My first digital camera Sony T5. I have been using this point and shoot camera since 2006 and i don't repent for doing so, it gave me atmost comfort while taking pictures.
It dint make a big difference as i have never been very serious about photography until now.
We thought about upgrading our digital camera to a good one as Sony T5 has gotten really old.
The tough part begins from the moment you think of buying a new camera as there are loads of options out in the market and you invariably end up reading reviews and talking to friends seeking their advices.
I did the same, asked for suggestions and advices from friends and colleagues. My lovely friends and colleagues gave me loads of very very useful suggestions and lot of information on what i needed to know before i decide on the brand and DSLR camera model.
I have tried to capture most of the advices here:
This suggestion/information was from my colleague Praveen, who is quite keen on photography:
The SLR generally takes pictures that are less awesome than a point and shoot. The purpose of an SLR is to have the privilege of better techniques. What I mean by that is...
Aperture adjustment
Exposure control
Time variation... and so on.
All this means that you have to plan your shot and invest that time before shooting. In most photo shoots, there is quite a lot of time spent on setting up a photo shoot and post processing which brings the awesomeness to the pictures. If its all about taking out the camera and just shooting, the point and shoot will win hands down. This is also because they have a default optimization algorithm built in which 'tries' to bring the awesomeness to the picture.
So... If you're buying an SLR, be prepared to give it that time, before and after taking your pictures.
To understand an SLR, think about a computer. The SLR body is like the RAM. The lens is like the processor. The memory card is like the hard drive. The prices can also be pretty much equated the same way. Spend more on lenses than the body. Go for the 550D if you have the budget, or the 500D is more than enough to begin with.
Coming to the lenses…
You WILL need 18-55mm, which is the range for normal indoor kind of pictures, where the subject is pretty close to you. When you get outdoors, you will need up to 200mm. This is about a range where you can frame someone's face from across a narrow road. Therefore you will need a range from 18mm to 200mm. Lens are available in plenty. You can get an 18-55mm lens and another 55-200mm lens. Or… you could get one 18-200mm, instead of the other two.
At this point, think that all the three lenses will perform the same way. The only difference here is that the 18-55mm is smaller in size and lighter in weight when compared to the other two. Therefore you can save yourself from carrying the zoom all the time.
On the other hand, if you buy the 18-200mm, you may NEVER have to switch lenses but will have to bear the weight all the time.
All you have to think about is, whether you want portability or power.
If you are looking for the power of an SLR, yet want it to be very handy. Sony has launched its latest series called NEX. These are SLR cameras that are manufactured like a point and shoot. They come with interchangeable lenses too, so that you can go on experimenting with it. The quality of images are much better than your normal point and shoot and also give you the privileges of SLRs. Prices depend on your lens and the body you choose.
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A colleague of mine Rixt Wiersma : canon G12 - if you don't want to spend your money on an expensive SLR, this is your best option!http://www.dpreview.com/ne
Another collegue of mine Anand Vishwanath:
If u r gonna take snaps of food on the plate and glasses of wine any point n shoot is enuff. I think Canon G12 is the way to go. Agree with Rixt.. no point spending so much on an SLR if you are not planning to go Professional !
A good friend of mine Pradeep Kuppala:
The BEST Rated SLR is D7000. Take a Look. Once for life time, but like some said..if you want to shoot your wine n food..Any Point n shoot wil do ..LOL!!
A good friend of mine Mahesh Marineni :
It dint make a big difference as i have never been very serious about photography until now.
We thought about upgrading our digital camera to a good one as Sony T5 has gotten really old.
The tough part begins from the moment you think of buying a new camera as there are loads of options out in the market and you invariably end up reading reviews and talking to friends seeking their advices.
I did the same, asked for suggestions and advices from friends and colleagues. My lovely friends and colleagues gave me loads of very very useful suggestions and lot of information on what i needed to know before i decide on the brand and DSLR camera model.
I have tried to capture most of the advices here:
This suggestion/information was from my colleague Praveen, who is quite keen on photography:
The SLR generally takes pictures that are less awesome than a point and shoot. The purpose of an SLR is to have the privilege of better techniques. What I mean by that is...
Aperture adjustment
Exposure control
Time variation... and so on.
All this means that you have to plan your shot and invest that time before shooting. In most photo shoots, there is quite a lot of time spent on setting up a photo shoot and post processing which brings the awesomeness to the pictures. If its all about taking out the camera and just shooting, the point and shoot will win hands down. This is also because they have a default optimization algorithm built in which 'tries' to bring the awesomeness to the picture.
So... If you're buying an SLR, be prepared to give it that time, before and after taking your pictures.
To understand an SLR, think about a computer. The SLR body is like the RAM. The lens is like the processor. The memory card is like the hard drive. The prices can also be pretty much equated the same way. Spend more on lenses than the body. Go for the 550D if you have the budget, or the 500D is more than enough to begin with.
Coming to the lenses…
You WILL need 18-55mm, which is the range for normal indoor kind of pictures, where the subject is pretty close to you. When you get outdoors, you will need up to 200mm. This is about a range where you can frame someone's face from across a narrow road. Therefore you will need a range from 18mm to 200mm. Lens are available in plenty. You can get an 18-55mm lens and another 55-200mm lens. Or… you could get one 18-200mm, instead of the other two.
At this point, think that all the three lenses will perform the same way. The only difference here is that the 18-55mm is smaller in size and lighter in weight when compared to the other two. Therefore you can save yourself from carrying the zoom all the time.
On the other hand, if you buy the 18-200mm, you may NEVER have to switch lenses but will have to bear the weight all the time.
All you have to think about is, whether you want portability or power.
If you are looking for the power of an SLR, yet want it to be very handy. Sony has launched its latest series called NEX. These are SLR cameras that are manufactured like a point and shoot. They come with interchangeable lenses too, so that you can go on experimenting with it. The quality of images are much better than your normal point and shoot and also give you the privileges of SLRs. Prices depend on your lens and the body you choose.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A colleague of mine Rixt Wiersma : canon G12 - if you don't want to spend your money on an expensive SLR, this is your best option!http://www.dpreview.com/ne
Another collegue of mine Anand Vishwanath:
If u r gonna take snaps of food on the plate and glasses of wine any point n shoot is enuff. I think Canon G12 is the way to go. Agree with Rixt.. no point spending so much on an SLR if you are not planning to go Professional !
A good friend of mine Pradeep Kuppala:
The BEST Rated SLR is D7000. Take a Look. Once for life time, but like some said..if you want to shoot your wine n food..Any Point n shoot wil do ..LOL!!
A good friend of mine Mahesh Marineni :
This purely depends upon your skills & Interest, I believe D7000 is more expensive and its for highly professionals. If you are an entry level to SLR, then opt for mid range SLR's like D3100/D5000(this would be out of market now), D90 falls just above mid range SLR's which is professional... Hope this helps... But one suggestion from my learning experience, Don't get the default Lenses as part of Body.. Go for a good lens....
