Best Mid Range DSLR

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Okay, been asked by a friend for advice on what camera to get. He's making the switch from point and shoot to SLR and wants something capable and not too expensive (although cost isn't really an option).

Now, I'm going to tell him that he should go and play around with various cameras and choose which one fits him best, but I'd like to give him some general information on what is best bang for buck.

I'm a Canon man, but the general impression I got rececntly was that Nikon was coming out on top. So without wanting to start a flame war, is this the case, and if so, what's the current beginner or mid level Nikon on the market? Or is there a decent alternative?
 
There's lots of options, the Canon/Nikon route is the obvious one but it's also well worth him looking at the Samsung GX10 (Pentax K10D clone), build/functionality & IQ are excellent - the only thing which is slightly against is that noise levels are a little above the C/N options at higher ISO, built in image stabilisation helps with this in certain situations

simon
 
Its worth having a look at the Olympus E520 as well - built in image stabiliser so you'll always have IS with any lens attached, and the kit lens is actually a decent one compared to the lenses you get bundled with some other kits.

But yeah, get your mate down to Currys or whatever and have a play. With a bit of luck they might even have a decent sales person who has some product knowledge.
 
Are you looking for mid-range price, features or just position in the line-up?
Because the low end Pentax, Sony and Olympus models seem to deliver more bang for the buck than the cheapest Nikons and Canons - of course it depends on what you value more, features, expansion possibilities or something else.

It would probably help a lot if you were more specific about what you consider mid-range stuff.
 
Should we turn this into a Nikon versus Canon debate :)

I would buy a D300 + 18-200 VR + SB600 That would be a nice mid priced outfit
 
The best mid range DSLR for your friend is the one that fits both his budget and his hands.

Any/all will take the shot but he needs to be comfortable with it.

Lens/lenses depend on what he wants to do.

Go play in a shop or two.
 
40D i'd say, and i'm sure many others' is a mid-range DSLR.

It's comfortable, easy to use, looks the dogs danglies and will last him years with plenty of space to progress into.

As for the size of it, i'm 5ft 5, just over 8st and i'm built like a grasshopper with hands like a female, i manage just fine, it's a gorgeous camera to hold, fits perfectly and feels awesome.

As for complexity of use, it's non-existant IMO. It's simple to use, and easy to progress with. My 14yr old neighbour had a go of mine today, she'd never touched a DSLR in her life and after about 20 seconds of guidance, she was taking in-focus photos left, right and center. Within minutes she'd picked up on how to use the live view, how to play back/check/delete/look at photos and what a couple of the features ment.
 
PsiFox said:
The best mid range DSLR for your friend is the one that fits both his budget and his hands.

Any/all will take the shot but he needs to be comfortable with it.

Lens/lenses depend on what he wants to do.

Go play in a shop or two.
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:agree:
 
I agree as well, tell him to go and have a fondle of all the cameras in his price range, I opted for a D60 after handling it with a 400D and 450D, didn't try a Sony though which I would have liked to do.
 
mid range to me, is something like a nikon d80, basing it on price.

beginner would be like £200-500.

mid range £500-1000

pro £1000+

that's my perception
 
Nikon D80 would be my suggestion. It was the route I took for my first dslr and it will keep me going for ages yet, with no need to upgrade for a while. Had it for 6 months now and I now know I am really into photography, so all I have to do now is save for better glass.

The D80 was the best choice I feel for me as it can autofocus with any lens whereas the models below (d40 and d40x at the time) cannot.
 
I'd go with the find something he likes by handling stuff in a shop but then I would INSIST he got it second hand, second hand photgraphy gear is a bargin and unless I win the euro millions this weekend I will always buy second hand where possible!
 
I'm actually having the same problem I keep reading reviews after reviews and I cant make up my mind. Money is a bit of an issue but I do know that I want something above entry level due to my love of photography and experience using my Olympus OM20 (which I still have) there for I have been looking at Pentax, Olympus, Canon, Panasonic, Sony and finally Nikon, which seem to be really expensive across there range.
 
CrippledSandwich said:
I'm actually having the same problem I keep reading reviews after reviews and I cant make up my mind.
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And therein lies your problem, you can't choose a camera based purely on reviews. When I went for my first dslr I was looking at Olympus, because my last film camera, many moons before, was an OM101. However when I tried one (can't remember which model) I didn't like it, so I went away and read all the reviews and decided that what I needed was either a Canon 300D or a Nikon D40.

As I'd had a Nikon bridge camera previously I decided to stay with Nikon and was ready just to order a D40 sight unseen when something made me take a wander into Jessops to try one, which is just as well as I didn't like that either, but I did come away with a D80....
 
Wow, thread Necro!

Anyhow. I agree with Flash. Get you nose out of the reviews and get yourself into a camera shot to try some out. Once you find one you like you can (If you wish) read reviews specifically on it. Personally I wouldn't - you probably have an idea what you don't want now.

Remember, there will always be someone who doesn't like a specific camera, and chances are there will always be a reviewer who doesn't like a specific camera. Go and buy what YOU like not what someone else likes.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I'd go with the find something he likes by handling stuff in a shop but then I would INSIST he got it second hand, second hand photgraphy gear is a bargin and unless I win the euro millions this weekend I will always buy second hand where possible!
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I will now always buy second hand, too, but I wouldn't recommend a friend to do so. He won't know what problems to look out for, and I'd feel really guilty if he spent a lot of money & ended up with a spanner.

If you buy your first dSLR and the very first thing you have to do is check the focussing and clean the sensor - I just feel that buying secondhand isn't something to do for a first camera, when you have enough to concentrate on worrying about shutter-speed, aperture & camera-shake.

Stroller.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
And therein lies your problem, you can't choose a camera based purely on reviews. When I went for my first dslr I was looking at Olympus, because my last film camera, many moons before, was an OM101. However when I tried one (can't remember which model) I didn't like it, so I went away and read all the reviews and decided that what I needed was either a Canon 300D or a Nikon D40.

As I'd had a Nikon bridge camera previously I decided to stay with Nikon and was ready just to order a D40 sight unseen when something made me take a wander into Jessops to try one, which is just as well as I didn't like that either, but I did come away with a D80....
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i did that just to day, i walked into jessops and currys and had a play round with the cameras and i think im drawn to an olympus e520. i just like the idea of (IS). I like the idea of a nikon or canon but im worried about the lack of built in (IS) and that if i get a sigma or other lens that it wont have (IS) in them like the nikon and canon lenses do
 
Nowadays they are all very close, no matter the brand. He better think about the system he prefer and which one is better for his needs.
 
Before you even go there find out what he/she wants to shoot!

Some will be better for sports than others while some will be better for landscapes than others.

Start with the subject matter, that will tell you which features they actually need and should help cut the choices down a little.
 
CrippledSandwich said:
i think im drawn to an olympus e520. i just like the idea of (IS). I like the idea of a nikon or canon but im worried about the lack of built in (IS) and that if i get a sigma or other lens that it wont have (IS) in them like the nikon and canon lenses do
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bear in mind that Pentax/Samsung & Sony also have in-body IS (in fact in-body IS was invented for DSLRs by Konica Minolta's SLR division which was then bought by Sony) using APS-C sensors (& in Sony's case FF too) & on 4/3 Panasonic also have it.
 
in body IS is good but not as good as dedicated lens built systems I've read.
however, you do pay for it

if I were looking right now I'd be eyeing up the 40/50D. the nikon D80/90 and the Sony A300

also where does he want to go with it? loads of lenses or stick with just a single do it all lens?? which is really one step away from a bridge camera sometimes.
 
50D would be my suggestion, but I love Canon!
 
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