Need Suggestion$ for DSLR

1st question ...are u using DSLR for the 1st time...or you own any older one..

And do you have any experience in handling DSLR before

I am beginner..

Why are you looking at cameras like the D7000 and 60D? The D5100 has the same sensor as the D7000 and the 550D has the same sensor as the 60D (and the 7D). Unless you have a particular need for semi-pro specs (which is unlikely considering you are a beginner) I would suggest you buy a lower spec body and put the money in lenses, flashes etc.

Why do you want a DSLR anyway?

I love photography.. And i want to pursue a career in photography, therefore to learn photography, i need a dslr..

I would suggest getting A D5200 for a start ...people say it have better performance then D7100 and it have same focus module and metering as a D7000 ....and you will save money for other things like lenses,tripod, flash, bag etc

Edit: you really want to persue a carrier in photography. Then you should go for D7000 from day 1. there is obviously a lot to learn...but slowly in a year or two you will learn

Madh1261 said:

i want to pursue a career in photography

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Then go for Pro...

And check sites like these to get to know about the business "photography"
Thoughts and advice for those considering a career in photography
Sobering Truths About Making A Career Out Of Photography
HOW I RUINED MY CAREER | People of the Second Chance
How to Become a Professional Photographer

Thanks everyone for suggesting.
Can anyone give me a good deal of nikon d7000 on eBay?

Because you will never meet a pro using a 550D.

Raja Manuel said:

Because you will never meet a pro using a 550D.

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no no its not the reason...reason is pentaprism view finder which D7000 have or the better grip it have ....D7000 cost just 5-6k more then D5200 ...soo its worth it

I don't see how a pentaprism viewfinder is supposed to make you a pro. All the film SLRs I have used had pentaprisms and that didn't make me a pro.
Not that being a pro means anything much. I have seen professional photographers with fancy equipment turn out photographs that were as atrocious as their fees.

Raja Manuel said:

I don't see how a pentaprism viewfinder is supposed to make you a pro. All the film SLRs I have used had pentaprisms and that didn't make me a pro.

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Raja Manuel said:

Because you will never meet a pro using a 550D.

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You know I am a compact camera user... Even I want to have a camera which has a
- easy manual controls with knobs, buttons, dials, rings etc... It's much better if it has dedicated aperture/shutter/focus/zoom/ISO dial/ring.
- a weather shield body
- a nice burst speed with good buffer
.....

*cdn.pocket-lint.com/r/s/748x/assets/images/phpkapgls.jpg

He has decent budget (may be not like the one in the picture) and he wants to pursue a career in photography, then why not a pro body???

@raja please try to manual focus on a D3xxx, D5xxx or 5xxD, 6xxD body with pentamirror and you will know why pentaprism is soo important ....its just impossible to manual focus correctly...also D7000, D7100 have added bonus of giving AF confirmation on old AIS, AI lenses and inbody motor for AF lens

Again, an assumption that a pro photographer needs all these. We are talking of a beginner here. Using a lower spec, cheaper DSLR with more money left to spend on accessories is a much better way to go. In a couple of years he would have grown a lot as a photographer and would be much better placed to decide what he wants out of a much higher spec body and by that time bodies would have improved even more in their price/abilities ratio.

Are any of you going to argue against the idea that the investment is in the lenses, not the body? If not I don't understand why you are recommending that a beginner blow money on a body.

you are right about investment on lens....but there is also another saying that get the best body 1st time soo that u dont have to change it after 2 years and you can invest in lenses next 5 years....and you dont find bracketing missing, inbody motor missing, dof button missing, timelapse video missing right 3 months after u buy ur new dslr..

I have dealt with all these for these years ....I know how important these are

Yeah I was thinking about the same thing to get a better body first which I can use for 2-3 years, learning about photography with a semi pro or pro dslr and then investing in lens in future...

sujoyp said:

you are right about investment on lens....but there is also another saying that get the best body 1st time soo that u dont have to change it after 2 years and you can invest in lenses next 5 years....and you dont find bracketing missing, inbody motor missing, dof button missing, timelapse video missing right 3 months after u buy ur new dslr..

I have dealt with all these for these years ....I know how important these are

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Are you saying that you can get these only in a semi-pro body?

yes raja...either I can buy a cheap 4-5 yr old semi pro like D90, D300 which also serves the purpose...or get a new D7000, D7100

D5100 may have some of these features...but again its viewfinder, no bracketing, and yes an important flash commander mode...which can trigger the slave flash wirelessly.

there are just soo many advantages...if u have budget then go for it

Aren't most of those just Nikon lineup limitations?

yes Raja u are right ...other then pentaprism canon 600d have bracketing and flash commander mode

ok soo these are not big things..then better focus module, better metering, 14bit RAW, better grip,weather sealing ...comon we can not say mid range is better then semi pros
And when comparing 60D and nikon D7000 ...D7000 is clear winner

As you keep going up the scale you will keep on finding models with more features until you get to the 1 series (and even there it doesn't stop as you can look at medium format). We draw a line somewhere; the question is where. Since you are not disputing that a person can go pro with a 550D (and it would be silly to, considering the very large number who have gone pro with it) why do you feel the need to recommend such an expensive body when someone on this forum recently got a 600D twin lens kit for about 35K? Not only is that a great kit to start with, it also leaves a lot of dough for another lens, a flash, good tripod, filters, reflectors, soft box, umbrellas – the kind of stuff that gives you a great deal of room to experiment and develop your style.

Most beginners underestimate what a flash and tripod can do for them. Isn't it up to us to give good advice?

Actually mid rangers like 60d and d7000 models have better viewfinder for manual focus, battery grip for vertical and horizontal holding , more buttons for easy access, dual screen, these certainly will help ....and he would use all these at art school/training classes...

i dont think the needs are same for an amateur and someone pursuing a career ....

and u rightly said external flash and tripod are mostly neglected..but they are very important...but again i would not suggest someone to keep buying all stuff like filter, flash,tripod,multiple bags, extension tube without having a need for it...let the thrust come then have a drink

So you are saying that way more professional photographers need manual focus than need a tripod, or a flash, or a polariser? Are you sure you want to make this argument?
You seem to be projecting the limitations of the Nikon system, with its motor-in-the-body motor-in-the-lens mixup onto the entire photography world. There are other brands out there whose users don't have to worry if the lens will autofocus or not.
Battery grip is not exclusive to the D7000s an 60Ds of the world. I don't know about Nikon but Canon and third party grips are available for the 600D.

but y do i need a tripod from the very start if I am interested in birding, portraits and macro .....and i dont do landscapes ...I think portraits, and macro may need precise focussing and a better viewfinder will definitely help...btw try using autofocus for landscape in evening...u will need better viewfinder.
similarly y do i need a polariser if i do street photography?? Its an equpment of landscape only.
yes flash is something I wont argue...its quit useful everywhere except landscape and birding

soo my point is till he does not need something he dont need to buy it...but body is not something you can upgrade easily.

yes nikon have that AF and AFS lens...but its also true that those AF lenses are quit cheap...where do you find a 50mm 1.4 AF lens for 18k or 80-200 AF f2.8 for 50k

ooh I didnt know about 600D having battery grip...I think D5xxx and below dont have nikon make battery grip.

If it gets dark enough a viewfinder won't be of any use. Live view on the other hand, with its magnification and screen brightness control, can be used in surprisingly dim environments. Add Magic Lantern focus peaking to the mix and you have a potent focusing package at a lower price point. There are many professionals who rarely use manual focus anywhere. There isn't much need for it when you consider that autofocus has advanced to the point where even single focus is being used less and many people have their cameras permanently set to continuous mode.

Tripods are used for birding, portraits, and macros. Admittedly more for the last two, but it is used for birding, especially by those who use trap focus.

If you are going to say that you don't need to buy something until you need it then it applies to the body as well. The point of contention here is whether you need the body.

You can even get a battery grip for a 1100D and I believe for the 100D as well.

good discusion