Please help me buy a DSLR.

[Benpen248]

Hi everyone,

My name is Ben and I was hoping to maybe get some advice from people that know what they are doing. I have been wanting to take the plunge into a quality DSLR for about as long as DSLR's have been around. I was involved in the Newspaper group in HS and learned how to shoot decent photographs with a 35mm. I learned how to develop my on film and prints, and really enjoyed the heck out of all of it. After HS I lost interest as other things in life took priority. Now I'm older, have a son, and a little more capital to work with and the prices on quality gear have come down considerably.

tl;dr

Not a total noob, but not a pro either.

I'm ready to buy a DSLR and I've found a few on craigslist that appear to fit my price range. I realize the body is less important than the lens, but It doesn't hurt to choose quality. I found a Nikon d5200 for around $425 and a Rebel T5 for around $400. I'm mainly looking for something that will allow me to photograph my kids through things like sports and adventures, but I would also like a camera with the oomph to take quality art shots. I'm also getting ready to start a video cookbook project with my mother and would love to be able to take advantage of the HD video aspects of these cameras, and of course it would be nice to have the option to record video when I'm chasing my son around. There's also a pretty sweet EOS 60d rig for $600 but that's getting over budget and would leave me hosed on a tripod or any other accessories like an eye-fi card.

I've been scouring the internet for the last couple days on reviews and whatnot and I'm still terribly conflicted. I have about $500 to work with to start with. I will be able to afford quality glass as I grow, so I'm not terribly worried about that to start with. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and ifI should be looking at a camera I didn't list, by all means let me know.

Thanks for your help,

Ben

 

[Derrel]

BLACK FRIDAY deals this year are expected to be very sweet!!! I would do some research, and keep the old ear to the ground for a Black Friday deal. Expect the smaller Nikon D5xxx models to have some markdowns. I would not buy a $400-class, no-warranty, no-protections,used Nikon or Canon from a Craigslist buyer when the months of November and December have some of the absolutely best deals of the year.

 

[Designer]

Do either of those cameras you mentioned come with a lens? What lens(es)?

I'm rather partial toward the Nikon myself, and know practically nothing about Canon.

While waiting for possible Black Friday deals, continue to do your research, and I recommend that you branch out beyond CL to include the major used camera dealers online. There may be some similar deals only with a money-back policy if you are not completely satisfied.

 

[KmH]

Yep. Check out the used gear at Amazon.com, KEH.com, BHphoto.com used department, and Adorama.com used department.

Used or refurbished, starting at about $500 -
Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Most new to doing video with a DSLR don't realize that several accessories are needed to make quality videos, like a decent microphone, an external monitor, a follow focus attachment, etc.

 

[Benpen248]

Do either of those cameras you mentioned come with a lens? What lens(es)?

I'm rather partial toward the Nikon myself, and know practically nothing about Canon.

While waiting for possible Black Friday deals, continue to do your research, and I recommend that you branch out beyond CL to include the major used camera dealers online. There may be some similar deals only with a money-back policy if you are not completely satisfied.

Both came with an 18-55 kit lens. And yeah, I intend to wait till Black Friday probably to do anything. I'm strongly leaning towards the Nikon d5200. It seems like a beautiful rig that I will probably be happy with for a long time. Especially with some good glass.


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[dannylightning]

the D5200 is a nice camera, the quality of the images on that should be pretty similar to the D5300 and D7100 just not quite as sharp.

if you can afford it the D7100 is the way to go IMO, It has a few more features that I now realize I really wish I had but I am very happy with my D5300 and I can live without the extra stuff that the D7100 has that mine does not.

The average person would be very happy with a D5200 or the D5300. the kit lens I got with mine is the 18-55 VRII and its a very sharp lens and take nice photos.

I do not know anything about that canon camera so I cant comment on that.

 

[Mr.Photo]

You really can't go wrong with most anything today from either Canon or Nikon. I own Nikon, and if you're looking to get something used, a low shutter count D7000 can be had for around $4-500 if you shop around. If going the Nikon route get something that has a built in auto focus motor. Nikon's entry level bodies (D3100/3200/3300, D5100/5200/5300) do not have a built in focus motor so you have to buy the newer more expensive AF-S lenses. By having a body with the built in AF motor you open up a whole range of older screw driven AF lenses from the 80's and 90's which can be had for much less money than the AF-S lenses.

Another thing to note with regards to using older lenses with the Nikon's is that starting with the D7000 Nikon started giving the consumer the ability to use the even older manual focus Ai/Ai-S lenses.

 

[regdawg]

I agree with the other posters, I'm sure there will be Black Friday deals as well as online deals on Thursday. However there are also deals going on right now. I have been keeping my eye open for the past couple of weeks for a deal on a DSLR, as I'm upgrading. I found a deal on a 70D I feel I probably won't find on Black Friday so I pulled the trigger. If you look on these sights daily, you'll definitely see something there.

Slickdeals: The Best Deals, Coupons, Promo Codes & Discounts
TechBargains: Best Deals & Coupons on Laptops, Tablets, Computers & Electronics

Also there are deals on Ebay. As an example, I was watching a D5300 w/18-55mm kit lens for $575 shipped, I believe it was. Brand new with manufacturer warranty but I decided on the 70D at the last minute and someone had already bought it anyway. I've seen T5i kits, 60D kits, etc. Just keep your eyes open.

Good Luck!

 

[Benpen248]

Thanks, I've gone round and round and I think I want either a 5200 or 5300. I like the 60d a lot too but I think the Nikon will be better for me in the long run. It's a tough choice either way. I'm afraid to even look at the 70d lol. Thanks for the links on the deal sites.


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[marineangel]

I agree with the other posters, I'm sure there will be Black Friday deals as well as online deals on Thursday. However there are also deals going on right now. I have been keeping my eye open for the past couple of weeks for a deal on a DSLR, as I'm upgrading. I found a deal on a 70D I feel I probably won't find on Black Friday so I pulled the trigger. If you look on these sights daily, you'll definitely see something there.

Slickdeals: The Best Deals, Coupons, Promo Codes & Discounts
TechBargains: Best Deals & Coupons on Laptops, Tablets, Computers & Electronics

Also there are deals on Ebay. As an example, I was watching a D5300 w/18-55mm kit lens for $575 shipped, I believe it was. Brand new with manufacturer warranty but I decided on the 70D at the last minute and someone had already bought it anyway. I've seen T5i kits, 60D kits, etc. Just keep your eyes open.

Good Luck!

Is the 70D deal still available? Or was that ebay also That's the camera I am leaning toward