Entry Level DSLR recommendations?

[CardinalFJ60]

what he said!

I couldn't agree more! In order to hold my 70-300mm steady at 300mm i need to be shooting at like 1/2000 of a second!!!

everything Cheeseman said is SPOT ON. I've had my d300 for years now and still go through the Lantern guide regularly to remind myself of the features.

I might even go as far as to say some of the entry level cameras need you to read the manual even closer since many options are menu driven. I upgraded from the Nikon D40x (still one of my favorites) to the D300 so I could change settings on the fly with buttons and dials.

also think about how heavy this stuff gets. when I borrow a D700 with battery grip and the 24-70mm/2.8 the weight is like 7lbs! you gotta carry this stuff around.

 

[Caribou Sandstorm]

What do you guys think of the Canon DSLR T3? Target has a smokin deal inludes another lens and the wife wants a new camera.

 

[jonharis]

What do you guys think of the Canon DSLR T3? Target has a smokin deal inludes another lens and the wife wants a new camera.

Nikon's D5100 is a better camera at that price point. Better yet, the newer D3200 is actually a better camera than the 5100 IMO. Get a good piece of glass.

I bought my mom a T2i and the photos are excellent with decent glass that she already owned.

 

[xodeuce]

Nikon's D5100 is a better camera at that price point. Better yet, the newer D3200 is actually a better camera than the 5100 IMO. Get a good piece of glass.

I bought my mom a T2i and the photos are excellent with decent glass that she already owned.

X2 on the good lens. Years ago I didn't really understand how big the image quality impact of the lens quality was. However, after having shot with a lot of different Nikon, Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma glass over the years, I'd now take a 24-70 2.8, or my old Tokina 12-24, on a D3200 over a kit lens on a D600. I've become a fan of trying before buying by renting from borrowlenses.com or lensrentals.com. Both have great customer service, and lots of different options. It's also good if you want to get a lens for a trip that you can't really justify buying.

 

[Rzeppa]

Nikon D5200?

I am seriously considering the Nikon D5200 bundle from Sam's Club. It is on sale until the 9th and includes the 18-55 and the 55-200. Many of the reviews I have read have indicated that the 39 point AF is way superior to the 5100's 5 or something.

$979.00 is a couple hundred less for this bundle than I have seen anywhere else.

Comments? If I am going to buy this I need to pull the trigger by Sunday.

 

[CardinalFJ60]

great camera

that's a nice setup. also check B&H photo to see what they can offer. My latest Popular Photography magazine raved about it.

 

[Hulk]

Jeff, that's a good camera with some really nice extras. I think you'll be very happy with it. I have the 55-200 lens (the VR version -- not sure if this is the VR version but I bet it is), and it works really well. With the 16 GB card and the wireless adapter included, the only thing you might want to purchase is a flash and maybe a tripod. You will get many years of use out of this.

 

[Rzeppa]

Jeff, that's a good camera with some really nice extras. I think you'll be very happy with it. I have the 55-200 lens (the VR version -- not sure if this is the VR version but I bet it is), and it works really well. With the 16 GB card and the wireless adapter included, the only thing you might want to purchase is a flash and maybe a tripod. You will get many years of use out of this.

Thanks, Matt. It has a built-in flash, and I already have a tripod. And yes, the Nikkor lenses have the VR feature.

My neighbor has the 5100 and really likes how easy the firmware is to use. That means a lot to me too - I have a Pentax P&S which is a nice little camera but a PITA to menu your way in to whatever it is that you want to set up.

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

Why not go with the D7000?

 

[Rzeppa]

Why not go with the D7000?

Because of the screaming deal on the D5200 bundle.

I pulled the trigger on Friday. I'll post up some images when I get time. Gotta run!

 

[blkprj80]

Nice pick for a camera Jeff!

Two things I've never regretted buying for my D40 are the speedlight and a remote.
Speedlight works soooo much better than the built-in and saves camera battery.
The remote was a big hit when taking family gathering shots using the delay feature. Plus, it triggered my cousin's D5100 as well, so we had two cameras on tripods firing away simultaneously!

I have a 18-135 sort of odd-ball lens that seems to be my favorite. My only other lens is a 55-200, and you can't "get back far enough" with it if you try to use it anywhere inside. Outdoors, it's a beauty!

First thing, put a UV filter on the front of your lenses. My camera wears a lens cap about 2% of the time, but I never worry about it - it's protected!

I'm looking forward to all the pictures. Play around with depth of field and also take some really small aperture, long exposure shots from a tripod. You can take photos that will amaze us!

I love digital. It gives idoits like me a chance to get a good shot every couple hundred.

 

[Rzeppa]

The remote was a big hit when taking family gathering shots using the delay feature. Plus, it triggered my cousin's D5100 as well, so we had two cameras on tripods firing away simultaneously!

This thing came with a plug-in doo-dad that allows any android or iOS device to work as a remote. I haven't downloaded and installed the app yet but it seems like a cool idea. The DVD that came with the camera showed how you can watch live what the camera is seeing on your Android or iOS device while you decide when to start shooting video or fire off a still shot, or adjust settings on the camera.

 

[Rzeppa]

I love digital. It gives idoits like me a chance to get a good shot every couple hundred.

Right now, the main thing that it has over my old 35mm is the variable ISO settings. Used to be, I was limited to whatever film speed I had in there as far as shutter speeds and aperture settings. Now that is kind of like the 3rd variable in exposure, so I can force a given shutter speed and aperture and let the ISO speed become the variable for exposure.

I'm liking it a LOT.