Sony, Pentax or Nikon

mehraj

mehraj

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http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=15801

Hello everyone,

I have just joined this forum and very recently I have started studying about photography (around 2 months) ...:thinking:

problem is, I am still asking for suggestions to get one DSLR camera. Finally I have selected something, but, still bit confused ... :bonk:

Pentax K200D (PENTAX K200D + SMC DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Lens and SMC DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens + Battery Grip + Carry-all = £500+)

OR

Sony A350 (SONY Alpha DSLR-A350K + DT 18-70mm F3.5-5.6 Lens = £400)

OR

Nikon D60 (NIKON D60 + AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II Lens + F-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6 G ED Lens = £500+)
:bang:

ADVISE ME PLEASE ...

oh before you suggestanything, please check my works by clicking this link:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=15801


Thanks for your patience and once again thanks for your advice in advance
 
Which one feels most comfortable in your hands? That's the one to go for.
 
f1charlie said:
Which one feels most comfortable in your hands? That's the one to go for.
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Too right.
Don't expect much difference in image quality between them all. They can all produce good pics.
 
unusual to pick sony,pentax and nikon because most people have either a canon/nikon debate and the odd time a sony pops up in choices, its down to ergonomics so feel the camera, can you pressthe shutter softly and can you use the ctrl dial. i have a sony and love it but feel free to choose also look at the future and think are going "pro" or are you going to have bags full of lenses because these are features for your weapn of choice.
 
My advice would be like the above to try each camera out and see which one feels right. I would say however the build quality of the Pentax would be better than the other two you mentioned.

Jason
 
@DarrenToogood ... Cannon is way far expensive just with one lens!!

Honestly speaking my palm is big which fits most of the cameras' grip (with battery grip as well). But the which one you say would be easier to navigate for a novice like me??

I know people use different cameras and feel comfortable with their own machine. But still I am asking which one would you recommend for a newbie??
 
One more thing shall I go for a pro level camera or semi-pro??
 
mehraj said:
One more thing shall I go for a pro level camera or semi-pro??
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But the cameras you have listed are entry level models, neither pro nor semi pro and as you are a beginner, those may be a little premature. As others hgave said, you need to hold the cameras to see which one feels the best for you. We cannot say which one is best for a newbie as they are all different and one that may be easy for me to use may not be for you.
 
As above really.

I have the Sony A350, one mate has a Canon and another has an Olympus, and to me the Sony feels right then the Olympus, but for my mates its a different.
 
mehraj said:
One more thing shall I go for a pro level camera or semi-pro??
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Go for the Pentax ,kit lens for a starting point is tac sharp plus you'll have access to the older ,and in my opinion better quality lenses for a lot less than the Canon/Nikon .And superior build quality .I actually regret moving from Pentax to Canon :(
 
Something else you may want to consider.
If you find delving through camera menus to be a pain (can be if you need to put on reading glasses) then look for a camera that has more of the frequently changed controls accessed from buttons/switches on the body surface.
 
mxfun said:
Go for the Pentax ,kit lens for a starting point is tac sharp plus you'll have access to the older ,and in my opinion better quality lenses for a lot less than the Canon/Nikon .And superior build quality .I actually regret moving from Pentax to Canon :(
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i cant believe it, your the first person i know who has actually said that:bat::lol:
 
mastertrinity said:
i cant believe it, your the first person i know who has actually said that:bat::lol:
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For some reason you seem to have a real thing about Pentax .. is this the second or third thread I have seen you post in putting the brand down?
I am quite happy with mine, I can do anything with it that I can with a mid range Canon, its fully weather sealed, I have access to loads of quality lenses, built in SR so I dont have to spend a fortune on lenses with it built in.

Grow up.
 
Mike.P said:
For some reason you seem to have a real thing about Pentax .. is this the second or third thread I have seen you post in putting the brand down?
I am quite happy with mine, I can do anything with it that I can with a mid range Canon, its fully weather sealed, I have access to loads of quality lenses, built in SR so I dont have to spend a fortune on lenses with it built in.

Grow up.
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i dont mean it that way as i like pentax but its the fact of you expect the canikon users to be proud of one of the top two and they actually prefer the lower classes of sony and pentax and olympus. having a pentax is not much different to sony.
 
mastertrinity said:
you expect the canikon users to be proud of one of the top two and they actually prefer the lower classes of sony and pentax and olympus. having a pentax is not much different to sony.
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Who said anything about Sony, Pentax or Olympus being in the lower classes?
That's a really strange way for anyone to think about their kit.
I look at whats produced IQ wise between all the brands and unless you go top end there is nothing in it. Yes some have better fps, auto focus, weather sealing, built in IS but at the end of the day they all do the same thing.

I could sell all my kit tomorrow, make a profit on what I bought it for and jump to a high end Canon or Nikon but would it make me any happier or a better photographer ... nope.
 
Mike.P said:
Who said anything about Sony, Pentax or Olympus being in the lower classes?
That's a really strange way for anyone to think about their kit.
I look at whats produced IQ wise between all the brands and unless you go top end there is nothing in it. Yes some have better fps, auto focus, weather sealing, built in IS but at the end of the day they all do the same thing.

I could sell all my kit tomorrow, make a profit on what I bought it for and jump to a high end Canon or Nikon but would it make me any happier or a better photographer ... nope.
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im refering to the way people think to just get canon or nikon and they leave sony, pentax and olympus in the dark and refer to us as lower classes
 
mastertrinity said:
i dont mean it that way as i like pentax but its the fact of you expect the canikon users to be proud of one of the top two and they actually prefer the lower classes of sony and pentax and olympus. having a pentax is not much different to sony.
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Don't see how Pentax, Sony, Olympus ,are regarded as lower classes .I used to have a Pentax K100D sr ,it produced much more consistent results ,infact if i could justify it i would have no qualms going back to Pentax tomorrow ,but thats just my opinion, your entitled to yours :thumbs::popcorn:
 
I mulled over a similar question for weeks. Canon (400D or 450D, Sony A350 or Nikon D60) but my budget dropped and it was either the Sony or Nikon.

As has been mentioned at that budget you're getting pretty much the same with any of these so go for the one you feel comfortable with

I got the Nikon D60 and am totally besotted and this is after wanting a Canon for years and years. I'm not disappointed with my choice :)
 
as said,there really isn't much to choose between any of them...until you start looking at high end equipment.i chose the sony equipment based on the fact that it felt the best in hand with my reasonably sized hands.i also liked the others i tried,but they all felt to small compared to the sony(alpha 100).i've since got another 2 sony alphas,and love them both....the only failing now as i see it,is me as a photographer :lol:
 
Getting back to the question, there's been some good advice earlier on in the post. You need to try the camera's out, personally I would not exclude the Canon in the same way I would not exclude either sony or pentax, as entry level camera's they all deliver.
When I bought my first DSLR, I had the Nikon D70 or Canon 350D in mind, didn't get on with either in the shop, but fell in love with the canon 20D, so bought it, because it felt well balanced, comfortable to hold and the controls were easy accessible. I would also take some cards with me and take some shots with the camera's to look at on the computer, there are slight differences in colours between the camera's.
Personally I would not go for the nikon D60, you are limited because the body rely's on lens with built in focus motors as the camera doesn't have one built into the body, a used nikon D70s or D80 would be a better bet, but at the end of the day, its the camera you feel most comfortable using and meets your budget requirements

Peter
 
Mike.P said:
Used Nikon D70 on Ebay atm (not mine obviously).
Looks in good nick but you will need a lens.

Not sure if its a good price or not?
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Nikon D70 will not disappoint.
Not a fan of Nikon software, but don't need to use it.
 
mehraj said:
@DarrenToogood ... Cannon is way far expensive just with one lens!!
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Are you looking at the right Canon? I thought all the entry level models are comparable across the brands (price wise). Certainly Canon has offers on par with Nikon.

mehraj said:
...
But the which one you say would be easier to navigate for a novice like me??

I know people use different cameras and feel comfortable with their own machine. But still I am asking which one would you recommend for a newbie??
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Only you can decide this. The camera ergonomics and usability is pretty subjective, so you will hear an equal number of opinions favouring each camera brand. My suggestion is - pop in one of the high street retailers and give the cameras a try. Hold it in your hands, get a feel of the menus and controls. Do that for each of your choices and then you can narrow your choice down by what is suitable/best for you.

mehraj said:
@DarrenToogood ... Cannon is way far expensive
One more thing shall I go for a pro level camera or semi-pro??
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I was under impression that cost was an issue (re: your Canon comment) so what is the point of going pro then? It will cost you at least twice as much for the body alone let aside the lenses. (I am not talking about skills here I am talking about cameras/lenses designated at Pro level, assuming that is what you asked for). From my experience, pro-level bodies whilst giving you more control over what you are doing, better set of features etc, can easily overwhelm a beginner and can also be a tricky beasts to master especially if you are a beginner. None of them will probably take "great" pictures out of the box (i.e. they won't have any of those "Picture" modes) and you'll need to spend quite some time learning how to master your camera controls and settings. So I would suggest you start with a easier consumer level camera and progress from there. A good compromise would be advanced consumer level cameras like Nikon D90 (if your budget can stretch for it).
 
Hey im new to photography and decided to buy a canon 450d, it only cost just under £500, and i love it. Is soooo easy to use, especially if your newish like me. Also i bought mine from warehouse express, they do some good deals if your looking to buy 2 lenses.
 
I have owned the Nikon D50,D70s and D200 and now own the Pentax K20D.

Would I swap back to any of the other cameras ? Not a chance the Pentax K20D would be my choice everytime. Not owned a Canon but the build quality of the Pentax feels so much better than the lower priced Canons/Nikons.

Also as mentioned above the Pentax glass is top quality and usually cheaper than the big two's equivalants.

Not saying the Pentax will suit you but if you get a chance I urge you to try it.

Jason
 
JPC1970 said:
Would I swap back to any of the other cameras ? Not a chance the Pentax K20D would be my choice everytime. Not owned a Canon but the build quality of the Pentax feels so much better than the lower priced Canons/Nikons.
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that's a semi-pro body though (like Canon 40D, Nikon D80, Sony A700 etc.) so that improved build quality is 1 of th ethings that you are paying for.
I suspect that would blow his budget though.

Personally I strongly believe that the best vfm entry DSLR is the Sony A200 as long as a) it suits you ergonomically & b) that you don't need/want LiveView.
When you sit down & really look at it though it's amazing how few real head to heads there are - they pretty much all have their own mix of features, price point etc. & what may be best for 1 person may well not be the best choice for another.
 
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