550D vs D3100 vs K-r

[GeorgeStorm]

Hey,
As above really, I'm looking to get a DSLR, and am looking in the £3-400 range, happy to go 2nd hand (hence why I can afford those models)
Want to be able to record video, while it's not my main planned use, the ability will be appreciated.

They seem to be the front runners for my budget, any recommendations?

I can get the 550D with 18-55mm for £380, D3100 with 18-105mm for £365, and K-r with 18-55 for £340.
Am open to other models though.
Thanks

[BeepBeep2]

The Nikon 18-105mm is a $300 lens here in itself, used...
IMO it is a tough call.

The K-r has great image quality but "only" 12MP, the D3100 has more megapixels but a bit less spatial resolution in JPEG mode (you may be able to fix it with in-camera sharpening)...the 550D has great spatial resolution (partially due to it being an 18MP camera) but by 800-1600 ISO it will lose any advantage over the first two cameras.

The size, how they feel, controls and options are all things to look at too...

[GeorgeStorm]

Yeah, the lens is definitely pulling me towards the Nikon, even though having handled the canon and nikon (can't see a way of getting my hands on the pentax sadly) the canon felt a little more natural in my hands.

But to be honest, I think I should aim to get the best body I can at the moment, since it will be lenses I'll be getting in the future regardless of which body I go for (unless I get completely into it)

[Darakian]

I've got a 550D and I love it. That said, I haven't used either of the other two cameras mentioned. It does run Magic Lantern which gives the 550D a lot more functionality.
http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/M..._Firmware_Wiki

[GeorgeStorm]

Haven't seen that before, looks kinda cool. Any downsides?

Issues with the D3100 are the lenses will be more pricey since it doesn't have in body image stabilisation or a focus motor I think?

[BeepBeep2]

Yeah, the lens is definitely pulling me towards the Nikon, even though having handled the canon and nikon (can't see a way of getting my hands on the pentax sadly) the canon felt a little more natural in my hands.

But to be honest, I think I should aim to get the best body I can at the moment, since it will be lenses I'll be getting in the future regardless of which body I go for (unless I get completely into it)

If you will be shooting mostly in daylight with pretty still subjects I'd suggest the Canon for sure. If you are shooting race cars at 11PM, I'd suggest the Nikon ...in all seriousness, it depends what you shoot.

[GeorgeStorm]

Will vary, I mean, while I don't think I'll be shooting race cars anytime soon, night time shooting isn't out of the question whatsoever.

Will take it with me on bike rides, holidays, family occasions etc.
But then also for taking photos in my room of recent purchases, various computer bits and pieces etc

[nex_73]

If you go 2nd hand look out for: Pentax K-x, Nikon D5000 or D90
I went the Pentax route because: IQ, good low-light ISO capability (compared to similar camares in the price-range), in body SR and the big amount of lenses to choose from (back to the 60-70's)

[GeorgeStorm]

If I go for the Pentax, I may aswell go for the K-r since it has some improvements, and it's still well within budget.
The D5000 doesn't seem quite as good as the D3100 from what I've seen, and no cheaper sadly - http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Nikon_D5000
D90 is a little more pricey, and both it and the D5000 aren't as good on the video front as the 550D/D3100 :/

[Mescalamba]

Rather second hand, buying new one is waste of money. Pentax is waste of money as its probably dead system. So either Canon, Nikon or Sony (yes Sony does exist). Sony A35 is actually good camera.. should be possible to buy it in UK, if you must have new one..

[GeorgeStorm]

I've no intention of buying new, since I can get so much more for my money going second hand

Haven't really looked at the Sony since no one else has really recommended them, and being a less common make, I would have thought getting more lenses etc 2nd hand (where I'd most likely be buying) would be more difficult etc (the main downside of going Pentax aswell)

[nex_73]

Pentax is waste of money as its probably dead system.

I just have to answer to this! What is dead about it? (And i don't want to start a fan-boy war here please!)
Have you seen the new mirrorless K-01? A successor for the K-r is on it's way (rumor says K-z or K-2) and also one for the K-5 later on this year - doesn't sound dead to me.
Pentax is now owned by Ricoh...

[Darakian]

Haven't seen that before, looks kinda cool. Any downsides?

Issues with the D3100 are the lenses will be more pricey since it doesn't have in body image stabilisation or a focus motor I think?

There's a slim chance of bricking your camera :p
From everything I've read it's very safe. I can't find a single user that has bricked their camera and I plan to stick it on mine some time this week. Also pentax is far from dead. They make some epic lenses and their dslrs are a real bargain. Not to mention the glut of old K mount lenses out there. Pentax might not be the right camera for you, but they are not dead.

[GeorgeStorm]

Haha, always good to know :P

I think at the moment I'm leaning towards the D3100 since I'll get the better lens to start with, and save myself some money (not a lot but every little helps )

Sadly I think Pentax is out of it since I haven't had the chance to try one, and they are recommended the least, seem less common which would make buying more stuff for them more difficult etc :/

[Mescalamba]

I've no intention of buying new, since I can get so much more for my money going second hand

Haven't really looked at the Sony since no one else has really recommended them, and being a less common make, I would have thought getting more lenses etc 2nd hand (where I'd most likely be buying) would be more difficult etc (the main downside of going Pentax aswell)

Quite opposite. I recommand visiting dyxum.com.

Theres a lot of Minolta lens that fits any today Sony Alpha camera. Also Sony has quite cheap lens like 35mm f1.8 or 50mm f1.8 or 85mm f2.8 etc. So building cheap but efficient Sony system is really easy. dSLT A35 has same sensor as Nikon D5100/D7000 or NEX-5N or Pentax K-5. Yea and it has built-in stabilisation, so you will have every lens attached stabilised (not that effective as VR/IS on Nikon or Canon long tele lens, but theres no free lunch).

[Mescalamba]

I just have to answer to this! What is dead about it? (And i don't want to start a fan-boy war here please!)
Have you seen the new mirrorless K-01? A successor for the K-r is on it's way (rumor says K-z or K-2) and also one for the K-5 later on this year - doesn't sound dead to me.
Pentax is now owned by Ricoh...

Yes Ive seen K-01, runned of to bathroom and throwed up. Except outer look, its useless mirrorless. Its big, it doesnt have EVF, AF with Pentax lens is nice but there will be sooner winter in hell than it will be fast AF (cause for mirrorless AF lens you need very different design of lens = old lens simply doesnt work well with AF in mirrorless). Sony solved this by creating LA-EA2 - which pretty much works like Leicaflex, simply convert NEX into SLT camera, so regular Sony/Minolta lens AF pretty fast. Otherwise I see no reason to buy K-01, when for less money I can have K-5 if I wished for Pentax. Not mentioning I can buy Sony NEX-5N and EVF plus some Pentax K adapter and use focus peaking + magnification to focus all Pentax lens with very high precision and pretty fast. And with EVF.

Or I can buy any other adapter and use countless lens designed for 35mm cameras (or even Olympus Pen old ones), including some fine Leica/Zeiss/Voigtlaender for Leica M. Which is something you cant do with K-01, cause its Pentax K mount, that has quite limited ability in using adapted lens (so far only Leitaxed lens or m42).

So why would anyone in right mind buy K-01? Its like Pentax Q, just upsized with similar stupidity in design.


I hope Pentax will do something solid in future, but right now they are on good way to their own end.

[nex_73]

I didn't say i liked the K-01, i just said that Pentax isn't dead you know... =) I personally will wait for the K-5 successor before i decide if i wan't to keep go with Pentax or go Nikon later on. (Why pay more for the brand name if you don't have to...)
You rant on like you're employed by Sony/minolta or something...

[Mescalamba]

I dont rant, Im just pointing out strengths as Sony isnt exactly something that should be overlooked, especially when it comes to bang-for-bucks. I dont like Sony itself at all, but just as you pointed out, theres no point in paying for big brands if you want to start easy and cheap.

Theres a good point in buying Canon or Nikon gear, if you can buy it and mean shooting seriously. Bit less point in Sony and much less in Pentax right now. That might change, if Pentax will show something bit more "normal" than Q system or K-01. So far nothing worth mentioning since K-5. Unlike competition, which is pretty busy lately..

Yea and theres Panasonic and Olympus too.

[nex_73]

Aaah, ok. Then i get you Sorry for that.
What most people don't know is that the sensor in their camera is made by Sony (Ex: the same sensor in K-x & D5000, and K-5 & D7000 etc). Also that Canons budgetmodels isn't so good in low light ISO and some Nikons don't have focus motor in body.
There's lot of stuff that average joe find out first after the purchase, just because they listened to a salesrep on a big electronic firm.
As an example on the latest waterfallpic i posted in the today pic thread here: My pic's with the kit-zoom came out better then from a Canon 5D Mark II with a prime 70/2.8. So it's not so much the camera but the pothographer and technique that gives the end result. (and i'm not saying my pic's was any good )
Then again, different stuff is important depending on which style and what you going to shoot with the camera...

[GeorgeStorm]

Reasons I haven't looked at Sony, Panny, Olympus etc is purely because they haven't been recommended to me.
The 550D/D3100 have easily been the two main cameras I've been recommended for my price, with 1 guy then pointing out the K-r, and after having a google, I realised that it seemed to stack up pretty well against the others, and was available at a very nice price.

Been linked to some digitalrev youtube videos which were quite nice, although pointed out the facts I already new, which is that I'll be happy with any of those cameras, and they're all pretty good and fairly similar, and it just comes down to which I'd prefer :P

[GeorgeStorm]

Took the plunge and went for the 550D at £350, should be here Friday

[BeepBeep2]

Took the plunge and went for the 550D at £350, should be here Friday

You'll be happy with it.

[GeorgeStorm]

Just thought I'd update you guys.
Had the camera for a month and a half, really enjoying it, started uploading pics to my flickr account (in my sig)
Currently just using the kit lens, what other lenses would people recommend?

[nex_73]

Depends on your budget?
But after looking at your pics, a Canon EF 50/1,8 II might be a good start?
It's cheap to!

[GeorgeStorm]

Well it most likely will be something I won't be buying right now, but will start saving towards potentially

Yeah I've been recommended that lens because it's great for the price, why would you suggest it based on my pics? (genuine curiosity)