for the cameras themselves, all DSLR cameras made today (especially by Nikon and Canon) are going to be very good cameras. There are no "bad" DSLRs -- so don't over-agonize that decision. There are some optimizations that go into some models which make them better at some things. Some cameras are optimized for action photography (the cameras you listed are both entry-level DSLRs). Some lenses are better at working in poor lighting. A lens with a low-focal ratio not only collects more light (which means it can shoot in less light) it is also capable of creating a shallow zone of focus (what we refer to as "depth of field") so that you can have a tack-sharp subject and yet in the same image have a beautifully de-focused background -- which gives the image a nice look that a point & shoot camera can't match -- but this is based on the lens... not the camera body.

If that look appeals to you, then I would suggest a 2nd lens be either a 50mm or 35mm lens which does NOT zoom (these non-zooming lenses are called "prime" lenses.) This is because these lenses non-zooming lenses tend to have much lower focal ratios and are better at creating that shallow depth-of-field and are better at shooting in conditions where lighting is poor. I find this more useful than telephoto zoom lenses.