# need help buying my 1st DSLR



## game-freak (Mar 25, 2013)

hi frnds need some suggestions on buying my first DSLR. 
i am a complete noob when it comes to photography so i dont know anything abt DSLR ' s
my max budget would be somewhere between 35-50 k


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## sujoyp (Mar 25, 2013)

being a total noob are you sure you want to spend soo much on camera...also are you interested in photography or just want a DSLR quality picture in superzoom???
Also I am telling you beforehand you just can not keep lenses/dslr in a box and forget...if u dont use ur lens once in 15 days you will end up damaging the lens/camera with fungus inside...  

I can suggest lot of combinations but I will wait for your reply..


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## game-freak (Mar 25, 2013)

hey buddy thnx for the quick reply 
i always wanted to take photography as a hobby but couldnt do so because of lack of time but now thats not the case aymore have a lot of time for myself 
i went through a couple of sites and zeroed in on nikon D5100, but the thing im most confused about r the different types of lenses
and if i may add love ur clicks man great job bro


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## sujoyp (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks if you liked my shots...I am not getting enough time for photography nowdays 

Yes Nikon D5100 is a superb choice in that range....lets see the combinations assuming ur budget is 50k 

Nikon D5100 + 18-55 kit +55-300 zoom = 48-49k
Nikon D5100 + 18-105 kit + 10k left for zoom lens or bag + flash + tripod etc
Canon 600D +18-55 +55-250

about different lenses

In lenses we have different ranges (noob language)

10mm-30mm is good for landscapes shots, group photo
30-85mm is mostly used for portraits,close up,products etc
85 above u can say telephoto range which we need for birds,animals,zooming close 

soo for these we have different lenses

18-55 kit lens is useful for landscapes ,parties, group photo,holiday and some portrait shots
55-300 will give u good coverage of portraits and enough zoom for wild animals and birds

there is prime lens which have fixed focal length..50mm f1.8 is most popular one...it give nice sharp pics and blur the background

by getting a combination of 18-55mm and 55-300mm lens you wont feel the need of any other lens untill u learn and actually have the need of other lens.


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## game-freak (Mar 25, 2013)

so i should go for Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens and should i aslo buy Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D Lens


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## sujoyp (Mar 25, 2013)

no need of 50mm 1.8 from the start...just get 18-55 +55-300 lens combo...and learn 1st ....

btw 50mm 1.8D wont autofocus on D5100...u will have to get AFS 50mm 1.8G


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## game-freak (Mar 25, 2013)

ya i read abt that 
how tough is it to learn manual focusing?
and how much is the difference between 55-200mm and 55-300mm


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## sujoyp (Mar 25, 2013)

for starters who have never used viewfinders ...they will find it difficult...it needs lot of practice...

price difference between 55-200 and 55-300 is around 5k
and more the zoom its better...


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## game-freak (Mar 25, 2013)

32000 for nikon D5100 with AF-S 18-55mm VR Kit Lens + 55-300 mm for 20800 + Lowepro Fastpack 350 Multi Use Backpack for 5000 = 57800  overshooting the budget


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## nac (Mar 26, 2013)

You can get D5100 with 18-55 kit for 29k and 55-300 for 19k from ebay. Use coupons to get discounts... 

Yes, camera bag won't fit in this budget.

BTW, Canon combo > 600D with 18-55 kit, 55-250 IS and camera bag would fit under 50k.


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## sujoyp (Mar 26, 2013)

yes like nac said ...I calculated like 
D5100+18-55 = 30k
55-300 = max 20k
that becomes 50k

and dont get 5k bag from start itself...I know u want to be future proof...but investing 5k on a bag in tight budget is bad idea 

the above combo u will get for around 48-49k

then with remaining money get a normal bag that can fit 1 extra lens along with camera +kit ....this way if in future u buy a flash u can fit the flash instead of long zoom lens

when you have enough equipments and want to carry that heavy load on the back everywhere...then you can buy a 5k bag 

its rare you will take all things togather ...1st it will be big and bulky..2nd if it gets stolen you will loose everything togather...


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## game-freak (Mar 26, 2013)

@ sujoyp which is better according to you nikon d5100 or canon EOS 600d


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## sujoyp (Mar 27, 2013)

for me nikon d5100 is better


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## game-freak (Mar 27, 2013)

today i went to a local shop to inquire abt nikon d5100 and lens the guy said its better to buy the DSLR with the 18-55mm kit and a prime lens for starters and then buy the 55-300 mm lens later on when i become more used to photography and he said it will be better if i buy the prime lens that costs 6k the one without auto focus so that i could even learn something abt manual lenses as well 
whats ur take on what he said


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## pranav0091 (Mar 27, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> for me nikon d5100 is better



I beg to differ, given the budget here  



game-freak said:


> today i went to a local shop to inquire abt nikon d5100 and lens the guy said its better to buy the DSLR with the 18-55mm kit and a prime lens for starters and then buy the 55-300 mm lens later on when i become more used to photography and he said it will be better if i buy the prime lens that costs 6k the one without auto focus so that i could even learn something abt manual lenses as well
> whats ur take on what he said



NO. Get the autofocus version. You dont want redundant lenses. Manual focus is best when you have time, when you plan each shot. You dont want to be hunting for that sweet spot in focus when taking pics of family and friends. Not to mention, if you want to be photographed yourself (by someone else) then AF is a MUST.

And actually, despite the VFM of the 50mm 1.8 prime, I'd recommend going for a 18-55, 55-250/300 combo simply because you have more coverage here. Remember that the the primes are notoriously inflexible lenses. They eat the zoom lenses for breakfast when it comes to Image Quality, but for quick snapping nothing beats the zoom lenses and its not like these zoom lenses are bad in anyway. Just my two cents


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## sujoyp (Mar 27, 2013)

wow that sales person seems to a old times photographer himself....but what he said is not true for a starter

1. 50mm prime is inflexible
2. you still dont know whats the purpose of the 50mm lens
3. you dont know what aperture is and how aperture f1.8 will make different in photo then f5.6
4. 50mm is very tight on a APSC DSLR like D5100 or 600D ...for shooting 2 guys side by side I have to go 10 meters back 
5. Old 50mm 1.8D is manual focus and D5100 have pentamirror viewfinder which is not as good as pentaprism viewfinders in D90 or D7000 or D7100 and above...its difficult to manual focus on a pentamirror viewfinder.
6. Manual focussing needs lots of time and patience...once learn to use autofocus you can get manual focus lens later and practice 
5. A 55-250/300 lens willl give u flexibility and you can shoot birds and wild animals also with that

soo conclusion ...just get 18-55+55-300 combo

@pranav...I forgot the good points of 600D above D5100...kindly mention them again


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## game-freak (Mar 27, 2013)

@ sujoyp u use nikon d3100 and have u used a nikon d5100 if yes hows d5100 better than d3100


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## pranav0091 (Mar 27, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> @pranav...I forgot the good points of 600D above D5100...kindly mention them again



Slightly better focus accuracy, exposure bracketing, AF with all lenses (?), better high ISO, more flexible video (?). Again, very subjective


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## game-freak (Mar 27, 2013)

went through the comparison between d5100 and eos 600d 
Canon 600D vs Nikon D5100 - Our Analysis


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## sujoyp (Mar 27, 2013)

D5100 is better in many ways

D5100 have better ISO then D3100
D5100 have bracketing
D5100 have better grip
D5100 have Selective coloring shot option which is quit fun
D5100 have tilt screen
D5100 have timelaps video option


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## pranav0091 (Mar 27, 2013)

game-freak said:


> went through the comparison between d5100 and eos 600d
> Canon 600D vs Nikon D5100 - Our Analysis



snapsort? good luck with that site


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## game-freak (Mar 28, 2013)

which site is more reliable ?


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## pranav0091 (Mar 28, 2013)

Digital Photography Review


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## game-freak (Mar 28, 2013)

@ sujoyp today i met a guy who owns a photo studio and is a wild life photographer he says that canon is any day better than nikon why so


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## sujoyp (Mar 29, 2013)

because he is a canon shooter and invested lakhs in canon 

thing is if you want to do wildlife shooting with big lenses like canon 100-400L cost 1.3 lakh or canon 400mm f5.6 cost 80k then canon is good for wildlife...else both are similar in most economical lenses


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## pranav0091 (Mar 29, 2013)

Canon = Nikon. Make no mistake about it. Compare models, not brands.


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## game-freak (Mar 29, 2013)

will be going 2moro to check both nikon d5100 and canon eos 600d at a local shop


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## sujoyp (Mar 29, 2013)

but there is a small gap in both canon and nikon

for portrait 
canon 50mm = 7k
nikon AFS 50mm = 12-13k

for wildlife to reach 300mm
canon 70-300 = 34k
tamron 70-300 vc usd = 25k
nikon 55-300 = 18k

soo its a compromising world there


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## game-freak (Mar 30, 2013)

the photo studio guy could not arrange for nikon d5100 and canon 600d for me to check which 1 is better disadvantages of living in a small town 
guys what should i do now should i order for nikon d5100 and watz the cheapest i can get it for


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## sujoyp (Mar 30, 2013)

Yaah you can get any one of D5100 or 600D eyes closed...no issues

The cheapest with bill will be 29k for D5100 and 31k for 600D


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## raja manuel (Mar 30, 2013)

pranav0091 said:


> Slightly better focus accuracy, exposure bracketing, AF with all lenses (?), better high ISO, more flexible video (?). Again, very subjective


Then let us consider less subjective and even objective factors. 600D has a dedicated ISO button which is linked to the main dial. That's viewfinder level control on the fly. 600D has a grid style menu layout which is a lot quicker to navigate than the D5100's L shaped menu where you have to go past every menu item in between where you are and where you want to be. You don't need to enter the menu item on the 600D, you just need to bring the focus to the menu item you want and move the dial to cycle through its options. This makes the 600D geared towards the enthusiast photographer who wants a great deal of manual control and wants it now. 600D has wireless flash control. Software bundle on the 600D is superior, with DPP being an extremely good RAW developer, latest version even supports HDR from a single exposure. Also EOS utilities allows you to shoot both stills and video tethered. And if all that isn't enough you have Magic Lantern as well for those who want it. 

We are not going to see Nikon and Canon offering equal value because if they did that they would only be able to compete on price, which would be good for us but bad for their shareholders. They are going to differentiate their offerings and provide different value at different prices.

If the OP is really a noob in photography it would be a good idea to first buy just camera and kit lens, try it out for a few months, see how many photos you actually take and what kind of photos you take before you decide on investing in more equipment. You might find yourself needing a good flash and tripod more than lenses of varying focal lengths (many people underestimate the value of flash and tripod) or the kind of lens you think you want now will not be the one you want as you develop your own style of photography.


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## sujoyp (Mar 31, 2013)

@raja your points favoring 600D are correct ...it would be great if u could point some good points for D5100 too for comparison..

I feel a 2 lens combo makes any newbie happy ....a single kit lens almost makes every starter unhappy coz he comes from a p&S which could zoom into a flower or a subject..when he tries the same thing with dslr which is 3-5 times costly he is unable to do it...satisfaction and enthusiasm decrease instantly.

I will give my example...once shooting a sunset in a lake with parents with my 18-55 my mom said look that beautiful bird on that tree...take the picture of it...I told her that this is blah blah landscape lens with no zoom...her expression was like even a 10k cam will take the shot easily whats the use of ur 30k camera...you know the enthu gets badly hit by this...I would think only if I had a telephoto lens..


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## nac (Mar 31, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> I told her that this is blah blah landscape lens with no zoom...her expression was like even a 10k cam will take the shot easily whats the use of ur 30k camera...



  Yeah, I have seen similar expressions from my family members, friends, cousins...


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## sujoyp (Mar 31, 2013)

And dont ask how to explain a prime lens to them


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## raja manuel (Mar 31, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> @raja your points favoring 600D are correct ...it would be great if u could point some good points for D5100 too for comparison..


Well, I wasn't going for a comparison of the cameras. I was just replying to pranav's list of very subjective advantages by providing a few objective ones. There is no need for us to go into a detailed comparison between the cameras; this has already been discussed all over the net ad nauseam by some people who know what they are talking about and many who don't. We cannot advice on the basis of what the OP wants because OPs usually don't know what they want unless they are upgrading from another DSLR, and even those who do claim to know what they want usually have very unrealistic estimates both of their own interests and the equipment. We know what we will finally say: go with what you feel most comfortable with, and actually make you want to make (and not just take) photos.



sujoyp said:


> I feel a 2 lens combo makes any newbie happy ....a single kit lens almost makes every starter unhappy coz he comes from a p&S which could zoom into a flower or a subject..when he tries the same thing with dslr which is 3-5 times costly he is unable to do it...satisfaction and enthusiasm decrease instantly.
> 
> I will give my example...once shooting a sunset in a lake with parents with my 18-55 my mom said look that beautiful bird on that tree...take the picture of it...I told her that this is blah blah landscape lens with no zoom...her expression was like even a 10k cam will take the shot easily whats the use of ur 30k camera...you know the enthu gets badly hit by this...I would think only if I had a telephoto lens..



Frankly, if anyone is going to really get discouraged by this I would suggest they get a bridge camera. Not only have they not done sufficient research on what a DSLR entails (and therefore they have no reason for wanting one) they are clearly not ready for all the heartache and hard work associated with getting the best out of a DSLR.


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## sujoyp (Mar 31, 2013)

^^ what I am saying is there is nothing wrong with 2 lens combo
my 55-200 vr lens can take nice portraits with great bokeh...much better then what tammy 17-50 f2.8 can take

soo a combo of 18-55 and 55-300 will cover landscape+portraits+street+birding wildlife  easily


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## game-freak (Apr 1, 2013)

i read a lot of reviews and in most of the reviews it says that 70-300mm auto focuses better, its faster, much sharper auto focus and more sharp pic quality at 300mm as compared to 55-300mm is that true


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## sujoyp (Apr 1, 2013)

yes its true that nikon AFs 70-300 VR is better then 55-300 in most things...but its also costlier by 7k and cross your budget.

I usually suggest 70-300 vr to people who are ready to wait to save that much money...but then 55-300 VR is not that bad to just ignore it 

Its upto you..70-300 vr will eat half of your budget alone...then you need to save for tripod,flash,bag etc also


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## ashusood331 (Apr 1, 2013)

You can browse snapdeal to check out different type of dslr cameras online and take good decision after comparison


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## game-freak (Apr 1, 2013)

now im really confused between 55-300 mm and 70-300 mm

and can u tell me whr can i get nikon d5100 with kit lens for cheap and which is the best site to order lenses from


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## sujoyp (Apr 1, 2013)

@gamefreak .... 70-300 VR is really great lens ...faster focus,better built,manual over rid, slightly sharper etc...but price is also 7k more

you should get it if you can save more money and get it in 1-2 months ...else just go with 55-300


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## pranav0091 (Apr 1, 2013)

game-freak said:


> now im really confused between 55-300 mm and 70-300 mm
> 
> and can u tell me whr can i get nikon d5100 with kit lens for cheap and which is the best site to order lenses from



When I am looking for cheap deals, I usually go to ebay.


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## sujoyp (Apr 1, 2013)

pranav I never find cheap deals at ebay...sometimes i find deals more costlier then MRP itself


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## ithehappy (Apr 1, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> pranav I never find cheap deals at ebay...sometimes i find deals more costlier then MRP itself


+1.
Honestly the pricing of eBay India is stupid, most of them.
However, if you can then try International eBay, heaven and hell price difference. Stick with the Power Sellers/Trusted sellers only though.


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## pranav0091 (Apr 1, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> pranav I never find cheap deals at ebay...sometimes i find deals more costlier then MRP itself



Uhm, no. I got my 600D fro 33k back when I couldn't spot it anywhere else south of 38.5k
I still find lenses routinely cheaper at ebay like the Canon 55-250 for 12.something with VAT paid bill.


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## game-freak (Apr 1, 2013)

i spoke to the owner of capital photo store in chandigarh n he quoted me 29200 for nikon d5100 with lens kit


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## sujoyp (Apr 1, 2013)

the price is correct it seems...u can get it at that price without a hassel


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## game-freak (Apr 1, 2013)

the same shop gave me the following quote for these lenses
AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G--11800
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED (4.3x)---28000
AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR--18500
are these quotes reasonable


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## sujoyp (Apr 1, 2013)

70-300VR quoted is too costly ..it should be around 25k


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## game-freak (Apr 1, 2013)

plz suggest me a site or store from where i can purchase lenses at good price


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## sujoyp (Apr 2, 2013)

@game ...your other 2 lens price are correct...and it may change to +/- 500 only ...but AFS 70-300 VR was available for 25-26 sometimes ago...


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## raja manuel (Apr 2, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> ^^ what I am saying is there is nothing wrong with 2 lens combo
> my 55-200 vr lens can take nice portraits with great bokeh...much better then what tammy 17-50 f2.8 can take
> 
> soo a combo of 18-55 and 55-300 will cover landscape+portraits+street+birding wildlife  easily



I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a 2 lens combo - if you actually need it. What you need is something you figure out through use, which is why I am recommending that noobs first use the camera with kit lens, and see what kind of photographs they actually take and then decide what to go in for rather than wasting money on equipment that isn't going to give them maximum benefit. Even for portraits, beginners are typically going to benefit more with a good flash and tripod than a longer focal length lens.


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## game-freak (Apr 3, 2013)

@ sujoyp have decided 2 buy nikon d5100 + 70-300mm + 50mm 
i was also searching for a good camera bag i see u are using Lowepro pro Runner 200 AW how is the bag overall ?
and for the memory card im thinking of buying SanDisk Extreme HD Video SDHC 16 GB 45MB/s UHS-I Class 10 Memory Card will this b fine


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## sujoyp (Apr 3, 2013)

Are these including your future plans or u buying all right now??

D5100+kit = 30k
Nikon AFS 70-300 VR = 27k (As u mentioned)
Nikon AFS 50mm 1.8G = 11.8k
Lowpro prorunner 200 AW = 3k
Memory card = 1.5k 

total spending will be around 64k 

Lowpro AW200 is great...its big and carry lots of stuff ....I bought it keeping my future requirement in mind (300f4)
it have nice padded straps and rain cover is superb
just for your reference i am putting my bags picture again 

*farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6968682389_87a90ee24b_z.jpg
Lowepro Pro Runner 200AW by sujoyp, on Flickr

it can also fit in a sigma 150-500 size lens attached with camera


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## game-freak (Apr 3, 2013)

im buying them all rt now the bag looks awesome

nikon d5100-- 29750
Nikon AFS 70-300 VR-- 27600
Nikon AFS 50mm 1.8G-- 11800
Lowpro prorunner 200 AW--3650
memory card --1290
total-- 74090

damn and i had a max budget of 50k


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## sujoyp (Apr 3, 2013)

he he he actually u r spending on 70-300 which is stretching ur budget soo far....after spending on all this there are many many things more which u will need soon...

open a saperate bank account for photography equipments


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## pranav0091 (Apr 3, 2013)

@ game-freak: Why not hold back the purchase of the 70-300 right now. That'll help your wallet as well. Why hurry?


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## sujoyp (Apr 3, 2013)

@pranav if he has the money in his pocket...let him buy it  If given a choice I would have gone for same combination


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## pranav0091 (Apr 3, 2013)

@sujoy: Of course.. I am not finding fault with the combination at all 
I am just a bit concerned that with so many lenses in hand he may not make the best use of any single lens which would be counter-productive. I mean with the wonderful 70-300 at hand I fear that the prime may be left to eat dust, which'd be a tragedy given he is just moving into DSLRs. I have found out through personal use that we learn a lot of things when we are constrained by our gear - like the art of composition to make up for an inability to zoom etc :>


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## sujoyp (Apr 3, 2013)

pranav you are 200% right


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## pranav0091 (Apr 3, 2013)

sujoyp said:


> pranav you are 200% right





So shall we conclude that the OP may buy the gear without the 70-300 initially, say atleast for a month and during the period just play around with the camera learning to use it well rather than getting lost in the charms of a 300mm lens ? 

especially since


game-freak said:


> hi frnds need some suggestions on buying my first DSLR.
> *i am a complete noob when it comes to photography so i dont know anything abt DSLR ' s*
> my max budget would be somewhere between 35-50 k



I believe it'd be a much beneficial thing for OP in the long run. Just my opinion. If he feels too constrained, then he may buy the 70-300 anytime he thinks he is ready as he has the cash in ready supply


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## sujoyp (Apr 3, 2013)

hmm having the option to buy lens is a good option...but still my mind says that 18-55 is too restrictive....I myself bought the zoom in 2nd month itself.


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## game-freak (Apr 5, 2013)

finally placed the order will receive the DSLR and lenses in a couple of days

thnx a lot guys for ur suggestions

and which tripod should i go for


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## sujoyp (Apr 5, 2013)

budget for tripod ....The thing with tripod is...its better to save and get a good one 1st time or buy 2-3 triipods 

A good tripod start from 6k onwards and a simple one start from 1200-1500 onwards


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## game-freak (Apr 8, 2013)

does any 1 here uses a tablet with DSLR ????


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## pranav0091 (Apr 9, 2013)

The question is why?


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## sujoyp (Apr 9, 2013)

people use tablet with DSLR to control the dslr and view the scene in live view...but i dont have much idea...


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## pranav0091 (Apr 9, 2013)

Okay. Never heard of it myself. But my friend has  Nexus 7 and I have the camera, so if there is something interesting in this area, I'm willing to try out


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## sujoyp (Apr 9, 2013)

you have to find something in android market for canon dslr which can do this...


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## raja manuel (Apr 10, 2013)

pranav0091 said:


> Okay. Never heard of it myself. But my friend has  Nexus 7 and I have the camera, so if there is something interesting in this area, I'm willing to try out



Have you tried tethering your 600D to a laptop using EOS utilities?


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## pranav0091 (Apr 10, 2013)

Yes. I even took series of time lapse photos. Dont know how long the battery will last. But i'd have loved it if I could have the camera charged via the cable that connects it to the PC, but then a dual li-ion cell need upwards of 7 volts


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## raja manuel (Apr 11, 2013)

pranav0091 said:


> Yes. I even took series of time lapse photos. Dont know how long the battery will last. But i'd have loved it if I could have the camera charged via the cable that connects it to the PC, but then a dual li-ion cell need upwards of 7 volts



I suppose a battery grip would help, though the Canon grip is very expensive. I don't know if grips from other manufacturers are easily available in India, or how well they work.


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## sujoyp (Apr 11, 2013)

u can use cheap grips for time being....good grips of branded company cost a lot around 5000 or so


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## game-freak (Apr 13, 2013)

thanx a lot guys for ur valuable suggestions finally got my first DSLR and the lenses


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## pranav0091 (Apr 13, 2013)

Congrats bud 
Now get a flickr acount too and get clicking


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## sujoyp (Apr 13, 2013)

Congrats buddy...u r all set for pro level shots...now start clicking


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## silicon_fusion (Jun 9, 2013)

Thanks everyone on this thread.Your discussion really help's me.
Very Soon going to buy DSLR camera.
Special Thanks to *sujoyp*


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## sujoyp (Jun 9, 2013)

@ silicon_fusion  welcome


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