Recommendation for a beginner DSLR

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timmmay

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#555842 9-Dec-2011 11:02

Yeah I bet the rugby players get a bit annoyed if you're a couple of meters away with a wide angle lens.

paulspain

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#555991 9-Dec-2011 16:40

Although they are still growing in popularity it's worth considering the Sony Alpha range. There are plenty of lenses, etc available (even on Trademe) and they oftten beat similar Nikon units in reviews on sites such as DPReview.com. I would suggest looking at the A65 - it is certainly a step up on the Nikon D5100 IMHO.

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jpanwala

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#556028 9-Dec-2011 18:25

Hey guys, I am looking to get one soon as well. Was considering the Canon 600D, but later decided to stretch my budget and go for the 60D instead as it is slightly better and not much of a price difference (~$200)

Not really inclined towards Nikon, I think Canon is the better brand (overall) and I may be wrong.

The only thing that tosses me off is what lenses? 18-55 is good to start with but it (zoom range) wont be sufficient, I was thinking of getting the twin lens kit (18-55mm & 55-250mm)

18-135mm is still short (for telephoto) and plus reviews aren't that great really.

Any suggestions here? Thanks!

throbb

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#556039 9-Dec-2011 19:20

paulspain: Although they are still growing in popularity it's worth considering the Sony Alpha range. There are plenty of lenses, etc available (even on Trademe) and they oftten beat similar Nikon units in reviews on sites such as DPReview.com. I would suggest looking at the A65 - it is certainly a step up on the Nikon D5100 IMHO.

Thanks dude, you just made it harder for me to choose arrrrgggghhhh lol

Bee

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#556054 9-Dec-2011 19:55

I will definitely go for the 18-105mm and 70-300mm lenses....

I am a regular at Western Springs and the 300mm is a definite must to get decent pics but otherwise for everyday stuff the 18-105 gives a god range...

The Nikon D5100 does look a good camera but my heart is set on the D7000!!!

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throbb

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#556061 9-Dec-2011 20:07

Bee: I will definitely go for the 18-105mm and 70-300mm lenses....

I am a regular at Western Springs and the 300mm is a definite must to get decent pics but otherwise for everyday stuff the 18-105 gives a god range...

The Nikon D5100 does look a good camera but my heart is set on the D7000!!!

Yes the D7000 does look good, but it seems to get the most out of i would need to outlay more $$ on decent lens.

Regs

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#556101 9-Dec-2011 21:12

paulspain: Although they are still growing in popularity it's worth considering the Sony Alpha range. There are plenty of lenses, etc available (even on Trademe) and they oftten beat similar Nikon units in reviews on sites such as DPReview.com. I would suggest looking at the A65 - it is certainly a step up on the Nikon D5100 IMHO.

the sony has the image stabilisation in the body, not the lens, so you can get cheaper lenses for it and still have IS. for a beginner i'm sure the sony is equally as good an option as the nikon or canon.

i wouldnt worry too much about specific brand at this level - play with a few in a camera store, see which you like, and see what you can get the best deal on.

if you're thinking about going pro, then its a whole other story - but if you're always going to be a 'beginner' (like me) then don't get too hung up on the technical aspects or you'll never be able to make a decision ;)

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alasta

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#556104 9-Dec-2011 21:21

throbb:
Bee: I will definitely go for the 18-105mm and 70-300mm lenses....

I am a regular at Western Springs and the 300mm is a definite must to get decent pics but otherwise for everyday stuff the 18-105 gives a god range...

The Nikon D5100 does look a good camera but my heart is set on the D7000!!!

Yes the D7000 does look good, but it seems to get the most out of i would need to outlay more $$ on decent lens.

You may want to also consider a D90 while they're still available to buy new. Although it's an 'old' model it is operationally very similar to the D7000 and is much cheaper. Camera bodies don't suffer from rapid obsolescence like computers do, so there's no reason why you couldn't get a good five years of use from a D90.

Admittedly if I could turn back the clock then I probably would have bought the D7000 over the D90 because of the weather sealing, but that may not matter to you. Overall my D90 has been excellent.

alasta

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#556106 9-Dec-2011 21:27

Regs:
paulspain: Although they are still growing in popularity it's worth considering the Sony Alpha range. There are plenty of lenses, etc available (even on Trademe) and they oftten beat similar Nikon units in reviews on sites such as DPReview.com. I would suggest looking at the A65 - it is certainly a step up on the Nikon D5100 IMHO.

the sony has the image stabilisation in the body, not the lens, so you can get cheaper lenses for it and still have IS. for a beginner i'm sure the sony is equally as good an option as the nikon or canon.

The body stabilisation versus lens stabilisation argument comes up a lot in photographic circles and there are pros and cons of each. Personally I prefer it on the lens.

I don't know much about Sony - though I'm sure that they would generally deliver the same good results as the other big Japanese manufacturers - but I helped out someone a couple of years ago who had just bought a Sony Alpha of some sort and it appeared to have a screw drive AF interface which felt a bit clunky to me.

Dynamike

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#556178 9-Dec-2011 23:32

+1 for Sony. I bought a Sony a550 so I could use my old Minolta lenses on digital. It's a very good camera. There seems to be a degree of prejudice against Sony cameras, which I think is unfounded.

Canon spends a lot of money on marketing and promotion, so many consumers end up buying a Canon. That doesn't mean Canon makes a better camera, but it often gets perceived that way.

All current DSLR's will deliver excellent results. They're just a tool. How you use your camera ultimately determines the quality of your photos, not the brand name.

timmmay

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#556267 10-Dec-2011 10:47

Very few professionals on the pro forums i'm a member of use Sony, most use Canon or Nikon. A lot of Nikon users switched when the 5D came out, but many are switching back after having issues. Sony are probably totally fine for consumer user, and in body IS would be a bonus. It's not as good as in lens, but it's probably reasonably effective.

Once you buy a camera you start buying accessories, and you're pretty much locked in unless you sell the lot and start again, like I did. Few people do that though.

Dynamike

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#556314 10-Dec-2011 12:44

Yep... Canon and Nikon make the best Pro camera's and lenses. But the consumer market is a different story. Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax all make good consumer DSLR's.

Each brand has it's own slight advantage or disadvantage. Each individual needs to decide what they want from their camera, and then buy a brand and model that meets their needs and budget.

The kit lenses from Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax seem to be of similar quality, so there's no real point of difference there. But Canon and Nikon have a larger range of lenses to choose from, which does give them an advantage.

throbb

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#558013 14-Dec-2011 18:32

Ended up going for a D5100 twin lens kit, got it JBHiFi for $1320 at there Cost +gst night tonight. Heading to Austrailia for a month on Friday, so just in time.

Thanks for all the help.

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