Camera Labs

Hi Everyone,


I am planning on buying a camera but with all the diiferent models out there it gets kind of crazy . I have been doing some research and Camerlabs has been a very useful site and I was really impressed to see that amount of guidance members provide to each other. Kudos!!!

Till a few weeks ago I was not a photography enthusiast and was very lazy even carry my P&S. That all changed when I spent a couple of weeks with my friends Canon 500d while vacationing together. and now that my birthday is round the corner, i thought i could gift myself a nice camera and start my photography learning curve.

After some research, i narrowed it down to Nex 5,A55,500d and 550d ;and my budget increased from $400 to $700. I know the difference in specifications by heart but as i am a complete novice, when it comes to photography, i havent been able weigh the diiferences or decide which features are better for me

My Goal is to Enjoy, LEARN and get BETTER at photography but have a few concerns
1. I fear that a bulky baggage (camera+ bag +lenses) will not be feasible to carry everywhere and slowly my excitement for the camera will die and it will be on my shelf ….. hence I like the NEX5 size and great build quality
2. Looking in the future I should have a scope to expand/upgrade. Canon is more established and has standard lenses, so I ll just have to change the body unlike the NEX 5; given present conditions
3. A33 offers autofocus in video mode( Video capabilities are important as I don’t want to lug around a camcorder) and would have almost been perfect but has heating issues and I live in a tropical environment.

What would the members recommend for a person who wants to Enjoy and Learn considering the points stated.

1. The sleekness of NEX 5 really attracts me, but for IQ and control features is it as good as the DSLRs I am putting it against? Is it possible/wise to have a long term perspective with NEX 5 i.e. Expanding lenses in the future or can it be only be a short term arrangement?
2. Should I invest less (500d plus one or two lenses/ Nex 5 plus one or two lenses) and change may be change my camera after 2-3 years or go for a richer feature set (550d/A33 with lenses)?

Your suggestions are highly valued and do let me know if there is any other camera i should look at.

Cheers

Karan

Hi Karan,

May I wish you a warm welcome to the CameraLabs community.

I know from his review that Gordon was quite impressed by the NEX-5 and it would certainly make my shortlist as well. Have you had the opportunity to get down to a store and fondle the goods yet (ignoring the sales patter, of course). That might be a particularly valuable exercise by allowing you to compare the size of the NEX with the 500D with which you are already familiar.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Hi karan,

first of all: welcome to the forum

This choice is all about what your priorities are - and only you really know that. I strongly recommend you to try and handle the cameras first - it's quite amazing what you can learn from that.

If your absolute preference is to minimize size and weight, without sacrificing quality, the NEX5 is the smallest camera system with interchangeable lenses available today.

Looking at this video - with stills thrown in - I don't detect any issues with the quality. (remember to ramp up the quality to max and watch it full-screen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSjdobj ... re=related

Good luck with your choice!

Cheers

_________________
Nikon stuff and other stuff, but not nearly as much stuff as I really want!

Which country do you live in? Not sure how you would get the 550d for $700. In England it's £700.

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Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin

Hi James,

I'm sure Karan will answer for herself but the clue is in the name: T2i. Check out our sister site's PriceGrabber page for the T2i.

@LahLahSr - nice link.

Bob.

_________________
OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Ahh yes thanks bob that slipped my mind as I am so used to seeing 550d and t2i in the same forum.

_________________
Camera: Canon 550D with battery grip
Lenses: Canon 24-105mm f/4L, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 18-55mm, Tamron 70-300mm,
Accessories: Manfrotto 055XPROB with 808RC4 head, Canon 430ex II speedlite, Lowepro Nova 180AW and Lowepro Pro Runner 450AW

Oh that is so lame, every hot girl who can aim a camera thinks she’s a photographer -Stewie Griffin