What is a good SLR for starters in photography?

[ChrisA]

thanks for the replies guys this is really helping. but as some of you have mentioned already if i am gonna start photography might as well invest in the proper equipment.

No. equipment hardly matters. Spend $250 on some used gear then later sell it for about $250.

If you want to invest, invest in education. You can learn with older equipment. And then once you know enough to make an informed decision you can pick up some equipment that sole some problems

The best thing to get is some big picture books by big-name photographers from the library and look through them to find a style you like. Then try and emulate it. Now you have a well defined goal.

BTW those two lens kits usually include one lens you don't want, typically it is a way-to-long f/5.6 zoom. You will never need it.

 

[ChrisA]

....
Depending on how far back you want to go, you could pick up a D40 for under $200, and then have $500 for lenses.....

No the D50 is better because it has the in-body motor. This is kind of a big deal with Nikon. Having a body with a focus motor opens up the number of lenses you can use.

In Nikon's current line up only the more expensive (over the OP's budget) have focus motors. The D50 sells well under $200.

But really. Spend whatever you like. For your purposes a $250 setup will work as well as a $1,000 setup. What you need to do is make a self-assignment each week and then shoot a few dozen images, edit them and just keep doing this week after week. because you can CHOOSE your assignment any equipment can work because you choose knowing the limits of your gear.

 

[Meister]

What you said seems good on the surface but simply going out and clicking a few shots is akin to going to a store to compare TVs. There is nothing mentioned about settings and for cameras which lens was used which does influence results. However, I am glad you found a camera that works for you. When I tell others to try out the cameras first, I also mention that they should check on ergonomics including feel in the hands, ease of use of "buttons" and wheels as well as the menu system. As for my comment on TVs, people often see the "wow" factor when TVs are set for display purposes and are surprised just how different they look at home under normal settings. The contrast and compare is flawed in most stores. Similar can be said if a "kit" lens for one camera is lower in quality than another camera maker/model. Also not all in camera jpegs are the same and some can actually be better with some minor adjustments. A perfect example is the Fuji X series in camera jpegs are amazing yet, a Nikon D800 with the right lens generating a RAW file will run circles around Fuji's jpegs. There are so many factors to what makes for a good camera per a given enthusiast. Again, just happy to hear you found a camera that you like and can enjoy.

My TV looks much, much better than the TVs on display in the stores.
Their TVs all look blurry. I am always surprised about that and can only think that either my TV is some sort of miracle or these folks don't know how to present their products.

Comparing a FujiX vs a D800 is not a fair fight.

The rest of your post is of course correct, but SD might not PP his images. In that case comparing the jpegs makes perfect sense. Also Sony does make excellent, innovative cameras. Investing in their a-mount system might be quite a good long term decision.

If the OP does process the raw files, the D3300 I suggested can not be beaten. By dxomarks pixel peeping standards it produces raws that come close to even FF dslrs.

 

[b0fh666]

id reccomend buying used. a 50d plus a 15-85 is a terrific kit, unless you go for the 'crazy iso' trend

 

[Frosteric901]

Okay so used seems the best way to get started then. Now besides the obvious sites eBay etc any recommendations for sites to purchased used cameras?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Okay so used seems the best way to get started then. Now besides the obvious sites eBay etc any recommendations for sites to purchased used cameras?

Camera stores offer a limited warranty on used gear (usually). That's the way I'd go.

 

[JDDavis]

Okay so used seems the best way to get started then. Now besides the obvious sites eBay etc any recommendations for sites to purchased used cameras?

You ask for advice you're gonna get it!

As for used, if you have a local store you trust that would be my first choice. I've had pretty good luck with buying used lenses off of Amazon.

 

[jojoba]

I started photography about a year ago. I think I fall into the category mentioned above of "those who, once they start, will continuously get more serious about their photography". I'm serious about developing my skills but have no intentions of making money out of it.

I second all the suggestions of buying second hand. I started out with a Nikon D5300, then moved to a Nikon D7100 and eventually a Nikon D600. Apart from the initial D5300 and one of my current lenses, all my gear has been bought second hand. I also own a Fujifilm X M1, which I bought new but on sale.

Whether you go DSRL or mirrorless, I'd recommend getting a body that's easy to use with full manual settings. One of the reasons I decided to sell the D5300, which was otherwise an excellent camera, was that I frequently had to venture into menus and submenus to adjust my settings. So if you're starting out and want to develop your creative capacities with a camera, get something with enough external wheels and buttons that make it easy to make full use of your camera's options.

 

[Frosteric901]

Thanks guys. This is some really great advice and helping me a lot

 

[Southern Dad]

What you said seems good on the surface but simply going out and clicking a few shots is akin to going to a store to compare TVs. There is nothing mentioned about settings and for cameras which lens was used which does influence results. However, I am glad you found a camera that works for you. When I tell others to try out the cameras first, I also mention that they should check on ergonomics including feel in the hands, ease of use of "buttons" and wheels as well as the menu system. As for my comment on TVs, people often see the "wow" factor when TVs are set for display purposes and are surprised just how different they look at home under normal settings. The contrast and compare is flawed in most stores. Similar can be said if a "kit" lens for one camera is lower in quality than another camera maker/model. Also not all in camera jpegs are the same and some can actually be better with some minor adjustments. A perfect example is the Fuji X series in camera jpegs are amazing yet, a Nikon D800 with the right lens generating a RAW file will run circles around Fuji's jpegs. There are so many factors to what makes for a good camera per a given enthusiast. Again, just happy to hear you found a camera that you like and can enjoy.

While I agree with you, all of that is beyond the "starter in photography." When you buy a camera with a kit lens, that will most likely be the lens you are shooting with most of the time while learning. All of the cameras that he showed me has similar settings but since, starting out you will be shooting mostly on automatic, you need to make sure that the camera can do most of the work for you until you learn.

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To the OP, cameras are like cars. When you ask someone what kind of car is best, it's usually what they are driving. A Ford man is going to tell you that the Ford is best and someone who drives a Prius is going to go on about the gas mileage.

I thought that Nikon was the holy grail of cameras. I work in the newspaper industry and I asked the photographers at all our newspapers what they used and why. They just about all used Nikons. The problem was the why. They used Nikons because that is what the newspapers tended to buy and it is just what they always used. I ran into one photographer who owned a Pentax. He swore by it and told me the Nikons were junk. Another time, I found a guy who only would shoot with Canon. He bought it because his father used one. He went on to tell me the benefits of the K series.

I became a Sony guy because that Sony a350 offered me something that the other cameras didn't have at that price range. It had live view, it had higher megapixels, it had plenty of automatic settings and was still programable. The advantage of Minolta's lenses fitting it, helped. My 12-year-old daughter got her first Sony, the Sony a58 for Christmas. After watching a few YouTube videos, she's shot a couple thousand pictures in the last two days.

DP Review Camera Compare. You can use this link to compare up to 20 cameras. Another one that I really like for comparing two models side by side is snapsort. Just put the two cameras you are thinking about and it will give you some feedback. But remember, you pick the camera that you will be happy with in the end.

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Thanks guys. This is some really great advice and helping me a lot

No matter what you decide, you are going to love the transition to SLT/SLR.

 

[Meister]

While I agree with you, all of that is beyond the "starter in photography." When you buy a camera with a kit lens, that will most likely be the lens you are shooting with most of the time while learning. All of the cameras that he showed me has similar settings but since, starting out you will be shooting mostly on automatic, you need to make sure that the camera can do most of the work for you until you learn.

--------------------------------------------------

To the OP, cameras are like cars. When you ask someone what kind of car is best, it's usually what they are driving. A Ford man is going to tell you that the Ford is best and someone who drives a Prius is going to go on about the gas mileage.

I thought that Nikon was the holy grail of cameras. I work in the newspaper industry and I asked the photographers at all our newspapers what they used and why. They just about all used Nikons. The problem was the why. They used Nikons because that is what the newspapers tended to buy and it is just what they always used. I ran into one photographer who owned a Pentax. He swore by it and told me the Nikons were junk. Another time, I found a guy who only would shoot with Canon. He bought it because his father used one. He went on to tell me the benefits of the K series.

I became a Sony guy because that Sony a350 offered me something that the other cameras didn't have at that price range. It had live view, it had higher megapixels, it had plenty of automatic settings and was still programable. The advantage of Minolta's lenses fitting it, helped. My 12-year-old daughter got her first Sony, the Sony a58 for Christmas. After watching a few YouTube videos, she's shot a couple thousand pictures in the last two days.

DP Review Camera Compare. You can use this link to compare up to 20 cameras. Another one that I really like for comparing two models side by side is snapsort. Just put the two cameras you are thinking about and it will give you some feedback. But remember, you pick the camera that you will be happy with in the end.

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No matter what you decide, you are going to love the transition to SLT/SLR.

Dpreview is very good, dxomark is for scientific pixelpeeping and Snapsort is downright false on many things.

You are right that there is no best camera brand.
Your advice to go into the store and choose what feels best to you is right.

(But by scientific standards Nikon and Sony have the best sensors by quite a large margin )

 

[Southern Dad]

Dpreview is very good, dxomark is for scientific pixelpeeping and Snapsort is downright false on many things.

You are right that there is no best camera brand.
Your advice to go into the store and choose what feels best to you is right.

(But by scientific standards Nikon and Sony have the best sensors by quite a large margin )

The good thing about snapsort is that it includes the price and just a quick comparison of certain features. It is also good because it can compare cameras that are no longer available new. Which helps if you are looking at a used camera.

I'm a little jealous of my DD12's Sony a58 versus my Sony a57. She's able to shoot in 20 megapixels versus my 16 megapixel limitation. She also gets better battery life. Her camera is also lighter and cost far less than what I paid for mine. But I can shoot 12 fps, she can only do 8 fps. In addition, my screen can be reversed to protect it, hers just flips out.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The good thing about snapsort is that it includes the price and just a quick comparison of certain features. It is also good because it can compare cameras that are no longer available new. Which helps if you are looking at a used camera.

I'm a little jealous of my DD12's Sony a58 versus my Sony a57. She's able to shoot in 20 megapixels versus my 16 megapixel limitation. She also gets better battery life. Her camera is also lighter and cost far less than what I paid for mine. But I can shoot 12 fps, she can only do 8 fps. In addition, my screen can be reversed to protect it, hers just flips out.

But in real terms, what's the difference between 16 and 20 megapixels? Not a lot unless you are printing A3 plus.

 

[Southern Dad]

But in real terms, what's the difference between 16 and 20 megapixels? Not a lot unless you are printing A3 plus.

The biggest advantage of higher megapixels is when you are unable to frame what you need. Just take the shot getting the whole area and crop to what you need. It's true that most people won't print anything large enough to need 20 megapixels but man, those shots look dang good.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The biggest advantage of higher megapixels is when you are unable to frame what you need. Just take the shot getting the whole area and crop to what you need. It's true that most people won't print anything large enough to need 20 megapixels but man, those shots look dang good.

I try to crop less and less these days.

 

[Southern Dad]

I try to crop less and less these days.

Me too, but there have been times where I've seen a large photo taken, then cropped to get several photos for the newspaper. An example of this was a very large several structure fire. A couple of the photos were actually cropped to get several good photos for the web. Another example is sports photos especially high school football. They can take one good high resolution photo and crop out several photos with just one or two players.

 

[Meister]

Me too, but there have been times where I've seen a large photo taken, then cropped to get several photos for the newspaper. An example of this was a very large several structure fire. A couple of the photos were actually cropped to get several good photos for the web. Another example is sports photos especially high school football. They can take one good high resolution photo and crop out several photos with just one or two players.

For practical purposes cropping is used a lot.
For photography as an art form it is avoided.

16 megpix is considered the sweetspot for most types of photography right now.
The 6k$ D4s only shoots 16mp.
The more megpix you want to utilize, the better lenses you require.
I remember talking to a guy who bought a D800 for 3k€ and then realized that he would need to spend quite a lot more on lenses to actually take advantage of those 36mp. He spent all his $$$ on the body and was quite frustrated.

You can print billboardsize with 12mp, no problem.

What are you doing that would require you to shoot 10fps or even 8fps?

 

[Southern Dad]

What are you doing that would require you to shoot 10fps or even 8fps?

Generally, I'm not. I have turned a couple photos into poster sized prints. But I will say that the photos look very good. And I'm sure that with the right glass and another camera, it can do better but out of the box, I think the Sony a58 is a great camera for the money.

 

[aerok]

Kijiji/Craiglist is a great place.

My advice for you is to go for the cheapest SLR that comes with a lens. Use it and abuse it then if you really feel like you're going to enjoy this for a long time, replace it for a better one.

At the end, a great picture from the person behind the camera, not the camera itself.