After answering a few recent queries on "which camera should I buy" to some of my close friends, I realized, this is the perpetual question, these days. Apart from, which tablet should I buy, and what do I wear tonight!
I don't have answers to the last two questions, but I can tell you what I tell my friends: In a step by step Guide, to selecting your first DSLR.
How do you select your first camera?
There are a few factors/questions you want to start with:
1. Budget / Cost
2. Purpose : Hobby / Professional
3. Canon/Nikon
4. Online/Instore
5. When?
Let's answer them one by one:
Budget
Usually for the starter's camera, you would want to invest as little as possible, and still getting the maximum value out of it, while learning. And in case, you quickly get over your "hobby" or passion, you want to minimize your guilt, by reducing the sunk cost (lost money on the product) by buying a relatively cheaper version.
So obviously, you want to buy the cheapest DSLR that will do the job. So, go on any e-commerce website that sells camera. Search for DSLRs and sort on price. There, you have the minimum or starting prices of a DSLR camera.
Here is the following range of cameras that Canon & Nikon make:
Rightmost two columns have starting prices in India* (taken from flipkart) & starting prices in USA** (taken from nikonusa.com)
Ok, let's start. These prices are only indicative, btw, and they keep changing depending on supply & launches of new models, as well as time of the year as thanksgiving / diwali / new year.
Purpose
Now, depending on your purpose, you want to pick a particular kind of camera. If your purpose is buying a DSLR, so that you can do better photography, ast home or even amateur / professionally, completely ignore the first set of cameras, which are labelled "Wannabe DSLRs". Some of you who already own these may take offense at the tag, but, the tag is for the camera! These cameras viz. Nikon's D3000, D3100, D3200 or any such names and Canon's 1100D and any similar models, are only pretending to be DSLRs, because they lend to very few of the "DSLR" qualities that you look for when photographing, but at the same time, losing the simplicity of a point and shoot digital camera that you can stuff in your pocket. These are hybrids, between point & shoot and DSLR at best. And hence targetted at making you feel comfortable buying your first DSLR, at such a low price! Don't be fooled, they don't serve the purpose. If your purpose was saving money, you'd probably look for Android phones / iPhone versions with best camera quality!
So basically, ignore these. Now obviously, budget is a constraint. So remove anything above a certain budget, for a starter camera. Let's say INR 50,000/ $1000 (not converting here, just referencing). So you're probably not buying camera listed below Nikon's D7000 & Canon's 7D.
This leaves us with the "starter DSLR" and the "mid-level Amateur" cameras listed above and others in their range. Now here, you want to take a call between your true purpose and affordability. There is no right answer to this.
A few pointers, at the top of my head: For Amateurs/Aspiring photographers
1. If you think, you have the passion for photography, and you want to someday get paid for your photographic work/assignments, you would probably be upgrading after sometime, say 6 months - 1 year or 2.
2. But in the meantime, you also want to explore, as many functions and capabilities of a DSLR. You don't want to be restricted by limited features (which I won't discuss here), while you are exploring a field, that could be your calling.
3. It's true, you will quickly run out of a "starter" camera's capacity to control various things in an image, and you would want more control and hence, want to upgrade. On the other hand, an "mid-level amateur" camera will keep you occupied for a long time. And not until, you've done a few 1000 hours of photography, will you get over your new camera.
Recommendation: If budget isn't a very strict constraint, go for Nikon's D90 or Canon's 60D. These are semi-pro cameras that don't let you down when you bag your first paid assignment. Even if, you are working for peanuts, you want your first images to be the real-diamonds in your portfolio.
If you are a hobbyist, photography isn't exactly your "calling" and you do not intend on becoming a wedding/fashion/journalistic photographer, (although, you later may become one) you may enjoy the company of a "Starter DSLR" more.
1. These are light-weight and relatively simpler beings. And they come to your maneuver more easily than their heavy-duty siblings in the Nikon & Canon family tree.
2. These have the same sensor size as their "amateur" partners, and they have the same capacity too, to capture detail, in an image, something which is probably the most important technical factor in image making but with simpler in-built features, which a hobbyist's mind might find rather too much to handle, where they basically just wanted to take good images, and enjoy their hobby.
3. Having said that, do NOT under-estimate the powers of these cameras. They have all the important tools that you need to create superb images. They are real DSLRs, with real intention of helping you create beautiful images, while still being very pocket friendly, and that's why so many people go for these as their first camera.
Recommendation: For the fun-loving, incidental photographer, Nikon's D5100/5200 or Canon's 550D/600D/650D are superb choices.
Canon or Nikon
Seriously, are you still reading! Ok, this is my first, longest such post. So anyway, what the heck.
Personally, I think it's just a matter of which camera you picked up first. If you pick Nikon, you end up with Nikon for your upgrades, and if you pick Canon, you end up with Canon. Cos' frankly, switching between the two formats, is not THAT easy.
There are some differences between their overall performance on no. of factors. But believe me, when you are experienced enough to measure those parameters, you are probably too good to care about a camera model. As Sephi likes to say,
"It's really not the camera that creates the image but the person holding it."
If you want to know which camera I use, I can tell you, I use a Nikon. But at the same time, I have recommended canon to a few people and they are happy with what they are using now.
Usually, just go for which one appeals to you more, you feel comfortable with, and in case, you have used a friend's camera which you liked and felt intuitive, go for that make.
or Alternately, you can compare the prices of the same range cameras from Nikon and Canon at the time you are buying, and go for the cheaper one. Saving money is usually a good idea. Specially when you can spend that on future upgrades and related equipment.
Online / Instore
Ok now, you are just picking my brain! Do the usual, research online, compare prices offline, ask the offline guy to give you a better deal than snapdeal. If he does, go for it, if no, go for the online option man! That thing has an emi facility, you can own your camera in less than 5k/ month. What else could you want?
Me to spoon feed you.
When to Buy
The best time, is like RIGHT NOW. Actually, it was yesterday, but you missed that train, so right now is pretty good too.
On a serious note, I think for the first time in history, there is this beautiful range of semi-pro cameras available, at such affordable prices and with EMI. Owning a camera has never been easier before. I think, in the last decade, you had to do budget planning with your spouse for your camera and stuff, but now it's like, Whatever man!
So, I hope it was helpful. Let me know, if you have any questions, be happy to answer, later.
