Dslr for begginer!!

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Wilksy288

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Scott
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Hi all, ive been saving to get a new DSLR camera which will be my first and just wanted to know a couple of things.

I have narrowed the camera i want down to 4 which are:
Canon 550D, Canon 1100D, Nikon D3100 or the Sony Alpha A35.

I have read reviews online and in magazines and all i have to do is actually go and have a feel of them at an actual shop.

My question is what am i actually looking for when im at the shop? Is it just how it feels, and how user freindly the menus are? :help:

I would like a camera which is an all rounder as i would like to take pictures of everything (ie: Landscape, wildlife, creative)!! Mainly though it would be used for car/motorbike shows, motorsports and Cricket!

Thanks
Scott
 
Wilksy288 said:
Hi all, ive been saving to get a new DSLR camera which will be my first and just wanted to know a couple of things.

I have narrowed the camera i want down to 4 which are:
Canon 550D, Canon 1100D, Nikon D3100 or the Sony Alpha A35.

I have read reviews online and in magazines and all i have to do is actually go and have a feel of them at an actual shop.

My question is what am i actually looking for when im at the shop? Is it just how it feels, and how user freindly the menus are? :help:

I would like a camera which is an all rounder as i would like to take pictures of everything (ie: Landscape, wildlife, creative)!! Mainly though it would be used for car/motorbike shows, motorsports and Cricket!

Thanks
Scott
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Hi Scott.

Basically yes, it's how it feels etc to you. The canon 550D is a better model than the 1100D, so if funds allow I'd go for that one.

Between the 3, there will be little in it as the manufacturers generally build a body to a price range with similar spec. One advantage of the Sony body over the Canon and Nikon is it has IS built in the body, this is only available in the Canon & Nikon lenses.

For motorsport a good fast fps is a help, but not a def requirement, the new A35 is a DSLT Sony body, which has a tranlucent mrror and a fast fps
 
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Wilksy288 said:
My question is what am i actually looking for when im at the shop? Is it just how it feels, and how user freindly the menus are? :help:
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Basically, yes. There's a lot of advice on what you're looking for here. Personally, for a first time DSLR user, I'd rank 'does your hand fit around it properly?' as the most important aspect. You'll grow used to things like where the buttons are and how the menu works, the only thing you can't change is whether or not you can hold it comfortably.

I would like a camera which is an all rounder as i would like to take pictures of everything (ie: Landscape, wildlife, creative)!! Mainly though it would be used for car/motorbike shows, motorsports and Cricket!
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Any of those cameras will do that, it's mainly lens choice that will influence what you can take pictures of.
 
Wilksy288 said:
Hi all, ive been saving to get a new DSLR camera which will be my first and just wanted to know a couple of things.

I have narrowed the camera i want down to 4 which are:
Canon 550D, Canon 1100D, Nikon D3100 or the Sony Alpha A35.

I have read reviews online and in magazines and all i have to do is actually go and have a feel of them at an actual shop.

My question is what am i actually looking for when im at the shop? Is it just how it feels, and how user freindly the menus are? :help:

I would like a camera which is an all rounder as i would like to take pictures of everything (ie: Landscape, wildlife, creative)!! Mainly though it would be used for car/motorbike shows, motorsports and Cricket!

Thanks
Scott
Click to expand...


Hi and Welcome! :thumbs:

I was in the same position that you were in just over a month ago.

I'm also a beginner and decided to go for the Canon 550D. It's not too complicated and I'm getting used to it.

Make a note of all the questions that you want to ask as it is very easy to forget when you get into the shop. Try them all when in the shop and like you say see what they feel like in your hands and look at the set up of the buttons etc.

Then once you decide get looking round the forum there are loads of tutorials with lots on info.
 
Hi thanks for replying. I thought it might be the case of actually just feeling the camera to see if its comfortable!

Regarding lenses, i know Canon and Nikon have a large range but do Sony?

Thanks
Scott
 
If you intend on shooting motorsports and cricket then you'll soon be looking to buy a long lens. You may have a restricted choice with the nikon d3100 as it does not have a focus motor built into the body. Nikon users will be able to give you more info. If you really fancy a nikon then consider a d90, it's at the end of it's life now but can still be found new for under £500.
I'd also avoid the 1100d, it's really aimed at the casual shooter and I reckon you'd want to upgrade before too long.
The Sony and the 550d are both viable options.
 
+1 for the 550D. I started out with one last christmas and its a fantastic camera. I'd read up that much about it I'd made up my mind before I'd even held it. When I did get hold of 1 it felt perfect. I've since bought a 7D and a 5D2 and have got half a dozen good lenses. I've spent thousands on photography this year (as an enthusiastic amateur) but the 550D, I gave to my wife as I didn't want to get rid of it so it's still in the family.
 
Thanks again for your replies!! i have a budget of around £600 which should get me one of those cameras with a kit lens.

Looking at the reviews of the Canon 550D and the A35, it says about the Sony having an electronic viewfinder over an optical viewfinder? What is the difference between the two??

Thanks
Scott
 
For £600 you could get a nice used 40D (£300) + 18-55 IS (£70)+ 55-250 IS (£120) + 50mm f/1.8 (£70) and have money left over.... You could also go for 70-300 IS which goes for around £250-300.

Better build quality, better autofocus (9 cross points vs 1), more FPS (frames per second), dual dial and joystick control and top LCD screen for easy view of settings. Perfect for motorsports and sports. With the lenses I mentioned you'll have a wide range of focal length covered and you'll have a versatile kit. It's a camera you can grow into, some of the stuff you won't appreciate until you get more experienced. Though if you wanna do video it's useless :)
 
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The nikon D5100 is a fantastic camera that can be found with the kit lens for under your budget, very good capable camera and shares the same sensor as the much more expensive D7000.

Regardless of which camera you pick when you get a chance to handle them, remember you will also require memory card(s) and ideally a sensible bag to carry and store gear in. Both of these, id be expecting to pay at least £50 for the pair.

But as people have said, go in, get a feel for each camera, even if you are consistently swapping between them and winding up the sales assistant. I did it, and went for Nikon, it felt better in my hands, and whilst the canon was also very good it just didnt feel *quite* right.

Dont let a small difference in price influence you, if you end up with a camera thats cheaper but you dont like using because of the feel, you wont use it as often. Whereas, if you spend a tiny bit more for the one that you want, it will be with you at all times and never leave your hands, money better spent :)
 
Wilksy288 said:
Looking at the reviews of the Canon 550D and the A35, it says about the Sony having an electronic viewfinder over an optical viewfinder? What is the difference between the two??

Thanks
Scott
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Hi Scott

The Sony is a DSLT (Translucent mirror) so the mirror doesn't move when taking a photo, it allows the majority of light through to the sensor, with a small amount being bounced to the AF system. Due to this light going through the mirror, they need a digital viewfinder (very similar to a compact camera setup) so you can see.

On the Canon (and most others) the mirror bounces the light to the viewfinder, until you take the shot, when it moves and the light goes to the sensor. Because the mirror moves, you do experience a "black out" in the viewfinder when you take the shot, whereas with a digital viewfinder - you don't.

The Sony gives you a 100% field of view, the 550D will be aound 96%, the Sony will also be able to display more information in the viewfinder (as it's a digital readout). The only downside is it's not quite as good if the light is very poor.

The best advice I can give is to go to the shop and try the 2 side by side - you need to make sure you are happy with the Camera, don't forget your initial post and the reply's you got confirming you are correct - it's what you want and how it feels / works for you...

Have a good Christmas & New Year
 
Wilksy288 said:
Hi thanks for replying. I thought it might be the case of actually just feeling the camera to see if its comfortable!

Regarding lenses, i know Canon and Nikon have a large range but do Sony?

Thanks
Scott
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The range of lenses is wide for all parties, but generally Canon & Nikon do have a much wider and sometimes more availableity at local shops.

You can use the Minolta lenses on the Sony bodies.

Don't forget about Sigma, Tamron, Tokina - they all produce lenses that are available for whichever model you go to...
 
My son has the D3100 and Nikkor 28-300 VR lens, it is a superb combination, well built camera and with the addition of a battery grip it is superb
 
Hi all thanks for the advice!! I'm a little fussy when it comes to secondhand equipment so probably wont go down that route! :bonk:

Do memory cards not come with the camera then?? What size memory card should i get? will 4gb be enough or will i use up that memory quite fast?

Sorry for all the questions, i just want to be a little clued up before i go into the shop and they try to sell me something which i don't want/need!!

Thanks
Scott :)
 
Some shops do give a memory card with a camera purchase. Some dont.

I would say get a few 4gig cards. I would prefer to do that than put all my shots on one big card and then have something go wrong / lose that card!
 
I've just bought a sandisk 8GB class 10 SD card off amazon for £9.99 so they're not an expensive item
 
8gig can hold a lot of shots. Just make sure you use a few cards instead of one all the time.
 
Wilksy288 said:
Hi all thanks for the advice!! I'm a little fussy when it comes to secondhand equipment so probably wont go down that route! :bonk:
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I bought a second hand Canon 350D just so i could get started and when i reach the point where im taking good pictures then ill upgrade and buy a new one.
 
Do memory cards fail quite often then?? Are there manufacturers of memory cards to avoid??

I will be heading to the shops next week and should hopefully purchase the right camera for me!! Thank you all for the advice so far!! very helpful!:thumbs:

Scott
 
An optical viewfinder shows what the lens is pointed at reflected through a series of mirrors or a prism and comes out the viewfinder. An electronic viewfinder is like having a mini webcam attached to your camera showing what you are looking at. If you've ever used a webcam you will notice the lag from when you move to it showing on screen. This is similar to what you find with an EVF although the EVF's are normally quite fast and good they really aren't as clear or accurate as an optical type.
 
Hi all me again! :bang: :lol:

I popped into Jessops yesterday to get my compact camera and whilst i was there i had a feel of the DSLR cameras which i was interested in. I think i have narrowed it down too the Canon 550D and the Sony A35.

Now both these cameras cost around the same but with the Sony i get a second lens with the camera. The canon 550D comes with the 18-55mm IS lens and i am wondering how long will it be until i need to buy some new lenses for the Canon? Would i be better to go for the twin lens kit of the sony just for the fact it comes with 2 lenses and in theory be abit more flexible without buying more lenses?

I suppose im looking at more bang for my buck!! But i dont want to get it if they are cheap lenses! If that makes sense? :shrug:

Thanks again for your help!

Scott
 
its all about money scott, the lenses you get with them will be fine for now but at somepoint you will want better glass and dependent on what your shooting you might see another lens that you want, look at the range of lenses and other bits like flashes that canon and nikon do then look at sonys range, also look at pentax they make some lovely dslrs(but sony and pentaxs range of lenses are not upto canon and nikons)
but pentax and sony have in body shake reduction or super steady shot, and nikon and canons vversion is built in the lenses vr/is.
 
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