Photography Oppos

"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
08/10/2016 at 03:11 • Filed to: None

Any advice on good beginner’s dslr or dslm cameras?

DISCUSSION (26)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 03:14

I have a Sony Alpha 6, it’s a dslr sensor in a smaller body. I love it.

TA4K > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 03:41

I have an old Canon 450D, one of the first Canons to have the larger screen in fact. It’s old, won’t do video and has a pretty bad ISO range, but with decent glass I can still knock out some good shots. My point is, in some cases the lens is as important as the body so compromising on the lens to get extra features might not always net a better photo or shooting experience.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 03:49

If you have a small budget, stay in the used market, don’t get anything brand new. Heck, I don’t have a small budget and I don’t buy anything brand new, ever, when it comes to photography.

For a first SLR, I would recommend a used Canon T2i or T3i (550D or 600D in Europe. They are pretty much the same anyway), with a do-it-all lens like a Tamron 18-270mm and a more “high-end” lens like the Sigma 28mm F1.8. This is actually my personnal do-it-all setup.

The T2i will run around 200$ used without lens. The Sigma 28mm F1.8 will sell around 250$ while the Tamron 18-270mm will go around 170$. All those prices are used off of ebay.

Pictures shot with the Tamron 18-270mm and a Canon T2i:

Kinja'd!!!

Pictures shot with that same Canon T2i and a Sigma 28mm F1.8

Kinja'd!!!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
08/10/2016 at 03:51

Do you have to buy the lens separatly?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal
08/10/2016 at 03:53

Haven’t really thought about buying used but I’ll most definitely start looking now.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 03:54

I’ve got a Canon 700D, I think it is quite a good camera to learn on, and once you get better, you can always invest in better lenses. A friend of me has got a 550D(same price range when new) and he uses that one for his movie productions company, he told me he won’t upgrade his body until he has enough cash flow to but a Black Magic, so that shows the flexibility of the 2nd cheapest Canon model. The same holds for comparable Nikons.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 03:59

If you want to buy new, double or triple the prices I just gave you. It’s just not worth it.

410$ for the Tamron, 400$ for the Sigma and you would have to buy a new T6i, which is still roughly the same thing as the T2i lol, for 750$. Just not worth it.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
08/10/2016 at 04:00

I kinda favored the 700D even though it’s slightly out of my price range.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 04:02

You can buy it with a lens included. It’s now called the a6000.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal
08/10/2016 at 04:03

I’m on a relatively tight budget, €350-€450 so strictly looking for new cameras would be stupid.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
08/10/2016 at 04:07

I’d probably have to buy use but the compact body is a strong pro for the alpha 6000.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 04:08

Wit ha budget like this, go for a Canon 550D (t2i) and the Tamron lens. You won’t be desappointed.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Canon-EOS-…

http://www.ebay.de/itm/CANON-TAMR…

450€ or so total.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal
08/10/2016 at 04:15

Holy moly that combination sounds great.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 04:16

Lots of the pictures I take are done with this so... :)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 04:22

I bought mine used, the compact form factor is nice.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 05:19

Yeah, I’m glad I got it over the 1200D, which is the typical “look at me being interesting and artsy”-camera and that one lacks the flip-out touchscreen, which is brilliant for watching your photos.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
08/10/2016 at 05:27

I’m very intrigued by the 700d to be honest, just hoping it will be a bit cheaper until later this year.

Craig Stampfli > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 05:30

If you happen to have a friend with a DSLR, either Canon or Nikon, (Sony, Fuji, whatever) consider getting the same brand. Tips and tricks are easier to share and understand if you both have similar equipment. What usually makes the most difference in relatively good light is the lenses compared to the kit lens, this is possibly where you need to consider investing. And as has been mentioned below, 3rd party glass can often be just as good or better than the name brand.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 05:35

Nah, probably not going to happen, since it is still the cheap 750/760D alternative. I must say the differences between a 550D and 700D(and all in between) are very minimal.

random001 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 06:46

I can’t recommend the D3300 enough. I was a long time DSLR user, but my wife was not. She couldn’t really figure out all the options, so I got her a D3300 because it has a guide mode. It walks you through settings and teaches you DSLR as you go, and was stupid cheap as a refurb model.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 07:02

I’m quite happy with my D5100. Bought it used, and since we’re into the Dx300's now you should be able to pick up a decent D5200 for fairly cheap.

My advice personally: Try all the main competitors. One may seem very natural to use and the other may seem idiotic. For me the Canon controls were clear as mud, for you it may be the other way around. Pentax makes a very good camera, but they tend to be pricy. Whatever you do, start with a couple basic, cheap lenses and make sure you like it before buying better/more lenses. Lenses are expensive. Bodies are relatively cheap. Once you’ve invested in the glass it’s a lot of $$$ to make the switch to another brand.

Vicente Esteve > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 08:30

I use an Alpha A6000. It’s an excellent camera, an the compact size just makes it better.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 09:17

I recently went through this process, and the main piece of advice I got from family/friends, some of whom are professional photographers, was to buy the best lenses that I could, as they will last me longer than a camera body and have the greatest impact on image quality.

I went used for everything, originally looking at Canon T3i/T5i cameras, but ended up spending a lot more than I probably should have and picking up a used Canon 7D, in great shape, off Craiglist ($500). For my lenses I followed my friends’ advice and spent a lot, although really not that much for the quality of lenses that I got. I ended up with a Canon 17-40mm f/4L, 70-200 f/4L IS and a 50mm prime lense. I bought both of the L-lenses used off of KEH, which I would highly recommend. I found them to have some of the best prices, and their grading system for used equipment is top notch. Many people seem to think that they actually underrate the condition of the stuff they sell, so you can be sure that it will be of the quality claimed at the very least. They also have an excellent return policy, which I did not have to used because both lenses I bought from them functioned like brand new and looked almost the same.

Other people have also mentioned on here to consider the brand of camera that a friend(s) use. This is a great idea. One reason I went for Canon is because two of my friends, one of whom shoots cars professionally, use them. They have offered lots of great tips/advice, one of them even came with me to check out the 7D when I bought it, and have both offered to let me borrow lenses too. So that’s a potential bonus to consider.

I really need to start using my camera more though... haha

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 10:29

I’ve got a Nikon D3100 and love it. Easy to use and play around on and at a good price. Takes great pictures.

Stephen the Canuck > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/10/2016 at 12:58

It’s pretty much been covered. Used is a great way to go when starting out. Don’t worry so much about the body, anything that’s been out since about 2010 will work very well, especially to learn on.

Go to a electronics or photography store and pick up cameras and play around with them a bit. See which ones feel better in your hand. Go with whatever brand feels most comfortable and intuitive.

In the last couple of years mirrorless cameras have really picked up in quality and mostly match DSLRs. You won’t go wrong with either.

Don’t be afraid to get a kit lens or two (generally a 18-55mm lens and a longer lens (Canon’s two main kit lenses are 18-55mm and 55-250mm). They’re pretty cheap and work great to learn on.

From there, you will probably know more about where you would like to go with photography.

You’ll want a camera body, at least one lens, a camera bag, at least one battery, and a memory card. Probably a tripod as well.

I prefer Canon, so I would look for a decently priced 50D, a Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 lens or Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens, a 16GB memory card, a camera bag that will that will fit whatever you pick up and leave a little room for expanding. Next pickups would be a tripod and a longer lens.

What’s your local online classifieds? I can take a look and see what’s there.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
08/11/2016 at 13:58

For the money, a used Canon 50D is hard to beat and isn’t plasticky-feeling like the t-Series cameras, has decent upper-end ISO and allows individual lens autofocus calibration. But no video.

The Tamron 17-50 f2.8 is a faster lens than the 18-270, though it suffers (not as much as the 18-270) in low light. Anything markedly better costs much more money.

If you want a prime, I’d recommend the Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4.

Ttyymmnn has experience with the Tamron 18-270 in many regimes, and has moved on from it.