Which DSLR?

[buddy13]

I have been using a point and shoot cybershot to take photos of my watches (any anything else for that matter) for years now ....


I have decided to step up to a real camera (DSLR) with good macro abilities, zoom and ability to set ISO etc...


Looking at the specs on the Nikon/Canon/Pentx websites is making me slightly dizzy. I have a friend who is very knowledgable but I fear that if I ask him he'll spend the next 3 or so hours going into so much detail that my head would explode .


I will use it for macro, underwater use (so needs to be able to take housing) and general day/night shots...


I am not a pro photographer (nor I intend to be) by all means so I don't want to buy something I will never have the use for. My budget is 500 Euros. I was thinking Canon 1100D, what you say?


So any advice guys ?

[Bolaberlim]

Current DSLR's will get you what you need. Anyone of them. Make sure you like the way it feels on the hand, and if it indeed has a underwater housing. 1100d is a very capable camera, but for macro you will need another lens as the kit lens is not very capable in that regard. It will push your budget up for sure. One alternative I like, is the pentax. Their mount is still compatible with vintage lenses, so you can buy a Pentax with kit lens and purchase a separate vintage manual focus macro lens. New Canon cameras are not compatible with old canon mount - FD lenses. I do not know about Nikon, it's not a brand I have experienced in the past.

If you do go the pentax route, note that the K5 is weather proof.

One other alternative is micro 4/3. Not a real SLR, but LOTS of user control. Pretty much the same as in a SLR but with a lot less bulk. I sold my slr gear and went the olympus m 4/3 route. I couldn't be happier. One affordable way to go into m4/3 is the Olympus E-PL1. A bit slow on the focus speed, but superb image quality, and dirt cheap.
I currently have both the E-p2 and E-p3. Along with my 14mm f2.5 lens it's a great small(ish)combo!

One more thing, sony just released the RX100. It's a compact point and shoot. But... all the controls are customizable, you can choose iso, shutter speed, aperture, etc..., it's small, and has the BEST image quality of any compact up to date. It rivals some SLR's. Think about it.

[Frankentime]

You can't really go wrong with any entry level Canon or Nikon with a good 50 mm lens to start. If you want really close macro capability though, you will need to buy a separate macro lens.

[Statius]

At your budget, you can't lose with either the entry level Nikon or Canon offerings. Go to a camera store and try out both. Pick the one you find most comfortable. As for macro, etc., you'll need to budget for a good macro lens separate from the camera body you'll be buying. The kit lens won't do the kind of macro you want. There's also Pentax, etc., etc., but I'd stick with Canon or Nikon myself. I have had Canons. I now have a Nikon. Both are great.

[Bolaberlim]

You can't really go wrong with any entry level Canon or Nikon with a good 50 mm lens to start. If you want really close macro capability though, you will need to buy a separate macro lens.

I wouldn't advise a 50mm. It's too long on a crop body, and all starter Dslr's are crops. For primes, I'd advise a 30mm to start as a general use lens.

[*El Ocho 1*]

I have a Nikon D5100 & really like it. A good entry level DSLR.

[AirWatch]

...I will use it for macro, underwater use (so needs to be able to take housing) and general day/night shots...


I am not a pro photographer (nor I intend to be) by all means so I don't want to buy something I will never have the use for. My budget is 500 Euros. I was thinking Canon 1100D, what you say?

I think you'll be better off with a Superzoom rather than a cumbersome DSLR system. The soon to be released Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will be a near perfect choice for your intended use.

[johant]

I think you'll be better off with a Superzoom rather than a cumbersome DSLR system. The soon to be released Panasonic Lumix FZ200 will be a near perfect choice for your intended use.

I think you are right. A DSLR is one thing (I use a Canon 5D), but building a good collection of glass is something entirely different. Let alone a good waterproof housing.

For your purposes, a super zoom sounds more sensible. There is no mirror to be damaged, the whole package is going to be smaller and cheaper, and it is probably easier to find a waterproof cover that fits.

[Bolaberlim]

The more I see about the Sony RX100, the more I think the thing is Awesome!

[Scottish Steve]

It is indeed bewildering to enter the world of photography. I was in a similar position to yourself this time last year and nearly went mad trying to assimilate all the info from various in-depth reviews. I had never owned a camera before so I had to start from scratch. I had initially went out to look at a straightforward compact for around 2,000 yuan and eventually bought a D5100 (5,200 yuan) and over the course of a year, two more lenses (total 2,500 yuan). Late last month I bought a Panasonic GX1 for 5,200 yuan (see my recent thread in the photography forum) and now plan to spend 9,400 yuan on a lens for it at the end of this month! It is an addictive hobby, especially as the benefits of spending your money are tangible- rather than having something nice and shiny on your wrist which in all probability won't offer any more functionality, to be able to categorically increase the technical quality of your pictures in one fell swoop has great appeal.
I feel the huge success of Micro Four Thirds cameras in the last year or so is due to the fact that they represent the 'next step' in digital imaging. The IQ of my Nikon with a really good prime set up to produce maximum sharpness is undoubtedly superior to my GX1 with the kit lens, but I am also quite certain that once I attach a really good lens to the GX1 I will be getting shots of equal or possibly even superior quality, at least with lower ISOs. Handling is also very important. Canon do things differently to Nikon and the character of the images produced is also slightly different- some people naturally gravitate to one or other brand. I would also suggest looking at Sony, Panasonic (for Mico 4/3s) and Olympus.
It is inevitable that whatever you choose, the cameras you rejected will do some things better. For instance the metering on my D5100 is a royal pain in the bum as is the user interface. After spending 2 weeks with the GX1, which I believe is far better thought-out as an enthusiast's tool than the D5100, it was annoying to go back to the D5100 and have to leap through hoops to change settings and worry about overexposure- with the GX1 I compensate by half a stop for all exposures and the job is done. This is an aspect of Nikons which will probably not flag up to you without experience or advice from others. Of course long-term Canon users will have their own bugbears. Do not discount Sony- they are coming out with great products and many companies use Sony's sensors, e.g. Nikon.