What dslr to buy currently? (Buy by end Oct 2010)

[pinholecam]

Yes, D7000 is a fantastic camera based on the specs.
But it will be in singapore ~end Oct/Nov with ~2k SGD pricing which is out of my budget.

As for pentax, I have read that the previous model was a fantastic entry level camera.
But was worried with the lens available, servicing as well as the video quality captured as it didnt seem that well.

Based on the released specs, the D7K should be a good camera if you have the budget and starting new. Do consider total/eventual cost of ownership as well when more high quality lenses are purchased.


Pentax K7 is a advanced amateur level camera. Strengths are its build quality (mag alloy body; weather sealing and ambient operating range). Buttons for fast access are avaliable on the body w/ little need for menu diving. 100% viewfinder. In camera HDR. All K mount lenses (read cheap and good but mainly manual focus) are compatible and usage of these have been considered in the user interface. In camera shake reduction does mean that any lens mounted can benefit from it. High ISO JPEG performance is a mixed bag. Detail retention is very good at the cost of noise. NR can be done off camera btw, if that is ever a concern. RAW high ISO performance is comparable to most cameras of its generation. It suffers the same problem as the D90 though, as the new K5 looks more attractive with the newer specs. It all depends if you shoot often at high ISO.

Support from the local distributor (EMJAY) has been good so far. No complaints AFAIK. Check out the CS Pentax sub forum for more info if you are interested in this aspect.

Canon 550D - could be considered but might be slightly out of budget
Nikon D3100 - could be considered
Nikon D90 - was recommended by some friends who had the same
Sony a55 - seriously considering

Ok, filtered down to these 4 as advised.
Really sorry about the big list as I was trying to get thru the thinking process along the way
:sweatsm:

I though 550D was very cheap during the recent IT show? Its a camera to consider. It does lack a top LCD screen and some fast access buttons if you are looking to more "creature comforts".

D3100 would seem good in terms of performance. Almost same as a 550D in terms of the 'creature comforts' part.

D90 is a bit old at 2yrs. Most of the new cameras have benefited from newer sensor and NR improvements, new features as well (eg. HDR, interface refinements). Not that it is unable to take good pictures, just that imo if you want to spend the money, you can get a newer cam with the new whiz bangs (and maybe be immune to camera purchase poison for the next 2yrs). It does depend if you shoot often at high ISO.

That D7K just looks toooo... good :devil:

A55, imo high iso jpeg has too much NR applied. RAW is good and very comparable to the new cameras on market. Nice size. EVIL camera comes with its own pros and cons so make sure you try out and be comfortable with using one (Eg. viewfinder resolution; viewfinder brightness in dim and bright conditions; refresh rate) .

 

[johndoe2]

Canon 550D with EF-S 18-135mm IS Lens - ~$1450 - already available
Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm Lens - ~$945 - Soon? Oct?
Nikon D90 with 18-105mm VR Autofocus Lens - ~$1403 - already available
Sony SLT-A55VL with SAL18250 - ~$1599 - already available

hmmm didnt expect D3100 body to be that cheap...
are there any major cons with D3100?
also anybody with more info on D3100 availability in singapore and pricing with a better zoom lens?

photography is overall more important, but there are several situations which I would require the video mode lasting 5~10mins.

 

[alcohollywood]

If video is an important consideration for you and you are looking for high-quality movie recording, then you should look at the Canon 550D and Nikon D3100. As a beginner, the Nikon may be more useful to you since it's apparently able to guide you on how you can achieve particular photographic effects such as manipulating depth of field, getting deliberate motion blur, etc.

One thing that the D3100 has is a continuously-autofocusing mode when recording videos, something which I don't think the 550D has. I have not said anything about Pentax and Sony because I am not familiar with their product range, so any information I may acquire will probably be as good as what you can find on your own.

Finally, no matter what you decide to purchase, I'd strongly recommend you give yourself at least a week or two to get familiar with your equipment before you leave for your holiday. There is nothing worse than to pay all that money for your camera and lenses and yet not know how to use them when the time comes for you to take pictures. Go out with some friends and try taking pictures before your trip. You won't learn everything about your gear in that time, but at least you know how to operate its basic functions. This is especially important since it is your first DSLR. The multitude of controls and settings may overwhelm you, so give yourself some time.

 

[johndoe2]

Judging from what you have said...
I would really require continuous-auto focus in video mode (I'm no videographer! :cry

That would leave me with the following:
Nikon D3100 with AF-S 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Autofocus Lens - ~$1349 - Soon? Oct?
Sony SLT-A55VL with SAL18250 - ~$1599 - already available

As much as i wish to get D7000, its really way way out of budget.
Just the body alone is like USD$1200.

 

[rhino123]

For TS problem, my advise is always... go down to the shop and have the people there pull out different DSLR that was within your budget and play with it for a while. Take as much photo as possible at different setting to see if you like the way each camera was designed for, and how easy it was for you to use.

Then narrow down those that you think is okay for you, then go home and do some more research. You still have time bro.

And before going to a shoot, think of the following,

1) Environment
2) What type of subject you want to shoot - people, landscape, animals or normal candid shots)

The above two questions will decide for you what type of lens you would like to have (tele-zoom, wide angle, prime (macro or telelens), etc.

Also I would disagreed that you already make decision on only four brands, you should see all the other brands such as Olympus and Pendax, they really have good offering that might be meeting your expectation and budget too.

The bottomline is, try those camera out first then narrow down to those that you find best suit you (ergonomically, ease of use, own personal feels, etc) that was within your budget. Then do more researches into these cameras by googling, asking opinion and read reviews from actual users, then make your decision.

However I would suggest you get your camera one week before you go overseas, so you can have plenty of practice first.

 

[hitendra]

Hi i'm new to this forum!!

I was intending to upgrade from my PnS lumix to my first dslr for my overseas trip to japan during Nov 2010, so have to buy by the end of Oct 2010.
Weather will be cold, rain, dust might be expected.
Will expect to do a fair bit of video recording as well.

Currently my budget is capped at ~1.6k, any recommendations?

--------------------------

Have looked at several cameras released recently, namely..
Canon 60D - out of budget and not within timing
Canon 550D - could be considered but might be slightly out of budget
Nikon D7000 - out of budget and not within timing
Nikon D3100 - could be considered
Nikon D90 - was recommended by some friends who had the same
Pentax K-7 - unsure of going with pentax
Pentax K-5 - not within timing, was just released?
Sony Nex-3 - could be considered
Sony Nex-5 - could be considered but might be slightly out of budget
Sony a33 - could be considered
Sony a55 - seriously considering, was captivated by the video posted by one of the bros here, really poisonous think i got infected with BBB :lovegrin:
http://vimeo.com/groups/alpha/videos/14826647

---------------

Just read that a55 is available in SG...
was thinking of getting it with the following items... ideas?
a55 body + kit2 18-250 (does it have SAM?) + 50mm 1.8
2 x batteries, 1 x 16gb MS card
carry bag, tripod, screen protector

should i get a dry cabinet or just a dry box would do?
as for the weather, rain and dust should i get a UV filter or lens hood or both??

lastly anything else should i look out for?

pentax k-r twin lens kit - superb device, and should be within your budget

 

[johndoe2]

Yes, I intend to get the camera latest by end of oct, my trip is 2nd week of nov.
So I would have some time to play with it.

So far, I have tried Canon 550D which is snappy (fast af) and pictures are really good even when zoomed on its 18-55.
But overall the body doesn't really feel good in my hands and felt abit clumsy with the LCD display and features (maybe too noob :bsmilie and cluttered.

I also tried Nikon D90, af seems to be faster than canon, pictures seems to be much nicer.
Functions are split over to the left, feels odd but body feels better than 550d, but body size is much bigger than 550d.
Overall feels better than 550d.

No chance to try D3100, will do when it reach singapore.

No chance to try a55 but manage to try a33.
Smallest body of all, really light feels abit like a toy and worried of dropping/breaking it :sweat:
Feels dead easy to use due to lesser buttons and dials.
has very fast af, picture quality seems good comparable to 550d but D90 pictures just seems better. (might be personally preference)
Very amazing video capturing quality and AF, but feels hot after certain usage and short battery life when using video capture.
Overall was fun, especially when trying out the panaroma feature.

 

[Titan10k]

If you want AF for video, A33/55 is the only way to go. Other DSLR's video AF is either too slow (contrast detect) or no AF at all. If budget is a problem, get the A33 with kit lens 18-55. You should be able to find the kit for less than 1.1k now.

 

[Rashkae]

I'd say A55. It's essentially your only DSLR option (other than A33) with continuous Autofocus in video.

 

[johndoe2]

how abt D3100? not comparable to a55?
or should just go for D7000? but seems to be overkill for a newbie :sweat:

 

[ovaltinemilo]

kentwong81 :flame:

:bsmilie:

 

[ovaltinemilo]

how abt D3100? not comparable to a55?
or should just go for D7000? but seems to be overkill for a newbie :sweat:

This model has been recommended for many times...just for you, for the 101th time: Pentax KX shd get you start shooting.

 

[Dummyhalf]

TS should finalise his budget then narrow down the product within that budget.

easy for you too decide which camera you getting.. all good camera comes with a price bah..:thumbsup:

 

[johndoe2]

as much as i wished, pentax kx doesnt have autofocus in video mode.
D7000 is also too out of budget.

So its a battle between D3100 n a55.
Both which I have yet tried.

A bro did tell me to take D3100 instead, and I would still have an upgrade path to D7000? (lens wise??)

 

[ovaltinemilo]

TS should finalise his budget then narrow down the product within that budget.

easy for you too decide which camera you getting.. all good camera comes with a price bah..:thumbsup:

great lens come with great prices too...;p:bsmilie:

 

[Rashkae]

A bro did tell me to take D3100 instead, and I would still have an upgrade path to D7000? (lens wise??)

AFAIK the D3100 uses the very slow contrast-detect for AF, no match for the A55 AF.

 

[Rashkae]

A bro did tell me to take D3100 instead, and I would still have an upgrade path to D7000? (lens wise??)

Yes, same lenses. And if you get the A55 (which uses the D7000 sensor) then you have an upgrade path to the A7X series, which will use an even better sensor.

 

[daredevil123]

AFAIK the D3100 uses the very slow contrast-detect for AF, no match for the A55 AF.

I think the D3100 comes with phase detection AF. Contrast detect AF only in live view and in video mode.

From
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d3100/spec.htm

Autofocus
Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including one cross-type sensor), and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3m/1 ft. 8 in. to 9 ft. 10 in.)

Live View
Autofocus
Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)

 

[allenleonhart]

so none of the other brands' quality are assured...

oh dear, i must have been using some pok kai rubbish for the past 3 years.. dear me.

:bsmilie::bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[alancwr]

dun mind...

think maybe can consider 1000D also??
i used a 1000D think it pretty much serve me okay as a beginner in photography