Beginner About to make my first camera purchase, cant decide

JayMartinDesigns

JayMartinDesigns

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James
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Im aiming to keep spending between £300 and £400, I've been reading loads of reviews regarding the Nikon D3200 and the Canon 100D, they're all very conflicting and cant come up with proper answers, have asked in Jessops (Was told D3200 was better) and Wilkinson Cameras (he was very vague, like he couldnt be bothered told me I wouldnt be able to notice any difference between the two) I would possibly pay the extra for the D3300 if its massively worth the extra £100 or so over the D3200, but Wilkinson Cameras told me its not worth the extra money. Ive had a play with all 3 and found the canon a little easier to navigate, and liked the way it didnt hesitate when I took a pic compared to the Nikon, I'm open to other suggestions too.

Il be using it mainly for pictures of my 2 year old daughter whos always on the move, and to take pictures of my artwork to be uploaded to my site (which for now are all taken on an iphone 4) aswell as getting into photography of mainly cityscapes.

Sorry if this is a proper noob question, but I just want to make the right choice!

Jay
 
this is just the camera.. what lenses were you thinking about?
 
Just the kit lens that comes with them for now until I get the hang of it all, surely its pointless to spend out on lenses when I don't properly know how to use the camera yet?
 
forget about whats better ( nikon or canon or any other brand ). its what feels most comfortable in your hand.
the difference between consumer level cameras is negligible and the only real thing that makes the biggest difference is the glass. quality glass will give quality results on a budget consumer camera or a mid priced prosumer camera. cheap glass will give avergae quality imaegs on a budget consumer camera or a high end prosumer camera.
camera bodies are relatively cheap to upgrade compared to quality lenses. once you get a system you like 9 canon, nikon, sony, pentax etc etc ) and build on that its easy to upgrade the camera body and retain the lenses you have acquired.

if as you say you like the way the canon feels and how it performs for you then go for the canon.
for £400 you can pick up a brand new 700D with rather decent 18-55 STM lens ( STM are the new canon lenses which are very fast and whisper quiet, ideal for video as well as pictures and a step up from your standard kit lens )
http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/canon-eos-700d-with-18-55mm-f35-56-is-stm-1267-p.asp

side by side between 100D and 700D
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos700d&products=canon_eos100d

not much difference in terms of actual specs but 700d has articulated screen slightly faster fps and better battery life.
 
only down to personal preferences.. but have you considered m43?
 
m43 is micro 4 thirds cameras ( or mirrorless compacts in most cases ) though not sure what you would get for £400 out there and lenses can be quite expensive still for them.
 
unless you want brand new. but for 400 I would grab second hand in excellent condition om-d e-m5 with 12-50.
 
I went through this last year, coming back to serious photography after a long break.

You'll take the best pictures with the camera that handles best for you, at least to begin. I tried the D3200 (felt really small and cramped) the Pentax K500 (felt great but missed a couple of features I really wanted) and the Sony A58 (also felt great, has a better sensor than the other 2) which I bought. If there's a Currys near you then it's worth going along just to handle the gear and see if it's OK for you without feeling guilty about not buying from them.
 
Once you have decided which one you like try and see if you can pickup a used one, this may leave you with some spare cash for other bits.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of memory cards, extra battery, bag etc....
 
:agree:Thats a good deal for the Fuji with the free 50-230mm lens. You would be covered from 16-230mm which is an excellent deal to start off with. I have used the 16-50 & 50-230mm lenses on my Xpro-1 and they are very good, I had them for my disabilities as I wanted the OIS.

Also, is the XM1 sensor the same as the XE1 & Xpro-1????? If so it's a no brainer providing you like the feel of the camera and can manage without a viewfinder.

Edit: A link to the some of the camera reviews mentioned above.

http://www.dpreview.com/products/co...700d&products=canon_eos100d&sortDir=ascending
 
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At this point I'd like to make the comment that a viewfinder - for me at least - make composition a much better experience and has taken away a lot of the approximation when framing. In addition one tends to be much more stable when holding a camera to the eye and supporting the camera with both arms held close to the body instead of outsretched - this will reduce camera shake and improve sharpness. If this is to be your only serious camera then something with a viewfinder would be a better proposition than a device without, IMO of course.
 
ancient_mariner said:
At this point I'd like to make the comment that a viewfinder - for me at least - make composition a much better experience and has taken away a lot of the approximation when framing. In addition one tends to be much more stable when holding a camera to the eye and supporting the camera with both arms held close to the body instead of outsretched - this will reduce camera shake and improve sharpness. If this is to be your only serious camera then something with a viewfinder would be a better proposition than a device without, IMO of course.
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I agree about the viewfinder, due to my disabilities the tighter and more rigid I'm holding the camera the better. I myself wouldn't buy a interchangeable lens camera without one. But I think a lot of the new buyers of these type of cameras are coming from a P&S camera and are used to holding cameras this way without a viewfinder.

I had an X20 & D7000 for the viewfinder but I then decided to I liked Fuji and rather than have two cameras I changed to the Xpro-1, then the XT1 for the better viewfinder.. My reasoning was, If I'm going to carry a X20 I thought as the XT -XP were not much bigger I may aswell get one of these and stick to one camera. Works for me.
 
JayMartinDesigns said:
I definitely want a viewfinder, so I think that rules that one out, gonna go Into currys on my dinner and have another little play to get a feel for what body I prefer.
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When you have more time than your lunch break, go in with a memory card and ask to try the cameras out outside, this will also give you time to look at the photos the camera produces when your home and you can make a decison which camera feels better. My local Curry's have left me do this several times before. You cant get a good feel of a camera when there's a security wire attached.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying second hand.

The first question I have is what do you like to shoot? Some cameras preform better in some areas than others in terms of auto focus and the like.

Also, don't feel married to a brand. Until you drop about 500 on a lens or more, I'd keep it in the back of my head that I can sell everything and jump ship, which is exactly what I did when I got my first camera (Nikon D80). Ended up with a canon T4i.

In terms of ease of use and versatility, I would recommend a t3i or T4i if you can find one for that cheap. It's got the best of being able to learn, as well as opportunity to take video. The rebel series is the 550D or 650D series in Europe. It's a beginner class, but it is very forgiving in terms of learning and trial and error.

Lenses, I would recommend switching out that stock lens for a Tamron 2.8 17-50 which is around 200 dollars or so. It's a wonderful class of lens for the price.

The biggest advice I have is just shoot shoot shoot. Shoot everything, learn composure, exposure and zoom with your feet. But most importantly shoot lots. It's digital, so it's easy to replace images you don't want.
 
JayMartinDesigns said:
Yeah I don't mind buying second hand
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There is a nice looking Canon 20D body in the classifieds for only £80 would be an ideal, fully featured DSLR to own as a first camera to see how you get on. Add a 18-55mm kit lens and 50mm 1.8 for around £90 and you'd be good to go.
 
WelshNoob said:
There is a nice looking Canon 20D body in the classifieds for only £80 would be an ideal, fully featured DSLR to own as a first camera to see how you get on. Add a 18-55mm kit lens and 50mm 1.8 for around £90 and you'd be good to go.
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No good telling James about tha,t as he doesn't have access to classified yet. :(
 
Tigger.ufo said:
No good telling James about tha,t as he doesn't have access to classified yet. :(
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I know, was just saying. I know why the classifieds are set up like they are, it's just a shame that people starting out can't see good quality 2nd hand gear. There's no way round it I guess.
 
It helps prevent scammers and the like. it's a great system to be honest, and I don't mind waiting 2 months to be able to see anything in there.

Makes me feel safer when my money is in someone's hands
 
WelshNoob said:
There is a nice looking Canon 20D body in the classifieds for only £80 would be an ideal, fully featured DSLR to own as a first camera to see how you get on. Add a 18-55mm kit lens and 50mm 1.8 for around £90 and you'd be good to go.
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I wouldn't go older than a 40D for a beginner - the older models (10D, 20D and 30D) lack liveview and several other pretty basic features that most people would now expect as standard. The 40D is the first "complete" DSLR in Canon's line-up and is still a very capable camera. And you can pick up a secondhand one from around £150 with a 3/6 month warranty from the likes of MPB/LCE/WEX.
 
TBH I can't see why it would be helpful to someone buying their first good camera system to get an old and deficient model. Sensor technology seems to have improved a lot in the last 5 years, and having something that cannot deliver image quality to the same standard as a new beginner camera will only be discouraging.
 
I very recently bought my first proper camera plus two lenses for £400 plus £28 for a 64gb card.

Went second hand from MPB Photographic, Canon 600d for £250 plus 18-55mm IS II £60 plus 55-250mm IS for £90. All mint condition, camera was in original box with manual etc still shrink wrapped.

Mostly for photos of my 22 month old son, but also gives me the ability to get creative and also indulge in a spot of nature photography.


I will say I am surprised how much I use the 55-250mm whilst outside with the lad, it gives great unstaged, 'in the moment' shots of him and his mum from a distance, and great shots of him running towards you etc.


I am extremely pleased with my choice, it does everything I want, and I've had some great results considering the budget nature of the lenses etc.


I have bought this little lot with the thought of upgrading in future, first the 18-55mm and then the 55-250mm, but I can't see me needing to upgrade the body any time soon, it does everything I want it to do very well, and then some.


I've taken over 5000 photos in 2 weeks, with lots of beautiful portraits of my son, plus some interesting long exposures / splash photos / birds/ bugs etc.


As others have said, anything from the top manufacturers from the last few years will be very good, it's more about what feels best in your hand, and which you find most intuitive to use, rather than worrying too much about continuous shooting FPS or cross type AF points etc, just get down to a shop and handle some different makes/models and go from there.

I would seriously consider second hand though, if I bought my lot brand new it would have been around £700.
 
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Thanks everyone for the advice really appreciate it, I finally plumped for the Canon 100D going to be sat on the doorstep like a kid waiting for it to be delivered now! I decided on it after having a good go of it outside with a memory card (thanks to swanseajack for that) I just liked the way it works and the size of it, I got a bag and a tripod with it. I will probably buy a longer lens and then just use it as is until I get used to it and actually know what I need. Il be sticking round for a while anyway! ;)
 
Brilliant James - well done on your purchase. Frankly, all that matters is you are pleased with your camera and feel like you've made the right choice. It really doesn't matter what camera shop staff etc. think - you're the one who'll be taking the photos! The person in the camera shop telling you that you won't notice any difference was talking mince - they're different camera systems with different interfaces... of course you will feel a difference using them, even if "on paper" they have very similar theoretical performance and image output.

As others have said, comfort in your hand is the most important thing... you want to feel like getting out there and taking photos. A camera which just didn't quite feel right is going to get in the way of that. So for what it's worth, I think you've done exactly the right thing - test it out in the real world and pick the one you'd prefer to use every day. Stats, others' opinions and features are not really important compared with you getting on with it.

Congrats!
 
Glad your sorted, not long for the weekend to have play. If you stick around you will learn a lot from this forum, I'm newish to photography, about 3 years now and I have learnt so much from this forum, although I do have the time to read loads as I'm home allday.
 
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