DSLR around 30-35K · DIGIT-ARC

I

Hello!!

Can someone pls. guide me a good DSLR Camera widin the range of 30 to 35K?? Preferrably Nikon...

Get Nikon 3100 for 28-29k and with remaining money get a additional lens like tamron 70-300, nikkor 50mm 1.8 or nikkor 55-200

Other choice would be canon 500D+50mm 1.8

did u handled them in the store...try them both...

I

Waise, guys, how is canon 550 d? What lens combination kit shud i go wid it?

550D is a super camera ...its just below the league of 7D and 60D

If I had 42k I would have got it without thinking a bit.

Lens depends on your budget and requirements...18-135mm is popular with 550D but the combo will take the price above 50k

sujoyp said:
Get Nikon 3100 for 28-29k

get Nikon D3100

yaah nikon D3100 have great picture qulaity and I am just loving it...I have already took 1200 shots in 2 months :grin:

But going for an upper level cam is always good if u have the budget ;-)

canon 550D is surely higer end then D3100 in terms of technology

C

how about D5100 ???
I just asking

^yeah nikon D5100 is almost same as 550D i think its around same price.. and if i am not wrong D5100 has a slightly larger sensor than 550D..

i dont knw much but was comparing these 2 yesterday and i found out that picture quality is better with D5100 but the video is better in 550D... is it so?

The sensor of D5100 is same as D7000 soo its new and superb

Canon 550D have sensor of canon 7D which are old now...if u want to compare compare D5100 with 60D or 600D pics

P

Hi all,
I am also looking into buying a DSLR.My budget is around 25-28k max.
I am considering D3100 as an option. But its price is over 30k.
My reason for choosing a Nikon is fairly because my DAD had a Nikon F70 SLR and i guess the lens mount for f70 and D3100 is same (F-Mount).Correct me if i am wrong.Please suggest.

C

I too am going to buy a dSLR for 35k or a bit above preferably nikon
1) I thought I'll ask my bro to pick it up in the US do how much will I save compared to buying here
2) Does Nikon have international warranty
3) The above mentioned budget is for body+stock lens I thought I would save up some cash and get the lens in India good enough ???

@pie....I got D3100 for 29k in Jan 2011......yaah nikon is still using Fmount...u can use old lenses but then u may not get metering and auto focus...try ur luck

@cyberdragon007...there is not much price difference in entry level dslrs...amazon.com is selling D3100 for 650$..may be D7000 and 60D may be cheaper there

2. I donno about international warrenty but other country warunty dont work in India for sure.

3.yaah i am doing the same...got a DSLR for 29k then saved up and got other lenses 1-by-1 :razz:

P

sujoyp said:
@pie....I got D3100 for 29k in Jan 2011......yaah nikon is still using Fmount...u can use old lenses but then u may not get metering and auto focus...try ur luck

Thanks for your quick reply sujoyp.
Checked the price of d3100 & d5100
D3100 for 29.5 k
D5100 for 35.5 k
Here in Pune.
Quite impressed by the build quality of Nikon.Will definitely buy Nikon for sure.

p!e said:
Thanks for your quick reply sujoyp.
Checked the price of d3100 & d5100
D3100 for 29.5 k
D5100 for 35.5 k
Here in Pune.
Quite impressed by the build quality of Nikon.Will definitely buy Nikon for sure.

yaah nikon DSLRs have a very good grip and good build...every one likes the feel of nikon in hand...29.5k is still costly but its fine :razz:

What D5100 is @ 35.5k? :O :O Just go for it!

Sounava said:
What D5100 is @ 35.5k? :O :O Just go for it!

his budget is 28-29k max so D3100 is a better buy

Ah there are lots of "hims" here. For some the budget extends to 35k. For one it is 29k. He should try to stretch his budget a little if possible. There are a lot of functional differences between D3xxx series and D5xxx series which are worth the price. I can point out the details if you want. (you wont get these in comparisons in general).

P

Sounava said:
Ah there are lots of "hims" here. For some the budget extends to 35k. For one it is 29k. He should try to stretch his budget a little if possible. There are a lot of functional differences between D3xxx series and D5xxx series which are worth the price. I can point out the details if you want. (you wont get these in comparisons in general).

Hey thanks Sujoyp and Sounava for your inputs.
Well actually i am quite tight on Budget

so D3100 is the choice at this moment.
Also i will be buying the camera probably in July so Hopefully if the budget can extend will opt for d5100.Actually i am a beginner to Photography and i guess the d3100 fits the best for this.

Sounava if u can tell the differences.

C

Thanks for your advice ;-)

and I too am super confused between the 3100 and 5100
is the 5100 worth the extra 8k(here in chennai)
and since the 5100 is brand new I hear it is trading at a premium
I'm sure dSLR s arent like mobile phones whose prices drop every 2 weeks
so when can I expect the price to drop for this baby

Stretch your budget to 40 K and get the D90 (body) + 50mm 1.8. You can add to the lens line later.

You can also consider Canons but they have smaller sensors and may not offer the same picture quality especially after they pack more MegaPixels. Video quality of the Canons however would be better.

yaah D5100 have some more features but would not effect a starter anyways..

What I have learn in these 5 months of DSLR is that body just doesn't matter :smile:

personal technique and lens r major factors...spend least on body and save for lenses...my advice :razz:

Like sydbarett said...if u can get a D90 its next level of DSLR...if u consider D3100, D5100, 550D most of them have similar image quality and feature set..

now if someone will say that D3100 wont autofocus old lenses...then I say old lenses dont have VR like new ones which is very imp for handheld shots..

p!e said:
Sounava if u can tell the differences.

See below...

cyberdragon007 said:
Thanks for your advice
and I too am super confused between the 3100 and 5100
is the 5100 worth the extra 8k(here in chennai)
and since the 5100 is brand new I hear it is trading at a premium
I'm sure dSLR s arent like mobile phones whose prices drop every 2 weeks
so when can I expect the price to drop for this baby

Well, the D5100 is indeed worth the 8k. [See below]
The introductory price was 38k. Prices will reach at around 33k at max, that too after around 10months.

sydbarett said:
Stretch your budget to 40 K and get the D90 (body) + 50mm 1.8. You can add to the lens line later.

This is also a good advice, but the total budget is going towards 46k. Plus the 50mm acts as 90mm in APSC sensors. So not at all suitable for most purpose. It is good for portraits though.

sydbarett said:
You can also consider Canons but they have smaller sensors and may not offer the same picture quality especially after they pack more MegaPixels. Video quality of the Canons however would be better.

Slightly smaller sensor = true. Other things = not true. Relation between sensor size, number of pixels etc cannot be generalized to all cases, especially in case of DSLRs. They can be compared with point and shoot vs DSLR though. I can elaborate slightly more if you want.

sujoyp said:
yaah D5100 have some more features but would not effect a starter anyways..

What I have learn in these 5 months of DSLR is that body just doesn't matter personal technique and lens r major factors...spend least on body and save for lenses...my advice

Body doesn't matter is not entirely true at this age. It was true in the film era. Actually some concepts of film photography era are trickling down to the digital age, though they do not hold true in the present scenario.
For example this "body doesn't matter" thing. In the film age, all that mattered was light entered through lens, fell on film. So the lens + film mattered. Body was out of the question as far as "image quality" was concerned. But in this age "film" is replaced by "sensors" <-- this is a major factor. Image sharpness, low light performance, dynamic range, colour reproduction everything depends on the sensor + processor combo.
[Other factors are trickling down too; like 50mm is "normal". Well it IS normal, but in APSC it acts as 75mm in Nikon and 80mm in Canon which is not at all Normal, rather short telephoto. Use 35mm lens to get close to "normal" in APSC sensored cameras, but you will not hear anyone say that in the same frequency as they speak about 50mm]

Ok now the main part:

D3100 vs D5100

There are certain nifty small things in D5100 which are not present in D3100 and those are definite drawbacks.

1. ISO values: In D3100, ISO values are 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 etc.
In D5100 you get ISO's in 1/3rd increments. So you also get values like 250, 320, 500, 640,1000, 1250 in between the standard ones. This definitely helps. Once you use it you will understand.

2. ISO is not shown in the viewfinder of D3100.

3. There are on-demand gridlines in the viewfinder of the D5100 which helps in composing images esp in keeping the horizon flat.

4. The cheap (650/-) wireless remote does not work with D3100. I regularly use the remote with my D5000 and is really a boon.

5. The screen: super awesomeness in the D5100: 920,000 pixles vs 230,000 in D3100. Plus the swivel feature <-- helps in awkward angles when composing with the viewfinder is not an option.

6. Not to mention the Sensor: The sensor in D5100 is the same as in D7000 and it is being touted as the best APS-C sensor ever. You will be hardpressed to find any noise even at ISO 3200.

7. There are some limitations in the flash also which I exactly don't remember.

8. Active D Lighting can only be OFF and ON in D3100. It can be Off, Auto, Hi, Med, Low in D5100 <-- this helps in many situations.

9. Intervalometer in absent in D3100. [Continues to take pictures at a predefined interval <-- time lapse videos are done using this]

10. Cannot remember anything more at this moment. So you see, it is definitely worth the extra amount if you can stretch for it.

aah u misinterpreted me...actually what I was saying that when u get any DSLR say D3100...u have to spend on a good quality lens with VR
U like birding u will take Nikkor 55-300 VR for 16k or 70-300 VR for 25k
U have interest in macro u will get tamron 90mm macro for 12-15k
U take wide angle pic u get a 10-16mm (sorry I dont have much knowledge about this)
U like a allrounder u get nikkor 18-200 VR for 28k

Soo where is the body factor......ultimately u have to spend this much on a lens even if u get a D3100 or a D7000...soo make a budget accordingly else u r going to be frustrated on each step

I was soo frustrated that 18-55 mm could not take macro or bird shot I cant explain u.

Sounava said:
D3100 vs D5100

There are certain nifty small things in D5100 which are not present in D3100 and those are definite drawbacks.

3. There are on-demand gridlines in the viewfinder of the D5100 which helps in composing images esp in keeping the horizon flat.

Sadly there are no gridlines in viewfinder in d5100 too, I tried looking in all menus and settings but could find it anywhere, neither in users guidelines

But of-course its there in live view.

The D90 alongwith the 50mm f1.8 shouldnt cost more than 41-42 k max. Apart from the fact that the D90 offers better control (compared to D5100/D5000), Depth of Field preview, superior optical viewfinder and Continuous shooting at 4.5 fps, the more practical reasons for suggesting something like a D90 are :-

(1) like sujoyp mentioned, the D90 and D7000 are two dSLRs in Nikon's lineup which autofocus with FX lenses. This means you can AF on AF FX lenses for a much much cheaper price. It also means you utilise the central part of an FX lens which would be sharp throughout its frame for a DX format SLR. It further means you can buy FX lenses and future proof yourself for buying a FX format camera later when the prices go down (only a matter of time).

(2) While its true that a 50 mm FX lens would behave like a 75 mm on DX SLRs, the 50 mm f1.8 is the sharpest and fastest lens you'll get for the price. Its great at whatever it does. Low light shooting is much more a function of lens speed than anything else and the D5100 sensor cannot compensate for lack of a fast lens.

Should you want to have a quality fast "zoom" lens for budget pricing you can go for the TAMRON 28-75mm f2.8 or the TAMRON 17-50mm f2.8. Both should be available around 20k and will equip you with a reasonable spread of focal range for general photography.

kjuvale said:
Sadly there are no gridlines in viewfinder in d5100 too, I tried looking in all menus and settings but could find it anywhere, neither in users guidelines
But of-course its there in live view.

Oh thats bad sorry for the mistake. They are present in D5000 so I thought that naturally it will be in D5100 too.

sydbarett said:
The D90 alongwith the 50mm f1.8 shouldnt cost more than 41-42 k max.

The 50mm f/1.8 itself costs 5.6k approx. How will you get both in 41k.

sydbarett said:
(1) like sujoyp mentioned, the D90 and D7000 are two dSLRs in Nikon's lineup which autofocus with FX lenses. This means you can AF on AF FX lenses for a much much cheaper price.

Both of you got it wrong. There is no relation with autofocus and FX. The relation is with AF or AF-S. D5100, D5000, D3100 etc do not autofocus only on AF-S lenses and do not autofocus on AF-S lenses. But D90, D7000 have in-body focus motors so they can autofocus on screw-drive AF lenses.
For example Nikkor 70-300 VR is an FX lens, but AF-S and so D5100 will autofocus on it.

sydbarett said:
It also means you utilise the central part of an FX lens which would be sharp throughout its frame for a DX format SLR.

True for all DX cameras.

sydbarett said:
It further means you can buy FX lenses and future proof yourself for buying a FX format camera later when the prices go down (only a matter of time).

1. Prices of FX cameras will never come down.
2. Not everyone will buy or feel the need for FX format cameras.

sydbarett said:
While its true that a 50 mm FX lens would behave like a 75 mm on DX SLRs, the 50 mm f1.8 is the sharpest and fastest lens you'll get for the price.

True. I never contradicted it. I said 75mm is not for general shooting.

sydbarett said:
D5100 sensor cannot compensate for lack of a fast lens.

Could not understand.

C

So what are my options for 35k ??
Nikon d5100+stock or
Nikon d3100+ some lens that you havent told me yet
I'm confused

:C_insane:
Forgive my ignorance what Is an FX lens/camera ???

FX camera = Full frame DSLRs. The sensors in those camera are 35mm = same as the size of a standard film. DX = APSC sized sensors. FX cameras cost around 1.5lakhs upwards.

What lens you will buy depends on you. Tell me your preferences.

C

I go for mid-range and long range shots macro isn't exactly my thing,
so I was thinking along the lines of a 22-200 ish
and
I think I'll play around with my stock lens for a year (to save some cash) and then get an additional lens
or get the d3100 (body only) and an additional lens ????

Possible combos:

D3100 + 18-55VR (kit lens) + 55-200VR
D3100 + 18-105VR
D5100 + 18-55 (kit lens)

I think we can have the pricing too

D3100+18-55+55-200 = 29+11 = 40k (This is what I have)
D3100+18-105mm = 29+14 = 43k (u have to sell that 18-55mm saperately coz there is no only body for D3100..good thing is 18-105 have descent zoom and no need to change lens again and again.)

D5100 + 18-55 = 34k

If u seriously want to wait for sometime for next lens then getting a 18-105 lens would be the best

^ Ah yes I should have included the prices also. Btw, D5100 with kit lens at 34k? :O :O I thought it retails for around 38k.

And D3100 is available Body-only also ---> Nikon India Private Limited It is 5.5k cheaper than the with-kit version.

oooh a my time it was with kit lens only no body only option...then I think he should go for
D3100+18-105 = 25+14 = 39k :razz:

I am sure the street price of D5100 must be around 35k

When the MRP of D3100 was 33k I got it for 28-29k

Seeing all the options, D3100 + 18-105 seems the best bet.

B

Hi,

I want to buy a DSLR at around 32k. I have these three models in mind. Nikon D3100, D5000 and Canon EOS 500D. Can you guys please suggest one among these three? Which will be the best buy? Thanks for your help.

at 32k u have only 2 options D3100 and canon 1100D

leave D5000 and 500D they r nearly dead.

between these two we can decide according to your preferences..

what do u shoot most??
Can u spend on the SLR in future or this fill be the final investment.

Edit. Bhaskar check your other thread. Lets continue there.

W

sujoyp said:
oooh a my time it was with kit lens only no body only option...then I think he should go for
D3100+18-105 = 25+14 = 39k

I am sure the street price of D5100 must be around 35k

When the MRP of D3100 was 33k I got it for 28-29k

sujoy, where can i get good deals in cameras...flipkart and letsbuy have costly rates for cameras...D3100 is still 29k there even when mrp is 29k itself!

you can use letsbuy coupen code for diwali iluvletsbuyhm and get 5% discount along with many gifts

D3100+18-55 lens and FREE DSLR Bag+ 4GB SD Card & Vanguard Tripod Aluminum MAK 233 + Transcend TS16GSDHC10 16GB SD Card for 27600

*www.letsbuy.com/nikon-dslr-d3100-p-11852

W

sujoyp said:
you can use letsbuy coupen code for diwali iluvletsbuyhm and get 5% discount along with many gifts

D3100+18-55 lens and FREE DSLR Bag+ 4GB SD Card & Vanguard Tripod Aluminum MAK 233 + Transcend TS16GSDHC10 16GB SD Card for 27600

Buy Nikon DSLR D3100 Black with 18-55mm VR Kit Camera at Best Price in India - Also find Specifications, Photos, Features & Reviews

or ur could very well go for D5100 with 18-55 at 34k on ebay...

I

Hello frnds!!

Sorry for having a too late entry in the thread...

I have finalised Canon 550D with a increase in my budget..

& planning to go for 18-55 mm (bundled lens) and a 70-300 mm lens..

Is this combination ok??

M

hmm............. Dont you think 550D is too old?
maybe you can try the 5100D with kit lense Or a D3100.
Dont fall in for megapixels.... Go for the quality of sensor

@ishan_kkr 550D is perfectly fine...no issues

70-300 IS USM cost 32k

Better get 550D+18-55+canon 55-250 IS total may cost u around 50k

I

bro, 55-250 is better or 70-300?

and m getting 550d + 18-55 in 36K
and 70-300 IS in 39K.. Total - 75K..

r d prices ok? enquired from mkt in Delhi..

I am sorry I thought u have confused between 75-300(11k) and 70-300(38k) but u knew it

550D with kit price is ok but 70-300 is selling for 37.820 in flipkart, letsbuy and jjmehta.com

soo tell the dealer to reduce the price to 38k

Canon 70-300 USM IS is a superb lens....if u dont want birding and want a better one then get Canon 70-200 f/4 L @41k ...its a pro lens those white one...and ultimate at that price

ishan_kkr said:
bro, 55-250 is better or 70-300?

and m getting 550d + 18-55 in 36K
and 70-300 IS in 39K.. Total - 75K..

r d prices ok? enquired from mkt in Delhi..

550D + 18-55 IS II is available on ebay for 33k in deal of the week.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

I

sujoyp said:
Canon 70-200 f/4 L @41k ...its a pro lens those white one...and ultimate at that price

How much IS makes d diff??

lots and lots of difference in sharpness/contrast, u will get f4 even on 200mm but in 70-300 u will get 5.6 or 6.3 at 200-300mm

and that f4 will be very sharp...at 300mm the pic quality decreases

I

i meant to say -

70-200 is not IS.. Will dat do??

@ishan_kkr yes it will do....just keep in mind when taking pics at low light see that shutter speed does not go below 1/100 at 200mm

look I can tell u a thing...if u get 70-300 most probably u have to use 300mm at f/7 or f8 to get sharp pics...now at f7 or f8 u wont get good shutter speed at night...ur IS will help u handhold at 1/30 ..

but with 70-200 f4 u will get sharp pics at f4 itself....at same situation as above u will get better pic without IS

Forgive me for not following the discussion, so my advice may be a repost... but here it goes..

Go for Canon 550D, u can get it between 30-35k on ebay.
IMO, you won't get this price on retail outlets, they will be quoting 35+.
Prompt me if you can't find it there.

@animesh ....ur post is not helping current discussion

@ishan_kkr sorry if I am too much bent toward 70-200 f4 ....if u r planning to use it for little birding then better get 70-300...200mm is just less for birds ...

It seems discussion has moved away from body to lens

yes animesh...what do u say canon 70-300 IS USM or canon 70-200 f4 L USM ??

Sorry for jumping in late:-

Stretch your budget a bit more if possible

Get 550D (or 500D depending on budget) + 18-55 IS + 50mm F1.8 ll + 55-250mm IS

Theres a long discussion on jjmf regarding which is better between 55-250mm and 75-300mm and 55-250mm gets majority of votes.

Its better to go for all the three lens at one go, as once you purchase, you wont invest in the equipment sooner.

If you are insistent upon 300mm, then Sigma 70-300mm DG Macro APO is a good bet though 55-250mm IS image quality would still be better than this. IS does matter a lot.

I

i don't know much but heard dat 55-250 doesn't deliver good results..

and i was told to go for 70-300 mm...

@ishan_kkr if u want good zoom with nice quality u should go for canon 70-300 USM its a good lens

U have already told me the purpose and I thing using ISO boost and a quality lens like 70-300 USM u can get what u want

70-300 IS will double his overall budget. So if budget is the issuue 55-250 is the good option.

medico mere bhai we r discussing this

bro, 55-250 is better or 70-300?

and m getting 550d + 18-55 in 36K
and 70-300 IS in 39K.. Total - 75K..

r d prices ok? enquired from mkt in Delhi..

he wants 70-300 USM for shooting puja like programs

Ah!! If budget permits, definitely 70-300 IS.

If you could still tweak your budget, you must also include Canon 50mm F1.8 ll lens. Its a great lens to have. The price would be around 5.3K.

I

a_medico said:
Ah!! If budget permits, definitely 70-300 IS.

If you could still tweak your budget, you must also include Canon 50mm F1.8 ll lens. Its a great lens to have. The price would be around 5.3K.

This lens is used for?? Portraits?

Primarily for portraits. Its very sharp and is a prime lens(single focal length). Primes are always sharper than range lenses. And then it has that magical F1.8

I

ohk! Will cee if d budget approves it..

Coz i was told to buy a tripod also..

Which one shud i go for? I was told - Sintex brand..

If you will be traveling alot with the camera gear for photography - weight of the tripod will be a big factor - in that case i'll suggest a carbon fiber monopod.

If you wont be moving too much - Benro or Manfrotto tripod. They are costly but cheaper ones are not worth. There are lot many discussions on the similar subject on jjmf site.

I

I'll be travelling a bit..

Also, bro, how is 18-200 mm lens?

70-300 would be better.

I had Benro tripod. But carrying a tripod on your back, especially during a small trek could be very cumbersome. If you fly frequently, an average tripod wont fit in the average suitcase. And you can carry it as a handbag either. So you need to pass it thro special security counter etc. I have shifted to carbon fibre monopod which is quite lighter.

I shoot 90 % of the images with the monopod and 10 % with tripod.

Bro I would say dont go for tripod now if u dont want to try those creative low light shots ....I found tripod just useless with light lenses like 70-300, 55-200, 55-300, 50mm, 18-55 when using it for general purpose....

I think u should get at least 10k and get a good tripod with ball head...carbon fiber will put u back by 15k+

I

Any specific model recommendations for d tripod bro?

P

dear friends,

i am planning to buy canon eos550d dslr. i am checking online to purchase and got some offer. please suggest which offer is good.

Canon EOS 550D Kit EF S 18-55mm IS Lens with 2 Years Manufacturer Warranty

or

Buy Canon DSLR EOS 550D with EF S18-55mm IS Kit- Best Selling Canon DSLR at Best Price in India - Also find Specifications, Photos, Features & Reviews

or

CANON EOS 550-D DSLR CAMERA WITH 18-55 IS MK II LENS BRAND NEW SEALED | eBay

please suggest....

i am planning to buy tomorrow.

thanks

@prinkkaadi

I would not go for ebay last one coz the seller seems a bit new with only 75 feedbacks ....among top 2 i will go for smartshoppee coz they r also giving a lowpro backpack

P

I got one offer from pritam shop (famous shop in chandni chowk Delhi) te 34000 for dslr 550d with 4gb card and dslr bag. is it good buy. this is the first for I am going to buy for normal shooting purpose. is the tripod required in starting or not.

34k is good buy ...I hope u r getting with all the warranty...no need of tripod to start...just get it in future when u feel necessary