Nikon D3200 or D5200 or D3300 or D5100

sinhabhit

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I currently own a Nikon P500 and I am thinking of upgrading to a DSLR.........I am confused between the Nikon's entry level models D3200, D3300, D5200 and D5100...............I shoot in manual on my P500...........so I think DSLR will not be new to me when I get my hands on it...................what to buy...?
 
I currently own a Nikon P500 and I am thinking of upgrading to a DSLR.........I am confused between the Nikon's entry level models D3200, D3300, D5200 and D5100...............I shoot in manual on my P500...........so I think DSLR will not be new to me when I get my hands on it...................what to buy...?

I had the exact same requirements and went to a shop to see all these models. Then I handled a slightly used d90, and the camera and buttons just felt right. So I bought the d90 instead.

Not making any suggestions, but just sharing :)
 
My advice would be split your total budget into two parts:
1. Camera body
2. Good lens

A good lens can make a huge difference! The standard kit lens provided is mostly a decent performer.
Just an example even if you invest in a 50mm prime lens (fixed focal length) which you can get around 6-7K or so I guess, the image quality will be very good.

There is no point in getting a great camera body if you intend to use only half decent lens. It is always wiser to get a good camera body and a good lens. It is a "system" that works together and it is only as good as the weakest link.

Since this is going to be your first DSLR I think it may not be wise to put all your money just into a great body. Save some for a good lens too. You can always upgrade you camera body if you feel the need to.

Just my 2 cents.
 
why do you want to go for a dslr?

I would advice you to go for panasonic fz 1000 - Amazon.com : Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 4K QFHD/HD 16X Long Zoom Digital Camera (Black) : Camera & Photo

It has a great and fast zoom lens Bright LEICA DC Lens - F2.8-4.0 25-400mm
- which means VERY good photos in low light - even better than what you would get from most DSLRs unless you buy very expensive and heavy lens.

It has 1" sensor - which is quite large. The cameras you are considering are APS-C which is full frame/ 1.5, while 1" would be full frame/2.7

Similar to fz 1000 is Sony RX10 - Amazon.com : Sony DSCRX10/B Cybershot 20.2 MP Digital Still Camera with 3-Inch LCD Screen : Compact System Digital Cameras : Electronics - it has constant 2.8 aperture which means even better low light than panasonic. Bright F2.8 Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* Lens (24-200mm)


If may also look at Sony RX100 MIII - great camera, very very light and compact - it has decent zoom but not as great as FZ1000 - but size is so small that you can easily put it in your pocket. THE BEST pocketable camera.

Then there are other APS-C mirrorless cameras that you should consider - fuji x100s, sony a6000 etc.

You may also consider 4/3 if you want compact cameras.
 
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I currently own a Nikon P500 and I am thinking of upgrading to a DSLR.........I am confused between the Nikon's entry level models D3200, D3300, D5200 and D5100...............I shoot in manual on my P500...........so I think DSLR will not be new to me when I get my hands on it...................what to buy...?

whats your budget and what do you usually shoot (Family/ landscape....)
as a default in your choice go with the 52000- it is the latest.

Completely agree with anms choice/comments above.
a micro 4/3 by Panasonic or Olympus will give you a size benefit which is a huge plus !
 
I would suggest you to go for D3200 or D5100 as per budget and get a 35mm prime (used if possible at around 9-11k). Also opt for 18-105mm lens with the kit. Its a great walk around lens. You could also consider a D90, you can get some good deals in used market. If you are into more of indoor photography, you can later get yourself a flash like SB600. Nothing like a good flash for indoors.
 
Its good to hear that you want to have a DSLR.....go for D3300 or if your budget is a little more then D5300...both are good body for beginners.........don't invest too much on body since sensor technology is constantly changing........
 
How to choose a camera?

Buying a camera can be extremely complicated these days, with so much to choose from. It's good in a way, bad in another way. However, a logical thinking can help arrive at a decision rather quickly.


(1) Budget - Look at the budget and get what best you have within that budget. When it comes to cameras and such I don't see the point in buying the latest and the greatest (except may be when you are a photographer of world fame ;)). Anything you buy now become obsolete in a few months. So why to chase a moving target?

(2) Tech - This is exact opposite of the above line of thought. This school of thought is - you should always be at the front of the technology. Technology moves so fast; what's the point in buying something which is already obsolete.

Now out of the two none is a right approach or a wrong approach. It's person to person. So make a decision here.

(3) Feature - This is most often what people don't understand, and need help with to make a decision. The list of features a camera has, it's usefulness and so on.

I remember there was a time there used to be wars between different camps about which camera one should buy. Specifications, and more importantly, their interpretation can be misleading. Ignorance doesn't help either. A lot of people would recommend wrong options simply out of their ignorance about certain features, it's utility in general and for a specific user etc.

Luckily, things have changed, for good, in the photography world. Now there is a lot more awareness on this front and taking opinions is easy. But this is not the best part. The best part are not people, it's tech (again). Tech is helping decode tech and make decision-making process easy.

Websites such as dXOMark and Snapsort have provided such objective tools, which bring comparison of photographic equipment out of the realm of bloody battle-fields. It's so much easier to have factual objective data aided by computer algorithm to help decide what camera is better (or better suited for a specific type of use).

Snapsort.com is specifically a tool one simply can't do without. What is the need to ask what camera should I buy when you can just log on to snapsort.com and do all the analysis in plain English?

(4) Usage - This is the area sometime people (specially those new in the hobby) need help with. They don't understand their own requirement. They don't know what do they shoot. They don't know what are the primary features they need. They don't know what features they can do without. They don't know what route they will be taking tomorrow.

If a user understand his usage pattern, decision making is fairly easy.


To conclude: How to choose a camera?


Step 1: Decide between (1) and (2). How would you rather buy? By budget, or by tech?

Step 2: List down your preferences. What do you shoot? What features do you need often, or use often? What features did you wish you had?

Step 3: Head to snapsort.com and pick some cameras randomly from their top page. Start comparing.


It won't be long before you arrive at your conclusion.


PS: If I were to start in the hobby today, I will buy the cheapest DSLR available. Out of the choices here, I suppose Nikon D3200 is the cheapest. I'll just pick it and start shooting.

PPS: Camera tech have progressed so much in the last decade that today's cheapest DSLR will beat the crap out of pro-flagship of 10 years ago. Weak link these days are the photographers, not the cameras.
 
Hi
You can go for 5200 with Nikon 18-140 VR lens, do not buy 18-55. This is the best combination, if budget permits another combination is 7000 body with 18-140 VR lens.

Thanks
cosmic
 
What is your purpose.

self use only OR
You want to become a professional photographer

Recommendation will be made based o your use.

PS -
I had D5100, sold it bought D7000.
One need to invest a lot on lens, flash, bag, cards, remote control.
above all time.
 
Dear fren. please invest most of your budget in the lens. The body is Secondary. Make sure to buy a tripod and if you still have the budget please invest in a flash. Apart from all this a quick charger and an additional battery is a must. Try and get an exchange for the lens that comes with the camera. Generally they are not that good. I learnt this the hard way. Hope you enjoy your camera to the most. One golden rule that photography shares with hifi systems good stuff is really expensive but is totally worth it.

So the list should be

1) Body (Spend the least possible on the body initially)
2) Lens (Spend the max on the lens)
3) Tripod (Don't cheap out)
4) Flash (A good flash is going to burn a hole in your bank account)
5) Additional battery with quick charger (Very necessary)
6) Photo editing software (very important)
 
Ok. Iam digging an old thread.
Experts - need your infor-opinion.
Finalised on
Nikon D5300 Combo (AF-S 18-55mm VRII + AF-S 55-200mm VRII) - 38K (after discount)
2yrs manfur warranty. Do let me know the best place to buy with more or less discount from the above price.
If buying online, is the A.S.S. encouraged?
thanks

Iam skeptic to buy from online.
 
i bought D3100 2 years back and got the standard 18-55 lens and then got the 70-300 mm lens as well.

Buy a camera body where you can fit a wide range of lens. Some Nikon models have some restrictions.
 
If you want dslr better to go with d3200(24 megapixe and fixed screen) or d5100(16 megapixel and excellent iso for low light photos with 'tilt-and-swivel' screen).
And one more thing, if you want fantastic photos without these lenses and all better to go Nikon coolpix p900. Now am using p900 .
 
Asliarun - The D90 is superbly outdated at 12MP APS-C, for a few rupees more you can get a D7000 with a better sensor and in-body focus motor. The Jpeg engine on the D90 is just bad, only raw can work good with that camera.

Anm - The bigger sensor the better, that is the general rule, the FZ1k with its 1 inch sensor is a versatile machine in all respects but you can see difference in bokeh against what APSC sensor can put out with a good glass. So will be its noise level at the same print size. Just the same for an APSC against an FF. & with 6-7k you can not get a 50mm prime that will go with the body that the OP is looking at. If you mean the 50mm f/1.8D then the OP will have to invest in a body with a built in Focus motor. If you mean 50mm f/1.8G then its higher in price.

Arj - The D3300 is newer than the D5200 by a year I guess. The D3300 also has the newer Expeed4 processor. I have no qualms with the expeed3 in D5200 processor though (in D3200 its a joke)

Santy - The D5100 & D3200 is too close in price with the D3300 and since the newer kit lens with the D3300 does much better justice to the 24mp sensor than the ones with the D5100/D3200, it is the blindly the better option. Plus the 18-105 is not a good lens for the 24mp sensor, it was designed for resolving the older the 12mp and 16 mp sensors. It has 15 elements (1ED,1Asph.) where as the newer 18-140 is designed with the D5300, has 17 elements and very close in price with the 18-105, which makes the 18-105 a bad suggestion at least.

deba - D5300 is a joke of an update to the D5200 especially since the price difference is 18k. The only difference is the Expeed4 processor on the D5300 and the no OLPF thing that only makes sense if you take large prints and pixel peeps every single photo. Also I see moire to be a problem more than the advantage of sharpness. The D5200 is the better investment out of the 2 by a 743.8678 miles....

newbee1 - think 18-140 not 18-105 ;)

The D3300 should be one of your first choices since it will offer you the biggest learning curve. A camera's limitations teach you better than the additional features you do not use. It doesn't have HDR but the latest Expeed 4 engine which has better capabilities and frequent updates than other cameras in your list.
However, the D5200 will be the better investment since you will have more things to experiment with like HDR and also ISO change is in smaller steps which you can't with the D3300. Upto you what kind of cameraman you are... I have gone thru all these cameras ... cousins', mine, sister's, friends' but I am happier with a medium format minolta autocord .... the film inside needs developing..

It is also necessary to note if you are buying the D3300, the kit lens is OK and capable of doing good with the camera but the older kit lens (with the D3200) was just atrocious for the capability of the sensor. If I were you, I would just buy the D3300/D5200 body with a 35 mm f/1.8G which is now in INR 8-9K. I would also see the requirement of a zoom as per your use and only then consider purchasing it.
 
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