Nikon D5100 vs Canon T3i vs Pentax K-x

drsajjadhanif

drsajjadhanif

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I'll soon be buying my first entry-level DSLR. After searching and reviewing a lot of camera reviews, I manage to find Nikon D5100, CanonT3i and Pentax K-x better. But I am confused between them as to buy which one. I am a newbie to DSLR cameras, previously was using Sony W(something). I am a hobby photographer, take pics of my family, landscape and nature. Kindly help.
 
drsajjadhanif said:
I'll soon be buying my first entry-level DSLR. After searching and reviewing a lot of camera reviews, I manage to find Nikon D5100, CanonT3i and Pentax K-x better. But I am confused between them as to buy which one. I am a newbie to DSLR cameras, previously was using Sony W(something). I am a hobby photographer, take pics of my family, landscape and nature. Kindly help.
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Hi & welcome :wave:

Have you been to a shop and had a play with any (preferably all 3) bodies ?

When choosing a camera, it is very much a personal thing, you need to decide which make feels better in your hands, which feels more natural to you to use, the button layout etc etc...

When you're starting off, you are not just buying a camera, you are buying into a manufactorer and majority of people don't tend to swap to different manufactorers down the line.

Don't forget about the Sony bodies - you are coming from a Sony, so possibly they maybe more familiar to you.

There are pro's and con's for any make / model of camera, an example if the Pentax and Sony have Image Stabilisation in the Camera body, so any lens you use will have IS feature available, the Canon & Nkon are specific to lenses only. There is a wider range (and cost) of lenses available for the Canon & Nikon range, compared to the Pentax & Sony, etc etc...

Hope this is of some help and good luck with your search :thumbs:
 
All ill say is this, I feel PERSONALLY that Canons are much easier to use. Canon and Nikon both source great 50mm lenses and you can get them really cheap. They're great for family shots.

As far as landscapes go, the body doesn't matter. It's all about the glass :thumbs:
 
I agree with you in this regard my friend. But I don't have any option. I live in Qatar and to get used cameras here is difficult. There is no any dedicated websites where I can find used DSLRs except one and even there the prices are way too exuberant. If I have to order online for a used product it will like cost me the same as new one. So the only option I have is to buy a new one within my budget range, which is like 500-850$.
 
drsajjadhanif said:
I agree with you in this regard my friend. But I don't have any option. I live in Qatar and to get used cameras here is difficult. There is no any dedicated websites where I can find used DSLRs except one and even there the prices are way too exuberant. If I have to order online for a used product it will like cost me the same as new one. So the only option I have is to buy a new one within my budget range, which is like 500-850$.
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I'm sure there are some people on TP who would sell to you, as long as you accept that buying used MAY be a risk.
 
farrance said:
All ill say is this, I feel PERSONALLY that Canons are much easier to use. Canon and Nikon both source great 50mm lenses and you can get them really cheap. They're great for family shots.

As far as landscapes go, the body doesn't matter. It's all about the glass :thumbs:
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You need to tread a little carefully here. Nikon's cheapest 50mm 1.8 does not have a built in auto focus motor. The D5100 doesn't have an in body focus motor and so the lens will not auto focus on a D5100. The alternatives are the 50mm 1.8 AF-S or the 35mm 1.8 Af-S. Both have built in motors but are closer to the £200 mark. I wouldn't want to put the OP off Nikon but it is worth bearing in mind.

I don't know much about the Canon or Pentax I'm afraid but I know the Nikon is a superb camera, particularly in low light. That said, judging from the reviews I've read it seems hard to wrong at this level. I doubt you'd regret buying any of them.
 
I have used pentax and nikon, dont like canons menus, the cameras systems all have there pros and cons, pentax is a great camera as are all 3 but the pentax others in body motor so screw driven lenses can be used and lenses with motors built in, also it of built in sr(shake reduction) which works with any lens that is put on it, the down side is that pentaxes longest current lens is 300mm, but 3rd partys like sigma make longer 500mm.
the the nikon 5100 is just as good, but does not offer in body focus motor so lenses with a motor in must be used to benifit from auti focus, else your in manual focus, also you need lenses with built in image stablisation(os/vr/vc) and not all lenses have this, so some unlike the pentax will have you image stablisation, but nikon do offer alot bigger range on lenses as do canon, the canon is pritty much the same but all canon lenses have built in motors for autofocus(i think could be wrong) and like nikon not all lenses have image stablisation,
all will do the job, but i think its worth going a playing with all 3 if you can.
 
taz said:
I'm sure there are some people on TP who would sell to you, as long as you accept that buying used MAY be a risk.
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The problem is the same as It will cost me more buying the camera from Amazon or some other online stores outside Qatar. So the only option left for me is to buy new one within my budget range from a local store.
 
gad-westy said:
You need to tread a little carefully here. Nikon's cheapest 50mm 1.8 does not have a built in auto focus motor. The D5100 doesn't have an in body focus motor and so the lens will not auto focus on a D5100. The alternatives are the 50mm 1.8 AF-S or the 35mm 1.8 Af-S. Both have built in motors but are closer to the £200 mark. I wouldn't want to put the OP off Nikon but it is worth bearing in mind.

I don't know much about the Canon or Pentax I'm afraid but I know the Nikon is a superb camera, particularly in low light. That said, judging from the reviews I've read it seems hard to wrong at this level. I doubt you'd regret buying any of them.
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Yes I have this in my mind but I'll try to get used D5100 and I'll buy the autofocus lens.
 
scottthehat said:
I have used pentax and nikon, dont like canons menus, the cameras systems all have there pros and cons, pentax is a great camera as are all 3 but the pentax others in body motor so screw driven lenses can be used and lenses with motors built in, also it of built in sr(shake reduction) which works with any lens that is put on it, the down side is that pentaxes longest current lens is 300mm, but 3rd partys like sigma make longer 500mm.
the the nikon 5100 is just as good, but does not offer in body focus motor so lenses with a motor in must be used to benifit from auti focus, else your in manual focus, also you need lenses with built in image stablisation(os/vr/vc) and not all lenses have this, so some unlike the pentax will have you image stablisation, but nikon do offer alot bigger range on lenses as do canon, the canon is pritty much the same but all canon lenses have built in motors for autofocus(i think could be wrong) and like nikon not all lenses have image stablisation,
all will do the job, but i think its worth going a playing with all 3 if you can.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I'll keep these things in mind when deciding upon my camera.
 
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