Hello, I am trying to be a beginner

[Lucky_lefty]

I bought a Nikon D5100 from target for 350.00, when I got it home it had no battery or charger and the manual was not in english. so I borrowed a battery from a friend and when the lens was on it would only work in manual mode and when I put it on auto it said lens not attached. Is there somewhere I can watch to get a deal I would like to spend around 500 or less for a camera and lens just to get going. I have been eyeing up the T3i but they are 600 bucks everywhere around me.

11-4-13

I can not find a 5100 so would a new 3100 or 3200 be good to get started with. I am also interested in the canon T3i.

 

[robbins.photo]

I bought a Nikon D5100 from target for 350.00, when I got it home it had no battery or charger and the manual was not in english. so I borrowed a battery from a friend and when the lens was on it would only work in manual mode and when I put it on auto it said lens not attached. Is there somewhere I can watch to get a deal I would like to spend around 500 or less for a camera and lens just to get going. I have been eyeing up the T3i but they are 600 bucks everywhere around me.

Lucky, if you bought this new from Target first I'd take it back to target and get a refund. A new one should come with battery, battery charger, and should be in good working order - if not then you should return it. A good refurbished D5100 with a warranty can be purchased from Ebay for usually anywhere between $420 and $450.

You might also wish to note that the D5100 is in most respects superior to a T3I. The d5100 has better image quality, shoots faster, has a better dynamic range, significantly lower noise at high ISO settings, more focus points, etc. Really the only thing a T3I has going for it when compared to a D5100 is that the LCD screen is a little higher resolution, so honestly If you want my recommendation you'll be better off with the D5100. As for myself I also use a D5100, so I've had a bit of experience with them and I can tell you from experience that when you get one in good working order they are a phenomenal camera.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

Thanks, Target was selling them on clearance so they are officially out. and all the ones on craigslist are mid 500 to 600 price range. I am thinking about giving up for now and wait until next year. and buy one. I was really looking forward to taking pics but I will not buy used. after that deal with target I wont trust someone that I dont know. I also heard the D3200 is better than the 5100 is that true, maybe I would get a body and just wait for lens to go on sale. I did not know it was such a big deal to find a camera.

 

[robbins.photo]

Thanks, Target was selling them on clearance so they are officially out. and all the ones on craigslist are mid 500 to 600 price range. I am thinking about giving up for now and wait until next year. and buy one. I was really looking forward to taking pics but I will not buy used. after that deal with target I wont trust someone that I dont know. I also heard the D3200 is better than the 5100 is that true, maybe I would get a body and just wait for lens to go on sale. I did not know it was such a big deal to find a camera.

Well it sort of depends really, the D3200 might be a better option for you than the D5100 since it does have a guide mode which will make things easier for you when you first get started. The 3200 also has a little bit better image quality. The 5100 has in camera HDR, better boost ISO and better noise reduction at high ISO, it also has a flip out screen (the 3200 is fixed). But the cameras are pretty close in most respects.

Just curious, did you manage to return the camera you to Target for a full refund?

 

[robbins.photo]

Thanks, Target was selling them on clearance so they are officially out. and all the ones on craigslist are mid 500 to 600 price range. I am thinking about giving up for now and wait until next year. and buy one. I was really looking forward to taking pics but I will not buy used. after that deal with target I wont trust someone that I dont know. I also heard the D3200 is better than the 5100 is that true, maybe I would get a body and just wait for lens to go on sale. I did not know it was such a big deal to find a camera.

Oh, one other thought, I realize you'd prefer to avoid used but I think refurbished might be a good option for you. These are cameras that have been repaired and brought back to full operational condition in most cases by the manufacturer (Nikon) and include a warranty so if you do have any problems with it you can get them repaired or replaced. Adorama has refurbished D5100's with the battery and kit lens for $449, they are an authorized Nikon dealer and very reputable:

Refurbished Nikon D5100 16.2 MP Digital SLR w/18-55mm DX VR -Refurbished by Nikon- #25478 B 25478 B

The same setup new would run $646 from them.

The D3200 is on sale right now for $546.95 - this looks like a new unit rather than a refurbished.

Nikon D3200 24.2 MP DSLR Camera w/18mm-55mm Nikkor VR Lens - Black 25492

You can also check Amazon, Ebay, other online camera retailers, etc. Me I've always had great luck buying used from Ebay. Only thing you have to be careful of is that your dealing with someone with a good feedback rating who has had 100+ transactions, then be careful to read the description carefully and note any defects. Most folks that sell on Ebay and have long enough to get that many transactions understand that to avoid negative feedback they will describe absolutely anything that is even slightly noticeable (like scratches, etc) in detail. So as long as your careful to deal with folks that have a lot of ebay transactions and a 100% feedback rating (or darn close) you'll almost always get the item exactly as it's described. I've never gotten anything from Ebay that didn't work/look exactly like the description.

But you can get new units from Ebay too if you'd rather avoid used - a lot of camera places will sell new on ebay, offer full warranties, etc. I rarely if ever buy camera equipment locally - we only have really one high end camera shop and as a result the prices are usually pretty high compared to what I can get the exact same equipment for online.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

Thanks, Target was selling them on clearance so they are officially out. and all the ones on craigslist are mid 500 to 600 price range. I am thinking about giving up for now and wait until next year. and buy one. I was really looking forward to taking pics but I will not buy used. after that deal with target I wont trust someone that I dont know. I also heard the D3200 is better than the 5100 is that true, maybe I would get a body and just wait for lens to go on sale. I did not know it was such a big deal to find a camera.

Well it sort of depends really, the D3200 might be a better option for you than the D5100 since it does have a guide mode which will make things easier for you when you first get started. The 3200 also has a little bit better image quality. The 5100 has in camera HDR, better boost ISO and better noise reduction at high ISO, it also has a flip out screen (the 3200 is fixed). But the cameras are pretty close in most respects.

Just curious, did you manage to return the camera you to Target for a full refund?

Yes I returned the camera. Thy were nice enough to call around and we found out they have been on clearance for a month so no one has them in stock anymore. I guess I am a month late to the party. and the 5200 is 889.00.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

So refurbished means rebuilt and back to a new status as in shutter count should be 0? I would hate so spend money to have something go in a few months.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

So refurbished means rebuilt and back to a new status as in shutter count should be 0? If so I will buy from them. I would hate so spend money to have something go in a few months.

 

[sm4him]

I'm kind of curious as to why you'd be hesitant to buy used, from a reputable dealer. After all, it wasn't a used camera that you had a problem with, it was a brand new one! Problems happen--with ANY electronic device, you are occassionally going to get one that is a "lemon."

Refurbished doesn't necessarily mean the shutter count is at 0 (unless they had to replace the shutter mechanism). It just means that IF there was a problem, it's been fixed AND--whether there was a specific problem or not--the camera has been tested nine ways to Sunday and everything has checked out. Refurbished cameras have typically been much more thoroughly tested than a new camera.

I bought my first camera, a D5100 new. But my current camera, a D7000, I bought used from, I think, KEH photo, and I would not hesitate to do so again. KEH.com, B&H Photo, and Adorama are all really good, reputable sites that usually have pretty good prices, whether you choose to buy new again or go the used or refurbished route.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

is cametacamera.com a trusted site? When I say used I meant from ebay or craigslist.

 

[Lucky_lefty]

Okay I have narrowed it down with some help from a friend. one of these cameras

Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera Body (Black) - Factory Refurbished includes Full 1 Year Warranty

or

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens - Factory Refurbished includes Full 1 Year Warranty

or

Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Body - Factory Refurbished with 16GB Card + Accessory Kit

and these for lens.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Nikkor Lens for DSLR Cameras - USA Warranty 2183

Refurbished Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR II Lens - Refurbished by Nikon USA 2197 B

 

[robbins.photo]

So refurbished means rebuilt and back to a new status as in shutter count should be 0? I would hate so spend money to have something go in a few months.

Refurbished means it's been return to factory specs and inspected/cleaned by certified Nikon techs. Shutter count isn't really something to be concerned with too much to be honest with you, unless you are a professional photographer or the shutter count is extrodinarly high, which isn't something you'll see too often. Most shutters are rated in the 100,000 to 150,000 actuation range, meaning that the design is tested an that most of them will generally last that long if not longer. So unless your taking thousand and thousands of pictures a week odds are good you'll probably be replacing the camera body for other reasons (you want something newer with better features) long before the shutter fails.

The guy who bought my old 35 mm equipment? Well I got an email from him the other day, the old EOS-1 is still alive and going strong almost 5 years after he bought it from me and that was after I had already gotten more than 5 years of use out of it prior to his purchasing it from me.

But most refurbished units are ones that the boxes were damaged in shipping or opened for some reason, some might be store display models - for whatever reason they could not be sold as new. Some might be store returns, etc - they have a tech go through them, test them completely, make sure everything is brought back up to factory specs and then sell them as refurb - and as long as you buy from a reputable dealer who is authorized you won't have any problems, thankfully a good refurb also comes with a good warranty.

 

[robbins.photo]

Okay I have narrowed it down with some help from a friend. one of these cameras

Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera Body (Black) - Factory Refurbished includes Full 1 Year Warranty

or

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens - Factory Refurbished includes Full 1 Year Warranty

or

Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Body - Factory Refurbished with 16GB Card + Accessory Kit

and these for lens.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Nikkor Lens for DSLR Cameras - USA Warranty 2183

Refurbished Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR II Lens - Refurbished by Nikon USA 2197 B

Well I'm a fan of the D5100, it suits my needs wonderfully. You might want to consider the 3200, it has a better sensor so you'll get slightly better image quality and it will have the easy to use guide mode. The 3100 uses the same sensor as the D5100 so image quality will be roughly the same and it also has the guide mode which could in handy when your first starting to learn photography. So really I guess the question would be what would work best for you, do you think it would be more advantages to have the better image quality or do you think the additional lens you'll get with the D3100 would be more advantageous?

 

[minicoop1985]

If it helps, I had a decent experience with Cameta's eBay store. I forget what I bought from them, but I got it fast.

 

[julio99]

I'm kind of curious as to why you'd be hesitant to buy used, from a reputable dealer. After all, it wasn't a used camera that you had a problem with, it was a brand new one! Problems happen--with ANY electronic device, you are occassionally going to get one that is a "lemon."

Refurbished doesn't necessarily mean the shutter count is at 0 (unless they had to replace the shutter mechanism). It just means that IF there was a problem, it's been fixed AND--whether there was a specific problem or not--the camera has been tested nine ways to Sunday and everything has checked out. Refurbished cameras have typically been much more thoroughly tested than a new camera.

I bought my first camera, a D5100 new. But my current camera, a D7000, I bought used from, I think, KEH photo, and I would not hesitate to do so again. KEH.com, B&H Photo, and Adorama are all really good, reputable sites that usually have pretty good prices, whether you choose to buy new again or go the used or refurbished route.

Hi there! I also share the same sentiment about acquiring a refurbished camera. I'm just a newbie and I'm not really knowledgeable about it. Do you have a list of reputable sites to buy refurbished cameras?