Hello! Newbie having trouble with deciding 1st DSLR

Frindabelle

Frindabelle

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corrine
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Hello there all,

I'm hoping to buy my first DSLR in the next few weeks and struggling to decide on which one in ther running are:

Nikon D3100
Canon EOS 1100D

I also looked into CSC's

Panasonic Lumix G2
Nikon 1 V1

Would really love some advice When you have a minute
Thanks :)
 
A few things Corinne (and welcome to the forum).

Do you have a firm budget in mind? Are you quite flexible in terms of the form factor of the cameras - for instance, the Nikon V1 has a very different shape (and thus how you handle it) compared to say the Nikon and Canon DSLRs. Things to bear in mind, as you are considering cameras with very different ways of functioning.
 
chrism_scotland said:
What kind of shots are you looking to take? and welcome to the forum!
Click to expand...

And what sort of photographer are you? Do you want to set up a shot from a tripod or do you want to walk around, see something then point and shoot. Both styles have their merits (and drawbacks) but they imply different equipment requirements.

Oh and don't get taken in by the Canon vs Nikon debate, they both do an excellent job.
 
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Thanks for replying so quickly! :) Thank you for the welcome.

The things I'm most interested are landscapes, nature and animals really, Those sort of images really capture me.

Ideally I'd like to keep my budget to £500, that said for the right bundle I could go a bit higher, the only reason I'm being able to finally get a decent camera is thanks to a ppi refund from my bank :lol:
If I don't do it now I'll never do it! :D
 
DonnaM said:
Oh and don't get taken in by the Canon vs Nikon debate, they both do an excellent job.
Click to expand...
as do Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax & Sony so don't write them off without at least looking at them.
 
Personally, i'd go for the Canon, but then i'm a Canon man myself.

Try going to a shop (a large pc world is ok for having certain cameras out and easily 'handleable') where you can actually look at a camera and see how it feels in your hands.

There aren't really bad cameras - just ones that aren't right for you.
 
You should go to the shops and try all the cameras that fit YOUR budget.

Then buy the camera that YOU find most comfortable to hold, with the control layout and menu functions YOU find most intuitive.

Everyone buys the camera that suits them and what suits me or someone else may not be the best for you, so whilst asking us for ideas it really has to be your choice.

Remember, all the cameras will take good pictures, it is you however that will make them great.
 
Welcome to the forum.

As said above, go and try them out. The 'which camera should I buy?' stage can seem bewildering so take your time, try them out and find out what suits you best. You won't really go wrong with any DLSR.
 
I don't think you can go too far wrong with any of the cameras on the current market, they are all very capable. The difference is how they feel in your hands and how you use them. Get to a shop and try them all for size.

I started off in the Canon world with a 350D which I absolutely loved and thought I was using a lot, but since switching over to CSC with the Panasonic G2 I've realised that I can get a lot more use out of a camera.
I have very small hands, even for a woman, and the G2 feels so good that I want to use it all the time. That was something that I had a slight issue with on my Canon as it was just slightly too big for me and I then didn't take it out as much as I should have.
 
I will expand on what Tony touched on.
If you stick to the big names you want go wrong as they are different flavors of a good product. (IMHO) The slr body thought important is not as important as the lens you choose down the road. You have an advantage over most beginners (like me) because you have a good idea on what you want to shoot. My suggestion is to also look at the lens line for the different slr, quality, price. The kit lens will get you started but if your like me you will out grow it quickly. I'm not sure about the others but Canon has a 50mm for crop body that is very cheap and is considered one of the best lenses for the money ever made. That is just an example, it is not wide enough for landscapes but you get the idea. Hope it helps.
 
It would help to know what camera you use now as well.

I was a DSLR user until a year ago, but after buying into m43 I have now ditched the DSLR. Low light and fast long lens are less that ideal, but the weight saving is worth it for me.

Of the CSCs I would discount the Nikon due to the limited lens choice currently available. A Pansonic G1 (make sure it has the 14-45mm) or G2 are fairly similar (the G2 has video) and can be bought secondhand for around £200.00. If you do buy secondhand you can alway upgrade to DSLR later:) and you won't lose much money on the resale.

Of the DSLRs I would stick with Canon or Nikon just because of the large amount of equipment and that is available secondhand.
 
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