Home Forums Gear Photography Entry level DSLR

Looking to get my fist dslr. Looking at Nikon 3200 and Canon EOS Rebel T5 with 18-55mm lens and 75-300mm lens. Will mainly be used to replace a point&shoot, so I'm not needing a $2000 camera or do I have the budget for it. Any advantage to either?

I would consider the Nikon over the Canon for the better 24MP sensor. Also, consider the D3300 over the 3200 for the newer Expeed 4 processor. If your budget allows, consider the D5300 for the articulated screen, ability to bracket exposures, and a better focusing system. If you want to go with a kit lens, possibly think about the Nikon 18-140, or Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, both will offer better image quality than the kit 18-55. The Tamron f/2.8 may be nice indoors or in low light.

If you want a 300mm zoom for close wildlife, consider either the Nikon or Tamron 70-300. They are full frame lenses that will fit the Nikon DX, but the crop sensor will utilize the sharper center of the FF lenses.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0450645720/consumer-dslr-camera-roundup-2014

Some lens reviews here:

http://www.lenstip.com/399.1-Lens_r...40_mm_f_3.5-5.6G_ED_VR-Introduction.html

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests

Best value way in my mind: D3300 18-55 kit, and Nikon 70-300 (If you buy the 3300 & 18-55, there is also $200 off the Nikon 70-300 if you buy it together under the buy-more-save-more program)

when i left the papers cause of the divorce i had to give up my Canon 70D aswell cause the paper owned it.....needing a replacement someone here brought up a micro 4/3 specifically the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5.....body size of a large point and shoot, interchangeable lenses of a DSLR plus the 2x crop factor means my 40-150mm is equivalent to a 80-300mm in 35mm film....ive got nearly all the control of a DSLR in a light weight adaptable package and for my $500 for the camera and two lenses got a hell of alot better camera than the DSLR's in the same price range...plus it does pretty high quality video....

just food for thought

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412069,00.asp

http://asia.olympus-imaging.com/products/dslr/epl5/

Entry level I'm beginning to think is a bad word for a camera. The difference in price between a D3300 and a D5300 is only about $150, depending on where you get it. Saw a D7000 on Amazon this morning for just under $500! Discontinued camera someone is geting out of stock would be my guess, claims it's new! I think that people getting into DSLR's think of entry level because of cost but I also think a really good photographer can take a better photo with a a $650 camera, with a 18-55 kit lens, D3300, than a beginner can with a $6500 camera, body only D4. If you can afford the bit better camera, that's the way I'd go. I started with a D70 maybe 12 yrs ago then upgraded to a D5000 when it came out. Only up grade that has occurred to me is higher pixel count which allow's me to crop a photo much better than the 6mp. Now I find when I'm out working with my dog's, pointing dogs, I carry my D70 with an after market 28-200 Sigma film lens that I'd bought for film camera's long ago.

There is so much these camera's can do I just can't see how anyone can learn to work all the most inexpensive, entry level, has! Spend what you can afford. I'd add forget the kit lens, 18-55 and go with a bit better range of 18-105 or 18-140. AI turned down the 18-55 when I got mt D5000 and got it with an 18-105. It works great for photographing my dog's. Then there are after market lens from 128-50 on up to 18-300 that you can get. The wider range will give you more option's at shooting distance. Lot of people tell us that they are to long and don't take as good photo's, not sure just how good a photo they think a new shooter can take!

One caution on the D5000series camera's. The D500 will not auto focus with any older lens or newer that don't have a focusing motor in the lens. I suspect the D5200 and D5300 are the same way but you can manual focus them. And there are plenty of lens the do work with them.

if you call someone about camera's, be sure to ask what they have in Refurbished lens. They are gone through in the factory and sold with a sellers guarantee and come with every thing a new one come's with but in a white box. I have a couple refurbished lens and they work very well.

I would look for a good used Nikon D300 or D7000. The prices on these have really come down. One of the disadvantages of the entry level DSLR's is they won't auto focus with lenses that don't have the motor in the lens. Many of the Nikon af-D lenses are very affordable but will only manual focus with the bodies that don't have the motor in the body.

From RedRabbit:

"Best value way in my mind: D3300 18-55 kit, and Nikon 70-300 (If you buy the 3300 & 18-55, there is also $200 off the Nikon 70-300 if you buy it together under the buy-more-save-more program)"

Well I did exactly this^^^^^^^
Spent a bit more than was planning, but I think it will give me a real good start for general stuff and wildife photography.
We've had a family of eagles hanging around, but they are real skiddish; This is the first kinda cool photo I got of them. This guy in flight is about 550 yards west of my backyard. was shot with the 70-300mm lens and the camera just in auto mode. with vr on, of course.

Personally I would go with nikon D5300