Got a list of 4 cameras to choose from help please

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timboellis

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Tim Ellis
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As usual the wife asking what I want for Xmas and apparently a 18year old blonde is not on the cards so...

EOS 1100D £279
D3100 £299
D3200 £369
Alpha 3000 £349

All are standard kits with 18-55mm or whatever

Type of photography is everything as want to try new things star trails , water, light trails, landscapes , pet photography and more so an all in 1 so would be buying a zoom lens later

So any suggestions and are these prices okay, also anything else I should consider?
 
What camera do you already have? On the TP app it does not show what you have.

The answer may help with suggestions?
 
timboellis said:
At the moment a DSC-R1 and previous to that a d50 / D70 EOS350
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Thanks. Are you going to be using it for video? Also does it have to be new?
 
Can't you get another model of Canon that is X00D or X50D rather than thousand series model?
I recommend Canon Rebel T3i or even T3 over that of 1100D, i can't comment about Nikon or Sony ones.
If you can increase your budget about £100-150 more above of say £300 then you can get Canon 60D, this camera has many features that will make you to keep it for long time, Canon 7D is over your budget otherwise it will be the one i can recommend highly, but now with you tight budget then 60D/T3i/T3 are your best options from Canon side.
 
Questions to as

1- Does it come within my price bracket, don't forget to budget for memory cards and tripods
2 - How easy is it to use regards hands on feel etc
3- What is the cost of same make lenses to buy later on
4- Consider what flash units can be fitted and used remotely if wanted
5- do you want one with video capabilities
6- What is the fastest shutter speed each camera can do
7 - how many frames per second (FPS) the more the better for moving subjects

Just some considerations

Being a Nikon owner I would suggest a used Nikon D300 with lowish shutter count, one of the best nikon have made for the price and still my favourite camera even though I now also own a D800
Does 1/8000 shutter speed and with batt pack up to 8 FPS

Plenty on here to choose from within you price range and fairly low shutter count

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...ameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/?page=2
 
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I've used them all except for the Sony and probably the best balance is the D3100.

The D3200 (which I own) is nice but the only real benefit over the D3100 (which I have at work) is the expeed 4 engine which is a bit more point and shoot than the previous version (e.g. seems to meter sunsets better), the extra MP mean nothing.

The Canon is nice but the new 100D would probably suffice - i was impressed when I used one.
 
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I would say the prices quoted (at least for the Nikons) are a little high.

For instance, the D3100 with VR kit lens can be got for £289 from bricks and mortar shops at the moment, then there is a £20 further cash back offer from Nikon open until late January.

Always worth shopping around.
 
I'd swap the Sony Alpha 3000 for a Sony a58 in that list. The Alpha 3000 is a Sony E-mount, while the A58 is Sony A-mount. The E-mount has about 15 lenses, the A-mount has over 160. Not only giving you more choice but the A-mount lenses are generally cheaper to buy and gives you option of buying 2nd hand Minolta AF A-mount lenses. Oh and the Sony a58 is cheaper at £319.
 
You can get an A3000+18-55 for £280 on Amazon, £300 at Jessops, WEX etc.
Tbh if you could find a s/h A57 for that I think that you would be a lot happier.
 
I was going to suggest a used nikon D90 but other have put valid question and suggestions. Have a look here for prices once you have decided what you want.

http://www.camerapricebuster.com/
 
crasher said:
I would say the prices quoted (at least for the Nikons) are a little high.

For instance, the D3100 with VR kit lens can be got for £289 from bricks and mortar shops at the moment, then there is a £20 further cash back offer from Nikon open until late January.

Always worth shopping around.
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May be higher than the model you quote but its way up the Nikon line being a pro/am camera and build quality is far better ,check out what the body is made of. Also may well have more features to choose from. As I say I love mine and would not part with it
The D3100 does not have a built in focus motor the D300 does, big drawback all lenses for the D3100 have to have a motor in the lens or manual focus only

The D3100 is a basic Nikon DSLR and an upgrade would soon be on the cards

Link

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D300-vs-Nikon_D3100
 
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Micehorns said:
I'd swap the Sony Alpha 3000 for a Sony a58 in that list. The Alpha 3000 is a Sony E-mount, while the A58 is Sony A-mount. The E-mount has about 15 lenses, the A-mount has over 160. Not only giving you more choice but the A-mount lenses are generally cheaper to buy and gives you option of buying 2nd hand Minolta AF A-mount lenses. Oh and the Sony a58 is cheaper at £319.
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Agreed - plus the A3000 is a low budget cheap and nasty thing with a very low res evf and lcd screen. Not sure what Sony where thinking with this one!?
http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/sony-exercises-their-right-to-build.html

For a budget of £300 - £400 I would consider a used D300 as suggested above unless you do a lot of high iso stuff - it's a lot more camera for the money than any of the entry level models. If you can stretch to a bit over £400 you could get a D7000 (used) which would be an even better option. Or perhaps the Canon equivalent but I am not really familiar with Canon models.
 
realspeed said:
May be higher than the model you quote but its way up the Nikon line being a pro/am camera and build quality is far better ,check out what the body is made of. Also may well have more features to choose from. As I say I love mine and would not part with it
The D3100 does not have a built in focus motor the D300 does, big drawback all lenses for the D3100 have to have a motor in the lens or manual focus only

Link

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D300-vs-Nikon_D3100
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I know, I have a D300 :) my comment that the prices quoted were a bit high refered to the prices mentioned by the OP in the first post of this thread
 
Fully understand Keith, oh and welcome to TP,My thoughts are it better to go spend a little more and get a camera that doesn't need upgrading a year or so down the line than loose money on the exchange. I did that from the Nikon D70s-D200-D300 now D800 the last 2 I still have but lost a mint on the first 2 upgrades
 
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I know the feeling Bazza, I went D70, D80, D300 waiting for the D400 (but getting fed up and tired of waiting)
 
As with any camera purchase, if possible go to a shop and see what they feel like in the hand. May not be possible with any 2nd hand options. Of the cameras listed, the Nikon cameras are the quality options. Seeing as Nawty has first hand experience of the two Nikon cameras the D3100 may be the one to get and put the saved money (if possible) towards another lens.

If the pets are moving, then a good 2nd D300 with the pro AF and high frame rate may give more keepers. Compared to modern cameras though, the high ISO performance is not the greatest. If you never use high ISO though. :shrug: :)

Also keep in mind that a D300 is a significantly larger and heavier than the cameras originally listed.
 
crasher said:
I know the feeling Bazza, I went D70, D80, D300 waiting for the D400 (but getting fed up and tired of waiting)
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If/when the D400 ever does arrive then I think the market will be flooded with second-hand D300 and D300s cameras. :) So they will become even more of a bargain.
 
Mark

I think the D600 did that but not a great success so Nikon stopped producing it and bought out the D610 instead. Can't honestly see a D400 in the near future
 
redhed17 said:
As with any camera purchase, if possible go to a shop and see what they feel like in the hand. May not be possible with any 2nd hand options. Of the cameras listed, the Nikon cameras are the quality options. Seeing as Nawty has first hand experience of the two Nikon cameras the D3100 may be the one to get and put the saved money (if possible) towards another lens.

If the pets are moving, then a good 2nd D300 with the pro AF and high frame rate may give more keepers. Compared to modern cameras though, the high ISO performance is not the greatest. If you never use high ISO though. :shrug: :)

Also keep in mind that a D300 is a significantly larger and heavier than the cameras originally listed.
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Personally I prefer a heavier camera as a lighter camera I find is harder to hand hold still. Another consideration is the balance between camera and lens, get it right and both are a dream to use, get it wrong and you are fighting to keep the lens held up
Heavy camera and light lens not too bad but try using a light camera with a heavy lens and your struggling.

With a heavier camera and lens if someone gets in the way a heavy camera comes in useful especially with a long lens ;)
 
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applemint said:
If/when the D400 ever does arrive then I think the market will be flooded with second-hand D300 and D300s cameras. :) So they will become even more of a bargain.
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People have grown old and died waiting for a mythical D400. ;) :LOL:

Any D300 or D300S cameras that would flood the market may have high shutter counts having been owned for so long. I wouldn't base any decisions on what happens if a D400 appeared, because it's likely to never happen. ;) :( :LOL:
 
My D300 has done 27384 shutter movements and only one thing needed doing was to replace the front rubber grip which I described how to do in a previous posting.oh and of course cleaning the sensor
 
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realspeed said:
Personally I prefer a heavier camera as a lighter camera I find is harder to hand hold still.
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Me too, but the OP may not. ;)

If you are only used to compact's, bridge/CSC or smaller DSLRs, the weight and size of a D300 is a shock. There are good reasons for the size and weight, but not everyone wants that.
 
applemint said:
Agreed - plus the A3000 is a low budget cheap and nasty thing with a very low res evf and lcd screen. Not sure what Sony where thinking with this one!?
http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/sony-exercises-their-right-to-build.html
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It's not designed for the likes of people on this forum but for P&S upgraders. It's essentially a NEX3N in a DSLR-like shell for those who associate that look with "professional" cameras. Sony have put out a new camera at the price of 2 generations old Canon/Nikons.
At any rate it appears to have a very decent imaging pipeline.
 
The D3200 is an exceptional camera and could do everything you want and more, the sensor leads the pack even now. Pair it with a good prime and youll get incredible images, just because its a beginner camera it doesnt make it worse, it just doesnt have the controls that pros might be looking for. Its got a better sensor than the NEX-7 which is more than double the price and aimed at pros.
 
Again thanks, weight is not an issue , so as it stands this s what I am looking at

D3200 with a 18-55mm VR lens

Or

D300s with whatever I can get

Think I will pop into Ffordes when I am inverness next week as be down there for a job.

Will let you know what I go for !!!
 
My suggestion would be what it seems you've already decided - visit a dealer and have a play! Ffordes will probably have a large selection of new and used models for your delectation and you'll get a lot more camera for your money 2nd hand than new.

As far as Nikons go, I would aim for one with the AF motor in the body rather than needing AF-S or similar lenses. The saving you might make on the cheaper body can be wiped out with the purchase of a couple of lenses.
 
Thrash said:
The D3200 is an exceptional camera and could do everything you want and more, the sensor leads the pack even now. Pair it with a good prime and youll get incredible images, just because its a beginner camera it doesnt make it worse, it just doesnt have the controls that pros might be looking for. Its got a better sensor than the NEX-7 which is more than double the price and aimed at pros.
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When you say features missing what we talking about?

Slower continuous / higher ISO
 
timboellis said:
When you say features missing what we talking about?

Slower continuous / higher ISO
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Missing controls, as in only one command wheel, missing dedicated buttons, as in ISO control, AF control, plus others, but usually a button press along with the use of one command wheel will do the job of two command wheels, don't take this as gospel as it's just a few features that are different on the D3100 that I used to have compared to the D7000.
 
You can get d5100 for £275. Sits better, in my hands at least, than d3100. And sensor from d7000.
 
Thrash said:
Its got a better sensor than the NEX-7 which is more than double the price and aimed at pros.
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D3200 has exactly the same sensor 24mp Sony sensor as the Nex 7:
http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Nikon-D3200-Review/Nikon-D3200-versus-competition

Not sure that the Nex 7 is aimed at pros (although some may use one) - more at those who want a high end APS-C mirrorless camera with a viewfinder (for a long time it was the only Nex with a viewfinder, until the Nex 6 came along).
 
Ivan S said:
Missing controls, as in only one command wheel, missing dedicated buttons, as in ISO control, AF control, plus others, but usually a button press along with the use of one command wheel will do the job of two command wheels, don't take this as gospel as it's just a few features that are different on the D3100 that I used to have compared to the D7000.
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Plus things like dual sd card slots, micro AF adjust, more focus points (39 vs 11), weather/dust sealing and a bigger 100% frame coverage (pentaprism) viewfinder.
 
heidfirst said:
It's not designed for the likes of people on this forum but for P&S upgraders. It's essentially a NEX3N in a DSLR-like shell for those who associate that look with "professional" cameras. Sony have put out a new camera at the price of 2 generations old Canon/Nikons.
At any rate it appears to have a very decent imaging pipeline.
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Decent images yes, but P&S upgraders would still probably be better off with an A58 for faster AF speed, wider range of lenses (and the a-mount equivalents to the e-mount lenses also tend to be a lot cheaper) and far superior evf. Or the similarly priced Canon/Nikons even though they are older. The crappy 'bridge cameras from 5 years ago' evf on the A3000 is likely to put them off an evf for life! :0
 
applemint said:
D3200 has exactly the same sensor 24mp Sony sensor as the Nex 7:
http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Nikon-D3200-Review/Nikon-D3200-versus-competition
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iirc the D3200 has a sensor that is supposedly Toshiba sourced. However, there is definitely a lot of cross-pollination between Sony & Toshiba on sensors - they had a joint venture & they've sold the same factory back & forth between each other.

applemint said:
Decent images yes, but P&S upgraders would still probably be better off with an A58 for faster AF speed, wider range of lenses (and the a-mount equivalents to the e-mount lenses also tend to be a lot cheaper) and far superior evf. Or the similarly priced Canon/Nikons even though they are older. The crappy 'bridge cameras from 5 years ago' evf on the A3000 is likely to put them off an evf for life! :0
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Tbh I suspect that Sony expects those people to continue using the rear screen to compose ... (I've seen people holding DSLRs out at arm length taking pics :wacky:). What Sony have done is produce a DSLR-looking ILC very cheaply. Depending upon your pov & how successful it is it's either cynical or brilliant marketing.
 
I'm juggling around a somewhat similar situation at the mo, and today went to try a Sony A700 which is in some ways quite similar to the D300. It was lovely to handle in the way a good old film camera was good to handle, with an excellent viewfinder, back covered in buttons, a huge amount of control and refinement available. The downside is that it's heavy (not an issue if you're young) doesn't offer stuff like 'live view' (where you can actually see the effect of changes to exposure etc on the rear screen - I believe the D300s offers this but not the D300) and requires compact flash or memory stick duo memory cards instead of SD cards.

If you're coming from a point & shoot compact background then you may well find the D3200 ideal - a young friend of mine has just bought one as an upgrade from her iPhone, and she's fine with it, even though she never handled an SLR before. It could be a good way to get started in the hobby if you don't yet know what kind of controls you want to use.
 
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