Help : confused while deciding to buy a DSLR

[thanga]

Hi Guys,

I have my eyes on Nikon D5100 which is available for a sale recently.

When googled about latest trends in DSLR however, it came up that a new crop of cameras called Mirrorless and EVIL are in the market now.

Some say that this will be future of DSLRs, without a Mirror/penta prism, compact in size, smaller lenses.

And eventually the bigger TTL DSLRs will be obsolete.

I have a Minolta Maxxum XTSi, its a film camera and using it has become costly. However I liked the features of the SLR, really worth the size and weight, in my opinion.

My dilemma is this...

Is the Mirrorless cameras really worth it, as some tout...? Will they replace the DSLRs ?

Should I buy the Nikon D5100 or examine the Sony NEX cameras...

Thanks for all valuable advice..

thanga

 

[Kerbouchard]

Everything will eventually be obsolete.

Just because technology advances doesn't make today's purchases worthless. Personally, if you are coming from a film camera, I would stay away from the d5100. I think you would find it's lack of external controls limiting. If you are on a budget, you can pick up a used D90 for around the same price.

I think you would find the Sony cameras even more limiting.

 

[Solarflare]

I dont think you should feel forced to buy the newest gimmicks. The Sony Alpha Nex cameras are very lightweight, but the number of available lenses are quite limited, the dynamic range is not compareable (9,x vs 12 on the D5100, with ISO 100), and at least the Sony Alpah Nex-5n would be too slow for my requirements (640ms to picture).

 

[KmH]

EVIL cameras have some technical issues with the Electronic Viewfinder.

At present they do do show the scene in real time. In other words there is a time lag between what you see in the viewfinder and what the lens saw.

EVIL cameras, by necessity, use contrast detection auto focus which also has some technical issues (slower to focus) compared to the phase detection auto focus used by DSLR cameras. The Olympus PEN EVIL cameras made some noteable improments for contrast detection auto focus, but there is still room for improvement.

Your thread was moved out of the Beginner's forum - http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-forum/257684-notice-use-beginners-forum.html

 

[DiskoJoe]

Hi Guys,

I have my eyes on Nikon D5100 which is available for a sale recently.

When googled about latest trends in DSLR however, it came up that a new crop of cameras called Mirrorless and EVIL are in the market now.

Some say that this will be future of DSLRs, without a Mirror/penta prism, compact in size, smaller lenses.

And eventually the bigger TTL DSLRs will be obsolete.

I have a Minolta Maxxum XTSi, its a film camera and using it has become costly. However I liked the features of the SLR, really worth the size and weight, in my opinion.

My dilemma is this...

Is the Mirrorless cameras really worth it, as some tout...? Will they replace the DSLRs ?

Should I buy the Nikon D5100 or examine the Sony NEX cameras...

Thanks for all valuable advice..

thanga

If you have a lenses for your minolta you would like to keep using then go with Sony. Sony bought out Minolta and they basically make the cameras for sony now. They have the same a-mount that the Minolta cameras used.

If you want a d5100 you could get a sony a580 or an a55 and it would have the same sensor as the nikon d5100 and d7000 for a better price. I use a a580 and it works good. Cost about $500 less then the d7000 and gives almost identical results.

The nex would not be as good a fit for your since it uses an e-mount and not an a-mount. Would take all new lenses.

 

[thanga]

Dear Guys,

Thanks for all the replies.., really helpful suggestions...

I think I would like to stay with the big DSLR format.

However, yes, I am on budget, the D5100 is on sale for 550 EUR. But I like to buy a SLR now than later because I am on a business trip in new country (FINLAND).

Can you guys please suggest anything worthful that comes in this price range , around 500 -to- 550 EUR..

Thanks a lot,

thanga

 

[Solarflare]

Didnt Disko Joe just do that ? I thought his advice was awesome. You can keep using your old lenses and all.