First DSLR

[Flyguygamer]

I am looking at the Cannon rebel t3 and found this kit. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-18-55mm-75-300mm-Battery/dp/B00F36HL8U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1388797449&sr=8-11&keywords=Canon+EOS+REBEL+T3

 

I have a few questions

 

Is this a good camera?

Is this a good kit?

Do I need anything else?

Is there a better Camera kit for this price?

I am looking for kits that come with things like lenses and batteries.

 

 

 

My max budget is $600, $500 if possible plus shipping, my zipcode is 80033.

[dizmo]

T3I?

[sabot]

I love my camera. I got a d5100 a while ago but the price has skyrocketed. I might sugest a nikon d3100: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-Double-Zoom-18-55mm-55-200mm/dp/B00CCGZ6PO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237803&sr=8-2&keywords=d3100

 

or a 3200 (way better censor and it has a lot better video, with separate mic input and hdmi out!)

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6-NIKKOR/dp/B007VGGFZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237822&sr=8-1&keywords=d3200

or two lens, but a little bit moar money!

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-55-200mm-Non-VR/dp/B00GC3PQ76/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237822&sr=8-2&keywords=d3200

 

Good luck, I know you will enjoy it just like I do! Also you will definitely want some sort of case for it a small lowepro will work, or amazon basics bag.

[Flyguygamer]

I love my camera. I got a d5100 a while ago but the price has skyrocketed. I might sugest a nikon d3100: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-Double-Zoom-18-55mm-55-200mm/dp/B00CCGZ6PO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237803&sr=8-2&keywords=d3100

 

or a 3200 (way better censor and it has a lot better video, with separate mic input and hdmi out!)

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6-NIKKOR/dp/B007VGGFZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237822&sr=8-1&keywords=d3200

or two lens, but a little bit moar money!

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-55-200mm-Non-VR/dp/B00GC3PQ76/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389237822&sr=8-2&keywords=d3200

 

Good luck, I know you will enjoy it just like I do! Also you will definitely want some sort of case for it a small lowepro will work, or amazon basics bag.

The cheaper one looks good. But I am looking for kits like the one I linked.

[Flyguygamer]

T3I?

 I am looking for kits like the one I linked.

[CadillacVic]

I am looking at the Cannon rebel t3 and found this kit. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-18-55mm-75-300mm-Battery/dp/B00F36HL8U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1388797449&sr=8-11&keywords=Canon+EOS+REBEL+T3

 

I have a few questions

 

Is this a good camera?

Is this a good kit?

Do I need anything else?

Is there a better Camera kit for this price?

I am looking for kits that come with things like lenses and batteries.

 

 

 

My max budget is $600, $500 if possible plus shipping, my zipcode is 80033.

I'm in the same boat as you I was looking on Ebay for a DSLR camera ,the thing is you are really going to have to do your research before you make your purchase. What kind of photography are you trying to get into?   

[Flyguygamer]

I'm in the same boat as you I was looking on Ebay for a DSLR camera ,the thing is you are really going to have to do your research before you make your purchase. What kind of photography are you trying to get into?   

Just about everything. I have been asked do do wedding videos, kids portraits, family photos, and short films.

[dizmo]

 I am looking for kits like the one I linked.

 

Understandable, but for a starter I wouldn't recommend all the extras. It's usually best to tackle it piece by piece and get quality stuff as you move forward.

A lot of the things in the kit are really quite cheap. Bag, cleaning cloths, SD card. I'd honestly go with a better quality, smaller capacity SD card.

As a starter, an 18-55mm and 50mm prime lens are usually more than adequate.

Something to think about at least.

 

If you want to compare cameras, this is a great site.

http://snapsort.com/compare

 

 

On a side note, don't do a wedding, especially if you're the only photographer and a starter. That just spells disaster.

[sabot]

The cheaper one looks good. But I am looking for kits like the one I linked.

Fair enough, b and h has a lot of kits. Personally I like Nikon a lot better, I feel that their menu systems are a lot better to use. But that is personal. I have used both, but most of my friends have Nikons so sharing lens is easy since we all have the same Nikon mount.

here is a link to their stuff in your range, odiously you can sort it by more stuff, but I do not know what is important to you other than kit and price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=9811&N=4288586282&mnp=400&mxp=600

[Flyguygamer]

Understandable, but for a starter I wouldn't recommend all the extras. It's usually best to tackle it piece by piece and get quality stuff as you move forward.

A lot of the things in the kit are really quite cheap. Bag, cleaning cloths, SD card. I'd honestly go with a better quality, smaller capacity SD card.

As a starter, an 18-55mm and 50mm prime lens are usually more than adequate.

Something to think about at least.

 

If you want to compare cameras, this is a great site.

http://snapsort.com/compare

 

 

On a side note, don't do a wedding, especially if you're the only photographer and a starter. That just spells disaster.

I already have turned down the wedding.

[Flyguygamer]

Fair enough, b and h has a lot of kits. Personally I like Nikon a lot better, I feel that their menu systems are a lot better to use. But that is personal. I have used both, but most of my friends have Nikons so sharing lens is easy since we all have the same Nikon mount.

here is a link to their stuff in your range, odiously you can sort it by more stuff, but I do not know what is important to you other than kit and price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=9811&N=4288586282&mnp=400&mxp=600

Thanks for your help.

[dizmo]

The D3200 is a world better than the T3, and comes with a better memory card and a bag as well if you're getting it from B&H.

The tripod from that kit you were looking at is $18, flash is $39, cleaning kit is $7,  you can get much better SD card cases for $20 on eBay.

 

It's better to do that, and then move into the zoom lens once you've gotten a better handle of it. Used glass is also a good way to go if you're on a budget as long as it was well maintained.

Plus if you have a better body it'll last you longer, it's cheaper (to a degree) to buy different lenses than different bodies.

[antiquoob]

What he said^^^

Remember when you buy an SLR you're buying into a system. Lenses are the most important piece of kit (aside from the shooter). Camera bodies come and go like GPUs/CPUs (faster). A lens however mundane sounding (if a quality one) will keep it's value. A few generalizations re: Canon vs Nikon (it's worse than Apple/PC ever was).

Same as comp-benchmarks: synthetics don't pan out to real-world use. Be skeptical of abstruse technical reviews, testing iq, and shooting photos of many brick walls.

Nikon kills canon when it comes to flash, remote flash, syncing etc. On paper, Nikon (generally) has wider dynamic range (64fps vs 60fps...a lab would notice). Until very recently Nikon was kinda the Apple (older, slight underdog) and Canon was the Gates PC. People base their Brand off two criteria- (Nikon or Canon) Lenses and the layout (buttons, menus) of the camera. No one likes to tap thru 5 menus using 2 hands to adjust the aperture. Canon has a slight edge in this dept.

Going to SLR is a a commitment, a good one of course...and expensive as hell. Good zooms (for slrs) are WHOA!!$$$. Things add up quick.

The package you linked to is a "put as many (cheap) things in as possible" deal. Not recommended.

For canon, you can find t3is, t4is, for the price you're lookin' at. They use the same sensor in the 7D, which a super great cropped SLR.

Hmmm. Analogy time!

The package on amazon would be like...

a 500$ PC with-

discreet GPU (GeForce 210)

8 gigs ram (ddr1)

750 watt PSU (zinc rated)

"Gamers case" (?)

2 TB HDD (10 platters/100rpm)

A free inkjet!

a lozenge

it has all the stuff, but...

Unlike computers where many parts are needed to "go"

SLRs aren't a "get a build" deal, you start with:

Body+Lens

A Nikon 3200/t4i would (and should) keep any photographer busy forever.

It also depends on what you want to do, as in

Do movies take precedence over stills?

(If so, stop!)

There are way better cameras out now (non SLR) which exceed at movie-making, ESP at your PP.

Hmm. What kind of stuff you wanna do?

[Flyguygamer]

What he said^^^

Remember when you buy an SLR you're buying into a system. Lenses are the most important piece of kit (aside from the shooter). Camera bodies come and go like GPUs/CPUs (faster). A lens however mundane sounding (if a quality one) will keep it's value. A few generalizations re: Canon vs Nikon (it's worse than Apple/PC ever was).

Same as comp-benchmarks: synthetics don't pan out to real-world use. Be skeptical of abstruse technical reviews, testing iq, and shooting photos of many brick walls.

Nikon kills canon when it comes to flash, remote flash, syncing etc. On paper, Nikon (generally) has wider dynamic range (64fps vs 60fps...a lab would notice). Until very recently Nikon was kinda the Apple (older, slight underdog) and Canon was the Gates PC. People base their Brand off two criteria- (Nikon or Canon) Lenses and the layout (buttons, menus) of the camera. No one likes to tap thru 5 menus using 2 hands to adjust the aperture. Canon has a slight edge in this dept.

Going to SLR is a a commitment, a good one of course...and expensive as hell. Good zooms (for slrs) are WHOA!!$$$. Things add up quick.

The package you linked to is a "put as many (cheap) things in as possible" deal. Not recommended.

For canon, you can find t3is, t4is, for the price you're lookin' at. They use the same sensor in the 7D, which a super great cropped SLR.

Hmmm. Analogy time!

The package on amazon would be like...

a 500$ PC with-

discreet GPU (GeForce 210)

8 gigs ram (ddr1)

750 watt PSU (zinc rated)

"Gamers case" (?)

2 TB HDD (10 platters/100rpm)

A free inkjet!

a lozenge

it has all the stuff, but...

Unlike computers where many parts are needed to "go"

SLRs aren't a "get a build" deal, you start with:

Body+Lens

A Nikon 3200/t4i would (and should) keep any photographer busy forever.

It also depends on what you want to do, as in

Do movies take precedence over stills?

(If so, stop!)

There are way better cameras out now (non SLR) which exceed at movie-making, ESP at your PP.

Hmm. What kind of stuff you wanna do?

Photos are the main priority but I do want good quality videos as well. I am looking to get at least one good lens, a body, a decent tripod, and extras are nice but not needed. For $600 plus shipping what is the best camera body, lens, tripod, spare battery, and memory card.

[antiquoob]

cool- I'll look around, lots of good deals now. The traditional camera makers are scared silly 'cause of phone cameras. It's a good time to buy (less than stellar holiday sales, stagflation and a crap load of sitting inventory).

[Flyguygamer]

cool- I'll look around, lots of good deals now. The traditional camera makers are scared silly 'cause of phone cameras. It's a good time to buy (less than stellar holiday sales, stagflation and a crap load of sitting inventory).

How is the t3i?

[Flyguygamer]

cool- I'll look around, lots of good deals now. The traditional camera makers are scared silly 'cause of phone cameras. It's a good time to buy (less than stellar holiday sales, stagflation and a crap load of sitting inventory).

Do you know of a way to use my usb mic with a 3.5mm jack like on the t3i?

[dizmo]

Did you want Canon for sure?

This Nikon kit is pretty good. Has a lot of what you were looking at in the other.
Maybe @antiquoob can chime in on that one.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/797735-REG/Nikon_Nikon_D5100_18_55_Essentials.html

 

The similar Canon kit is $30 more.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/889344-REG/Canon_EOS_Rebel_T3i_Digital.html

 

Some of the extras aren't overly useful, but for the price increase over the kit without them and buying a bag you get a couple of free extras. *shrug*

 

If you don't mind refurbished units, the Canon site has a few of those as well. No extra's, but a lot cheaper.

 

t3i 18-55mm lens kit $479

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras/eos-rebel-t3i-ef-s-18-55mm-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished

 

t4i $575

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras/eos-rebel-t4i-18-55mm-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished

 

 

I've handled both the d5100 and t3i and preferred the d5100 fwiw. The fold out screen was a lot more useful than I thought it would be.

It's also a bit better in specification.

[Flyguygamer]

Did you want Canon for sure?

This Nikon kit is pretty good. Has a lot of what you were looking at in the other.

Maybe @antiquoob can chime in on that one.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/797735-REG/Nikon_Nikon_D5100_18_55_Essentials.html

 

The similar Canon kit is $30 more.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/889344-REG/Canon_EOS_Rebel_T3i_Digital.html

 

Some of the extras aren't overly useful, but for the price increase over the kit without them and buying a bag you get a couple of free extras. *shrug*

 

If you don't mind refurbished units, the Canon site has a few of those as well. No extra's, but a lot cheaper.

 

t3i 18-55mm lens kit $479

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras/eos-rebel-t3i-ef-s-18-55mm-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished

 

t4i $575

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras/eos-rebel-t4i-18-55mm-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished

 

 

I've handled both the d5100 and t3i and preferred the d5100 fwiw. The fold out screen was a lot more useful than I thought it would be.

It's also a bit better in specification.

I have decided to get better things separately over time. I would like to buy from amazon. Right now I am thinking of the t3i, a tripod, 2 batteries, a second charger, a class 10 sdhc card, and if I can afford it another lens.

 

Would you go for the cannon or nicon as standalone cameras and lenses?

[dizmo]

I have decided to get better things separately over time. I would like to buy from amazon. Right now I am thinking of the t3i, a tripod, 2 batteries, a second charger, a class 10 sdhc card, and if I can afford it another lens.

 

Would you go for the cannon or nicon as standalone cameras and lenses?

Just curious, why Amazon over B&H or Canon direct?

 

Do you have a store near you where you can go test them out? It's usually best to get a feel for the body you'll be using, as even though they look quite similar one can feel much better to you in the hand.

It's kind of a personal thing, so it's not something anyone else can tell you.

 

Glad to hear you're going to go for some better quality stuff though. SD cards go on sale all the time, so they should be had quite cheap. I'd also look at getting a uv filter for the lens you get. Just a clear one, it'll help protect the glass.

 

They both have their pros and cons. DigitalRevTV has a lot of good comparisons on their YouTube channel. It's tricky though, because people are usually VERY biased one way or the other.

The D5100 has a (very) slightly larger sensor, gets more shots per charge, HDR mode, more focus points.

The T3I has a (very slightly) higher resolution display, higher MP count if (not a huge deal imo), better video recording if I recall correctly.

[Flyguygamer]

Just curious, why Amazon over B&H or Canon direct?

 

Do you have a store near you where you can go test them out? It's usually best to get a feel for the body you'll be using, as even though they look quite similar one can feel much better to you in the hand.

It's kind of a personal thing, so it's not something anyone else can tell you.

 

Glad to hear you're going to go for some better quality stuff though. SD cards go on sale all the time, so they should be had quite cheap. I'd also look at getting a uv filter for the lens you get. Just a clear one, it'll help protect the glass.

 

They both have their pros and cons. DigitalRevTV has a lot of good comparisons on their YouTube channel. It's tricky though, because people are usually VERY biased one way or the other.

The D5100 has a (very) slightly larger sensor, gets more shots per charge, HDR mode, more focus points.

The T3I has a (very slightly) higher resolution display, higher MP count if (not a huge deal imo), better video recording if I recall correctly.

In that case I will go for the t3i. I have held the t3 and it is nice. For $50 ~ $100 what lens would be good to add?

[Flyguygamer]

Just curious, why Amazon over B&H or Canon direct?

 

Do you have a store near you where you can go test them out? It's usually best to get a feel for the body you'll be using, as even though they look quite similar one can feel much better to you in the hand.

It's kind of a personal thing, so it's not something anyone else can tell you.

 

Glad to hear you're going to go for some better quality stuff though. SD cards go on sale all the time, so they should be had quite cheap. I'd also look at getting a uv filter for the lens you get. Just a clear one, it'll help protect the glass.

 

They both have their pros and cons. DigitalRevTV has a lot of good comparisons on their YouTube channel. It's tricky though, because people are usually VERY biased one way or the other.

The D5100 has a (very) slightly larger sensor, gets more shots per charge, HDR mode, more focus points.

The T3I has a (very slightly) higher resolution display, higher MP count if (not a huge deal imo), better video recording if I recall correctly.

Are used lenses bad?

[TheProfosist]

Dont get the t3 get the t3i or even a t2i

[TheProfosist]

Used lenses are fine as long as they are in good shape.

[Flyguygamer]

Dont get the t3 get the t3i or even a t2i

If you read my subsequent posts, I am now after the t3i. I am looking for a 75/80 to 200/300 mm lens for under $80. Are used lenses okay? Anything other than lenses I need?