Help me buying DSLR camera for a beginner in photography

Sony NEX 3 has a similar CMOS sensor (matters more than MPixels) as a DSLR but the crop factor is more at 2.7 Vs 1.6 and extra lenses are few and pricey...so what does this means for a beginner?
Very little, get started with NEX 3, you won't lose much compared to D3100!
 
Olympus and Panasonic ILCs (interchangeable lense camera) have four thirds sensor which is inferior to the APS-C ones found in Sony/DSLRs. You loose out in both speed and quality.
The NEX 3 is a better deal in terms of portability, price and features.
 
[/COLOR]thanks bhupati,
the basic point is i want to burn some money for a good camera which is better than p & s cams
i went thru some quick tutorials of dslrs from neighborhood.

when asked about nex 3 most say it doesn't have view finder & sony lenses are costly, but what i like is slim factor, also as adder said i'll use live view mostly.
so filnally it comes to --does any other cam perform better than nex 3 at its range(+/- 2k)
 
If you are using live view then stick with mirrorless cameras or get a sony DSLT which also uses live but is the only APS-C sensor based cameras out there that uses the faster Phase Detect AF.

The live view in nikon and canon are much slower,there lenses are not made for contrast detect AF or CDAF which they use in live view.Where as the NEX and m4/3 have dedicated lenses for CDAF,which are also quieter and are also smoother during video.
 
dhruvrock2000 said:
Lenses for the four thirds format and the Nex will definitely be more expensive. Get the D3100 , you won't regret it.
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Yep, and adapting bigger lenses (K,M-42, E mount etc) defeat the entire purpose of getting a small APS-C camera.

Get a Nikon D3100/Canon 500D, learn the basics of photography, and THEN look at investing into the NEX system if you still want a smaller system with better video.
 
Well I would like to say that if u r new comer in photography world then at first you should not use dslr..start with compact cams..then u will go to dslr..& my opinion is u can buy canon power shot-SX 30IS..it is to easy too use & as well as very power full cam..:)))
 
Saiyan said:
5 days back i ordered my Canon 550D for Rs.31490. Comes with all the accesories minus the 4GB SD card and the canon bag which comes as kit in general.

Canon 550D with 18-55mm IS Lens Kit + Manufacturer WRTy | eBay

Applied the ebay coupon for the 1TB WD Hard drive. Seemed like a good deal.
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How did you manage to apply two coupons ? It didn't allow me to apply any. I paid the full 32K, without any coupon :( Not even the 1TB since these diwali coupons dont work with deal of the week offers.

Also I visited few stores (reliance digital, jumbo electronis, canon store) and everywhere the price was more like 38K for the kit. I thought that 32K is a fine price for that deal so I went ahead. I just realized I made myself look like a fool, after reading your post. Such a dumb thing I did :(
 
^luckily for me, that seller had listed the camera twice. One was in the deal of the week and the other was a normal listing.
 
Looks like most of your doubts are cleared but let me pitch in with my 2 cents.
Firstly don't go for sony NEX. Not worth the money; they have 2 lenses, a wide and a normal one, and the lens movement is very slow, It feels like there is little grease between the external and internal zoom/focus tube. Not desirable for prolonged use.

Secondly, ultra basic DSLR are canon 1100D and nikon D3100; after that you want little more extra stuff then go for 550D or D5100(These bodies are bigger than the previously mentioned 1100 and D3100 so if you're someone with small hands then choose wisely, ideally most of the camera controls should be reachable with your right hand without removing your camera from your eye.Take this into account when buying)

READ,READ,READ and learn before you buy one. If you don't know much about the do's;learn DON'Ts before buying.I've known people who have damaged their lenses accidentally by moving the focus ring in AF mode on a non-FTM lens(In canon). I have also known people who want to rotate every other ring on a DSLR coz they saw it in movies without even asking the owner. I have had a very bad experience with someone who was trying to rotate the focus ring on my 50mm prime in AF mode and at the same time asking me, why it is not zooming.!!!!:mad:
Always buy camera and other fragile stuff from a physical store, camera is a delicate equipment and you should buy it after checking it.(My personal opinion.)

You have not mentioned the city you're from, If you're from Bangalore by any chance then register here and check out the camera bodies for a day(Be careful though since you're a newbie).

Another tactic used by many is to invest in a medium feature camera body and save money for lenses, it's the lenses that counts. Finally, It's the camera holder that takes the photos and not the camera itself. :)
 
Saiyan said:
^luckily for me, that seller had listed the camera twice. One was in the deal of the week and the other was a normal listing.
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The seller made such a fool out of we newbies :p

Seems like he listed it for 31500 last week and with the deal of the week, he increased the price by 500 bucks. Damn that was such a loss of 4 grands (I think of it as a loss of 50mm prime for me). Bad luck this time :p
 
Excellent info, thanks for sharing.
htnakirs said:
Get a used DSLR body dirt cheap... something like an old CAnon 350D can be had for 8000 with the lens. Try it for a week or so just to see if it is up your alley. If you want to get into this seriously, disposing off the 350D will be easier since there are many buyers looking for dirt cheap stuff.
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I'd like to follow this route. Can someone give me possible avenues for getting a good quality used 350D with kit-lens? I'm at Hyderabad.
 
sh@sh! said:
Looks like most of your doubts are cleared but let me pitch in with my 2 cents.
Firstly don't go for sony NEX. Not worth the money; they have 2 lenses, a wide and a normal one, and the lens movement is very slow, It feels like there is little grease between the external and internal zoom/focus tube. Not desirable for prolonged use.
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What you mean the lens movement is slow the AF or the manual zoom.IF you are talking about zoom it turns as fast as you can rotate it.Its one of the better built lens out there all metal not some cheap plastic kit lens and metal mount.
Its feels like grease because unlike dslr lens which were designed many many years ago for still use only,these have bad AF in videos and very noisy ,the nex lens was designed with both still and video in mind,it has to be smooth and silent.Its motors ,gears etc are optimized for Contrast Detect AF and its has to be really fast,it will runs circles around other DSLR in live view(except Sony A390/A560/A580 which have PDAF in live view and Sony SLT )
 
adder said:
What you mean the lens movement is slow the AF or the manual zoom.IF you are talking about zoom it turns as fast as you can rotate it.Its one of the better built lens out there all metal not some cheap plastic kit lens and metal mount.

Its feels like grease because unlike dslr lens which were designed many many years ago for still use only,these have bad AF in videos and very noisy ,the nex lens was designed with both still and video in mind,it has to be smooth and silent.Its motors ,gears etc are optimized for Contrast Detect AF and its has to be really fast,it will runs circles around other DSLR in live view(except Sony A390/A560/A580 which have PDAF in live view and Sony SLT )
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What I was referring to is the amount of force it needs to move the lens main drive, u have to rotate it like the big knob we have on stereo systems;slow and smooth. But ya I agree with your point on being silent movement-wise. Anyways as a casual shooter myself I look at the camera as a still capture equipment esp when it is marketed as "slr type".And the DSLR these days don't have much of the noise issue, maybe a little.
 
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