New to SLR - Which one?

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rekkymech

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steve
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Hi, going away to the Greek islands of Santorini in July and its pre-empted my decision to invest in a decent camera, a hobby I've never really had the cash to take up seriously, until now.......

Looking to spend in the region of £400 give or take 50 or so on an entry level DSLR, looked at the display models in local currys and like the look and feel of the Nikon, Canon and Sony ranges,

What advice on camera choice would you suggest, and I assume the standard 18 - 55 would be sufficient to start with, tips on storage media greatly accepted too

thanks in advance

steve
 
Morning Steve


Have a great time when you go away.

Have a search on here as there are plenty if threads and lots of debate on this.
General rule of thumb is what do you like, which feels best to you, which menu system is the most intuitive for you...
At your budget, I think you'll find all the cameras will perform similarly. And yes I would recommend getting the 18-55 kit lens as a starter.
Canon and Nikon tend to have more lens choice available, whereas Sony has in built Image Stabilisation (IS) in the body - Canon and Nikon you have to buy it in the lens.
If you narrow your search down a bit, maybe to specific models, it can be easier to help, but don't forget. What suits one person another wont like.
 
Just to add to andyred's good advice: don't forget to budget for a decent bag - second hand bargains are around - a card or two (don't buy on the high street, much cheaper on-line), possibly a tripod if you want to get sunsets, maybe a polarising filter...the list is endless!

And get your camera in time to have a good practice so you have an idea of how to get what you want to get.
 
Just don't try to buy the latest model of what ever you choose
iIE if you choose a d5200, buy the d5100 instead its older cheaper and does pretty much everything its younger brother does for a first timer.
 
Hi, OK I cannot understand why you would choose Santorini over Rhodes;)
But do make sure you bring enough cards as they are anywhere between 25 to 50% more expensive in Greece (well they are where I live) most photographic shops as with many other shops tend to cater towards the tourist especially on the islands and equipment can be a little over priced.
Polarizing filter a must as you have BLUE skies.
Do be aware of the heat and ensure when not in use your camera is not sunbathing:D
Many places like other parts of the world do not allow the use of a tripod inside, museums for one, many rare and valuable items that can be damaged by a swinging tripod:eek: a small mono-pod or one of those gorilla pod things:) would IMO be a better option.
One more piece of advise, when shooting be aware of those exposures, with bright sun, blue skies and white building it can confuse the camera:cool:
Enjoy your holiday
Russ
 
russellsnr said:
Hi, OK I cannot understand why you would choose Santorini over Rhodes;)

Russ
Click to expand...

because the flights are the price of a decent camera more expensive to Rhodes :shrug:

Soaking up all this advice, thanks guys,

Whats your take on mega pixels, for example I've looked at :

Nikon d3100 14.2 1080 video 319.99
Nikon d3200 24.2 1080 video 439.99
Sony slt a37k 16.1 1080 video 299.99 and also has the largest cmos sensor and iso range(100 - 16000), which from what i'm reading are quite important features........
Cannon Eos1100 12.2 720 video 319.99

TBH, and unusually for me I really like the cheapest one.....the sony, the flip and tilt screen, 16mp I think is ample, and iso range far superior to its more expensive peers and largest cmos of the group too.........i'm just thinking the 24 mp camera would have more shelf life as technology develops it wont drop behind as quickly and might keep it for longer??
 
Go with your gut feeling. Sony make some outstanding kit. There really is nothing much to choose between the different makes at this level, especially as you're still exploring just what you want a camera to do. Right now you need one that feels comfortable in your hand, that you can afford, that will allow you to learn, and that can produce great pictures. The Sony can do all of that and will leave more left over for extras - and for a nice, cooling Mythos or two when you get to Santorini.

Don't get hooked up on MP count. It's pretty much irrelevant when you're starting out.
 
rekkymech said:
Whats your take on mega pixels
Click to expand...

IMHO its pretty much irrelevant now, unless you want to print billboard size posters.
Higher megapixel count does not necessarily mean better image quality.

It certainly wouldn't be the major decision maker between the entry level cameras from any of the manufacturers.

As one of the earlier replies said, pick one that is comfortable to hold and you can get the gist of pretty quickly.
I'd also look at the range of lenses available, both new and second hand and the cost.

I don't think there will be much difference in terms of quality/functionality between the manufacturers at this level.

Personally I'd go for a Canon 550D (or 600D if you really want a flip screen). Mainly because I'm used to Canon, but also because you can add a 55-250 for about £160 which is a cracking lens to start out with and will complement the kit lens well.
 
From the lowest models, sony a37, great sensor huge number of futures and low price. If you want more or you are after some specific lenses then look at nikon, canon, sony, pentax.
 
I'm a Canon user, but at work have to put up with Nikons :shrug: We have a few D3100 for the tudents to use, and TBH for the price it's a great little camera, the kit lens is a bit crap but if you can get one second hand you might be able to spend a bit more on a lens, check out MPB's second hand kit, they give a 6 month warenty, if you had more posts you could access the classified section of the forum, but i think you've a way to go yet.
 
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