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to DSLR or not? that is the question

ocnbrze

ocnbrze

DON'T PANIC!!!!!!!!!
VIP Member
hey guys,
so i'm thinking of taking up photography as a hobby. i do not want to go too crazy into it. i have no clue yet on what i want to do as far as what kind of photos i want to take. and that is why i'm thinking of something along the line of a nikon 5100 or the cannon t3i (and maybe the new t4i), basically something that is not too expensive (looking to spend $500 to $800 at the most).

any opinions of the two i'm thinking of?or other suggestions?

also i was thinking of going mirrorless with the sony nx5 or the nx7. thoughts?

i have no clue on what iso, shutter speeds and such just yet. i'm still in the beginning stages of learning the lingo and what to look for so keep it simple if you can.

any suggested sites or books i could go to learn more would be appreciated as well.
 
Nikons and Cannons are pretty much kings so you can't go wrong with either. If you're not looking to spend a ton and may drop the hobby, you can go with a high end sub DSLR. I have a Cannon G10 which I love. (I believe they've since updated to G12?)
Engadget and The Verge usually have pretty good reviews for cameras (and Cnet too).
As far as sites, there's a ton of forums out there. There is a really good one I visited a few years ago but honestly I forget which one. :o
Good luck, it's a hobby I love and nothing beats spending time in a darkroom processing that first shot (although you won't have that opportunity). :D
 
I love my Canon T2i. I've owned it for about a year and a half and still consider myself a beginner/novice. You will be AMAZED how much light even an entry level DSLR draws in. I NEVER use the flash, and indoor (day or night) photos come out clear and bright. I have the 55mm kit lens, the 250mm IS zoom lens, and a 50mm prime lens. If you are thinking about portrait photography, get a prime lens. My favorite accessory is an intervalometer (fancy word for timer). I use it for time lapse photography and as a remote shutter for bulb (open shutter) photography.

Even an entry level DSLR is a MAJOR leap above any of the consumer point and click cameras. Enjoy!
 
I have a Canon XS, and while pretty basic, with children it is a must. I grabbed a deal a couple years where I got the camera, the 18-55, and the 55-250 lenses for $500 bucks. Best investment we ever made.
 
I have been in photography for a few years and I would recommend looking at used gear, you get a lot more bang for you buck. I use the classifieds on fredmiranda.com: Specialized in Canon - Nikon SLR Cameras, Forum, Photoshop Plugins, Actions, Reviews, Hosting and Digital Darkroom and found it to be a great professional forum where most people take care of there gear. My 40D, 70-200mm 4.0L, 17-55mm 2.8, and 480 EX 2 flash all came from classifieds on that site and everything was in mint condition.

If you are looking new I would look at the Olympus Pen systems (PEN System Cameras). I love the small form factor combined with rich features. Or the Nikon V1 series (Nikon | Imaging Products | Advanced Camera with Interchangeable Lenses).

One other thing, what do you plan on shooting? Flowers, landscapes, people, sports etc....? Makes a difference with equipment.
 
just got into photography as a hobby myself, the camera i use is a sony A200 (brought from a reputable dealer second hand) good little camera might be worth looking at the sony A series if you are looking for a good cheapish DSLR..

Also just a thought it might be worth your while looking into bridge camera's if you aren't sure if you are going to take photography as a serious hobby..

best advice i can give tho is to take your time and read the reviews of the cameras you are looking at buying
 
Ocean first thing before spending any money is to look into what interest of photography you have. I like doing nature. So getting a camera that can handle the outside and ruggedness of nature is more of what will be appealing to me. Also besides a camera that is environmentally friendly to the conditions of which you want to shoot you need a tripod that is as tough. You want a tripod that you feel comfortable using for the condition you using it in. Freehand is nice for some photo's but a tripod gives a certain level of comfort with the steadiness of the camera. A good bag is needed as well something that is waterproof not resistant. With Camera's of today (Digital) you'll also have to learn some photo editing. I've not been out in a while but have been having the itch.
 
Adorama and B&H also sell used equipment. I have bought from both with no problems.

Some 3rd party equipment performs well. I've used Tamron and Tokina.

You need to check how a camera feels in your hands. I've seen some posts that complain that the Canon T series (Rebel, etc) feels too small in their hands. The reverse is also true. The D series feels too large. I happen to like the outside info on the 20D. There's times that too much info is shown in the finder. I started with Canon since the Rebel was on sale. Could easily have been Nikon. Just a matter of timing.

Only word of advice - camera fanboys, especially Canon and Nikon, are just as rabid as Android/Apple.
 
Re: Nikon vs Canon, one must always put aside the fanboyism. The warfare between these two camps are worse than the one we're more familiar with :) Both are good BUT DIFFERENT. You should try to play with your top choice model for both companies.

Mount and unmount a lens. Use the settings on the dial. Try a lot of these functions out in person AFTER reading about what's available online. dpreview.com is where I go to find out about a given camera.

I do recommend sticking with Nikon or Canon due to max compatibility with lenses. Lenses are what captures the light; the body just gives you convenience controls.

Since you don't know if you'll stick with this hobby or not, I recommend getting an entry-level SLR. And go easy on the lenses and accessories until you KNOW what type of photography really interests you.

For me, I got the original Canon Digital Rebel (300D outside the US) back in 2003, and I used it for 9 years before upgrading to a professional Canon 5D Mark II. That entry-level Rebel served me really well. There's so much to learn with photography, and you can learn most of it on an entry-level camera. You can also learn a ton from a regular point and shoot with manual controls.
 
i was at best buy and i was playing around with the sony nx5 which is a mirrorless camera. it is supposed to be the new technology. it looks very cool and it is supposed to take DSLR quality pictures, but in a smaller frame. they were saying that cannon is supposed to reveal their version of a mirrorless camera sometime next month. curious to see what that will be like.

and as far as the kind of photos. not really sure yet. nature photos for sure. i guess mostly outdoors stuff. maybe some black and white photos as well. i just want to learn how to take really awesome photos on a nice camera.
 
ocnbrze said:
and as far as the kind of photos. not really sure yet. nature photos for sure. i guess mostly outdoors stuff. maybe some black and white photos as well. i just want to learn how to take really awesome photos on a nice camera.
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I think what you may want to consider, even before you buy a camera, is to do a Nikon School class, if they offer one near you. It's a one-day class that covers a large range of general photography concepts. You'll learn SO much in that one class that I bet your photos get compliments for looking 'professional' overnight.

Take a look here:
Photography Basics | Introduction to D-SLR Photography from Nikon

It's a really fun class, not like traditional 'school' at all. You'll get to look at tons of photos the instructors took, and they will explain to you the hows and whys that make the photo good or bad. Even seasoned photographers attend the class just because there's so much good info, and it's always good to get a refresher course. You don't need a camera to attend. Just bring yourself and optionally a note-taking device.

They'll also have some Nikon equipment for you to check out during breaks and after the class.
 
Given the value-for-money offered by even entry-level DSLRs today, I'd recommend spending time in stores just handling a few to see which feel most comfortable. My first was a Canon 350D (Rebel XT), which although compact suited me fine as I was used to Olympus OM-series film SLRs. It's vital to get this part right as you'll never relax if the camera doesn't "fit".

An entry-level camera with the standard wide-to-short telephoto zoom is versatile enough to cut your teeth on and learn the nuances of exposure, depth-of-field etc. If the bug bites you have the basis of a kit, and if it doesn't you haven't invested too much.

The advice to look at second-hand gear is very good too, as sometimes you can find real bargains. My upgrade cost me
 
ocnbrze said:
i was at best buy and i was playing around with the sony nx5 which is a mirrorless camera. it is supposed to be the new technology. it looks very cool and it is supposed to take DSLR quality pictures, but in a smaller frame. they were saying that cannon is supposed to reveal their version of a mirrorless camera sometime next month. curious to see what that will be like.

and as far as the kind of photos. not really sure yet. nature photos for sure. i guess mostly outdoors stuff. maybe some black and white photos as well. i just want to learn how to take really awesome photos on a nice camera.
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If nature for sure then you definitely want to look for something that can handle the elements. High humidity resistance and High Heat resistance. Both are a factor in the great out doors. Making sure you can handle a little rain would be great to as there can be some excellent shots done in the rain. (Not a torrential downpour but a mist to light rain) The waterproof factor may have to come later. When I started with a 35mm it was a very different camera world and I never had the money for it. Since the digital its been much easier on the pocket book. Not so much a major price change in camera's as you no longer have to pay for developing.
 
There's another issue with some cameras - it's the crop factor. If the sensor is not full frame, lenses will act differently. It won't matter so much in picture quality, but the lens size might matter. So you would need to check what would be available for the camera of your choice. Nikon and Canon aren't all that different Canon is 1:6 and Nikon 1:5. If you get into the 4/3rds - Sony for example, that is a different crop yet.



Here's a link:

Full Frame vs Crop Sensor Comparison

This would mean that on a 1.6 crop camera you might have to consider what you want to do, instead of what the salesman thinks you want to do. A 35mm lens is a wide angle on a film camera, same as the 5D. You might need a 19mm lens on a crop camera for that effect.

For used equipment, Canon and Nikon have the most.
 
How I handled the Nikon vs Canon thing was very simple. Both made good bodies, both had a range of suitable lenses, so I left it to handling. Played with entry level bodies from both (what I'd be buying) and higher end (as I might want to step up later, though by then they'd be different models). What I found was that I was comfortable with all of the Nikons I tried, less so with most Canons (grips were either too small or too large for me), so on that basis it seemed that Nikon probably suited me better. My brother came to the opposite conclusion. As with many things, there's no "right" answer, just the one that you are happiest with.

All my point and shoot cameras are Canon, as it happens, so no fanboyism here ;)
 
Hadron said:
How I handled the Nikon vs Canon thing was very simple. Both made good bodies, both had a range of suitable lenses, so I left it to handling. Played with entry level bodies from both (what I'd be buying) and higher end (as I might want to step up later, though by then they'd be different models). What I found was that I was comfortable with all of the Nikons I tried, less so with most Canons (grips were either too small or too large for me), so on that basis it seemed that Nikon probably suited me better. My brother came to the opposite conclusion. As with many things, there's no "right" answer, just the one that you are happiest with.

All my point and shoot cameras are Canon, as it happens, so no fanboyism here ;)
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yeah i just tested both cameras and the t3i felt slightly more comfortable in my hand. so i'm hinting towards that one, but i'm also considering the t4i now as well for a few extra $$.
 
There is a nice magazine you can pick up at newstands. It's called Petersen's Photographic.

It doesn't tout one camera over another, not full of ads, but just HOW to get the best pictures your equipment is capable of.
 
zuben el genub said:
There is a nice magazine you can pick up at newstands. It's called Petersen's Photographic.

It doesn't tout one camera over another, not full of ads, but just HOW to get the best pictures your equipment is capable of.
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thanx, i will have to pick a copy up and check it out. i was going to look into getting some photography mags.
 
ocnbrze said:
thanx, i will have to pick a copy up and check it out. i was going to look into getting some photography mags.
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careful of what you get you may just end up spending a small fortune on mags. Internet is full of good resources (along with bad) we have to filter them out and do what your doing get in forums and ask.

I'm not even vaguely a professional but I do know that for ever 1000 shots maybe 2 are the great ones the rest are mediocre or down right suck. You can scale that down but not really by a whole lot things happend and at times nothing cooperates. I've taken some pictures of Gorgeous scenes and it ended up looking like crap. Digital takes some of that out but still glare and imperfect light can kill a shot. Being out in nature you should read up on different lighting techniques using natural light with what settings are best for the camera to give you those brilliant shots. There will be a lot of tweaking and then the next time you go out you do it all over again :D
 
argedion said:
careful of what you get you may just end up spending a small fortune on mags. Internet is full of good resources (along with bad) we have to filter them out and do what your doing get in forums and ask.

I'm not even vaguely a professional but I do know that for ever 1000 shots maybe 2 are the great ones the rest are mediocre or down right suck. You can scale that down but not really by a whole lot things happend and at times nothing cooperates. I've taken some pictures of Gorgeous scenes and it ended up looking like crap. Digital takes some of that out but still glare and imperfect light can kill a shot. Being out in nature you should read up on different lighting techniques using natural light with what settings are best for the camera to give you those brilliant shots. There will be a lot of tweaking and then the next time you go out you do it all over again :D
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yeah i understand about magazines. just want to check some out. not going to get any subscriptions til i know a little more about the hobby.

and i think the tweaking part is just the fun of it. taking bad photos is all part of the learning and i figure to take a bunch of them. lol
 
Short version
Your very first step should be to go to the store and pick up a whole bunch of cameras and see what body feels comfortable. Make sure your fingers rest on all the buttons and that when holding it up to your eye it feels right. That will determine you next step. A camera is a tool and needs to be comfortable.

Long version
I really think you first step should be going to a camera store and try holding a bunch of different cameras. A fullsize Canon/Nikon, the smaller body canons/nikons, then some of the other cameras such as the pen etc.... A comfortable camera goes a long way. I started with a (new) Canon Xsi (which was an excellent camera), it was a big small for my hands so I went to best buy and tried holding a larger body (50D at the time) and it was so much more comfortable, just felt right, my fingers could easily reach all of the dials etc...

After that I purchased the 40D (which was a much older camera compared to the Xsi) used and never looked back. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase anything used off that site I posted (specially with people with positive feedback).
 
ok here is another question, new, used, or refurbished? i always buy my devices new for the most part. the only thing i own that was a refurb was my og evo, when i had a bad usb port. also do you think getting geek squad protection or other extended warranty services is worth it on a camera? i always get insurance for my phone.
 
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