First Inquiry into the World of DSLRs

[dafonin]

Hey everyone, my name is Daniel and for a while now I have been looking at taking my first step into the world of DSLR photography. I do not have any experience with these cameras nor do I understand most of the terminology. However, I hope to correct that in the coming weeks by doing some reading. After doing a bit of research online, it seems that the most recommended DSLRs for beginning photographers are the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (I am also aware that the t4i is now out) and the Nikon D5100. I've also heard good things about the new D5200 and was wondering whether anybody could help me determine whether I should pay extra for the newer version. I will be taking most of my photos outside - I live in NYC and there is plenty subject matter to photograph. In addition, I do not see myself doing all that much filming, although it would be a nice option to have handy. I am looking to stay somewhere around the $1000 range - preferably lower.

I am looking for any advice that you more weathered photographers could give me...What starting DSLR would you recommend? Would you recommend I buy body and lens separately (my friend who is a great photographer recommends I get a 18-105mm lens, for she claims that it suits 95% of her needs)? Is the D5200 worth the extra money? Thanks a lot!

 

[ratssass]

Welcome aboard.The best advice i can give is READ.That doesn't cost anything.These forums,other forums,and Google are your friends.Opinions will always vary,but if you read between the lines,you'll see a common thread.Good luck.

 

[jrizal]

Here's my take. Others please feel free to add.

1) Choosing a camera is like a marriage. You have to choose which system "marry" into. Canon and Nikon are the more popular brands.

2) Learn the fundamentals of photgraphy expecially the so-called "Exposure Triangle". You can buy a book or simple Google it. YouTube also has a lot of resources.

3) While the T4i and D5200 are have improvements over their predecessors, the T3i and T4i are still very capable cameras and will not become obsolete soon. You can use the savings for additional or better glass.

4) If you are upgrading and have lenses already, buying a body is practical. But since you are a newbie, a bundle again IMO would be better.

5) For beginners, I would suggest that that you get a bundle package. For around $800, you can either get a T3i or a D5100 bundle from store's like Costco and Sam's Club. You can get more value from these packages IMO. This would normally include an 18-55mm lens and an 18-200/250/300 telephoto lens, instuctional videos and booklets, a bag and an HDMI cable in the case of Canon.

6) For beginners, the "trinity lenses" of consisting of the kit lens, a telephoto, and a prime lens. In case you don't know a prime lens is a lens that has no zoom capability but does deliver sharper pictures which is ideal for porttraits. A 50mm prime can cost between $100 to $200. Add that to the $800 bundle and you'd make still make your budget of $1,000.

7) Once you do get your camera, practice, practice, practice. Don't let it gather dust in your house.

PS 1 FYI, the 18-105mm is the kit lens normally bundled with the Nikon D7000. The Canon 60D comes with an 18-135 kit lens. Prices range from $1000 to $1200.

PS 2 Since you're fro NYC, I have heard the B&H store there is awesome. You can give em a visit. B&H along with Adorama and Cameta are reputable retailers.

 

[goodguy]

In the 1000$ range I would go with the Nikon D7000, since the D7100 is now out to the markets the D7000's price was never this good and the D7000 is an extremly capable camera.
This is a camera for a complete novice that gives you ample of place to grow to.

 

[dafonin]

In the 1000$ range I would go with the Nikon D7000, since the D7100 is now out to the markets the D7000's price was never this good and the D7000 is an extremly capable camera.
This is a camera for a complete novice that gives you ample of place to grow to.

I am actually strongly considering the d7000 - is the 18-105mm kit lens that comes with it any good? The one thing that DOES turn me away from the d7000 is the lack of a flip out screen...

 

[jrizal]

The 18- 105mm is a decent kit lens and has obviously longer reach than the 18-55mm but costs anywhere from $300-$400 brand new. A alternative for the same amount of money is the 18-55mm combo and a 35mm or 50mm prime. Just a suggestion.

 

[Dmariehill]

I can give you a newbie's opinion as I just bought my first DSLR this weekend. I second the advice to read, a lot, to make the decision. I read a lot of online reviews for the models I was comparing and tried to narrow down the differences to see what would work best for me.

There's not much a ton of difference in the t4i and the t3i. I went with the t4i. The main differences seemed to me to be the video capability and the fps on continuous shooting. There's a few other smaller differences, but those were the two that stood out to me. If you're going to get the t4i and expect to use the video function, you need an stm lens. The regular IS lens can be heard on the video when autofocusing. I wouldn't recommend buying this camera just because of the video though based on the reviews I read. Expect home video quality and don't expect tons of recording time. I'll be doing a lot of action shots (children), so I decided that I wanted the faster fps that the t4i offers. Then because I want to be able to use every feature I have if I choose, I got an stm lens. If you're primarily doing stills or are happy with 3.7 fps on continuous shooting, then the t3i is probably a better choice for the price than the t4i, based on my research.

I did a lot of comparision price shopping once I decided on a model. Typically, buying a bundle gets you a discount on the lens. You pay less for the base and then lens than buying them separately. I found that a bundle that included just the base and 1 nicer lens gave me a better discount on the lens than the bundle that included the base and 2 standard lenses. (for example, on the t4i with the 18-55mm IS lens and the 55-250 mm IS lens you save $87 on the lens, but on the t4i with the 18-135mm stm lens, I saved $238 on the lens.) I picked the bundle with a good multi purpose lens and I'm going to buy the zoom lens separately. I decided it was easier for me to buy a $200 lens separately right now than to buy a $450 lens separately. That's just me and my budget. And I would say that only works if the more expensive lens is a good all around lens that you can use every day. I found really good prices on Amazon, but you have to check the shipping costs and the vender reviews prior to buying. In the end, I got the bundle I wanted at Best Buy locally for $1 less than Amazon with free shipping. However, Best Buys sale price on the zoom lens I want is still more than Amazon with shipping, so I'll buy the zoom there. I want to maximize my budget while still giving myself the basics to get started with.

 

[Mike_E]

Dafonin, you are going to get the most bang for your buck with lenses- not the camera body.

The kit lenses from all of the camera makers are pretty good and you can do good work with them but it's the more expensive lenses that alow you to really shine. One caveat here is that Nikon cameras are backwards compatable so that some of the old manual focus lenses can be used to your savings. Note that the D3xxx D5xxx don't meter with them [Ai, AI-S lenses] but the DX00 (D200, D300/s, D700 and so forth) do the D3/5xxx can use the even older Pre AI lenses.

As to the bodies, how will you be viewing the photos? If you just want to view them on your computer or a digital frame or print 4x6s or even 8x10s then any DSLR that you can lay your hands on will do just fine in daylight to twilight. Nikon also has better autofocus.

When you do decide on a lens manufacturer and start looking for a body to go with your choice then I'd start looking at refurbished or used from a reputable dealer. Keh.com, B&H, Adorama and so on.

 

[dafonin]

Some updates on my search! Today I went ahead and visited the B&H store in Manhattan. Not only did I find that place to be absolutely amazing, I got some good feedback. First of all, I was told that there is no significant difference between the Nikon D5100 and the Nikon D5200. Furthermore, when i held the D5200 in my hands it felt a bit small and I was not a fan of the plastic body. I also checked out the Canon T3i and the Nikon D7000. The D7000 looked and felt like a really solid camera. I liked the feel and was also told that it is the strongest in terms of tech (out of the ones I had mentioned). The guy I talked to recommended that I go with the t3i. The t3i felt pretty good in my hands but something is making me gravitate towards the d7000...With a 18-105mm lens the t3i is around $750 while the d7000 would be like $1100. Any ideas? As always any feedback is appreciated!

P.S. I would also like to take a moment to thank everybody who has been posting here. I highly value your opinions and appreciate you taking the time to help me. You guys rock!

 

[dafonin]

I can give you a newbie's opinion as I just bought my first DSLR this weekend. I second the advice to read, a lot, to make the decision. I read a lot of online reviews for the models I was comparing and tried to narrow down the differences to see what would work best for me.

There's not much a ton of difference in the t4i and the t3i. I went with the t4i. The main differences seemed to me to be the video capability and the fps on continuous shooting. There's a few other smaller differences, but those were the two that stood out to me. If you're going to get the t4i and expect to use the video function, you need an stm lens. The regular IS lens can be heard on the video when autofocusing. I wouldn't recommend buying this camera just because of the video though based on the reviews I read. Expect home video quality and don't expect tons of recording time. I'll be doing a lot of action shots (children), so I decided that I wanted the faster fps that the t4i offers. Then because I want to be able to use every feature I have if I choose, I got an stm lens. If you're primarily doing stills or are happy with 3.7 fps on continuous shooting, then the t3i is probably a better choice for the price than the t4i, based on my research.

I did a lot of comparision price shopping once I decided on a model. Typically, buying a bundle gets you a discount on the lens. You pay less for the base and then lens than buying them separately. I found that a bundle that included just the base and 1 nicer lens gave me a better discount on the lens than the bundle that included the base and 2 standard lenses. (for example, on the t4i with the 18-55mm IS lens and the 55-250 mm IS lens you save $87 on the lens, but on the t4i with the 18-135mm stm lens, I saved $238 on the lens.) I picked the bundle with a good multi purpose lens and I'm going to buy the zoom lens separately. I decided it was easier for me to buy a $200 lens separately right now than to buy a $450 lens separately. That's just me and my budget. And I would say that only works if the more expensive lens is a good all around lens that you can use every day. I found really good prices on Amazon, but you have to check the shipping costs and the vender reviews prior to buying. In the end, I got the bundle I wanted at Best Buy locally for $1 less than Amazon with free shipping. However, Best Buys sale price on the zoom lens I want is still more than Amazon with shipping, so I'll buy the zoom there. I want to maximize my budget while still giving myself the basics to get started with.

Thanks a lot for the info! For the most part, I do not think I will be doing too much video capturing so choosing Canon based on its video capabilities is not an option. Like I mentioned in my last post below, the guy at B&H today had great things to say about the t3i. I seem to have eliminated the D5100 and D5200 from my search and am now focusing on the t3i and d7000 (preferably with 18-105mm/18-135mm lens).

 

[dafonin]

Dafonin, you are going to get the most bang for your buck with lenses- not the camera body.

The kit lenses from all of the camera makers are pretty good and you can do good work with them but it's the more expensive lenses that alow you to really shine. One caveat here is that Nikon cameras are backwards compatable so that some of the old manual focus lenses can be used to your savings. Note that the D3xxx D5xxx don't meter with them [Ai, AI-S lenses] but the DX00 (D200, D300/s, D700 and so forth) do the D3/5xxx can use the even older Pre AI lenses.

As to the bodies, how will you be viewing the photos? If you just want to view them on your computer or a digital frame or print 4x6s or even 8x10s then any DSLR that you can lay your hands on will do just fine in daylight to twilight. Nikon also has better autofocus.

When you do decide on a lens manufacturer and start looking for a body to go with your choice then I'd start looking at refurbished or used from a reputable dealer. Keh.com, B&H, Adorama and so on.

Hmmm, so looks like the Nikon D7000 fits the picture, huh?

 

[curveshooter]

Have you considered m4/3? If you're going to be walking around with the camera and a couple of lenses, don't forget the weight factor.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jrizal]

m4/3s are also an option. But it seems you're itching for the D7000. Might as well save up and not have buyer's remorse afterwards. But really all the models you mentioned are all good for beginners. It's primarily the budget you have and the sysem you want.

 

[Trblmkr]

I got the D5100 and I'm very happy with it. I was also looking at the D7000 and it was more money then I was willing to spend. If I had to do it all over again, I would still buy the D5100 as it's a great mixture of upper level cameras at a reduced price. This is what I got for my purchase


Nikon D5100
Nikon 18-55 VR
Nikon 55-200 VR
32 Gig SD card
Nikon Case
Nikon's NX2 Software

all for about $750.. the 55-200 was orignially something like $250 alone, but they took off $100 because of the bundle purchase.

 

[Mike_E]

Have a look here..
Canon T3i vs Nikon D7000 - Our Analysis

There's a reason I'm a Nikon guy.