Choosing the DSLR to Buy

If you’re in the market for a DSLR this holiday season, there are great deals to be had from sources ranging from local stores to online vendors.

 There are many DSLR manufacturers to choose from, and this is often the first challenge to choosing a new camera. Have you owned a SLR or DSLR in the past? If so, lenses and other peripherals that you already own may be compatible with a new DSLR body, and that can save a tremendous amount of money. Keep in mind that the true investment in photography is not the camera body- it’s the lens collection. Camera bodies have a limited lifespan and are updated annually to add new features. Lenses are very stable- and they often have a lot more to do with the quality of images that you generate than the camera body does. So if you have compatible lenses, stick with the company whose lenses you own and buy a camera body only. 

 If existing lenses are a non-issue, you are free to choose any camera company. Consider one major question: How deeply into the camera “system” are you likely to delve? Manufacturers create peripherals for their bodies that include a wide price/quality range of lenses, flash units, underwater housings, close-up optics, triggers, etc. The more gear that you are likely to need with an expanding photography hobby, the more important it is to stay with the largest manufacturers. Nikon and Canon sell cameras ranging from beginner DSLRs to the setups used by professionals and make virtually any piece of hardware that you will need in the future. If your purchase is likely to be limited to a single body and perhaps a few lenses, companies including Olympus, Sony and others offer outstanding cameras. Consider whether you want your DSLR to shoot video as well as stills- most cameras today do both quite well. This may eliminate the need for a camcorder.

 Cameras and lenses can be purchased separately from one another or in “kits” that can save money. It’s important to remember that “kit lenses” are the lowest quality lenses that a company makes, but for most shooters they are more than proficient. If you need a high quality lens, buy separately. Kits tend to package one or two zoom lenses that allow images to be captured from a wide-angle perspective to a close telephoto. Most all come with a rechargeable battery (you should pick up and extra) and a “card” for storing your captured images (kit cards are usually around 4 Gb- somewhat small by today’s standards- especially for video- so purchase a larger one). 

 Consumer Reports’ Dec 2011 issue rated the Canon 60D and Nikon D7000 as the highest scorers, but both are priced over $1000. Keeping under the $1000 mark, CR rated the Canon Rebel T2i and 3Ti and the Nikon D3100 highly as well. The Sony DSLRA-A580L was rated well as was the Pentax K-r (though Pentax is being bought out by Ricoh, so future offerings and support may be questionable). 

 To compare cameras by feature and to view professional reviews, go to www.dpreview.com You can compare cameras side-by-side on the site as well as view sample images that have been analyzed for sharpness, color accuracy and more. Amazon.com is a great source of consumer reviews- candid and non-biased, Amazon’s customers describe real-world experiences with their purchases.

Comparison shopping is worth the effort. Here are a few examples of prices that I have seen in the past week (prices may reflect sales and no longer be valid):

Costco 

• Nikon D5100 w/18-55mm and 55-300mm lens, camera bag, 4Gb card- $1050
• Canon T2i w/18-55mm and 55-250mm lens, camera bag, 4Gb card- $800
• Canon 60D w/ 18-200mm lens, camera bag, 4Gb card- $1250

Best Buy

• Nikon D3100 w/ 18-55mm lens- $600
• Canon T3i w/18-55 mm lens- $800
• Canon 60D w/ 18-135mm lens,- $1300

Hunt’s Photo (3 Day Sale, through 12/9)

• Canon T2i w/18-55mm lens- $630 
• Canon T3i w/18-55 mml lens- $720
• Canon 60D w/ 18-135mm lens- $1080

B&H (www.bhphoto.com)

• Nikon D5100 w/18-55mm lens- $797 (includes $50 rebate, ends 12/11)
• Nikon D3100 w/ 18-55mm lens- $597 (includes $50 rebate, ends 12/11)
• Canon T2i w/18-55mm- $600 (includes $100 rebate, ends 1/7/12)
• Canon 60D w/ 18-135mm lens- $1079 (includes $100 rebate, ends 1/7/12)