Entry level DSLR

Mike Hoxbig

Mike Hoxbig

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Hey all you photography geeks :) Looking to get started as a hobby and need some advice from you okes. Initially I'll be using it for general photography, and maybe some astrophotography as well. Will later move into landscapes and macro stuff as i get more experience. Viewfinder is a must. Not too fussy about brands, as long as there is a good range of lenses available. Budget is around R5,000. Thanks!
 
I think you might just need to up your budget by about 1k and then you're in the game for a decent entry level
 
The Canon 1100D and Nikon D3100 both fall within your budget but if you we're will to up that by a grand or two more your choices would be vastly improved.
 
Yeah I could add an extra k to the budget, what would the choices be then? And where about could I get it? :)
 
Both Nikon and Canon have a good range of lenses and accessories and in most cases their equipment is on par.
First decide what you want to do and then pick the manufacturer that gets you where you want to be.
Of course also go test some cameras. Some people prefer one brand over the other based on how it feels in their hands or how the menus work.

Canon make the 60Da for astrophotography - Nikon do not have an equivalent camera as far as I know.
That for instance could be a deciding factor if you want to explore astrophotography later whilst still using your existing lenses.

If you want to get into portrait photography on a very tight budget then the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 (Plastic Fantastic) lens is a bargain at under R900. Nikon's cheapest 50mm f/1.8 lens with AF starts at R2700.

The same goes for other lenses and accessories. Canon and Nikon both have niche lenses or better price points in certain areas.
As a beginner myself, I found that Nikon tend to be a bit more expensive than Canon for the equivalent hardware I was looking at but your needs may be different.

Both brands are well supported in SA but Nikon have an edge with a 5 year vs 2 year warrantee and Nikon also offer free sensor cleaning which Canon SA do not do as far as I know.
I'd stay away from Pentax and some of the other brands as they're hard to source locally and even harder to sell.

Just search this forum for "entry level" or "beginner" to find lots of threads on the same subject.
 
you can start looking here just as an indication, I'm inclined to agree that it's best to look at Nikon or Canon
 
My SO recently got herself a Nikon D3100 from Makro on a special.

From the reviews it seems you really can't go wrong with it as a entry level camera. Plus she's enjoying it a lot.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I'll be using it for general photography, and maybe some astrophotography as well.
Click to expand...

If you are looking at night time shots and astro- then i would up the budget by another 2K and look around for a good deal on either the Nikon D5100 or D3200, both are very good low noise cameras.
 
For that price I'd look at the 550D packages.

I'm pretty sure you can get the body and a lens for about 6k or even 5.5k

The 550D also does 1080p video
 
So in terms of feel, I went around to a few stores yesterday to get a feel for various models, and the Canons generally seem to feel better in my hands.

Since I've upped my budget by an extra k or so, the 1100D is out. I was thinking of the 550D kit mentioned here, but saw a 600D kit for about R500 more on that site mentioned by OMB.

550D: http://www.sacamera.co.za/product/1016131/Canon_EOS_550D_with_1855mm_IS_Lens_Kit/
600D: http://www.sacamera.co.za/product/1021896/Canon_EOS_600D_1855_IS_Lens_Kit/

Is there a big difference between these two? I can see how this is going to escalate into an expensive hobby very quickly (for only x more, you can get y) :(

Also, in terms of reliability, how are they? Nikons carry a 5 year warranty, which is a big plus over Canon's 2 year.
 
the specs on those two are pretty much the same, the major difference is in software and the fact that the 600D has a swivel LCD

good comparative review here
 
I just recently got a Nikon D3200, and it really really is an awesome piece of technology. So, go for Nikon :D
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
So in terms of feel, I went around to a few stores yesterday to get a feel for various models, and the Canons generally seem to feel better in my hands.

Since I've upped my budget by an extra k or so, the 1100D is out. I was thinking of the 550D kit mentioned here, but saw a 600D kit for about R500 more on that site mentioned by OMB.

550D: http://www.sacamera.co.za/product/1016131/Canon_EOS_550D_with_1855mm_IS_Lens_Kit/
600D: http://www.sacamera.co.za/product/1021896/Canon_EOS_600D_1855_IS_Lens_Kit/

Is there a big difference between these two? I can see how this is going to escalate into an expensive hobby very quickly (for only x more, you can get y) :(

Also, in terms of reliability, how are they? Nikons carry a 5 year warranty, which is a big plus over Canon's 2 year.
Click to expand...
Have you looked at the 650D . . . :whistle:

Second hand gear might be a good option?

My hobby became so expensive it became my career. :D

My last piece of advice, intended to quell both the Nikon and Canon fanboys, is to go to a camera shop and give them all a heft and see which fits your hand the best.
 
IzZzy said:
I just recently got a Nikon D3200, and it really really is an awesome piece of technology. So, go for Nikon :D
Click to expand...

Seems a bit pricey though, close to R7k just for the body? In terms of the D3100, from what I can tell it doesn't really have ISO levels comparable to the Canons.
 
bwana said:
My last piece of advice, intended to quell both the Nikon and Canon fanboys, is to go to a camera shop and give them all a heft and see which fits your hand the best.
Click to expand...

this, seems like Mike has done it already and the Canon feels better for him
 
bwana said:
Have you looked at the 650D . . . :whistle:

Second hand gear might be a good option?

My hobby became so expensive it became my career. :D

My last piece of advice, intended to quell both the Nikon and Canon fanboys, is to go to a camera shop and give them all a heft and see which fits your hand the best.
Click to expand...
No no no, need to exercise some self control before this gets out of hand :D

Not too keen on second hand. I like having the peace of mind knowing that I'm the only one to have used it, so if it breaks then it's on me. You also lose out a fair bit on the warranty. Speaking of which, how reliable would the 550D/600D be? Nikon seems to offer a much better warranty from what I can tell.

I have been to a few stores yesterday, tried out various models, and the Canons do seem more comfortable for my paws :)
 
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