[panicos81]

I eventually went with the Nikon D5100. need opinions for a first lens. it would be either:
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G
Nikon AF-S DX 18-105mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR!!! or
Nikon AF-S 50mm f1.4G or f1.8G (half price)
that being said i love prime lenses but the 18-105 could be a good first lens..

so let me hear some opinions..


OLDER POST:

Yes another thread with the same topic

Which camera would you suggest?

Nikon d5100
Nikon d7000
Canon 60D
Canon 7d

based on reviews i have seen over the internet and comparisons made in snapsort.com it seems the d5100 is better than the canons despite being cheaper.

i prefer night photography so a camera that works well with low light is preffered. also i dont have a high budget for lenses so i will buy one or two a year, firstly a very good all around lens..

so based on your experience which one would you reccoment?


p.S i know there are many similar threads but i'm quite confused and need you opinions. i will probably get the one you reccomend

thank u

[M_Six]

As a general rule I believe the Nikons are better for low light photography. I have a friend with a D5100 and he takes some pretty impressive images at 2000 ISO that exhibit very little noise. The articulating viewscreen is nice, too. That said, I believe the Nikon lenses are a bit pricier than their Canon counterparts. Tough choice. Although if you have the funds to get the D7000 or the 7D, don't bother with the lesser models.

[panicos81]

Originally Posted by M_Six

As a general rule I believe the Nikons are better for low light photography. I have a friend with a D5100 and he takes some pretty impressive images at 2000 ISO that exhibit very little noise. The articulating viewscreen is nice, too. That said, I believe the Nikon lenses are a bit pricier than their Canon counterparts. Tough choice. Although if you have the funds to get the D7000 or the 7D, don't bother with the lesser models.

well i dont actually have the funds for the 7d but i guess i could manage the d7000. the thing is that the d7000 according to the reviews does not offer much more than the 5100. snapsort gives them a rating of 100 for the 7000 98 for the 5100. so my thinking is do i need the d7000 or save the difference for a better lens on the 5100.

also i had my heart set on the canons, but it seems that Nikons have better image quality and lower noice at high ISO's..

[oneintheory]

put one in your hand. buy the one that feels the best.

[panicos81]

Originally Posted by oneintheory

put one in your hand. buy the one that feels the best.

that would be nice but not many stores around for these cameras. it will be an internet buy..

[Mr Tonka]

If you can at all do that it would be best. That way you can use the camera interface and see which you like better. Even if it's the lower models. They are similar to the higher ones.

[flyingfortress]

if i am not mistaken, the d5100 has the same sensor as the d7000. my friend has the d5100 and his night/low light pictures blow my d3100 pictures away. i am already looking to upgrade. i'd say get the d5100 and a real nice piece of glass.

[rodi]

D5100 and 35mm f/1.8G and call it a day.

[- Paul -]

5100 and 7000 have same internals - it's the controls and body that differ.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by rodi

D5100 and 35mm f/1.8G and call it a day.

You do like those 35's, don't you. I was experimenting with a "set it and forget it" F8 setting on the 35mm the other day. Pretty cool. No need to focus at all. Just frame and shoot. I need to spend a day doing just that.

[rodi]

Originally Posted by M_Six

You do like those 35's, don't you. I was experimenting with a "set it and forget it" F8 setting on the 35mm the other day. Pretty cool. No need to focus at all. Just frame and shoot. I need to spend a day doing just that.

you could probably do 5.6, set it to 6 feet, and shoot anything from 4 to 16 feet away.

[M_Six]

I think the F8 setting, focused to 9ft-infinity, would make a good street photography setting. Very discreet.

[Trijicon]

Wow, no love for Canon's? I've been a Canon guy my whole life. And since digital hit SLR's, Canon has been leading in the sensor/low light arena, not Nikon. I would say Nikon finally caught up in the last two years. If you decide to go Canon I'd go 7D at the minimum. Nikon is the better choice for the entry level DSLRs. My cousin's D7000 is pretty cool.

[scollins]

Originally Posted by Trijicon

Wow, no love for Canon's? I've been a Canon guy my whole life. And since digital hit SLR's, Canon has been leading in the sensor/low light arena, not Nikon. I would say Nikon finally caught up in the last two years. If you decide to go Canon I'd go 7D at the minimum. Nikon is the better choice for the entry level DSLRs. My cousin's D7000 is pretty cool.

I'd say, on the top end models, Nikon started beating Canon for low light/high ISO performance about 4 years ago with the introduction of the D3. Then they introduced the D3S, whoa!

For me, the difference between the two came down to ergos: I like Nikon's dial layout way better than Canon's. I would like to have Canon's generally less expensive glass to the comparable Nikon though.

[panicos81]

so thats it, i have decided to go with one of the Nikons..

the d5100 has the moving screen which is good. built in HDR. and night vision that you shoot in black and white, it sounds interesting..

the d7000 has the built in focus motor so you can use more lenses.. faster shutter speed 1/8000 to 1/4000. and more focus points.

i know that it depends on my needs to balance to positives and the negatives on each camera but do you think that advantages of the 7000 make the 5100 obsolete(in luck of a better word )

i have to say that i'm leaning on the 5100 at this point

[- Paul -]

The 7000 feels like a pro camera and is easier to use (can change settings quicker etc) - the 5100 feels a little "toyish" in comparison.

I had a 5000 and moved up to a 7000 - no comparison. Having the easy access to most settings on dials and buttons rather than menus makes life easier.

[whyrms]

I bought the gf a D5000 and I bought a D7000. Everytime I pick up her camera, I get really frustrated. I have to resort to the info screen everytime i want to change something. I usually takes 3-6 button press before I can change the setting to what I want. The D7000 has most of the buttons right there common settings is usually a press and scroll away.

My gf on the other hand, love her D5000, she just likes to compose pictures and not worry about anything else, her photography compose of slapping on a 35mm and just shoot artsy shots in weird position so that the composition gives a new perspective to boring scenes. She thinks my camera is too complicated because the settings are all over the place and she doesn't like to memorize which button does what, but then again, I love that part about the D7000. And; my gf forgot that D7000 also has an info screen for those who wants all the controls in an info screen (the button for the info screen is on the bottom left).

Oh another thing, she hates my D7000 because she's jelly that I can use lens like the Tokina 11-16mm, Tokina 100mm macro, and older nikon lens such as the 85mm 1.8D and she has to use manual focus on them. LOL...

[panicos81]

updated first post.. see bold..

[M_Six]

18-200mm. Seems to be one of Nikon's best all purpose lenses.

[rodi]

get the 35mm f/1.8G for $200 and call it a day. seriously.
having only one lens and one focal length will force you into a sea of beautiful creativity and thoughtful composition.

[Aries326]

Originally Posted by M_Six

18-200mm. Seems to be one of Nikon's best all purpose lenses.

Agree. However, for $200 less, you can get the Tamron 18-270mm PZD. The quality isn't as good. Cheaper plastic. A few months in and the barrel on mine still sticks, but the pictures are pretty good. Focus is faster than on the 18-105mm that I still have and the motor is quieter. It depends on what you're looking to do. I don't regret buying the 18-270mm as my everyday lens but honestly, the 18-105mm is probably all I really needed as most of my shots fall in that range.

I'm not a pro photographer so that is the extent of what kind of advice I can give. The shots in my BMW Garage are with a D3100 and the Tamron 18-270mm.

[garyhgaryh]

Originally Posted by Aries326

Agree. However, for $200 less, you can get the Tamron 18-270mm PZD. The quality isn't as good. Cheaper plastic. A few months in and the barrel on mine still sticks, but the pictures are pretty good. Focus is faster than on the 18-105mm that I still have and the motor is quieter. It depends on what you're looking to do. I don't regret buying the 18-270mm as my everyday lens but honestly, the 18-105mm is probably all I really needed as most of my shots fall in that range.

I'm not a pro photographer so that is the extent of what kind of advice I can give. The shots in my BMW Garage are with a D3100 and the Tamron 18-270mm.

I have the Tamron 18-270mm non-Pzd lens and it's sharp. Great general purpose lens. I decided to get that after going on vacation in Utah - having to switch between the 18-55 and 55-300 did it for me.

I also might pick up the Nikon 18-200mm this weekend.

Gary