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Djordje

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Hey people,
I'm new to the forum and I have a question.
I travel a lot, and I want a good camera. Not even sure what the perfect type of camera would be, but I'd like a dslr. I'm looking for a camera good for both video and photography. The only limitation would be the price, as I'm looking for a max budget of around £1000. In that budget I would get a camera, couple batteries, sd card, tripod, a good all round lens, or two different types of lenses if I'd get a dslr. Not sure if I missed anything there, but I'd like to get all the important equipment for around £1000. Any recommendations?
Many thanks in advance,
Djordje
 
You will probably get a lot of different suggestions, but for travel, I would go with a Nikon d5600 with an 18-140 mm lens. It is relatively compact and light for a dslr and has very good image quality. You should be able to get it and still have enough for extra battery, sd cards, bag and tripod.
 
If video is a big deal then I'd probably be looking at either a Sony body -or- a Canon body that has their "Dual-Pixel CMOS AF" feature.

This is because those cameras can do continuous focus during video based "phase detection" auto-focus. "phase detection" splits light by sending it through a beam splitter (prism) and into two "phases". If the subject is focused, then the two phases of light re-converge nicely in-phase. But if the subject is not-in-focus then the two phases re-converge out-of-phase. But the magic is that the camera knows both the amount of phase shift AND the direction of phase shift. This means it instantly tells the lens which direction to adjust focus and by exactly how much... and nails the focus. You get continuous and accurate tracking of moving subjects during live-video.

Normally in "live view" or "video" modes, the reflex mirror can't bounce light into the "phase-detection" sensors because they are located at the bottom of the light box. So the cameras use a different technique called "contrast-detection AF" which is preformed by the sensor. But the problem with contrast-detection is that while it can tell if the image is in or out of focus... it has no idea which direction to adjust focus nor by how much. So it has to "guess" it's way by making several small adjustments and comparing to see if focus is improving or degrading. This results in a "focus hunt" behavior where you see the camera rapidly shifting focus in and out until it refines focus on your subject. As soon as the subject distance moves... it has to do it all over again. This results in video with lots of little "focus hunt" moments.

Sony gets around this because their reflex mirror is semi-translucent. So they allow light to the image sensor WHILE still sending light to the phase-detect sensors at the bottom of the light box.

Canon gets around by introducing a technology which imbeds micro phase-detect sensors in the sensor itself. They've had various generations of this, but the latest and best of the bunch is called "Dual-Pixel CMOS AF".

Not ALL Canon models have this. So if you plan to do a lot of video, and you want a Canon, then you'd want to make sure you get a model that includes that feature. The latest of the entry-range is the Canon EOS 800D and it does have Dual-Pixel CMOS AF. Their mid-range cameras such as the 80D also have it... as do their latest generation of high-end pro cameras.

The least-expensive of the entry-priced range of Canon's does not have this feature. But some models have an older generation of the technology ... it works but isn't quite as speedy or accurate. But Canon does offer a range of lenses that are designed specific for video. You can do video with any lens... but these lenses use especially quiet focus motors and the focus shifts are smooth so they don't appear jarring in recorded video. These are the lenses that have the suffix "STM" in the lens model name.



For normal photos (not video), this doesn't matter. All DSLR cameras do phase-detect AF when taking still photos. As long as it's a reasonably current generation camera, they're all good, great image quality, etc. etc. The biggest difference to image quality is really based on the knowledge & skill of the user (you), and your lens choices, and lighting.

Lens choice makes a much bigger difference than camera selection. Keep in mind that the lenses that typically come with a new camera are designed to be "affordable" -- that's their key feature. Lenses have different attributes which controls how much light they can collect, the quality of the "in focus" areas (and in particular, how well "in focus" things look when located at an edge or corner of the frame, as well as attributes such as the quality of out-of-focus blur (is it smooth & creamy... or is it jittery.)



If I were to suggest a Canon model that would fit your budget, it would probably be a Canon EOS 800D with a "kit" lens such as the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM (which is good for video). There are more versatile lenses such as the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM (since mentioned video, I'd nudge you to selecting "STM" lenses when given the choice).

The camera will come with everything you need to start shooting EXCEPT the memory card. It will have a camera strap. It will have a battery. It will have a battery charger. It will have all necessary cables to connect it to your computer to unload images, etc.

It will not include any type of bag... but you can get a reasonably inexpensive bag that would do the job and still be well within your budget goals.

I avoid buying "bundles" where they throw in things like tripods, filters, etc. as the vendor typically tries to pump up the perceived value of the bundle by throwing in lots of stuff that sounds great... until you realize the quality is absolutely rubbish and you would have done better to save your money and select only those accessories you would actually need and use ... and at a quality level where it isn't come to fall to pieces the first time you try to use it.

Someone here might be able to suggest a Sony model that has the features you want in your budget ... I do not know the differences between models in the Sony line (I'm a Canon shooter) well enough to offer guidance.

If video is really just something you'd occasionally use and not a main feature you think you'll use (though you did mention it) then ALSO consider Nikon models.
 
@TCampbell You are a legend sir. Thank you very much! I've been doing some research, and I think the 800d is the way to go. I'll dig deeper to see what lense to get, but your suggestions are great
Many thanks :)
 
Of course, thanks to everyone else, you've been of great help
 
@TCampbell what do you think about the canln 200D? It's much ccheape thsn the 800d, and doesn't seem much worse?
 
The 200D works as well... in the US market that camera is called the SL2. That, and it's predecessor the SL1 were basically designed to have the same APS-C size sensor, but have compact bodies (I think they claim that they have have the smallest and lightest weight bodies of any DSLR -- not sure if that's still true). While they say it's compact... it's still bulky (just not bulky by DSLR standards). It's not like it could fit in your pocket.

But that camera _does_ have the Dual-Pixel CMOS AF feature.

When you use the viewfinder for normal photos, that camera uses a more basic 9 point AF system. The 800D has a 45 point AF system.

But the cameras have the same 24.2 megapixel sensor. Same Digic 7 processor, etc.

Here's Canon's comparison chart (but this is by the US model names):

https://downloads.canon.com/nw/came...-rebel-series-_-comparison-chart-_-view-chart

In the US, the 200D is called the EOS Rebel SL2 (far right column on the chart) and the 800D is called the EOS Rebel T7i (far left column on the chart).

You'll notice that the major difference in those two is the physical body size & weight... and the 200D can burst still shots at up to 5 frames per second whereas the 800D can burst at up to 6 frames per second (not a big difference.)
 
Hey people,
I'm new to the forum and I have a question.
I travel a lot, and I want a good camera. Not even sure what the perfect type of camera would be, but I'd like a dslr. I'm looking for a camera good for both video and photography. The only limitation would be the price, as I'm looking for a max budget of around £1000. In that budget I would get a camera, couple batteries, sd card, tripod, a good all round lens, or two different types of lenses if I'd get a dslr. Not sure if I missed anything there, but I'd like to get all the important equipment for around £1000. Any recommendations?
Many thanks in advance,
Djordje
I would investigate mirrorless cameras before coming to your decision. Like DSLRs they allow you to change lenses, but they are generally more compact, especially if you opt for the smaller sensored micro four thirds system.
They don't suit everyone, just as Canon/Nikon doesn't suit everyone, but they tend to be better than DSLRs for video & IMO even my older systems match them fairly well for general stills use.
 
Hey people,
I'm new to the forum and I have a question.
I travel a lot, and I want a good camera. Not even sure what the perfect type of camera would be, but I'd like a dslr. I'm looking for a camera good for both video and photography. The only limitation would be the price, as I'm looking for a max budget of around £1000. In that budget I would get a camera, couple batteries, sd card, tripod, a good all round lens, or two different types of lenses if I'd get a dslr. Not sure if I missed anything there, but I'd like to get all the important equipment for around £1000. Any recommendations?
Many thanks in advance,
Djordje

So I guess my first question is what is your reason/s for specifically wanting a DSLR? Why not a mirrorless body? I'm not sure if you are loosely using the term DSLR to mean digital or if you really do want a DSLR body. Mirrorless bodies in general are going to be smaller and lighter not too mention mirrorless seems to be the future.

When I think of a travel camera I think small and light weight. If you want the best bang feature wise out of stills AND video Id look at a pre-owened Sony a6500 or an a6300. Both are light weight small and offer big bang for the buck. If you dont care about 4k video then the Canon DSLR bodies mentioned with duel pixel AF are really good options too! They will be a bit bigger and weigh a bit more but the duel pixel AF, longer battery life, and fully articulating screen in my opinion are very good trade offs where video is concerned.
 
You can take a look at Panasonic Lumix FZ2000. It is a bridge type of camera. I think is one of the best piece for video for that value. It has a plug for external mic and shoots in 4k. The 24-480mm equivalent lens will give you a lot of flexibility in different situations while travelling.
 
Hey people,
I'm new to the forum and I have a question.
I travel a lot, and I want a good camera. Not even sure what the perfect type of camera would be, but I'd like a dslr. I'm looking for a camera good for both video and photography. The only limitation would be the price, as I'm looking for a max budget of around £1000. In that budget I would get a camera, couple batteries, sd card, tripod, a good all round lens, or two different types of lenses if I'd get a dslr. Not sure if I missed anything there, but I'd like to get all the important equipment for around £1000. Any recommendations?
Many thanks in advance,
Djordje

So I guess my first question is what is your reason/s for specifically wanting a DSLR? Why not a mirrorless body? I'm not sure if you are loosely using the term DSLR to mean digital or if you really do want a DSLR body. Mirrorless bodies in general are going to be smaller and lighter not too mention mirrorless seems to be the future.

I agree, if the camera is primarily for travel then a mirrorless may be a better choice than a DSLR. mirrorless is smaller and lighter especially with "pancake" style lens. And they can use all the DSLR lens.
www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless
 
Use all the lenses----but typically with no autofocusing. Meaning fewer keepers on action shots, or moving subjects. "System native lenses" are what beginners will shoot best with. Using adapted lenses is often a sacrifice or a compromise.
 

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