Newbie Questions about DSLR Cameras?

[lkim]

[h=3]Questions about DSLR cameras?[/h]Hi there!
I'm 13, and I've always been interested in photography, and for the past few weeks, a DSLR Camera has been on the top of my wish list, and I've even been saving up for it! I'm 13, and I currently own a Sony Point-and-Shoot (Sony Cybershot DSC-W330). I've had it for a while now, but I feel like I am ready for an entry-level DSLR camera. This is especially because I find that the Point and Shoot camera processes the images A LOT. I like the fact that DSLR cameras give you the control, and there's minimal processing inside the camera. My main subjects of photography are portraits and landscapes, and I'm thinking about doing video once in a while, but photography is my main focus. I know that in the end, it's the photographer's choice, but I'd like some answers from other photographers before I actually went out and bought a DSLR. (Since it costs quite a lot of money)

1) Are DSLR cameras worth the money?

2) Are DSLR cameras truly better than the Point-And-Shoots? (How does it compare to a Point And Shoot?)

3) Which is better- The Canon EOS T3i, or the T4I? I know that there's a T5I as well, but I've heard that there wasn't much of a difference between the T3I and the T4I.

4) Should I buy body-only (and buy a different set of lenses), or the body AND the kit lens as well? Are the kit lenses sufficient for use? (Keep in mind that I'm just a hobbyist)

5) How much do prices of DSLRs usually decrease for Christmas time?

6) I've kind of narrowed down my choice to either the Canon T3I or the Nikon D3200. From the reviews I've read, everyone says that the Nikon is better, but I'm kind of getting pulled towards the T3I more, since Canon is kind of the "mainstream" brand. Is the D3200 REALLY that much better? It's cheaper than the T3I as well, so...

7) How long will a DSLR last? My parents are kind of worried that I'll spend a ton of money on a DSLR, then want to buy a new one after a couple years.

8) Are used DSLR Cameras and lenses good quality, or would you recommend buying new ones?



Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions

 

[Overread19 7]

*thread unlocked* Sorry by accident all 4 threads were locked, as mentioned cross posting isn't needed on the site (once in the right section is enough).

 

[Overread19 7]

1) That is totally up to the user as to if they are worth the money or not and there is no single right answer here. For some they want it for prestige, others for control, others quality etc...
You have to weigh up for yourself what you want in a camera and then see what in the market fits for both your needs and budget - if that's a DSLR then a DSLR is Worth the money.

2) At most technical levels a DSLR is superior to a point and shoot. The point and shoot really only has advantages in being smaller, lighter, more discrete and often offering a wider zoom range than most DSLR lenses. In most other areas a DSLR is a superior choice.

3) Rebel cameras like the T3i, T4 and T5 series have small advances between each model. The Rebel series is the budget end and thus isn't at the cutting edge of the line so the advance between bodies is typically smaller.

4) That's a question which depends on your budget and intents. For portraits and landscape the typical kit lens will be a decent option for getting a good start in those areas. Furthermore the choice of what lens to get is often a personal choice and many questions that help answer that choice are hard to make without prior experience. Considering your current level of experience I'd suggest the kit lens as good starting point - you can then spend a few months playing and getting used to the camera before investing further in more specialist lenses.

5) Can't honestly say I know the answer to that - you'll get deals around so keep an eye open.

6) Canon and Nikon are both mainstream and neither one is "the best" overall. Nikon does seem to have an edge in camera bodies at the present, but bodies shift around a lot between new editions whilst the lenses are longer term investments. However both companies have very comparable setups in lenses - its really down to personal choice (esp early on where some of the more subtle differences are just not all that apparent).

7) A DSLR itself will last a period of time depending on its market position - cheaper bodies will " upgrade" more quickly, but remember what I said earlier that this upgrade isn't a night and day difference. Higher end bodies will take longer before a new edition comes out to replace it - however whilst new tech always comes out the camera will still be more than capable. You can expect to get a good number of years of use out of pretty much any DSLR on the current market.
Lenses are where the real investment is though - they will last decades and have a much slower upgrade cycle. In addition they'll continue to work on new bodies so they are a solid investment. The same is also true of lighting equipment.

8) Used gear is certainly a good area to look into for saving money. How good it is depends on the owner, however you can find gear from ex-demo models through to items bought for specific projects and then sold on as well as older stuff.

If you're looking at used I'd strongly consider looking at a Canon 5D. It should be around the same price as the bodies you're looking at now and offers you the advantage of a fullframe (35mm) sensor instead of a crop sensor. For landscapes and portraits its a preferred choice by many. That coupled with something cheap and simple like a 50mm f1.8 would be a great starting setup and the body itself, whilst older, is still very capable (easily up to professional standards when used right - the 5D was the first affordable fullframe camera on the market from canon outside of their 1D range and was and still is widely used in pro work).

 

[The_Traveler]

you are asking for a book, not an opinion.

yes, they're worth it and they're more flexible and the answers to all the questions you've asked have been covered hundreds of times here, probably some this week alone.

It's time to do your homework and go through the beginner and equipment forums and read.

 

[goodguy]

These answers are my own opinion and some other people might think differently, ok lets begine

1) Are DSLR cameras worth the money? - Absolutly YES!!!

2) Are DSLR cameras truly better than the Point-And-Shoots? (How does it compare to a Point And Shoot?) - Some point and shoot are VERY good but will cost like a DSLR or even more, as a general statement I think DSLR is better then a P&S camera.

3) Which is better- The Canon EOS T3i, or the T4I? I know that there's a T5I as well, but I've heard that there wasn't much of a difference between the T3I and the T4I. - Canon T2i, T3i, T4i and T5i all use same sensor and all very close in oveall performance, Canon been pumping same basic hardware for years now, the sensor while still resonably good is old and showing its age, every model added some more stuff, personally I would go for the Nikon D3200

4) Should I buy body-only (and buy a different set of lenses), or the body AND the kit lens as well? Are the kit lenses sufficient for use? (Keep in mind that I'm just a hobbyist) get the camera with the Nikon 18-105,, VR lens, its a good all around lens, to that if you can add the Nikon 70-300mm VR for telezoom, wonderful sharp lens and the Nikon 50mm 1.8G for portrait and night photography.

5) How much do prices of DSLRs usually decrease for Christmas time? You really cant expect us to answer that but boxing day in Canada usually brings fairly good prices.

6) I've kind of narrowed down my choice to either the Canon T3I or the Nikon D3200. From the reviews I've read, everyone says that the Nikon is better, but I'm kind of getting pulled towards the T3I more, since Canon is kind of the "mainstream" brand. Is the D3200 REALLY that much better? It's cheaper than the T3I as well, so... T3i is an k camera but the as I said has a basic old design and it shows, the Nikon D3200 is much modern and I think better then the T3i (again I am sure Canon users might disagree with me and thats perfectly fine).

7) How long will a DSLR last? My parents are kind of worried that I'll spend a ton of money on a DSLR, then want to buy a new one after a couple years. I know of people who used their DSLR with respect and used it for years but again who the heck can answer that ?

8) Are used DSLR Cameras and lenses good quality, or would you recommend buying new ones? tough question, some people here will buy their cameras used, I admit I would be a bit careful and to be honest the Nikon D3200 is so resonably priced that I would get it either new or factory refurbished. As for used lenses I would get them used, actually all my lenses (all 5 of them) are used, non is new and are worth buying used but at the age of 13 if you canget your parents help you with that then thats fine and if not then consider getting them new.



Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions - It is my pleasure to help a young lad who obviously is interested in photography.

 

[robbins.photo]

Questions about DSLR cameras?

Hi there!
I'm 13, and I've always been interested in photography, and for the past few weeks, a DSLR Camera has been on the top of my wish list, and I've even been saving up for it! I'm 13, and I currently own a Sony Point-and-Shoot (Sony Cybershot DSC-W330). I've had it for a while now, but I feel like I am ready for an entry-level DSLR camera. This is especially because I find that the Point and Shoot camera processes the images A LOT. I like the fact that DSLR cameras give you the control, and there's minimal processing inside the camera. My main subjects of photography are portraits and landscapes, and I'm thinking about doing video once in a while, but photography is my main focus. I know that in the end, it's the photographer's choice, but I'd like some answers from other photographers before I actually went out and bought a DSLR. (Since it costs quite a lot of money)

1) Are DSLR cameras worth the money?

2) Are DSLR cameras truly better than the Point-And-Shoots? (How does it compare to a Point And Shoot?)

3) Which is better- The Canon EOS T3i, or the T4I? I know that there's a T5I as well, but I've heard that there wasn't much of a difference between the T3I and the T4I.

4) Should I buy body-only (and buy a different set of lenses), or the body AND the kit lens as well? Are the kit lenses sufficient for use? (Keep in mind that I'm just a hobbyist)

5) How much do prices of DSLRs usually decrease for Christmas time?

6) I've kind of narrowed down my choice to either the Canon T3I or the Nikon D3200. From the reviews I've read, everyone says that the Nikon is better, but I'm kind of getting pulled towards the T3I more, since Canon is kind of the "mainstream" brand. Is the D3200 REALLY that much better? It's cheaper than the T3I as well, so...

7) How long will a DSLR last? My parents are kind of worried that I'll spend a ton of money on a DSLR, then want to buy a new one after a couple years.

8) Are used DSLR Cameras and lenses good quality, or would you recommend buying new ones?



Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions

A DSLR has some advantages over a point and shoot or bridge camera. First the internal sensor is much larger, what this means is you get much better quality image and it also allows you to shoot with much less light without using a flash. Both can be very good advantages to have. If you'd like a better illustration of what I mean by image quality, you can check out my flickr photo stream:

DSC_0259 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

That shot was taken with a DSLR, in this case my Nikon D5100 with a 70-300 mm lens. This shot, on the other hand:

P1030689 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Was taken with a bridge camera, a Panasonic FZ200 - just looking at them on the screen and you won't see a huge difference in quality - but when you actually zoom in you'll notice the DSLR takes a much better quality image. While for many people this difference really doesn't make a huge difference, the thing is with the DSLR's much higher image quality it gives me a lot more options when I go to post process. With the bridge camera I can do some minor resizing without it being noticeable, with the DSLR I can do a whole lot more cropping, resizing and editing without it being noticeable in the final product.

The kit lenses are more than sufficient for most people's use, for the type of photography I do I rely heavily on telephoto so I bought just the body and a telephoto lens, as far as body only or body and lens you'll just have to check prices and see whats available and whats in your price range. Now I can't really speak to the canon cameras you mentioned, I shoot Nikon. But when you do go to buy I would suggest checking various camera outfits like Adorama, B&H Photo, etc and look for an older refurbished model. You can get really nice camera pretty inexpensively that way. I bought mine used from Ebay. If your going to go used just try to find one with a low shutter count (meaning it hasn't been used a ton) and one that is in good condition. If the seller doesn't describe the camera's condition, don't deal with them. Also if your buying used look for a seller with a good reputation, if he only has 15-20 sales then you'll most likely want to look elsewhere, or if he's had problems with other things he's sold not being as described, look elsewhere. Under the circumstances though I'd probably look at a refurbished unit with a warranty - it will be a little more expensive but it will most likely be well worth it in the long run.

As far as lifespan most DSLR's will last for a very long time as long as they are well cared for, like any other piece of electronics they don't respond well to being dropped, lots of moisture, or general foolishness. But if you take good care of it, it will most likely last you for years.

For comparing cameras I like a website called snapsport, it gives you a real quick rundown of two different cameras side by side - for example, your T3i vrs a D3200

Canon T3i vs Nikon D3200 - Our Analysis

As you can see the Canon has a slightly higher resolution LCD Screen and a slightly bigger viewfinder. The Nikon has better image quality, shoots faster, and has a lot of other advantages. Now I don't wish to upset any of Canon users, Canon is indeed a quality brand and has been around for years. But believe me, Nikon is most definitely every bit as mainstream as Canon. It is every bit as well respected and used by just as many professionals as Canon. But you can use the snapsport website to compare various models and see what is going to be the best for your needs.