Newbie unsure which camera to get?

A200/300 Or nikon d60?

  • D60

    Votes: 11 39.3%

  • Sony

    Votes: 17 60.7%
  • Total voters
    28
  • Poll closed .
Andyvalver

Andyvalver

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Andy
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First of all id like to say hello, im new :)

Im hopefully getting a dslr camera in the next month or 2.

My budget is around £300-£380 tops.

Ive found two cameras i like and really want but im torn between them.

The first is the nikon d60 with 18mm to 55mm VR lens.

The second is a Sony alpha 300 with 18mm to 70mm lens.


Ive been searching around for info and both seem to be great cameras. The sony seems to have the edge in features but i cant seem to right off the nikon.

The sony has live viewand the nikon doesnt, this means you can look at the screen to take your photo rather than using the view finder.

The sony has a slightly more long range lens too. Up to 70mm and the nikon only 55mm. I know you can change them but they are expensive.

Also, the sony has antishake built into the camera and the nikon has it in the lens. Meaning you always have to buy a anti shake lens for the nikon but any will do for the sony.

Anyway. Despite the sony having more features i just feel nikon to be more of a camera company and sony just make everything so its kinda putting me off.

I can get the sony a300 a bit cheaper than the d60

Thanks in advance for you help and advice :)
 
Hi, and welcome to TP :wave:

The best bit of advice is go get yourself into a camera shop and have a play with both the Nikon and Sony. The reviews on paper are great, but nothing will beat actually holding them and seeing what feels more comfortable for you :thumbs:
 
you have to be aware with the d60 that you have to have a motor in every lens you buy to have auto focus, other cameras have the motors in body, allowing auto focus on all compatible lenses
 
Hi and welcome :wave:

Would agree with the above, go and try them in the shop and see which you like the feel of and which comes most natural to use.

PS. don't forget about Canon :thumbs:
 
Cheers guys. I have played with them in the shop but you dont really get much of a feel as you cant go outside and start shooting.

The sony is a good price. I can get the sony alpha 300 for £300 and the nikon for £360.

My girlfriend wants me to get the nikon. But thats because she sees them as a camera maker or firm and sony ust do everything.

The man in the shop said i couldnt go wrong with either camera as they are both great lol


Edit. I looked at canon but i think the one i was lookin at was over budget mate
 
Do a load of research on line as there's an awful lot of information out there. But do go to a shop and see which you actually like in real life. For instance I actually like the ergonomics of Canon cameras, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Nikon, Sony, Olympus and so on it's just that I prefer Canon. You may well prefer any one of these over the other. Only by actually getting you hands on one will you be able to tell.
 
Want my advice? Take a look at the Sony A200 instead of the A300, which is also a great beginner camera. Some would even argue that it's better - it does not have live view which allows for a larger viewfinder compared to the A300, which is probably what you'll be using the vast majority of the time. You'll find that most people with live view on their cameras rarely use it unless mainly shooting in a studio with a tripod, and the one on the A300 is also very hard to see in sunlight, making it pretty useless outdoors in good weather (prime photography conditions ) You could then use the money you save on the camera to buy a lens instead, which as a beginner will probably make a lot more difference to the quality of your images than having live-view.

The A200 also has the capability to shoot at 3 fps as opposed to 2.5 with the A300, which will make quite a big difference when shooting fast moving action such as sports or wildlife.

Check out a review here for some more info:

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews_sony_a200.php

Hope this helps, and whatever you get I doubt you'll regret it :)
 
RiCousins said:
Want my advice? Take a look at the Sony A200 instead of the A300, which is also a great beginner camera. Some would even argue that it's better - it does not have live view which allows for a larger viewfinder compared to the A300, which is probably what you'll be using the vast majority of the time. You'll find that most people with live view on their cameras rarely use it unless mainly shooting in a studio with a tripod, and the one on the A300 is also very hard to see in sunlight, making it pretty useless outdoors in good weather (prime photography conditions ) You could then use the money you save on the camera to buy a lens instead, which as a beginner will probably make a lot more difference to the quality of your images than having live-view.

The A200 also has the capability to shoot at 3 fps as opposed to 2.5 with the A300, which will make quite a big difference when shooting fast moving action such as sports or wildlife.

Check out a review here for some more info:

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews_sony_a200.php

Hope this helps, and whatever you get I doubt you'll regret it :)
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Interesting view. Ill keep looking into it i guess. Im also really tempted by the d60. It will be my first slr so im sure ill be happy anyway but i want to know im getting the best i can for the future as its not something ill be upgrading soon lol


Another thing. You get 18mm to 70mm lens with the sony and 18mm to 55mm with the nikon. Which would be better? I dont actually know how far away i can take pictures with a 55mm lens?
 
Neither will get you very close to anything to be honest. If you're planning on shooting birds/other wildlife in particular then you will be wanting for more range pretty soon, hence why I suggested saving the money with the A200. I recently bought a 75-300mm lens for mine after getting frustrated with the kit lens for not being long enough, and the difference it makes to what kind of action you can capture is amazing. What kind of shooting will you be doing mainly?
 
One other thing I would say about the Nikon is that the camera does not have a built in anti-shake system, nor does it have a built in autofocus motor. That means that if you want either of these features (anti-shake isn't really a necessity but you'll certainly want autofocus, especially as a beginner) then you're going to have to buy lenses with these features built in. That bumps the price up a lot. That said, there is a large stock of good quality second hand lenses for both Sony and Nikon knocking about should you be wiling to go down that route.
 
Ah right. Well ill be just starting out mate so to be honest i dont know what ill be shooting lol. Anything and everything lol

The nikon d60 comes with a vr lens. Vr is vibration reduction


edit...

this is copied from yahoo answers lol

Yes, the nikon d60 does have an autofocus motor, however, it only works when you have an AF-S lens attached. AF lenses won't autofocus, the only lenses you can choose that autofocus are AF-S lenses. So if you plan on autofucusing AF lenses, you need to spend more on the nikon d80, or the nikon d300, which can autofocus any AF lens ( made for a nikon camera )
 
Lol yeah well I'm a beginner myself really, only got my camera about 2 months ago, but I know a fair bit about it as a did a hell of a lot of research before buying! I had the same decision on my hands as you, decided to go for the A200 + new lens and haven't looked back since. I think i'd be pretty frustrated right now if I was stuck with the zoom range of a standard kit lens and didn't have enough money to buy a new one. I would say that unless you are going to be doing a lot of studio work where you're going to need live view, I'd rule out the A300 first. Then it's just looking at whether you've got the money to throw at the D60 and new lenses compared to the A200.
 
have you thought about buying used equipment. with you saying you will shoot anything and everything and commented about a canon you like being out of budget.

if you buy used ou could a few different focal distance lens, say an 18-50 and 70-300
 
Without sounding too snobby lol I want a nice new shiny camera, id look into buying used lenses though. :P

If i get into it ill buy a lens.
 
Andyvalver said:
Ah right. Well ill be just starting out mate so to be honest i dont know what ill be shooting lol. Anything and everything lol

The nikon d60 comes with a vr lens. Vr is vibration reduction
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Welcome to TP Andy! :wave:

Being a Nikon user, I'd take the D60 personally, but I fully admit to knowing nowt about Sony kit, which should be just as capable. Like people have already said, if you can get a bit more time with them somehow it'd be a great way of making up your mind. What suits one of us doesn't suit another...

Bear in mind too, that as handy as VR is, it does not guarantee that every shot will be pin sharp! ;)

I agree with the comment about looking at second hand options too tbh (and I do understand the "shiny new feeling" too! :lol: )- save some cash and spend it on lenses - the glass you choose will be very important to the results you get from either system. :thumbs:
 
irw1 said:
Welcome to TP Andy! :wave:

Being a Nikon user, I'd take the D60 personally, but I fully admit to knowing nowt about Sony kit, which should be just as capable. Like people have already said, if you can get a bit more time with them somehow it'd be a great way of making up your mind. What suits one of us doesn't suit another...

Bear in mind too, that as handy as VR is, it does not guarantee that every shot will be pin sharp! ;)

I agree with the comment about looking at second hand options too tbh (and I do understand the "shiny new feeling" too! :lol: )- save some cash and spend it on lenses - the glass you choose will be very important to the results you get from either system. :thumbs:
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Cheers for the advice everyone. :)

The lenses arnt that expensive i dont think.. £130..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-70-300mm-Motorized-Telephoto-Including/dp/B0016N17ES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242934765&sr=8-1
 
RiCousins said:
Lol yeah well I'm a beginner myself really, only got my camera about 2 months ago, but I know a fair bit about it as a did a hell of a lot of research before buying! I had the same decision on my hands as you, decided to go for the A200 + new lens and haven't looked back since. I think i'd be pretty frustrated right now if I was stuck with the zoom range of a standard kit lens and didn't have enough money to buy a new one. I would say that unless you are going to be doing a lot of studio work where you're going to need live view, I'd rule out the A300 first. Then it's just looking at whether you've got the money to throw at the D60 and new lenses compared to the A200.
Click to expand...

This question has been asked sooooo many times!:p

The Sony is a great DSLR for a beginner. It has all the features you need, whereas the Nikon doesn't (built in AF). Sony isn't specifically a camera company, but they do make some seriously good stuff! They started out in the world of DSLRs by buying Konica Minolta's camera designing/making side of the business, which is a pretty good place to start!

But I'll agree with the above comment and say go for the a200 and put the money saved towards a longer lens like the Tamron 55-200mm. It's a great lens for the money, and should only set you back around £120 brand new. The alpha 200 is selling for around £260 atm, so theres your £380 budget gone!

Just don't forget to budget for memory cards and a case/bag of some sort! Carrier bags don't protect cameras very well and empty fag packets are rubbish at storing JPEGs!!:lol:
 
Andyvalver said:
Cheers for the advice everyone. :)

The lenses arnt that expensive i dont think.. £130..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-70-300mm-Motorized-Telephoto-Including/dp/B0016N17ES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242934765&sr=8-1
Click to expand...

:lol: That's not expensive, you're right - however, if you do get into photography, you'll find the kind of glass you may want to upgrade to in a year or so, can get quite pricey! A fair bit of research now could save you a fair bit of money in the future. ;)
 
Trust me, don't expect to be paying £130 for any lens that you may want in the future! Once you get into it you probably won't be looking at any lenses less than about £400, so I wouldn't take the fact that that one lens is only £130 to heart too much. And whatever you do on this forum, don't say that lenses aren't expensive :lol: Whatever brand and whatever camera you go for, if you get into it then you've got to realise that this is one of the most expensive hobbies out there! I'm sure you do realise this already, but I just thought I'd reiterate the point :)
 
RiCousins said:
Trust me, don't expect to be paying £130 for any lens that you may want in the future! Once you get into it you probably won't be looking at any lenses less than about £400, so I wouldn't take the fact that that one lens is only £130 to heart too much. And whatever you do on this forum, don't say that lenses aren't expensive :lol: Whatever brand and whatever camera you go for, if you get into it then you've got to realise that this is one of the most expensive hobbies out there! I'm sure you do realise this already, but I just thought I'd reiterate the point :)
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Im just starting out, i might find i dont take many photos so i just want a good all rounder for now. Ill buy another lens when im ready. Ive not even got the camera yet lol. Im swaying towards the d60 for some reason.

Would you guys say the alpha 300 is any better than the d60? All i see is that it has more gadgets lol
 
RiCousins said:
Trust me, don't expect to be paying £130 for any lens that you may want in the future! Once you get into it you probably won't be looking at any lenses less than about £400, so I wouldn't take the fact that that one lens is only £130 to heart too much. And whatever you do on this forum, don't say that lenses aren't expensive :lol: Whatever brand and whatever camera you go for, if you get into it then you've got to realise that this is one of the most expensive hobbies out there! I'm sure you do realise this already, but I just thought I'd reiterate the point :)
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^^^:plusone:^^^
 
All the brands make great entry level cameras. You won't go wrong which ever brand you decide to go for.

Nikons didn't feel right in my hands, the Sony was very comfortable, I went for the Sony, and haven't regretted it once!!

EDIT: I wouldn't say an in camera auto focus motor was a gadget!!
 
Slimbert said:
EDIT: I wouldn't say an in camera auto focus motor was a gadget!!
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lol i mean, things like live view. Also, would it be better becuase the anti shake is in the body but the nikon is on the lens? Making lenses more expensive?
 
well anti shake reduction things are supposadly slightly better in the lens rather than camera, but i wouldnt let VR, IS or any other anti shake rule which camera you buy.
 
:agree: I wouldn't take anti-shake into account too much at this stage. Only really makes a massive difference when uusing a long zoom lens right at the end of the range without a tripod, which you won't be doing if you're only going to be using a kit lens for a while.
 
I started with a canon 400d, and to be honest its brilliant, i wouldnt trade it for anything, i am going to urgrade to the 450 at some point ***.. just go with your instincts
 
This is all great advice guys. Im trying to process the info lol.

I know you can get second hand bodies but because im new to it i dont wanna get ripped off for no knowing what im looking at :)

Ive added a poll :) lol
 
neil_g said:
i wouldnt rule out 2nd hand bodies either, you can get a good condition used one for bargain prices.
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totally agree. Take a look in the for sales section on this forum. My first DSLR was bought new, but i then upgraded and that was a used body in excellent condition, Just take a look around
 
Andyvalver said:
lol i mean, things like live view. Also, would it be better becuase the anti shake is in the body but the nikon is on the lens? Making lenses more expensive?
Click to expand...

To me, liveview is a gadget as I have no need for it. To others, it's something they use everyday so it's an essential. You need to ask yourself in what situations you might use it and will you be in those situations very often?

Anti shake is something I use in probably every shot I take (to some degree) unless I'm using a tripod. I never switch it off, because the one time I did, every picture I took was blurry. Only a small amount, but it made me realise how much I rely on it! Some would argue that if my technique were better I wouldn't need it, but my technique isn't that good, so I do need it!

It can't hurt to have "gadgets", they are there if you need to use them, but they can be switched off if you don't!

In camera anti shake/auto focus is better IMO, mainly because you can use every single Minolta and Sony a-mount lens with any Sony Alpha, and you have IS and AF! It's not the same story with Nikon.
 
Seems Sony is winning so far - you should separate it out into Sony A200 + lens vs. Sony A300
 
I've just sold my Sony A300, it was my first DSLR and I personally thought it was excellent, the handling and features made it seem a well built camera, also a cracking range of old Minolta lenses like the Beercan and 50mm f1.7.
I used liveview very sparingly and thats partly why I sold it to upgrade to the A700.
 
RiCousins said:
Seems Sony is winning so far - you should separate it out into Sony A200 + lens vs. Sony A300
Click to expand...


I cant change the poll now. You have to deduct 1 vote from d60 becuase its my vote. I did it so i dont have to click on "view results" every time lol
 
chrism_scotland said:
I've just sold my Sony A300, it was my first DSLR and I personally thought it was excellent, the handling and features made it seem a well built camera, also a cracking range of old Minolta lenses like the Beercan and 50mm f1.7.
I used liveview very sparingly and thats partly why I sold it to upgrade to the A700.
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Interesting. I think as im new id use liveview a bit. One of the main reasons i like the sony is you seem to get more for your money. At the moment there is a bank holiday sale at a shop near me and the a300 is £300 with lens ect.. Thats £60 cheaper than the nikon d60.
 
Andyvalver said:
Interesting. I think as im new id use liveview a bit. One of the main reasons i like the sony is you seem to get more for your money. At the moment there is a bank holiday sale at a shop near me and the a300 is £300 with lens ect.. Thats £60 cheaper than the nikon d60.
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Jessops? I noticed on the website, good job I just sold mine used for £300!
I'd highly recommend it, I bought the A300 over the A200 as I thought I'd use Live view a lot more than I did, mainly as it tends to zap the battery and also the screen can be hard to see in bright sunshine, that said I reckon given the option again I'd chose it over the A200 just so I had it.
 
Yeah, jessops. I went in there today
 
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