Upgrade to an entry dslr or am I alright

amo14 · Aug 15, 2011

Hey guys,
I'm new to the site but have have a steady interest in photography. I have taken pictures off and on, I forget sometimes how much I enjoy it then get back into it for a while. A few years I bought a Sony Cybershot DSC H9 when I started taking pictures. I am in no way great at it, but I have developed a big interest in the past while and hope to make it a hobby of mine. I was leaning more towards landscapes. I was wondering if it was worth upgrading my camera now or if I could do alright with my Sony and invest in a tripod. For fun I went to look at a few cameras, the person their said I should go with a D3000 which was $500 or so, would that be a good choice if I did chose to upgrade? Thank you all in advanced.

dxqcanada · Aug 15, 2011

Honesty, I would say you should get a DSLR if you can afford it.
Improved image quality, more manual control ... and the different focal length lenses available.

Kerbouchard · Aug 15, 2011

And I guess I would probably go the opposite direction. Landscape photography isn't very camera intensive. The larger DOF you get from a P&S will often be beneficial. You have time to set up a shot so manual controls aren't a huge priority.

If your choices are between a DSLR or a tripod, I guess I would have to say go for a good tripod. It would be nice if you could afford both, though.

amo14 · Aug 16, 2011

I went to a store to look at a few cameras. I found a Nikon D3000 with a 15-55mm lens for $500. Then a Canon EOS T3, just the base is $550, or I can add a 75-300mm lens for $150 more. Price wise I am not incredibly concerned; the lenses are where I am concerned though. The way they explained them to me was that a 15-55mm is more for just zooming, while a 75-300mm is for landscapes. I have no clue if shes right, I am going to research it more now so I am searching for answers and hoping I can find some help here. I do want to do landscapes, but also I don't want to be limited with what I can do. I don't want to have to buy another lens right away, I want one that would be multifunctional.

Kerbouchard · Aug 16, 2011

Your sales person was a moron. Find a different store.

If you want a one lens solution starting out, look at picking up a used 18-105 VR. It is a pretty versatile lens for what it costs.

As far as landscapes, most will be done between 18mm and 30mm on your camera body. Landscapes can be done in the 70-300 but it is much less common. The 70-300 range is more in line with portraits, wild life, daytime sports, that sort of thing.