DSLR

[archonforest]

If any of u planning to buy a new DSLR camera on
a reasonable price then chk out the Nikon D3100.
This is not a Pro camera but an entry level but
still delivering great picture quality.

I got one recently and I am very satisfied.
The menus are very user friendly and I love
the colors and the sharpness of the pictures.

I do not want to start a discussion here which
camera is better but just want to help some of u
as the market is full and I think this is a great
product.

[inkydigit]

hi
I am looking to get a dslr, undecided yet so, thanks, any shots?
cheers
Jason

[chris_x422]

I got the D3200 for my son a few months ago, an excellent buy.

The only caveat being that I would recommend getting a better lens than the one packaged with the kit.
We got a 35mm f1.8  prime lens and it a gives great results, sharp and crisp with great bokeh and depth.

Chris

[matrix2003]

Hey Jason. I have a Canon 60D and several lenses, that I am quite happy with. You may want to consider the Nikon line though. My pro photographer buddy just sold off ALL his Canon gear and switched to Nikon's after 15 years of shooting Canon's. Canon and Nikon used to be neck and neck, but apparently Nikon is rated better these days, especially with pro's.

[inkydigit]

wow, thanks for the info folks!
that is really helpful!

Jason

[archonforest]

For Jason: I popped 3 pictures over to u couple of min ago. I made them smaller than the original as I had a problem with the upload 
Anycow...hope it will help u to decide on your new camera.

[mhall]

I'm a professional photographer by trade. I have both Canon and Nikon gear in house.

I started 20 years ago with Nikon, switched to Canon for their 1D series back in 2003 (and for lenses like the 135mm 2.0 and 200mm 1., and switched back to Nikon for their D3s line in 2010 when it became clear it was an astounding camera. (This was also after several years of bad experiences with the 1DmkII and 1DmkIII professional cameras).

As a result, I haven't purchased any Canon gear in some time, but - by all accounts - they're top level camera, the 1Dx, is back up to being just plain awesome.

I would not say any one camera manufacturer is definitively better across the board. Each has awesome pro-level gear and incredible lenses. Each has great feature sets. Nikon just released an enthusiast level DSLR the D5300, that has integrated wifi (something that should have been in all of their cameras about five years ago).  I don't believe Canon has a DSLR with integrated wifi yet. On the other hand, Canon updated their external flash control systems with a wireless radio system recently, which is much more reliable than the IR based systems previously in use. This is a feature that Nikon does not have and could certainly benefit from. Canon has also recently innovated with a new form of AF system they are calling "dual pixel AF" which allows for MUCH faster autofocus from the live video stream when using the camera to record video or in "live view" mode. I believe this is currently only in one camera, but I would expect it to be standard in the future. On the other hand, Nikon has been eating Canon's lunch in high ISO performance for the past few years (an area in which it used to lag notably) and has also blown Canon out of the water in full frame DSLR offerings (an area in which Canon was first to enter the market).

Ultimately, my suggestion is to determine what exactly you would like to be able to do with the gear (as that can narrow the field as to what you ultimately NEED to purchase), try both brands (renting is a good option) and see which feels better in the hand and which interface makes more sense. Since you're going to be (hopefully) using these cameras a lot, I usually recommend the one that makes the most "sense" as you look at it.

Also, rather than looking at a full DSLR ... there are new mirrorless offerings from various manufacturers which are extremely good. The Nikon 1 series is rated very highly. They are still fleshing out their lens lineups but the AF is super fast and the image quality is very good. Certain models can shoot 4K frams @ 60FPS for 1 second, making for some fun action sequences. Also, Fuji has an excellent line of cameras - one in particular, the x100s has been received extremely well.

Just some thoughts ...

[archonforest]

I agree with the above and:

I heard from a Pro photographer this and I think personally he was right:

"You need to see what u want to achieve and then find the camera that delivers that."

Some people just going always for the latest stuff and paying extra for some features
they will never use:)

Anyway...I was reading a bunch of articles about the D3100 vs D3200 as I was confused
which one I should buy. Then I borrowed a D3100 and went out to take some
pictures. 1st of all I was able to use the camera without reading any manual as the menus
were super user friendly and the whole thing just made sense. 2nd the pictures I got were
exactly I was looking for. Like this I took the D3100. Why should I pay another 100 to
have the latest model when the earlier already perfect for my needs?

[otakar]

The D5300 looks very impressive, about the only thing missing would be a touch screen. The problem as always for me is the cost of the lenses, putting a (new) DSLR out of reach for a hobbyist.

[TheBadger]

Personally, my experience has been that if you don't have good glass, don't bother. The right lens for your needs can easily cost as much, and much more then the camera body.

One thing you want to be sure of is your needs, what you want to do right away and what your sure you will want to do as soon as you are able. Check with resellers to see what good used lenses, that will work with your body cost. Look at the full range of lenses so you know what your future costs may be.

I shoot with Nikon. I have only thought about switching to cannon when they released their video DSLRs. But Nikon covers that rather well now. Buying all new glass for a new body is very painful.

In any case, for still work, my next camera will be medium format, digital or not. But Im glad that the new high end DSLRs are getting closer and closer to medium format sized sensors.
Here are two top google returns.
http://www.photigy.com/nikon-d800e-test-review-vs-hasselblad-h4d40-35mm-against-medium-format/
http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/is-medium-format-the-new-old-frontier-for-camera-makers-and-why-does-it-matter/

I started out in studio photography with medium formats. It has always colored my view of SLRs. The problem was that mediums cost so darn much. Not any more though. YOu can get in at a low price now. And if your willing to shoot film, for next to nothing (excluding glass).

[mhall]

Wow, that's quite the leap. I thought we were talking about entry level DSLRs, not medium format backs!

I, too, would love to move to medium format and have been watching the segment for years now. The D800E definitely looks to be encroaching on MF territory in terms of overall quality. Got the chance to shoot with the D800 recently and the files are very, very nice. However, optically, MF still has the edge in terms of look.

But, really, what I long for is a 4x5 single shot digital back. That's be fun! It wouldn't even have to be crazy high resolution. I just want the optical qualities and movements that large format offers.

[Walli]

an option you might consider - there are also camera systems with the same sensor compared to DSLR, but mirrorless. I have a good old Canon DSLR and a few lenses, so I wanted to go for a more recent version with nice LCD screen, better light sensitivity and so on - but I thought that Canons was a bit behind on this field.
So I finally decided to go for a Samsung NX1000. This was an experiment, but I thought at that size the camera should serve me well. If you stick a pancake lens on it, you can put it in the pocket of your shirt. And you get basically DSLR picture quality at the price of about 270,- Euro.
Of course the NX1000 has some limitations, that I was aware of before buying. Autofocus is slower for example, LCD screen is mediocre. But I am really happy about the decision, i have a super portable camera (best camera is the one you have with you ;-) ) and it has the same picture quality compared to the Nikon 3XXX,5XXX or Canon 7XX range.
So that doesn´t mean that I abandon Canon - but now I have some time to wait for Canon to strike back ;-)
And by the way - there are also other, mirrorless camera like the NX1000 which have great LCD screens and autofocus on par with theentry to midlevel DSLR´s.

[Dune]

And mirrorless has its advantages, no dirt on the sensor! I have a nikon D80 with 2 persistent spots that I never get rid of. PS is the only solution.

[inkydigit]

wow, even more really interesting and useful info... thanks a lot folks...

[TheBadger]

best camera is the one you have with you ;-) )

This is so painfully true!
I cant tell you how many award winning shots (in my mind) I have missed out on because my rig is too much trouble to hull around all the time. Also Im paranoid about breaking it or getting robed in some situations. Pocket cameras are really very nice in this light.

Wow, that's quite the leap. I thought we were talking about entry level DSLRs, not medium format backs!

Yeah, I know. But if your good enough to make great photos with a prosumer camera, your good enough to use a pro camera too. And if you love making photographs then start a savings account just for the camera. I have cheated my passions more than a few times and I always regret it.

Ulco,
Just send your camera in. Nikon will clean it up for you. Or go to a good local shop. Pain in the butt though. PS is probably faster