looking for advice on DSLR purchase

[08njSTEP]

posted this question in the wrong section I guess, so here it is.....again. I have been out of cameras for awhile now and am looking to move to digital. I have a Minolta x700 film but film is dead. I am interested in shooting motorsports, landscape, architecture and incognito street. I've read a little and visited a camera store for advice. I am impressed by Sony 6000 mirror less. It has a ton of features that I like. Viewfinder can flip 90° for street shoots. Flash can bounce, auto winder at 11fps, built in WiFi, and of course full exposure control. And since Sony bought Minolta I don't feel like a traitor. I was initially thinking Nikon mirror, but Sony makes their capture sensor and the same price gets none of the features mentioned. I don't have a set budget for this but I don't want more than I need. I'm not looking for m6 if 328 will do. So any informed advice is appreciated. Also need comments phrased for a newb, because I am about DSLR. The Sony randomly goes on sale but have confirmed not in march. $550 body/lens or $775 body/2 lens when on sale. I was very impressed by focus speed and size. What are drawbacks of mirrorless? Is there a compelling reason to go full size body? For $100 I can use all my old Minolta lenses too. The Sony is not 4/3rds its just below 35mm. Thank you in advance for helping me find the right tool for my needs.

[yakuza70]

The Sony A6000 would be a good choice for what you want to shoot. Sony has really been producing impressive, if not ground-breaking, cameras in the past 3-4 years, including the A6000. I've shot Nikon DSLRs for over 25 years and have had serious thoughts about switching to Sony. However, the one thing that holds me back is their lens selection which is nowhere near as diverse and complete as those available to Nikon or Canon. Yes, you could get an adapter such as Metabones, but you often lose some functions and focusing speed and it adds weight and bulk not to mention the cost of the adapter.

[08njSTEP]

I'm used to manual focus and really hated AF cameras before. The older AF were so slow I could focus, shoot, and manually wind before the afs would focus. The new Sony was very fast. Thank you for your input. I was expecting to buy full body mirror until salesman showed me mirror less. Lots of built-in features.

[Diver]

Sony only makes the substrate or semiconductor part of the Nikon sensor. There are many other important layers in a sensor plus the associated electronics are important as well. If you have a collection of working Minolta lenses going with Sony might allow you to use them (probably with an adapter), but check in a camera store first.

My choice would be a Nikon D750 with a 24-120 f/4 sold as a discounted combo.

[amos]

hi i would go to the shop and try them out see how they feel, if it feels right then you long way to it being right. the Nikon d7200 is a good camera and will keep you going for many years

[amos]

The D7100 and D7200 is popular camera in the Nikon dslr range.
http://thedigitalcamera.net/nikon-d7...he-difference/

[08njSTEP]

Thanks for the input, I will check out the D7100 this weekend. The local camera shop is really good. Have a few more weeks to choose before the next possible Sony sale. Learning a lot about the difference between film and digital. New issues with noise and the like that film didn't have.

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by Diver

Sony only makes the substrate or semiconductor part of the Nikon sensor. There are many other important layers in a sensor plus the associated electronics are important as well. If you have a collection of working Minolta lenses going with Sony might allow you to use them (probably with an adapter), but check in a camera store first.

My choice would be a Nikon D750 with a 24-120 f/4 sold as a discounted combo.

The Sony reference only applies to some Nikon bodies.

To better understand Nikon Sensors, who designs, fabs, etc., read this thread. Of course it may just confuse people more.

http://nikonrumors.com/2015/12/16/li...designer.aspx/

[Diver]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

The Sony reference only applies to some Nikon bodies.

To better understand Nikon Sensors, who designs, fabs, etc., read this thread. Of course it may just confuse people more.

http://nikonrumors.com/2015/12/16/li...designer.aspx/

I wouldn't worry to much about who made or designed the sensor or any part of it. The results and how the camera handles are what matter. I shoot Nikon, so that is what I like. Canon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus and Panasonic all make great cameras. Some of these do not have an optical viewfinder so they are outside the DSLR category. Cameras with electronic sensors are not as fast handling as optical sensors, but are better at some things like manual focusing.

[Gabe@TAG]

A6000/A6300 are bomb cameras. I have an A7R but used the a6000 most of the time while I was traveling in Europe last year. It's good bang for your buck.

[overcoil]

How important is it to have a touch screen display ?

[The Wind Breezes]

Even a "328" of a camera will be overkill unless you have some very specific technical requirements like needing extreme low light performance, very high resolution or shooting rate. DSLRs have been more than good enough for at least a few years now. Even something like a D5100 / T2i will more than accommodate your usage. I would go Nikon or Canon over Sony as the lens selection is a lot better and frankly lenses are more important than anything else in your capture equation anyway. I'm sure there are adaptors but it's best to not mess with that. Also, re the features you're hot over, I have never used a DSLR that didn't have full exposure control (they all do), and none of the other features you mention are going to make a difference for your usage case. Here's a tip, leave the camera on program mode for most of your shooting unless you need to arrange an unusual exposure. It will meter perfectly every time.

Photography is about actually taking the pictures, which is hard work requiring a lot of skill behind your eye. The camera doesn't matter as long as it's capable of capturing the scene you want, which usually doesn't require exotic features.

[08njSTEP]

Thanks all for the input. I think a little back story is in order. Every 5 years I try to pick up a new skill/hobby. At 30 I started mountain biking and fell in love with it and still do it. For 35 I started a full on, ground up build of my '66 SS396 Chevelle. I have done everything. Body, paint, interior, engine, suspension.... Everything. I had a few setbacks along the way(a refresh on motor that ran 5min before dropping a valve and destroying block and badly damaging aluminium head) but it's finished and I still have it. At 40 I decided to do bodywork as a job and went to school, got accepted to BMW step, and currently work on cars for a living. At 45 I started playing drums and my set is less than 2' from where I'm posting this. So 50 is next year and I think getting back into photography is my new deal. So I'm looking for a camera to expand my artistic vision, not just to snap some holiday or event. A new full on hobby. I moved to New Hampshire 18 months ago and this is photography heaven. Mountains and ocean within 45min. Historic sites and buildings. And lots of civic events. So I plan on embarking on photography as part of my lifestyle. With this info in mind I'm open to advice.

[Route 16]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Even a "328" of a camera will be overkill unless you have some very specific technical requirements like needing extreme low light performance, very high resolution or shooting rate. DSLRs have been more than good enough for at least a few years now. Even something like a D5100 / T2i will more than accommodate your usage. I would go Nikon or Canon over Sony as the lens selection is a lot better and frankly lenses are more important than anything else in your capture equation anyway. I'm sure there are adaptors but it's best to not mess with that. Also, re the features you're hot over, I have never used a DSLR that didn't have full exposure control (they all do), and none of the other features you mention are going to make a difference for your usage case. Here's a tip, leave the camera on program mode for most of your shooting unless you need to arrange an unusual exposure. It will meter perfectly every time.

Photography is about actually taking the pictures, which is hard work requiring a lot of skill behind your eye. The camera doesn't matter as long as it's capable of capturing the scene you want, which usually doesn't require exotic features.

Very true, I'm happy with my T1i, my biggest difficulty is having the right lens but I'd still like a new camera after 7 years.

[08njSTEP]

Oh yeah, I plan on visiting the camera shop Saturday to look at the models suggested here.

[The Wind Breezes]

Stores are good for looking and familiarization, but buy off craigslist or ebay, not from a store. That way you can sell it back for what you paid when you decide you want to upgrade or get bored. I buy and sell cameras all the time, mostly DSLRs but also medium format and rarely LWIR. Lots of great deals, just take your time and test before you buy--only issue I've ever had out of dozens of cameras I've bought from CL was an autofocus lens with broken iris that I didn't find out about because I didn't take my time and try to change it..it was still a good deal though because the price was right and I fixed it. If you buy on ebay you're fine, they're a bunch of assholes willing to screw the seller every time over the tiniest possible issues to keep the buyer happy.

[08njSTEP]

Good advice. I am using the store to feel and understand the gear. There are a lot of choices especially since I haven't set a budget yet. So $500 to $3000+ opens a ton of options. My best bud is a CL whore so when the choice is made he will love finding a deal.

[dcstep]

I shoot Canon, but the Sony 6300 is a stunning camera that'll serve at least 5-years.

You can't buy reliably new on CL; however, you can get a super deal from Camera Canada. Due to exchange rates, you'll save 20% to 30%. I and several of my friends have saved thousands of dollars at CC.

[08njSTEP]

Thanks for the input, I will definitely look into that. Do you know if they offer the same Sony incentives as US. The last Sony deal was $200 off and a lens. There weren't any through march 24, but maybe for Easter or father's day.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

Thanks for the input, I will definitely look into that. Do you know if they offer the same Sony incentives as US. The last Sony deal was $200 off and a lens. There weren't any through march 24, but maybe for Easter or father's day.

Being a Canon guy, I don't watch Sony rumors. Someone here may be closer to that kind of information.

Note that the prices shown for the Sony 6300 is in Canadian dollars, so you divide by 1.32 to convert to USD. The body plus lens shown at $1499 is under $1200 in US. That leaves plenty of budget for a couple of more of their fantastic, but expensive, lenses. For Canon, it's a North American warranty, that's good in the US. I'd check to make sure that's the case with Sony, but, even if it isn't, sending off to Canada for warranty repair is not a big deal and unlikely that you'll need to do it.

[///Mbitions]

I just bought my 1st Dslr and should be here any day. Main purpose was to stop using my iPhone6 (which takes pretty nice still pics imo) when trying to catch my son in action, He'll be 2 the end of April. Also it'll be nice to do some shoots of the car. Because of budget I ended up purchasing the Nikon D5300 wit a couple of lens, which from what I gathered the lens will be the most important thing anyways. One day I'll upgrade but for the next few years I hope the D5300 will do everything I need. Did you end up buying something OP? I'm very excited to start taking pictures with a real camera!

[tc328]

I'm somewhat new to photography and just pickup a D7200...I can change almost everything with a button (no need to go into the menu). love it so far and should keep me happy for many years..I hope

I heard the Nikon D3xxx are the best bang for the buck right now if you don't want to spend too much