Which would you buy and why?

[TeeZeeMee]

Nikon D5100 or Canon T3i?

Im just starting into photography, i want to shoot stills, not worried about video so much except maybe the random playing around.

What would be the perks of one over the other?

i would be shooting a lot of nature/animal life.

 

[EIngerson]

If you are just starting out the only thing that matters would be which set of controls do you find the easiest to learn. Both of them are great cameras to learn on if they are the ones you've found in your budget. Go to a store and play around with some of each brand and see what feels the best to you.

 

[MLeeK]

T3i only because there is no auto focus motor in the D5100 forcing you to use AF-s lenses or manual focus. It limits you on a few great lenses and on some amazing older nikon lenses that are one hell of a bargain. Otherwise? The d5100 is a great entry level camera.

If you don't care about video and the video toys the T2i is the same sensor in the T3i. The T3i just has a few toys in the video department and the articulating screen. If you plan on being serious about photography you won't want the articulating screen down the line anyway.

 

[TeeZeeMee]

why does the Nikon limit the lenses you can use?
also, i guess i see what ur saying bout the screen seeing how you would be using the viewfinder for a majority of shots?

the T2i is way cheaper now anyhow, so i guess that price difference could go towards a new lenses? i hear the 55m in the kits isnt that great to begin with?

 

[rexbobcat]

T3i only because there is no auto focus motor in the D5100 forcing you to use AF-s lenses or manual focus. It limits you on a few great lenses and on some amazing older nikon lenses that are one hell of a bargain. Otherwise? The d5100 is a great entry level camera.

If you don't care about video and the video toys the T2i is the same sensor in the T3i. The T3i just has a few toys in the video department and the articulating screen. If you plan on being serious about photography you won't want the articulating screen down the line anyway.

ಠ_ಠ

 

[TeeZeeMee]

disagree rexbobcat?

 

[ulrichsd]

why does the Nikon limit the lenses you can use?
also, i guess i see what ur saying bout the screen seeing how you would be using the viewfinder for a majority of shots?

the T2i is way cheaper now anyhow, so i guess that price difference could go towards a new lenses? i hear the 55m in the kits isnt that great to begin with?

Nikon doesn't limit the lenses you can use, its just that without a in-camera motor, only AF-S lenses (with internal motor) will auto-focus. Every lens Nikon has made in the last 40+ years will work, but you will have to manually focus any that aren't AF-S. Google "Nikon AF-S lenses" and you will see that there is plenty of selection, pretty much most of their current manufactured lenses are AF-S. Its just that some of the older AI and AF (non AF-S) lenses are cheaper used.

If you want a Nikon with a internal motor, you can get pretty good deals on refurb/demo Nikon D90s (come with 3 month Nikon warranty). Its a few years old now, but is a very capable camera. I got mine from this site and it looked brand new, only had about 200 shutter count.
Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera Body - Factory Demo includes Full 1 Year Warranty

Good luck,

 

[DiskoJoe]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

 

[o hey tyler]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

So you are suggesting that the OP should buy nothing, because they currently don't have a camera?

Good logic, Joe. Bulletproof.

OP - I'd suggest the T2i or T3i because the Nikon you listed does not have a focus motor in the body. Lots of people purchase an entry level Nikon and then end up upgrading shortly thereafter because of the fact that the lens accessibility is limited by not having an AF motor.

 

[o hey tyler]

Also, OP. Keep it to one thread for the same question. It's not beneficial to you to make multiple threads on the same subject.

 

[DiskoJoe]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

So you are suggesting that the OP should buy nothing, because they currently don't have a camera?

Good logic, Joe. Bulletproof.

OP - I'd suggest the T2i or T3i because the Nikon you listed does not have a focus motor in the body. Lots of people purchase an entry level Nikon and then end up upgrading shortly thereafter because of the fact that the lens accessibility is limited by not having an AF motor.

They asked what would you buy and why. I told them. And you could have suggested that they buy a d7000 that does have a focus motor if they wanted to go nikon.

 

[analog.universe]

If you plan on being serious about photography you won't want the articulating screen down the line anyway.

Why? Unless you think you're going to break it off, or really can't stand the 50 grams it adds to the body, it's better to have an articulating screen than not, every time. I actually hope that Canon puts an articulating screen on a full frame body, because I end up using mine a lot when I'm shooting on a tripod from weird positions. There are a lot of landscape shots and macro shots that I've taken that would've been much more difficult / not even possible, without the articulating screen.

 

[o hey tyler]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

So you are suggesting that the OP should buy nothing, because they currently don't have a camera?

Good logic, Joe. Bulletproof.

OP - I'd suggest the T2i or T3i because the Nikon you listed does not have a focus motor in the body. Lots of people purchase an entry level Nikon and then end up upgrading shortly thereafter because of the fact that the lens accessibility is limited by not having an AF motor.

They asked what would you buy and why. I told them. And you could have suggested that they buy a d7000 that does have a focus motor if they wanted to go nikon.

You told them you'd by neither because you shoot Sony. In this thread, that's not helpful at all.

I could have suggested that they go for the D7000, but that's clearly not in their price range if they're looking at the Canon T2i or T3i and the D5100.

I rendered advice based on the question that they posed, you didn't. That's all I am saying.

 

[TeeZeeMee]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

the only sony i could find in town so far was the A55, and you suggested not getting that.
i wanted to try an a65 really badly though.

also, i could see how the articulating screen could be a benefit at times really... i guess it is just preference?

 

[o hey tyler]

I wouldnt buy wither because I shoot Sony.

the only sony i could find in town so far was the A55, and you suggested not getting that.
i wanted to try an a65 really badly though.

also, i could see how the articulating screen could be a benefit at times really... i guess it is just preference?

The articulating screen is indeed a preference. Some people hate it, some people love it. Frankly, I can live without it.

The Sony A55 and A65 are going to be about the same. They were suggested that you not get them for likely the same reasons.