Help me decide which DSLR i should buy!

[goodguy]

ruifo pretty much said it all.
All Nikon lenses will work on the camera but they might not auto focus.
Tell us which lenses they are and we probably will be able to tell you if they will AF or not.

 

[Designer]

.. is it any chance that my dads 10-15 year old nikkor lens will fit a d5200?

Fit; yes, work well; probably not. The auto focus issue has already been addressed.

Lenses made for film cameras are not the same thing as those made for digital sensors. I'm sure you will still have fun with it, just don't expect too much in the way of image quality.

IMO the best use for those older lenses is to give DSLR users the chance to "fill some gaps" in their lens stable at very low cost while saving up for a top-flight lens in approximately the same focal length.

 

[sandollars]

Manual focus is a lot of fun. Some of the old lenses will give you some pretty interesting effects and results. Give them a try. You might find you really like them!

 

[Solarflare]

Manual focus is a lot of fun.

Yes, if you're a masochist, then most definitely you'll have a lot of fun.

But if you want to reliably nail focus on an entry level DSLR, you much rather want Autofocus instead.

 

[gsgary]

I would scratch off the list the Canon 550D because of its very old sensor technology which means (cmpared to the Nikons) it has lower dynamic range and not impressive low light performance, I would also scratch off the Nikon D5100, not a bad camera but its already too old.
D3200 is an excellent camera but I would look more at the D5200 because of the better AF system.

Because nothing beats Nikon

 

[goodguy]

I would scratch off the list the Canon 550D because of its very old sensor technology which means (cmpared to the Nikons) it has lower dynamic range and not impressive low light performance, I would also scratch off the Nikon D5100, not a bad camera but its already too old.
D3200 is an excellent camera but I would look more at the D5200 because of the better AF system.

Because nothing beats Nikon

Glad you agree

 

[Rany Tan]

Why not mirrorless?