Entering the DSLR world from compact

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rekkymech

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steve
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Hi all,

Looking at a few options for my first SLR, budget £450,

Bear in mind I'am a novice, and have just started looking at what's on the market I have hung my nose over the following in Currys as a start point:

Nikon D3100 18-55, 14.2mp 1080 HD £329.99
Nikon D3200 18-55, 24.2mp 1080 HD £439.99
Nikon D5100 18-55, 16.2mp 1080 HD £419.99
Sony SLT A37k 18-55 16.1mp 1080 HD £329.99
Cannon EOS 1100d 18-55 12.2mp 720 HD £329.99

Any guidance, opinions appreciated

Steve
 
Without knowing your usage now and future potential plans with it, every make and model is a contender.
Most people focus on Canon and Nikon as they're the top two brands as far as market share goes.

Personally, an 1100D is a bit Tesco value - as mentioned above, a better option is someone's cast off from further up the range, even if 2 generations behind the current version.

£450-500 can get you a pre-owned Pentax K5 and 18-55mm WR kit lens, but the K30 is better on the high ISO noise front, of which the K5 is very good - better than the Sonys, using the same Sony-made sensors.

If you have family/friends/photo club who have Nikon or Canon, then one benefit of going for the same is being able to swap/borrow lenses for the hell of it or to try before you buy your own.
If that's not likely to be the case, then even with the large array of lenses both brands have that you can pick up pre-owned (fighting with many others for the same thing!), there's no need to consign yourself to being a Canonite or Nikonian.

That opens the door to the Pentax and the Sony SLT for their high burst rate.
I've not mentioned the Panasonic and Olympus 4/3rds due to their smaller than APS-C sensor, but that aside, they may have something which takes your fancy.
Lenses can be quite expensive though, from what I recall, so sticking with the other four brands might be the more financial agreeable option.

Go read up on the Pentaxes, you'll see why I've highlighted them, and why you may've overlooked them.
 
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I would also recommend you checkout the micro four thirds range from Panasonic and Olympus, some of these will be more familiar to you as a compact user whilst still offering some of the DSLR advantages such as full manual control and interchangeable lenses.
I've recently picked up a Panasonic GX1 which can be had for around £330 new with the 14-42 kit lens and after owning and selling my DSLR due to its bulk I'm very impressed with the GX1.
 
What about going second hand and getting a canon 20D 18-55 and 55-250, both really good budget lenses and when you get to know what yo shoot most you can buy lenses to suit.
Its what I started with two years ago and have got some brilliant imwges with it.
 
I would say that from the above list the two choices which jump out at me are the D3200 & D5100.

I'd discount the 1100D straight away because it just feels so plastic fantastic and cheap. It's about the only DSLR I've ever picked up and thought "Ewwww!"

The Sony A37 is a great little camera but I dislike the low res LCD screen. Other than that it's a cracker. Worth considering if you like the idea of live-view shooting a lot like from your compact and if you can live with the electronic viewfinder.

But the two Nikon's in my mind are the clear front runners. Both excellent value. Spec-wise there is very little in it. The D3200 is a little more amateur friendly. The D5100 has the swivel screen which is useful if you want to regularly use it for video. So if you are not going to be video'ing very often then I'd probably say the D3200.
 
On the Sony front, the a57 is about to be replaced by the a58 (announcement expected this month). That'll bring the a57 well within your budget, which would give you a better LCD, bigger battery and up to 12fps.
 
I'd go for D3200 from that list. Newest model with 24mp and latest expeed3 processing. Worth the premium over d3100 and worth missing a couple of features the d5100 has.

In fact a d3200 is almost the same as the new d5200, but without exposure bracketing, folding screen, and better autofocus, but over £200 cheaper!

Great camera to learn on.

Check out http://www.camerapricebuster.com/cat_Nikon_Digital_SLRs.html for best prices.
 
I would suggest that you go for s/h rather than new if you don't mind. If you are really into your photography, you ll find that very soon you ll want to upgrade your kit and by buying second hand you won't be losing a lot when you come to sell your kit.
 
Well, what an active forum, so many helpful replies thankyou.....

My above list is purely a start point and certainly not exhaustive, just these are the one's curry's had on display. Unfortunately the only place in Grantham that has any serious kit for sale, we have got a Jessops here but they're having a little sabbatical right now........

from whats been said I think the above list is plenty of choice for a first camera, don't want to buy second hand first time, i'd like to kick around here and become a little more immersed to get a feel for whats good and whats not, and things to watch out for etc, and at 299.00(just noticed this lower price on Curry's web site :) ) the sony leaves room in the budget for some of the afore mentioned accessories......

and to be fair, whichever I do decide on, I will most likely pick it up this week as we're off to the Warner Bros studio tour of Harry Potter next weekend so will be a nice chance to get to know the kit, and as we aren't going away until july there's a fair chance I may upgrade before then if the bug really takes me, I know what i'm like with gadgets hehehe

thanks again

steve
 
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Hi Steve,

I have to admit that grantham is not a great place for trying out kit and can understand why buying a new kit set-up would be more re-assuring as a start. I would say that regardless of whatever manufacturer you go for check compatibility with lenses etc. I have found that with my older D80 I actually have a wider & cheaper choice of lenses than some of the newer models as it has focussing motor in the body. I would highly recommend getting across to somewhere like London camera exchange in Nottingham would be worth a visit if you are ever over that way?

I am currently researching flashguns and relying heavily on forum/YouTube reviews :)


Justin.
 
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architectfadi said:
I would suggest that you go for s/h rather than new if you don't mind. If you are really into your photography, you ll find that very soon you ll want to upgrade your kit and by buying second hand you won't be losing a lot when you come to sell your kit.
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Good advise there..I second that.

You can even grab a 5Dmk1 for your money..
 
If you're in a hurry it might not be an option but I would just second the suggestion of getting a refurb 600D from the Canon eBay shop.

I was in a similar position this time last year and ended up taking a punt on a refurb 500D from the same seller on eBay (actually a Canon authorised service centre operating under the Canon banner as their "official" eBay outlet). I paid £329, bearing in mind that the 550D and 600D were both current models at the time and much more expensive in the shops.

Anyway, what I got was to all intents and purposes a brand new camera, sealed in a (previously opened) box complete with all it's accessories etc new and untouched. The *only* sign that it was a refurb was the fact that the box had clearly been opened and resealed - judging by the Argos catalogue number also stuck on the box, I can only assume someone bought it, perhaps found it cheaper somewhere else and then returned it almost immediately under the 16 day returns policy. Either way I'm convinced the camera hasn't been used in anger when I first took it out of the box.

These "refurbs" come with a year's Canon guarantee so really it's as good as buying new, and you're getting much more camera for your money. Worth a thought..
 
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