Cameras & Camcorders

[Haleyroxx23]

I am new to cameras but want to get in to photography. Would I be a better idea to get a DSLR or a point and shoot camera? Also if I were to get a DSLR Would a Canon Rebel T5 or a Canon Rebel SL1 be a better camera? And if I go towards a point and shoot camera would the Nikon coolpix L840 or the Canon Powershot SX530?

[xl]

Thoughts....

• what is your budget?  DSLR is preferred, but when you add up the body, lenses and likely a flash is it still in your budget.
• a point 'n shoot can do basic photography.... like with your phone.  A larger sensor DSLR will do better bokeh and yield better image quality.... especially in low light.
• have you considered what type of photography you might want to specialize in?  Landscape?  Weddings?  Macro?  People?  For a DSLR, you need to invest in different lenses.
• Most DSLR come with a basic 18-55mm lens.  What other lenses are you planning to add?  Check out the prices for 55-200mm, 18-200mm, and the f/2.8 lenses.
• Nikon makes great DSLR's too.  D3300 for entry level, D7200 and the newly announced D500 for prosumers.
• There are EVIL or Mirrorless cameras like the Sony A6000.  It offers DSLR abilities with less bulk.
• are you considering a class?  I picked up a lot from affordable night school classes to get the most value from my camera.  Talk to the instructor what they recommend too.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVQiN568izQ&hd=1
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RTh9K0kUDo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWRm-oR2s8

[bobberuchi]

Personally in my opinion in almost all situations a DSLR is going to be the bettter choice.  However, the learning curve is much higher.  Granted you can put it in auto mode and treat it as a point and shoot.

Personally you cannot go wrong with any of the Canon Rebel or Nikon DSLR Cameras

Your most important part to many photographers is going to be your lenses.  However often the cameras are bundled with lenses.  They are good lenses but as you learn photography you will want better quality and various sizes.

For point and shoot we have had VERY good results with the Canon Elph series.

There really don't seem to be any major significant differences between the two Rebels othan than the SL1 come  with the new Canon Technology Lens (STM) which I am not familiar with.

The SL1 does come with a touch screen and can shoot 4 frames per second over teh T5 can shoot 3.  I don't know how good the touch screen would be to have from out smudged it could get.

[Haleyroxx23]

I talked with a couple people and decided on the Nikon 3300. But what are all the different types of lenses. Like what do they do different other than zoom?

[Haleyroxx23]

What different types of lenses are there? I know there different zooms and macros but what else?

[xl]

To clarify.... what camera do you have?

Yep macro's are great for close up photography.  You can also add a filter for closeup if you are willing to sacrifice image quality for an affordable solution.  Holding a magnifying glass is another option.

Yep there are different zooms if you want to avoid switching prime lenses all the time.

• most come with just an 18-55mm.  Great when your subject is less than 6 feet from you, but you need a zoom lens for distant subjects.
• what happens when it gets dark?  What about indoor sport events?  You need something with a larger aperture to gather more light.... these f/2.8 zoom lenses can really challenge your budget.  Large aperture lenses are also desired by wedding photographers for bokeh or a shallow depth of focus.  This is where phone cameras fail.
• sometimes that 18mm is not wide enough.  I each for my 10mm ultra wides... especially for landscapes and some indoor pictures.
• keep in mind... the bigger the zoom range... the worse the lens distortion.

[Haleyroxx23]

I'm getting a Nikon D3300. When you say the bigger the zoom range the worse the lense distortions what do you mean by that? And what would be a bigger zoom range?

[xl]

The main differences are....

• zoom range.... love the Nikon 18-200, but there's also the 18-300.
• smaller zoom ranges will have less distortion.... thus non zooming primes are popular
• check out the f/2.8 lenses.... these lenses are great in low light with the bigger aperature.  Popular with wedding photographers.

[bobberuchi]

That is a great choice for a DSLR.

Lenses break down into 2 classes.

Prime and Zoom.  A Prime lense is typicaly on that only has a set zoom.  Example 20mm or 65mm.  Despite the limitatioin of one setting they generally tend to be better for taking crisp clear pictures.

There are lots of confusing letters that are associated with lenses.  AF-S, AF-I, G, D. E etc...

For the most part you want to buy lenses that are either AF-S or AF-I.  The S or I designation indicates what type of motor is in the lens for Auto Focus (AF stands for Auto Focus).  The Af-S is generally a little faster.

However, there are a variety of other Nikon lenses that you can use.  Here is a link, (if the moderators will allow it) to Nikons Lens list for that camera.

Nikon Lenses for D3300

The other significant factor is the f-Stop.  You will see it in a lens listing marked something like f/2.8  

f stop is how wide the aperature opening will open on a given lens.  The more it is open the more light that can come through allowing exposure in lower light.  The lower the number of f stop the wider the aperature can get.  Allowing a faster shutter speed for a more crisp picture.

The lenses that will come with your camer are often referred to as Kit Lenses, because they often come bundled.  Often you will hear some people say disgruntled things about the KIT lenses.  Don't listent to them.  They are still Nikon lenses and are of good quality and will server you well for years.

One of the Kits I see for the D3300  is offering the 18-55mm VR or one with a 55-200mm VR

Personally I would recommend the kit that comes with both of these lenses.  With this kit you really should not need to buy any extra lenses for some time until you feel more advanced.  My first Nikon camerea was a 35mm film camera that I picked up in 2003.  It came came with a 70-200mm lens in the kit.  I still use that lens today.  It is great for taking to sporting events and getting action photos of my kids.  However, the f/stop only goes down to f/5.4 so it does not work great in low light conditions with a fast shutter speed.

I think Canon Rebles are also great cameras.  However, I am a Nikon owner.  I will never switch to Canon.  That is only becuase I have invested a bit of money in extra lenses and would never justify spending the money all over again to get replacement Canon Lenses.  Both are great camera systems.

Final note.  Some of my favorite lenses in my bag are my 20mm f/2.8 and my 50mm f/1.4  The 50mm lens allows in so much light that I was on a ride at Disney World and was able to take a picture of Jack Sparrow on a ride in a very dark place and it came out without a flash.

[Haleyroxx23]

So a f/1.4 would be better than and f/2.8? The lower number the better?