Beginner DSLR - Suggestions?

[Xafer]

Hey guys

 

I'm considering getting an DSLR for my trip to South Africa this summer.

I'm a student so the budget is fairly limited - around 500 USD give or take

 

I've been looking at the 100D from Canon, the D3300 from Nikon and some Sony alternatives.

Can you guys suggest some alternatives or give your thought on those models?

[ShadowCaptain]

Hey guys

 

I'm considering getting an DSLR for my trip to South Africa this summer.

I'm a student so the budget is fairly limited - around 500 USD give or take

 

I've been looking at the 100D from Canon, the D3300 from Nikon and some Sony alternatives.

Can you guys suggest some alternatives or give your thought on those models?

 

Sony A6000 get my vote

 

or if it HAS to be a DSLR Nikon D3300

[ZetZet]

For trips I would get mirrorless. Much easier to carry around and photos are superb anyway.

[Xafer]

Sony A6000 get my vote

 

or if it HAS to be a DSLR Nikon D3300

 

For trips I would get mirrorless. Much easier to carry around and photos are superb anyway.

 

Carrying wont be a problem - i'm used to carrying around an arsenal of GoPro stuff in a bag the same size as one for a DSLR

 

What would the advantages/diadvantages of picking a mirrorless be? And can you suggest a couple of mirrorless cameras in the budget i can take a look at.

[chaozbandit]

Carrying wont be a problem - i'm used to carrying around an arsenal of GoPro stuff in a bag the same size as one for a DSLR

 

What would the advantages/diadvantages of picking a mirrorless be? And can you suggest a couple of mirrorless cameras in the budget i can take a look at.

 

Having just come back from the Canadian GP with my A6000, I can vouch for the portability. Mirrorless cameras tend to be more compact than DSLRs and as such are lighter and less fatiguing over time, though that can be countered by how much glass you decide to carry. Electronic viewfinders are also amazing if you do work in bright sunny conditions, and most options include a tilting screen to give you flexibility with your shots. That being said, if you decide to go Sony you're going to be shelling out more than you'd like for first-party lenses - ontop of the lack of options, any good Zeiss lens is right around 1K (but nowadays you can get by with a decent Tamaron lens or buy an adaptor and use Canon / Nikon glass. (read: this doesn't mean the kit lenses that Sony ships are bad - rather they're the best bang for the buck for what they're worth and the Sony 18-55 and 55-210 combo is more than enough to get you by for your trip; APSC sensor size means actual focal length is 1.6x) Alternatives for mirrorless would be Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus and Leica on the high end.

 

The only gripes I've had with my kit, aside from lens availability, is low-light performance in that traditional DSLRs will always have less noise as the light begins to dissipate in addition to better memory buffers.

 

At the end of the day, it's best to go into a physical store and give whatever options they have a try since ergonomic preference varies from person to person. My decision to go to Sony was a mix of factors revolving around portability and the 11 fps burst / Sony's tracking autofocus algorithms.

[ShadowCaptain]

The only gripes I've had with my kit, aside from lens availability, is low-light performance in that traditional DSLRs will always have less noise as the light begins to dissipate in addition to better memory buffers.

 

The A6000 noise performance is really good and on par with other APSC DSLRs, so not sure of what you are saying here , if you want better low light, get better glass 

 

 

Carrying wont be a problem - i'm used to carrying around an arsenal of GoPro stuff in a bag the same size as one for a DSLR

 

What would the advantages/diadvantages of picking a mirrorless be? And can you suggest a couple of mirrorless cameras in the budget i can take a look at.

 

Advantages, smaller, lighter, can be used with all lenses on the market, including Leica, Canon, Nikon and old film/legacy glass!

 

Downsides, less native lenses (there are a lot though and sonys e mount is growing fast).. less grippy to hold, 

 

Honestly the A6000 is one of the best APSC cameras on the market at the moment, looking to pick one up even though I have a full frame A7, since I can share the lenses and its amazing AF performance is second to none

[Xafer]

Okay, so i might be able to get a Sony A58k at a good price, how would it perform compared to the canon 100d which is the one i'm considering buying

[ShadowCaptain]

Okay, so i might be able to get a Sony A58k at a good price, how would it perform compared to the canon 100d which is the one i'm considering buying

 

What price is the A58?

 

Dont buy a 100d 

 

Why did you ignore our recommendation for the A6000?

[Xafer]

What price is the A58?

 

Dont buy a 100d 

 

Why did you ignore our recommendation for the A6000?

 

What are the problems with the 100d?

 

The A6000 is out of my budget - I live in Denmark, our prices is a bit higher.

Here are the prices i can get the cameras at:

Canon 100d - 3500 DKK = 530 USD

Canon 700d - 4500 DKK = 680 USD

Sony A6000 - 4800 DKK = 725 USD

Sony A58K - 2600 DKK = 390 USD

[Xafer]

A deal for the Nikon D3200 just came

2600 DKK = 390 USD

 

How would that stack up to the alternatives

[nicon]

If you can push it, a refurbished/slightly used Olympus OMD-EM10 would be amazing.

[skylane]

People focus too much on the body. Glass is more important and they don't become disposable like bodies. Think about that whatever you get. Especially with wildlife photography.  

[Xafer]

What price is the A58?

 

Dont buy a 100d 

 

Why did you ignore our recommendation for the A6000?

 

Okay so i've increased my budget a bit, and i have found some lower prices for the a6000

I would be able to get the a6000 now with the double lens kit. 16-50 and 55-210

This is my favourite deal atm, the a6000 suits my needs, especially the 1080p60fps video which i havent found in the DSLR's from Canon and nikon.

 

How does the a6000 stack up against the nikon d5300 and canon 700d? Those are the three options i'm considering atm. The canon and nikon will be with a 18-55 lens and a tamron 70-300 probably.

[ShadowCaptain]

Okay so i've increased my budget a bit, and i have found some lower prices for the a6000

I would be able to get the a6000 now with the double lens kit. 16-50 and 55-210

This is my favourite deal atm, the a6000 suits my needs, especially the 1080p60fps video which i havent found in the DSLR's from Canon and nikon.

 

How does the a6000 stack up against the nikon d5300 and canon 700d? Those are the three options i'm considering atm. The canon and nikon will be with a 18-55 lens and a tamron 70-300 probably.

 

Stacks up better IMO its the best ASPC camera on the market, especially for its focus system, insanely fast so great for tracking moving subjects etc and its such a responsive camera, also EVF over OVF anyday

 

if you get a canon or nikon (for whatever reason) you can get the 70-200 f2.8 for cheapish (the A100 tamron) you can also get this to mount on the A6000 with the LEA3/4 adapter

[Xafer]

Stacks up better IMO its the best ASPC camera on the market, especially for its focus system, insanely fast so great for tracking moving subjects etc and its such a responsive camera, also EVF over OVF anyday

 

if you get a canon or nikon (for whatever reason) you can get the 70-200 f2.8 for cheapish (the A100 tamron) you can also get this to mount on the A6000 with the LEA3/4 adapter

 

I'm ordering the a6000 double lens kit tomorrow Thank you very much for helping me make the decision

[ShadowCaptain]

I'm ordering the a6000 double lens kit tomorrow Thank you very much for helping me make the decision

 

Awesome