So I recently decided I want to get a bit more into photography, nothing super professional or anything, mostly for recreational use. I always find myself wishing I could take fantastic looking pictures of things when all I have is my shady cell phone camera. Thing is, I know very very little about camera specs. I've heard from some people I know that if you want to take photography seriously, you might as well bite the bullet and just buy a top of the line camera that will last for years. I'm not totally against this, but I don't exactly have the $ to spend 1-2 grand on a camera these days. I was perusing Amazon's selection, reading through the customer reviews and whatnot, trying to compare cameras. I found this one, a Nikon D3100. From what I can tell it appears to have pretty decent specs and is at this time in the 600-700 dollar range, which I think I can swing as long as I'm convinced this is a camera that's worth it. Can anyone who knows what all these specs mean tell me if this is something that a person in my situation should be looking for, and if not, what should I be looking for differently spec-wise? And is the camera worth the cost? Any advice would be very helpful, thanks!! here is the link to the D3100 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D3100-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B003ZYF3LO/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1309066685&sr=1-1 EDIT: also found this Canon, slightly more expensive, but appears to have better specs: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T3i-Digital-Imaging-18-55mm/dp/B004J3V90Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1309070075&sr=1-1
Both cameras are good, I prefer the Canon t2i over the t3i actually. The t2i is cheaper (slightly), lighter, thinner, and just more compact. The image quality is identical between the two as well. I think the t3i has a flip-out screen if that's worth the extra $100, but other than that... not much difference between the two. You're going to hear arguments for both Canon and Nikon and I will tell you this.... It's a Mac vs PC debate. There's no right answer. Personally I prefer Canon (I own the Canon EOS 7D and I absolutely love it) because of it's ability to shoot video as well as photos. Keep in mind it's all about the lens too. The stock lens you're going to get is a good starter lens, but if when you start to shoot more you're going to want better lenses and begin to realize how much the starter lens sucks compared to others. I would recommend reading up on three things: exposure, shutter speed, and ISO (gain control) after purchasing your camera. In short, I would choose the Canon t2i if it were me and I was on your budget.
thanks griddles. yea I'm not sure I would really make use of the flip out screen that much. Didn't realize that other than that the t2i and t3i were so similar. I had read that the t3 wasn't much of an 'upgrade' over the t2, so I guess that makes more sense now. Looks like best buy has them at the same price (actually a couple bucks cheaper) than I can find online, so I may head over there today to look at them and feel them out. Do you recommend buying the body only and purchasing a nice lens, or starting with the kit with the 18-55 lens? It looks like buying the kit gets you that lens for like 50 dollars, which is pretty cheap even if its not an elite lens.
I would say just buy the kit lens until you get a good grasp on everything. Good lenses can be EXPENSIVE. I tend to rent certain lenses (such as the 70-200mm f2.8) because of that.
I have the rebel xsi. wife and i love it. great pictures, and pretty easy to use. i am to canon, what desides is to mac.
This is somewhat self-promotion, but I shot this timelapse with my 7D today... the t2i (or t3i) shoot similar to the 7D. [video=youtube;FujRu6anMdo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FujRu6anMdo[/video]
You can get a really really good camera for less than that and get great results. It sounds like you want a good camera to learn with , and get positive results immediately better ones as you get more experience. I am not a professional photographer however I have taken photos that have been used professionally and also done some weddings , events etc. My son is finishing a Creative Communications degree and one of his classes is photography . I bought him a used Sony a300 , we both think it was well worth the price ( under 300 ) . I have a lot of lenses and mounts so was able to just buy the body from a reputable camera store. Sometimes , like football , you have too much information and it is paralysis by analysis , try this site for trusted reviews . http://www.dpreview.com/
