[skysnap]

I wish to buy the DSLR camera from some of my savings in the December. It's not easy to choose the DSLR camera at the budget price under 500$. I cant afford the camera above 500$ as of now. So I am just going to focus on the budget models. I don't have lens requirement because I am just getting started.

Any suggestion on the DSLR camera?

[IcyFirefly]

I am lack knowledge in this department, even though I love to take pictures, and I have been doing it for the past five years with my point and shoot camera.

Last year my oldest son bought me a Nikon D3200 with a telephoto lens since macro is my favorite mode. Not sure how much it costs, but professional photographer usually go with Nikon and Canon. The best place to get a price range for what you want is on eBay. Good luck with your shopping

[Gina145]

I'm not going to suggest a make because they're all good, but I do want to make a suggestion. If you don't want to carry around a very heavy camera you should do some research on mirrorless cameras too. They're similar to DSLRs in that both use interchangeable lenses, but both the camera and the lenses are a lot smaller and lighter.

[skysnap]

I'm not going to suggest a make because they're all good, but I do want to make a suggestion. If you don't want to carry around a very heavy camera you should do some research on mirrorless cameras too. They're similar to DSLRs in that both use interchangeable lenses, but both the camera and the lenses are a lot smaller and lighter.

Currently my goal is to get the simple DSLR as possible. I don't want to carry around the heavy stuff. So just using the DSLR for the photography projects that I can get. It'd be quite tiring to do the search for the camera and lens for now. so starting with the basic model possible.

[Gina145]

I'm not going to suggest a make because they're all good, but I do want to make a suggestion. If you don't want to carry around a very heavy camera you should do some research on mirrorless cameras too. They're similar to DSLRs in that both use interchangeable lenses, but both the camera and the lenses are a lot smaller and lighter.

Currently my goal is to get the simple DSLR as possible. I don't want to carry around the heavy stuff. So just using the DSLR for the photography projects that I can get. It'd be quite tiring to do the search for the camera and lens for now. so starting with the basic model possible.

The trouble with that is that once you get started you'll probably want better lenses and those can be heavy. If you want to take photos of birds, for instance, you'll need a lens with a good range and those are always big lenses, but with a mirrorless camera they'll be smaller and lighter than they would be for a DSLR. You can get quite basic mirrorless cameras too so I'm not saying you should get something fancy.

It's tiring to do the research needed to find the right equipment but you can do that online. And it's a lot worse to spend money and then decide you bought the wrong thing.

[ceci]

I don't buy DSLR camera myself, but most of my friend are using Nikon DSLR, which costs a bit more than $500 , think it would cost about $600-700 range.

[Gina145]

DSLR cameras come in a wide range of prices. It's definitely possible to find something for $500, and it may be possible to find a bargain if you go for last year's model.

Here's an article about Interchangeable Lens Cameras for around $500: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2016-round-up-interchangeable-lens-cameras-under-500. Some of the cameras listed are DSLRs and some are Mirrorless.

The one camera on that list that I DON'T recommend is the Nikon 1 J5, because it has a much smaller sensor than the others and will give worse image quality.

If you have any questions about the article, please feel free to ask. Some of the more technical information can be quite confusing to first-time buyers.

[AngelicDevilTel]

It really depends on what you want to use the camera for.
Is it just for pictures, or for videos too

You don't necessarily have to go with a DSLR to get a DSLR type experience.
Look into Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens or Micro Four Thirds cameras (pretty much the same thing)
This will give you the feel of a DSLR with a smaller body and for the most part cheaper price.

You have to also take into account the price of the lenses if you plan to switch them out.

You could essentially look into a compact camera, check out the Canon SX series
Compacts have a larger body and larger zoom than point and shoot camera, they don't have interchangeable lenses which cut down on cost, but depending on your specifications this may or may not fit into what you want to do.

For Micro 4/3 camera I would suggest anything from the Panasonic Lumix series, anything from the Nikon J or S series, or anything from the Olympus PL series
For DSLRs I would suggest anything from Nikon or Canon

[skysnap]

DSLR cameras come in a wide range of prices. It's definitely possible to find something for $500, and it may be possible to find a bargain if you go for last year's model.

Here's an article about Interchangeable Lens Cameras for around $500: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2016-round-up-interchangeable-lens-cameras-under-500. Some of the cameras listed are DSLRs and some are Mirrorless.

The one camera on that list that I DON'T recommend is the Nikon 1 J5, because it has a much smaller sensor than the others and will give worse image quality.

If you have any questions about the article, please feel free to ask. Some of the more technical information can be quite confusing to first-time buyers.

Thanks for that review. I found Nikon D3300 a good model for starters. What do you think of this model. Is it any good for the newcomer in photography. Also do you have any similar model in mind that can be on budget price under 600$.

[Gina145]

I found Nikon D3300 a good model for starters. What do you think of this model. Is it any good for the newcomer in photography. Also do you have any similar model in mind that can be on budget price under 600$.

I use Canon myself, so I don't know too much about Nikon cameras, but I've looked at the specifications and they look pretty good - slightly better than the Canon camera on that list. The Canon is slightly newer technology however. The one negative about both of those cameras (for me) is that neither has a touch screen, which is something I find really useful when I want to take a photo in a hurry. However you'll have to pay a bit more if you want that feature in a DSLR.

The mirrorless cameras on the list, aside from the Fuji, all have touchscreens, but none of them has a viewfinder, which isn't good either, so I guess it's a case of deciding which is more important to you. The Canon T6i https://www.dpreview.com/products/canon/slrs/canon_eos750d would give you both options. Unfortunately it's quite a bit more expensive.

One other point of interest is that the Olympus E-PL7 offers one feature none of the others has - a stabilised body. This is quite useful to reduce the chances of your photos coming out blurry because of camera shake.

[skysnap]

I am not much pushy about touch screen. but I would love to use the budget DSLR model for now. Most of my use will be for landscape (as in mountains mostly) and indoor for food. So I am focusing on DSLR instead of mirrorless models. I know both can be good but I want my hands on DSLR as soon as possible so that later I can get comfortable with expensive models.

[Gina145]

I am not much pushy about touch screen. but I would love to use the budget DSLR model for now. Most of my use will be for landscape (as in mountains mostly) and indoor for food. So I am focusing on DSLR instead of mirrorless models. I know both can be good but I want my hands on DSLR as soon as possible so that later I can get comfortable with expensive models.

If that's the case then both the Nikon D3300 and the Canon EOS Rebel T6 sound pretty good.

Even if you plan to buy online, I suggest that you go to a shop and have a good look at both cameras. One may feel more comfortable in your hands than the other and the only way you're going to know that is by holding both of them.

For those purposes you will probably want to tripod too.

Good luck making your choice. Please let me know which one you decide to buy.

[bestwriter]

I wish to buy the DSLR camera from some of my savings in the December. It's not easy to choose the DSLR camera at the budget price under 500$. I cant afford the camera above 500$ as of now. So I am just going to focus on the budget models. I don't have lens requirement because I am just getting started.

Any suggestion on the DSLR camera?

I am getting satisfactory results from my Sony Digital Cyber Shot DSC H50 camera. I bought it a few years ago. I did have to replace my charger and now the memory stick. They no longer have the 1 gb memory stick I have now gone in for the 4gb memory stick which works well but the problem no card reader accepts this memory stick. I had to import the usb cable that is compatible with this camera. I am waiting its arrival.

[skysnap]

If I am not wrong then Sony Digital Cyber Shot DSC is basically a mirror-less camera right? I heard that it had some good performance for those casual reviews. I am preferring the DSLR models because I soon want to get into professional photography so avoiding basic models for now.

[Gina145]

If I am not wrong then Sony Digital Cyber Shot DSC is basically a mirror-less camera right? I heard that it had some good performance for those casual reviews. I am preferring the DSLR models because I soon want to get into professional photography so avoiding basic models for now.

Actually the Sony Digital Cyber Shot DSC H50 which bestwriter referred to predates mirrorless cameras. It is what is referred to as a Super Zoom camera which was launched in February 2008 and is way out of date and definitely not what you're looking for.

More recent models in that range are the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III (https://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/compacts/sony_dscrx10iii) which is way outside your price range and the smaller Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 (https://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/compacts/sony_dschx80).

Having all that zoom range built into your camera is great but the technical quality doesn't come close to what you'll get from a DSLR, so if you're serious about your photography you should stick to the DSLR.

[skysnap]

Yes that is one reason I wish to stick to the DSLR. So that there is no need for me to look at the missing details. And I can focus on the output instead of technical details. I am going through your recommended phones and going to make purchase based on the budget and the available good option at that time.

[Gina145]

Good luck. I'm sure whichever one you choose will be good because Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras.

One piece of advice for the future - the quality of the lens if often more important than having the most expensive DSLR. Not all lenses are equally sharp, so it's wise to buy the best you can afford. Also, second hand lenses retain their value a lot better than cameras do.

[skysnap]

Thanks for the advice. One question on the point of lens. By any chance we get good second hand lenses on ebay? I mean are those lenses good? and apart from ebay any other place to buy them?

[Gina145]

Thanks for the advice. One question on the point of lens. By any chance we get good second hand lenses on ebay? I mean are those lenses good? and apart from ebay any other place to buy them?

I'm in South Africa and our postal service is very unreliable so I don't buy expensive things online. However I'm pretty sure that there are good second hand lenses available on ebay. You just need to do a little research on the lens you're interested in before making a bid.