Help Required For Buying a DSLR: Bought Canon EOS 1100D.


What Brand should I go for?


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Thread Starter #1
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In my recent trip to Udaipur i felt the need of a good camera while taking pictures from my digicam as it was pretty slow and i don't know why? I bought it when i was in US and it worked fine there. It's a Nikon COOLPIX S6100 with 16 megapixles.

Also when i am on trips i like taking pictures of the landscapes, monuments, buildings etc. So the urge of getting a DSLR had started inside me from past few months.

We also have lot of family get together's where the need of a good camera is always felt.

So now i feel that it's the right time to get one[:)].

Now i did go through lot of threads on the forum regarding the same but don't want to capture anybody else's thread so thought of starting a new thread of my own and secondly it will help me since all the questions can be answered in one thread itself rather than me bouncing from one thread to another one[;)].

Requirements:
- Basic DSLR for a newbie to DSLR's.
- Type of Pics - Landscapes, Monuments, Nature, Buildings, CARS etc.
- Budget - Max 30k.

Options in mind:
- Canon
- Nikon
 
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Re: Help Required for buying a DSLR

Any DSLR cameras are okay, but check out the cost of the lens which makes the camera complete.

Personally, i feel Nikon.
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

@singh -
Thanks a lot for opening this thread i was thinking of opening one as i'm also in search of one cam.

Hope you dont mind me hijacking you thread as mine is also the same requirement one more addition to the type of pics would be my 11 month old baby.

I had shortlisted Nikon D3200 with a 18 - 55 kit lens or with a 18 - 105 kit lens. just dont know which to select.
I Nikon 3200 a good camera or is it enough to go with Nikon3100?

Help needed please.
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

In my recent trip to Udaipur i felt the need of a good camera while taking pictures from my digicam as it was pretty slow and i don't know why? I bought it when i was in US and it worked fine there. It's a Nikon COOLPIX S6100 with 16 megapixles.

Also when i am on trips i like taking pictures of the landscapes, monuments, buildings etc. So the urge of getting a DSLR had started inside me from past few months.

We also have lot of family get together's where the need of a good camera is always felt.

So now i feel that it's the right time to get one[:)].

Now i did go through lot of threads on the forum regarding the same but don't want to capture anybody else's thread so thought of starting a new thread of my own and secondly it will help me since all the questions can be answered in one thread itself rather than me bouncing from one thread to another one[;)].

Requirements:
- Basic DSLR for a newbie to DSLR's.
- Type of Pics - Landscapes, Monuments, Nature, Buildings, CARS etc.
- Budget - Max 30k.

Options in mind:
- Canon
- Nikon
Go for Nikon D5200 or D5100. Its a very good mid-range camera. You have to select the lens as per your usage because the kit lens (18-55mm) is pretty useless once you get used to the cam. I would'nt recommend you buying the kit lens. D3200 is too basic and most of the Nikon lenses are costly than Canon's.
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

@singh -
Thanks a lot for opening this thread i was thinking of opening one as i'm also in search of one cam.

Hope you dont mind me hijacking you thread as mine is also the same requirement one more addition to the type of pics would be my 11 month old baby.

I had shortlisted Nikon D3200 with a 18 - 55 kit lens or with a 18 - 105 kit lens. just dont know which to select.
I Nikon 3200 a good camera or is it enough to go with Nikon3100?

Help needed please.
Go for Nikon D5200 or D5100. Its a very good mid-range camera. You have to select the lens as per your usage because the kit lens (18-55mm) is pretty useless once you get used to the cam. I would'nt recommend you buying the kit lens. D3200 is too basic and most of the Nikon lenses are costly than Canon's.
Donot buy the Kit lens. Instead go for the 18-105mm lens. 3200 is a good camera for beginners. If you have plans of upgrading to a better cam in the future go for D3200 for now but if you are planning to hold onto the cam for a year or two then I'd recommend D5200.
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

[confused]. I thought we (me/Highway_Ranger) was suggesting some camera for singh with links.

As many pointed out, go for 18-105 Lens (if it is nikon) or 18-135(if canon). You have an option to choose online/offline with many retailers. 18-105 Lens itself costs around 16-18K. So, instead of having 18-55, add another 5-8K and get a 105 lens.

If you are looking for a basic feature camera to start with and you are in the budget of 37K, would suggest a D3200/550D. If you want to get a better feature camera, go for D5200. (5100, you may get it much cheaper after 5200's launch). If you want a metering console on top and ready to spend around 55-60, you get D7000 (price dropped almost 18K after D7100 launch).

As I always say, people with basic camera takes beautiful shots. Even if you get a camera worth 70K and do not know how to make the best out of it, then it is useless (Like me [cry] having a D7000) .

I am still a learner who can not spend too much time for photography !
 
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Thread Starter #7
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

have a quick question. I was just going by the specifications of couple of DSLR's there it says under Autofocus and Exposure Control - Metering Range EV 1 - 20 (at 23°C / 73°F with EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100). What does that mean?

Any DSLR cameras are okay, but check out the cost of the lens which makes the camera complete.

Personally, i feel Nikon.
Thanks for the reply to my query. But that's the question which camera with what kind of lens will suffice my need in the given budget.

@singh -
Thanks a lot for opening this thread i was thinking of opening one as i'm also in search of one cam.

Hope you dont mind me hijacking you thread as mine is also the same requirement one more addition to the type of pics would be my 11 month old baby.

I had shortlisted Nikon D3200 with a 18 - 55 kit lens or with a 18 - 105 kit lens. just dont know which to select.
I Nikon 3200 a good camera or is it enough to go with Nikon3100?

Help needed please.
That's what i am looking here. And feel free to put your questions here as they might be helpful for me as well.

Go for Nikon D5200 or D5100. Its a very good mid-range camera. You have to select the lens as per your usage because the kit lens (18-55mm) is pretty useless once you get used to the cam. I would'nt recommend you buying the kit lens. D3200 is too basic and most of the Nikon lenses are costly than Canon's.
D5200 is actually out of my budget. Need to check the price of D5100.

[confused]. I thought we (me/Highway_Ranger) was suggesting some camera for singh with links.
Yes buddy i did go through those links as well and thanks for providing them. But still had some questions so thought of starting a new thread of my own.

As many pointed out, go for 18-105 Lens (if it is nikon) or 18-135(if canon). You have an option to choose online/offline with many retailers. 18-105 Lens itself costs around 16-18K. So, instead of having 18-55, add another 5-8K and get a 105 lens.
If i buy the body and lens separately than i guess it will cost me more expensive, what say? The body itself is costing around 23-24K.

If you are looking for a basic feature camera to start with and you are in the budget of 37K, would suggest a D3200/550D. If you want to get a better feature camera, go for D5200. (5100, you may get it much cheaper after 5200's launch). If you want a metering console on top and ready to spend around 55-60, you get D7000 (price dropped almost 18K after D7100 launch).
That's quite out of my budget and i strictly want to stick to my budget as i am a newbie to DSLR world.
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

Need not worry about asking again :). I checked the other thread later and found it is you only. I was confused whether there was some other nick starting with the same. There it was almost finalized on one camera.


Why an SLR? Many people buy it for different reason.

Close ups with background blurring (Shallow depth of field), Clearer photos, Taking daily photos (all in one frame) etc etc.

Lens is the most important part of DSLR camera. If you want to take a closeup(macro), you can not take it to perfection using the stock lens (18-155). For that, you need a macro lens.

If you need a photo with background blurred, you need to have a different lens.

If you need to take a night photo clearly without shake / noise, you need to go for a different lens. etc. etc.

Budget is 30K right. I think, to start with you go with 1100D for 27300 is the best bet (You may not get that price today i guess). You have to watch out for it.
That was coming with two lens.

Now, the price is 31K. If you buy a different camera with 18-55 lens for 35K, you will be disappointed.
1100D, you will be able to take most of the photos
 
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zengetz

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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

Lots of confusion here on this thread and misconceptions when people are talking about changing lens for every other picture / situation.

Singhji, an 18-55 lens is great for your usage since you have mentioned you would mostly be shooting landscape/monuments etc where you would need a wider area to be covered. A bigger focal length upwards of 55mm is useless for landscape photography.

Photography is not about changing lens - you need to work on three factors here primarily - Aperture , Shutter Speed , Focal Length. Other than this things you would work with are metering, exposure and ISO.

I would like to correct a few points below to give you a bit more clarity into this.



If you need a photo with background blurred, you need to have a different lens.
To get a blurry background in other words a creamier bokeh, you should be shooting with the widest aperture possible. You can get some good results even with your kit lens. Working with the widest aperture and focusing rightly (getting closer to your subject) you can achieve this.

If you need to take a night photo clearly without shake / noise, you need to go for a different lens. etc. etc.
Not correct my friend. Low light shooting can be achived with a higher ISO setting. This has got nothing to do with your lens. Other way to get good pictures in low light is by using a longer shutter speed where the subject is not in motion.

Shaky pictures are a result of nothaving VR (Vibration/Image Stabilization in your lens. Cheaper zoom lens often lead you to this.) You will need to use a tripod during such situations and also if needed a remote shutter release.



Budget is 30K right. I think, to start with you go with 1100D for 27300 is the best bet (You may not get that price today i guess). You have to watch out for it.
That was coming with two lens.

Now, the price is 31K. If you buy a different camera with 18-55 lens for 35K, you will be disappointed.
1100D, you will be able to take most of the photos
Nikon vs Canon there is no answer for this both are exceptionally great. You just need to pick each of them up and figure out which one is comfortable and also see which menus are easier to use for yourself.

We can discuss about going for 'bigger lens' when your interests change to shooting long distance subjects like birds etc :)
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

@zengetz ,
I never said in DSLR, you need to change lens every time.

I meant, if you want to get the best shot for every type, it is not possible with stock lens.
That is,
If you want to get a long shot (a bird like what Highway_Ranger shoots), you cant get it on a stock 18-55 lens.

If you want to get a macro shot (1cm) like the one you/someone posted, you cant get that on stock lens.

If you want to get the best Portrait with bokeh/background blur, you do not get with 18-55 (with a complete blur). There is limitation.

I had mentioned somewhere (Donot remember where). If you want to take landscape/wideangle/normal day shots, you need not worry about different type of lens.

ISO is only the one which controls the light ? There is nothing to do with shutter speed/aperture? As per my limited knowledge, if more lights comes inside , you get a better image. I heard from my friend that a higher aperture (lower value) lens gives a better picture in low light too
If you open your shutter for long time, you get more light inside and hence a brighter pic even at low iso right?
If the aperture value is lowest (when lens opened the fully), you get more light too and hence a brighter image right?

So, Not only ISO deciding the low light image?


I did not get the best results of blurry background/bokeh even with 105 lens. I got 70-300 and i get excellent images on that. Blame my knowledge ! :stupid:

If there was not much of lens needed, why companies make 1000 types of lens? Again, blame my stupid-ness.

I never mentioned that you need to change lens for every shots. Just thought of explaining what are the different uses of lens.

Sorry brother. I am not an expert. Got all these info from lynda courses/friends who are into photography etc.

@Singh ji, ignore my previous post [frustration]
 
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zengetz

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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

I never said in DSLR, you need to change lens every time.
Getting you offended was not my intention at all.

I meant, if you want to get the best shot for every type, it is not possible with stock lens.
That is,
If you want to get a long shot (a bird like what Highway_Ranger shoots), you cant get it on a stock 18-55 lens.
+1 longer the subject you need a telephoto. I recommended using the 18-55 ideal for landscapes as this was what Singh ji had expressed interest in


If you want to get a macro shot (1cm) like the one you/someone posted, you cant get that on stock lens.
+1 on this. I had posted a few macros on the other thread.

If you want to get the best Portrait with bokeh/background blur, you do not get with 18-55 (with a complete blur). There is limitation.
Partly right, you can get shots at 55mm playing around with widest aperture and a faster shutter speed under good lighting conditions. But yes I prefer shooting portraits upwards of 70mm.

I had mentioned somewhere (Donot remember where). If you want to take landscape/wideangle/normal day shots, you need not worry about different type of lens.

ISO is only the one which controls the light ? There is nothing to do with shutter speed/aperture? As per my limited knowledge, if more lights comes inside , you get a better image. I heard from my friend that a higher aperture (lower value) lens gives a better picture in low light too
If you open your shutter for long time, you get more light inside and hence a brighter pic even at low iso right?
If the aperture value is lowest (when lens opened the fully), you get more light too and hence a brighter image right?

So, Not only ISO deciding the low light image?
I never said only ISO helps getting good pictures in low light. I did mention playing around with longer shutter speeds.


I did not get the best results of blurry background/bokeh even with 105 lens. I got 70-300 and i get excellent images on that. Blame my knowledge ! :stupid:
Why blame buddy ? Photography is all about experimenting and learn [:)]

If there was not much of lens needed, why companies make 1000 types of lens? Again, blame my stupid-ness.

I never mentioned that you need to change lens for every shots. Just thought of explaining what are the different uses of lens.
Offending someone was not and is not my intention. We share what we have learnt.

Sorry brother. I am not an expert. Got all these info from lynda courses/friends who are into photography etc.

@Singh ji, ignore my previous post
We all learn the same way so no sorrys please :please:
 
Thread Starter #13
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

Thanks appus and zengetz for all the details. So what i am thinking so far is that i should look for a bundle kit which comes with 18-55 mm lens and another set of lens as well.

That way I can start using the camera with 18-55mm lens first and then switch to other lens as and when required. What say?

Also can someone explain this:
I was going by the specifications of couple of DSLR's there it says under Autofocus and Exposure Control - Metering Range EV 1 - 20 (at 23°C / 73°F with EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100). What does that mean?
 
Thread Starter #14
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

Ok guys so i have few more questions:
1. Which is a better option for taking pictures while you are moving. For ex: Let's say i am in a car and the car is moving. So which camera will be better in taking pics nikon or Canon? or both of them are same?
2. Which one has a better battery backup?
3. Which camera makes better video's?
4. Are there any specific kind of memory cards used for these DSLR's. And do they have any role on the speed of the camera?
 
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Re: Help Required For Buying a DSLR

Strictly my personal opinion (gathered the information by reading or hearing from friends).

1-> Any camera should be okay. There may be different modes to select to click 'auto focusing' on moving object (Single Servo,Continuous servo or Auto Servo)
2->Mostly all cameras comes with decent battery backup. Higher end cameras having a bigger battery. You can always keep an additional battery if you take more photos than the prescribed ones. As HR mentioned in one post, if you use the ViewFinder than the LCD screen for viewing/focusing, you can click more.
3 -> Read somewhere that Canon is better in Videos. 30fps. They got a slightly better edge than Nikon it seems. (comparing cameras on same price range).
4 ->Yes. If you go for high speed card (Class 10 minimum or above like 'Extreme') , it gets saved faster (especially images clicked on RAW format which got size of 30MB or more each). When you are in burst mode (more clicks per seconds), images gets saved faster if you chose a good memory card.

And, regarding your previous post. Did you see it on any lens spec? It is 50mm prime lens with an aperture value of 1.4
The smaller aperture, the lens open more. You 'may' get a good image even at low light
See the image below.
how-to-define-aperture-diagram.jpg
 
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