Nikon D5500 DSLR or Sony A6300 mirrorless for beginner photographer?

[Eggtastic]

I was set on getting the Nikon D5500 (or D5600 but didn't see much of a difference) because of the smaller size and it seems to be a great starter camera. I used my moms 2010 Nikon D3000 for years but never tinkered with the settings and what not (used it for family photos).

Now, I am reading into mirrorless cameras how they can pretty much match what DSLR's do. The compact size appealed to me and I am not shooting several hundred shots where the lack of battery life would affect me.

I basically want something significantly better than what the iPhone offers and a hobby to buy lenses and shoot nature and family gatherings.

Any Thoughts?

 

[Stefan johansson]

Both are good,but when it comes to available supplies,Nikon is probably a bit better. Just beware of the kit lenses that kind of cameras are shipped with.
Both of the cameras you look at,can easily be used to get at least A4 printouts in very good quality.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I was set on getting the Nikon D5500 (or D5600 but didn't see much of a difference) because of the smaller size and it seems to be a great starter camera. I used my moms 2010 Nikon D3000 for years but never tinkered with the settings and what not (used it for family photos).

Now, I am reading into mirrorless cameras how they can pretty much match what DSLR's do. The compact size appealed to me and I am not shooting several hundred shots where the lack of battery life would affect me.

I basically want something significantly better than what the iPhone offers and a hobby to buy lenses and shoot nature and family gatherings.

Any Thoughts?

Neither is a bad choice. Does your mum still have the D3000? If so you could use the same lenses with the Nikon to maybe keep costs down.

 

[TheDrift-]

M4/3 might be worth looking into as well given your requirements

 

[Moccasin]

As an owner of the D5500 I believe it's a decent camera. The 18-140mm kit lens I got with it has had mixed reviews although the lens distortion is reduced by most of the popular photography apps like Lightroom

I believe the D5600 has better implementation of linking with a smartphone using Bluetooth, compared to the D5500, which uses wifi and is quite clunky. The D5600 can use a smartphone's GPS for geolocation on the fly.

I often find my iPhone better for photos in bad light without a tripod but yes the D5500 is much better than the iPhone in my opinion, at least when you delve deeper.

If you do get a DSLR, then make sure you get a lens with a bit of range. My original Nikon D90 DSLR came with a 18-105mm kit lens which was quite limiting for the urban photography I tend to enjoy. The 18-140mm is pretty good as an all rounder, despite its optic limitations, as I rarely need to fit my 70-300mm.

Finally, with a DSLR, use your camera a bit before investing in a good camera bag. I quite liked Crumpler bags (and still do) but my Lowe Pro backpack with zipped camera section on the side is very easy to use. I can whip my camera out without taking the bag off my shoulders and it also has a laptop compartment against my back. I can even swap lenses without taking the bag off my bag but it's out of the way in normal use. I sometimes found messenger/shoulder bags got in the way at times ... that said it's down to personal taste and that's why I suggest you think carefully before buying - it's an expensive mistake otherwise!