Is a Nikon D5200 a decent first camera?

[Luke]

I've been recommended Canon's by everyone i know because they're apparently easier to learn on but i plan on going balls deep into learning photography so i'm not worried about the learning curve. Basically i just want a solid camera with a lot of head room to grow with and no important features missing that newer cameras might have. I found a D5200 with a low shutter count and the kit lens for $300 USD ($380 CAD) which seems like a decent deal but i usually spend more time researching before making a purchase decision but it's a local sale so i kind of have to jump on it.

 

Anyway i'm just looking for opinions, Any help is much appreciated.

[dizmo]

The D5200 is a pretty solid camera. I used the D5300 with an ex GF to film her final project, worked like a dream.

If you're getting into photography I'd pick up a 50mm lens, and that's all you really need as a beginner. Then you can expand later on. I'd check to see which cameras have the featuers you want; some are better at video than others.

 

 

[cc143]

The d5200 is pretty old at this point, you should really consider weather its worth buying versus spending something more to get a newer camera from that tier. 

 

I would second the Canon route as a Canon user, but the two are pretty interchangeable and the photographer plays a much bigger role. That said, I always hated the ergonomics of smaller nikons, mainly the control layouts. 

 

What you may also want to consider in this decision is that nikon's lens mount is pretty old. That means you have a more wide variety of glass you could use (even though at this point the EF mount also has a great number of amazing offerings). However their lower tier models like the d3x00 series and d5x00 series lack an in body AF motor, so only much newer lenses will Focus on them.