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New Canon DSLR suggestions please

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  1. #1

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    New Canon DSLR suggestions please

    Hello!

    I am looking to buy a new camera. Quite an ameteur, but with an interest in photography. My usage would mostly be limited to leisure (friends, portraits, travel landscapes, night time) snaps, not professional zooming and wide angle required.

    Budget is flexible, 3500HKD - 6000HKD. I don't wanna end up buying a very high end camera which I don't use to the fullest, but also don't wanna end up with a very basic one.

    I have finally zeroed in upon Canon but confused about the model and lenses!!
    Should I go for a 600D/650D/700D or a 1100D/1200D ? What is the difference between the 2 ranges?
    On the lenses, based on my usage, what should be a good buy? 18-135mm?

    Would truly appreciate any suggestions and opinions


  2. #2

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    If you can stretch it I would go for a 6D. It is full frame so gives you better control over depth of field and has a bright viewfinder. Plus I come from a film background so I prefer my full frame lens to act like their intended function. Let me state my bias is very specific as I consider myself a high end amateur photographer. The Canon crop cameras just feel toylike to me unless you get a 7D (which is a cropped sensor camera). Go handle them yourself to see if you like the feel of the cameras, as that is really important to me. I use heavy lenses (mostly L series) and they balance better with a heavier camera. I shoot with a 5D III, a 5D and 1 series, and have used Canon cameras for over 20 years.


  3. #3

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    I agree with TigerSun. From your requirements it sounds like a modern compact camera can fulfil your needs. I made the mistake of buying a DSLR a few years ago (I was in a similar position to yourself) but I found the size, weight and complexity of it eventually put me off. Yes with some effort you can take great pictures but I feel I would use a more conveniently sized camera more often. Perhaps you could borrow a friend's DSLR for a while (say a week or so) and really get the feel for it.

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  4. #4

    I bought a high end Nikon DSLR camera 4 years ago and hardly use it...too heavy. Here is my next camera! https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/...etcinemacamera

    Sent from my HM 1SW using GeoClicks mobile app


  5. #5

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    If you go the DSLR route, and know that you don't need super low light performance (i.e. not a full frame) then choice of body is down purely to ergronomics. Once you choose your sensor size in the DSLR world, funcionally there is little real difference between bodies and imo it's obsessive camera nerdery to argue otherwise.

    I'm currently running the smallest body that Canon makes (100D) with a fairly wide selection of prime and zoom lenses (including the standard camera buff telephoto and wide angle L zooms). I had considered a 6D for low light performance, but that body was so ridiculously heavy and at four times the price I realised that it would have spent most of its time as an expensive paperweight. I have a kid, and these days instead of toting camera and sports gear around, I now carry around kids gear.

    Overall though, I tend to agree with the others who are questioning your decision to go with a DSLR at all. Only go with a DSLR if you intend to buy and use a selection of very different lenses. Otherwise stick with a point and shoot or mirrorless body.

    A camera will not lead to better photos. Knowing how to use any camera will lead to better photos. Well, I'd draw the line at smartphone cameras, which tend to be a bit sucky most of the time. For example, almost no camera will give you good night time photos handheld (well, maybe a 5MIII with a 1.2 prime, which is many times your budget). But a cheap DSLR with any prime and and a tripod and remote release will give you great results- you just need to know to carry this stuff and how to use it properly.

    Last edited by jgl; 29-07-2014 at 01:24 AM.
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  6. #6

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    I've been using a cropped sensor canon 550D since it came out a few years ago. For the vast majority of the time I've got the 18-200mm 'holiday' lens on it. I have learnt a fair bit about photography in the time I've had it, due to researching a lot on shooting techniques but I have started to itch for something a bit smaller with at least the same functionality. My local colleagues rave about the the Sony A7R and tbh I love the feel of it, but can't justify spending the money to buy another camera and lens to go with it.

    Sent from my GT-N7105 using GeoClicks mobile app

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  7. #7

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    i note that sony a5000 or mid ranger a6000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera have same size sensors as Nikon and canon entry/lower mid range - aps-c, thus, very similar performance, yet size of camera is much much smaller, thus, much more portable

    both mirrorless interchangeable cameras and dslr have differing advantages and disadvantages, depends what suits your need


  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Proplus:
    I've been using a cropped sensor canon 550D since it came out a few years ago. For the vast majority of the time I've got the 18-200mm 'holiday' lens on it. I have learnt a fair bit about photography in the time I've had it, due to researching a lot on shooting techniques but I have started to itch for something a bit smaller with at least the same functionality. My local colleagues rave about the the Sony A7R and tbh I love the feel of it, but can't justify spending the money to buy another camera and lens to go with it.

    Sent from my GT-N7105 using GeoClicks mobile app
    550d is only aps-c dslr, a7r is full frame, like comparing a zonda pangani (a7r) to and bmw m3, different league of performance, yet a7r is much smaller ( it's a full frame mirrorless interchangeable)

    if compared to computing performance, 550d is only a 1st gen i3 with 2gb ram, while the full frame is 4th gen i7 with 8gbs of ram

  9. #9

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    Remember that the OP has a budget of 3.5-6K which presumably includes lenses. All this talk of full frame sensors or 7Ds is a bit redundant.

    If someone is serious about learning photography, pour money into lenses. Bodies change and become obsolete quickly and frankly don't matter for 95% of situations. Good lenses last decades and coupled with even the most basic bodies can give great results.

    OP, if you are *really* interested in photography, get a bunch of secondhand primes and not a zoom. And certainly not something like an 18-200 (low optical quality and encourages beginner photographers to be lazy and not think about composition and perspective). Get a cheap body... if you are convinced you want a Canon, that's probably a 100D or a 450 or whatever the current model number is.

    But really, it sounds like you really want a compact mirrorless system. The vast majority of DSLR users I see in HK should be using compact cameras.
    Last edited by jgl; 29-07-2014 at 01:24 PM.
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  10. #10

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    I noted that no one is recommending Canon or Nikon (half arsed) attempt in mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, are they really that bad? or just uncompetitive compared to the mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras market leaders


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