Camera Noob looking for camera.

PH0ENiX

Skilled
What's your budget?
15-30k (open to buying different types of lens in the future too)
Camera type?
DSLR

Body Style?
Compact or Bridge (bulky)
i dont know
How much zoom do you want/expect?
i dont know
Do you care for manual exposure controls?
i ONLY Care for Image quality.
What's the purpose?

night sky photography,macro photography,landscape photography

and taking pics like this
https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http://imgur.com/gallery/FMo96fW&psig=AFQjCNFuB4OHn8BEFeqeXH-QWWYbQhBFsg&ust=1475774404749130

What will you be shooting with this camera?

mountains,night sky,landscapes and close up of flowers,animals and also pc components

Do you have any particular model(s) in your mind?
none
Any brand preference? Like/dislike
i am comfortable with canon,bot no issues with nikon
From where will you be buying?

online,i am also open to buying from u.s based websites if it comes to it(shipping not an issue)

Any specific features you need?
no
Anything else you would like to tell us?
no
i know about hardware,but absolutely nothing about cameras..

under 30k i want to take pictures like this https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http://imgur.com/gallery/FMo96fW&psig=AFQjCNFuB4OHn8BEFeqeXH-QWWYbQhBFsg&ust=1475774404749130
and as i mentioned above macro photography and landscape

i absolutely dont mind buying second hand or extra lenses in the future,so if 30k will go in pretty basic stuff fine.
 
Last edited:
you wont be able to change lenses with compact or bridge cameras. I think canon 1300D/1200D range will be your best bet in the price range. for night and landscape, buy Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (38K), for macro, get the canon 100mm macro , for wildlife you may go for cheap 55-250mm canon (10K) or canon 100-400 F/4 and again the pictures will depend on your knowledge of composition, light and editing skills
 
you wont be able to change lenses with compact or bridge cameras. I think canon 1300D/1200D range will be your best bet in the price range. for night and landscape, buy Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (38K), for macro, get the canon 100mm macro , for wildlife you may go for cheap 55-250mm canon (10K) or canon 100-400 F/4 and again the pictures will depend on your knowledge of composition, light and editing skills
thanks for the help bro,i got some more questions if anyone can clarify it would be very helpfull

how much difference would a higher end camera 700d etc have over 1300/1200d and which is better 1300 or 1200d ?

any harm in buying 2nd hand 1200/1300d i saw then for 10-14k on olx.
how should i test while buying a 2nd hand camera?

the 100mm macro is too costly at the movement.anything under 10k for the time being?
http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...ahUKEwjw67Gy-MXPAhWBPY8KHS0vB6AQvhcIJw&adurl=
how is this?

and what are these?
http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...ahUKEwjw67Gy-MXPAhWBPY8KHS0vB6AQvhcIYw&adurl=
how are Indian prices compared to u.s/canada i can ask relatives to bring in some lenses/stuff.
 
thanks for the help bro,i got some more questions if anyone can clarify it would be very helpfull

how much difference would a higher end camera 700d etc have over 1300/1200d and which is better 1300 or 1200d ?

any harm in buying 2nd hand 1200/1300d i saw then for 10-14k on olx.
how should i test while buying a 2nd hand camera?

the 100mm macro is too costly at the movement.anything under 10k for the time being?
http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...ahUKEwjw67Gy-MXPAhWBPY8KHS0vB6AQvhcIJw&adurl=
how is this?

and what are these?
http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...ahUKEwjw67Gy-MXPAhWBPY8KHS0vB6AQvhcIYw&adurl=
how are Indian prices compared to u.s/canada i can ask relatives to bring in some lenses/stuff.

Costlier and better Camera means more fps, better focusing systems, better low light performance, redundant card slots, touchscreens, Tilt screens etc. As a noob you wont be able to use all these features, and by the time you get the hang of those things, that model will already be too old. So better get a low end camera first off.

While buying used camera body, check for missing or worn out buttons, the total shutter counts the body has seen, any odd behaviour while taking photos and take test shots at F/22 with two lenses of a plain wall or sky. any dots overlapping on photos of different lenses is the dust on the sensor. camera body are generally rugged and you can buy used if it looks good physcially

While buying second hand lens, check for fungus, autofocus and jammed focus rings

you could start out cheap on macro by purchasing reverse macro rings, what these do is enable you to mount your kit or other lense reverse to the mount, turning them in to a huge magnifying lens.

from what i have seen, there is not much difference in USA and India lens prices. keep a look out on slickdeals.net
 
i ONLY Care for Image quality.
D3300 has edge over 1200D/1300D in terms of IQ/low light performance. How much weightage you wanna give for IQ is up to you. Factor other things too before narrowing down the model

night sky photography
- Wide angle and/or fast lens would be nice. Even 3rd party manual focus wide angle lens would do. Would cost about ~$200 - 250. You don't have to jump and buy one now.
macro photography - Preferably dedicated macro lens. You can look for one after you get used with your camera.
animals - 70-300 IS/VR costs more than 20k. If you can't afford one, you can go for 55-200/55-250 (will cost sub 10k), Canon has better focal range in this regard.

online,i am also open to buying from u.s based websites if it comes to it(shipping not an issue)

I don't think you will get India warranty if you get it from US.

i absolutely dont mind buying second hand or extra lenses in the future,so if 30k will go in pretty basic stuff fine.
If you don't know much about camera, it's better to stick with new one, else ask someone who can help you with getting a used one.

Dushera offers are gone now. See if there is any before Diwali

how much difference would a [strike]higher end camera[/strike] 700d etc have over 1300/1200d and which is better 1300 or 1200d ?
In terms of IQ, you wouldn't notice much difference with 700D (vs 1300D). You would get some features like touch, fully articulate screen, flash commander, better AF, more frames per second...
 
ok guys understood everything,
now i am only stuck between 1200/1300d and nikon d3300
i prefer going with the one with cheaper/better and more accessories/lenses
 
ok guys understood everything,
now i am only stuck between 1200/1300d and nikon d3300
i prefer going with the one with cheaper/better and more accessories/lenses
You will find equivalent lens in both nikon and canon world. Lens made by nikon will generally be slight costlier than canon. You can go with either of them
 
Bought the 700D a month back. Touchscreen is a god send for changing settings for amateurs like me who have been uaing touchscreen phones for quite some time.
You can change settings really quick using the touchscreen. I have used my friend's D3300 and D5200. Many a times I felt frustrated having to use the navigation buttons and trying to reach specific settings. Touchscreen is much much better in this regard


One point I noticed with respect to Canon vs Nikon lenses -
Nikon lenses have a lock button. When you have stopped shooting and want to attach the lens cap, you can lock the lens to its lowest position(in terms of outward projection from camera body) and then put on the lens cap. This was the lens does not move on its own when you put a bit of pressure to attach the cap. Canon lenses lack this thing (in both the 18-55mm and 55-250mm IS II lens, I did not find anything similar)
 
ok guys,i am leaning towards the eos 1200d because canon has 1.300 trillion in revenue over nikon's 880 billion


so now whats the best deal for 1200d right now?

is it worth buying the camera body only for 18k and buying some other lens over the 18-55 provided??
 
Nikon d3300 has better sensor compared to 1200d . Canon 1200s Iso performance is pathetic. Better option is to go for a used d600 or even better Nikon d7000
 
ok guys got a eos 1200d with dual lens kit for around 16k from a friend.
now i only need a wide angel lens and i am looking at this one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Canon-E...449806?hash=item1a190d454e:g:2UUAAOSwawpXq07T
https://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1...ie=UTF8&qid=1476205004&sr=1-1#customerReviews

how is it?
any other option under 15k?

i will upgrade to better lens after 6~ months after i get used to a dslr.

50mm on a canon crop sensor is around 85mm. hence it is not a wide angle. It is more like a small telephoto lens. If you want a wide angle, you need to have smaller mm range like 10, 11, etc. But since you already have a 18-55, you wont benefit from any lens which is wider than 18 mm and has a lower F/stop number that 18-55
 
50mm on a canon crop sensor is around 85mm. hence it is not a wide angle. It is more like a small telephoto lens. If you want a wide angle, you need to have smaller mm range like 10, 11, etc. But since you already have a 18-55, you wont benefit from any lens which is wider than 18 mm and has a lower F/stop number that 18-55
ok thanks for the info bro,

i got one last question,answer this anyone an i am golden



are the 18-55 and 55-250 kit lenses good?
i can get a new canon 1200d without lens for 15k~16k from a friend
its sealed in the box.he says it comes with 2 year warranty, how do i verify this ?

considering with these lenses the camera is selling for 10k more are they worth it
in place of those i will buy

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Canon-E...449806?hash=item1a190d454e:g:2UUAAOSwawpXq07T
this for day to day photos,as far as i learned this shoots better pictures then the 18-55mm

this lens has to be better then the provided canon telephoto Right?
http://www.amazon.in/Tamron-70-300m...scsubtag=dbdf6a5f-67cd-4d06-9c26-9c6752fffded

now for night sky i will buy this
http://www.ebay.in/itm/112151315113?aff_source=Sok-Goog
or this
http://www.ebay.in/itm/142102045591?aff_source=Sok-Goog\

so what do you think??
 
ok thanks for the info bro,

i got one last question,answer this anyone an i am golden



are the 18-55 and 55-250 kit lenses good? Yes, For beginners
i can get a new canon 1200d without lens for 15k~16k from a friend
its sealed in the box.he says it comes with 2 year warranty, how do i verify this ? 1 year standard warranty and additional 1 year after online registration according to amazon

considering with these lenses the camera is selling for 10k more are they worth it
in place of those i will buy - At 10K they are a good starting point

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Canon-E...449806?hash=item1a190d454e:g:2UUAAOSwawpXq07T
this for day to day photos,as far as i learned this shoots better pictures then the 18-55mm - Correct, the lens is sharper than the kit lens and has a larger aperture letting you shoot at lower ISO and thus cleaner images

this lens has to be better then the provided canon telephoto Right?
http://www.amazon.in/Tamron-70-300m...scsubtag=dbdf6a5f-67cd-4d06-9c26-9c6752fffded - Havent compared in depth, but on paper, since the range is longer while the aperture remains the same as that of canon 55-250mm, I would have it is a better lens

now for night sky i will buy this
http://www.ebay.in/itm/112151315113?aff_source=Sok-Goog
or this
http://www.ebay.in/itm/142102045591?aff_source=Sok-Goog\
Both are not suitable for astrophotography due to their higher F stop numbers. Go for the Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8. F/2.8 will let in more light compared to lens mentioned above

so what do you think??

My reply in Bold
 
thanks everyone this is what i brought in the end

eos 1300d -15.5k from ebay.in
rokinion 8mm f3.5 fisheye
rokinon 14mm f2.8 wide angel
canon ef 25mm f2.8 stm
amazonbasics tripod
 
I have a small question.
If one has only the Canon 700D + 18-55 lens and wants to use the camera mostly for taking photographs when on vacation, which lens should one buy?
The 55-250mm IS II kit lens? Or a tamron 18-200mm lens? Or f/1.8 50mm prime lens?

This is for an amateur photographer who does not have a steady hand. So image stabilization is required
 
thanks everyone this is what i brought in the end

eos 1300d -15.5k from ebay.in
rokinion 8mm f3.5 fisheye
rokinon 14mm f2.8 wide angel
canon ef 25mm f2.8 stm
amazonbasics tripod

Prices for the rokinons? from where were they bought?

I have a small question.
If one has only the Canon 700D + 18-55 lens and wants to use the camera mostly for taking photographs when on vacation, which lens should one buy?
The 55-250mm IS II kit lens? Or a tamron 18-200mm lens? Or f/1.8 50mm prime lens?

This is for an amateur photographer who does not have a steady hand. So image stabilization is required
18-55 Kit lens is a good lens for starting
55-250mm is also good but its a zoom lens and the photographer will have to be standing away from the subject if the whole subject is to be kept in the frame. However, it will give a nice bokeh if subject is away from the background
tamron 18-200 has a very wide range, and as the range is wide, there will be compromises in image quality
50 mm prime - F/1.8 is ideal for low light but will be too long for it to be usable indoors

My recommendation, go for tamron 17-50 F/2.8
 
Prices for the rokinons? from where were they bought?
i got the 1300d from ebay for 20k 18.5k after 7% off coupon and 15k after i sold the kit lens for 3.5k

rokinon 8mm f3.5 from ebay.com used for around 100usd,A steal for the Price.
works as good as a wide angle lens after defishing
rokinon 14mm i am still looking for its 300usd on amazon.com.pretty expensive even used

ef 50mm f1.8 from ebay.in for 6.8k after 7% coupons
 
i got the 1300d from ebay for 20k 18.5k after 7% off coupon and 15k after i sold the kit lens for 3.5k

rokinon 8mm f3.5 from ebay.com used for around 100usd,A steal for the Price.
works as good as a wide angle lens after defishing
rokinon 14mm i am still looking for its 300usd on amazon.com.pretty expensive even used

ef 50mm f1.8 from ebay.in for 6.8k after 7% coupons
skip rokinon, go for tokina 11-16mm. rokinon is soft and manual focus lens
 
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