Camera Labs

Hello,
About 3-4 years ago I bought an Olympus E-410, but I find the camera really boring, despite trying to develop my skills in photography I just felt like I was jumping in too quick.
Now I want to replace it, and I'm looking at the following:

Nikon D3100
Olympus E-P3
Sony NEX5

The reason I want the Nikon because I want to rekindle my interest in photography, whilst not getting completely lost (e.g. the guide mode) but I also was looking at the ILC because the E-P3 looks like it's much easier to use and offers interesting photo filters etc.
The NEX5 is also another consideration, but purely an aesthetic one because I think it looks nice.. haha

Any suggestions?

I think you're comparing rather different cameras, especially the D3100 from the E-P3 and the NEX5.

With that said, have you actually handled any of them? What sort of photography are you looking at doing?

_________________
Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

That's the thing, I'm just a beginner photographer so I don't really specialise in any specifics. I have also been looking at the Pentax K-r, and it does appeal to me more due to the built in stabalisation (not to mention a slightly cheaper price tag). However the only drawback is that it only records 720p- can someone enlighten me if its that big a difference?

In terms of handling the cameras, I managed to play with the NEX5 and P3, and they were ok, although slightly slip and slidey out of my hands. I haven't handled the Nikon, but SLR's seem to be pretty much fine for me because I have big hands so I can handle them with reasonable dexterity.

The 720p VS 1080p debate isn't black and white as resolution isn't an necessarily indication of video quality i.e. 720p video recorded on a DSLR will probably be better quality than 1080p video recorded on a camera phone. However, with like for like video and audio bitrates and frame, 1080p is "better" though almost certainly at the cost of a much larger file size.

_________________
Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

Well,have you considered tha Canon 550D? In terms of features,it's the best for the money,has great movie mode too,if you'll ever need it.

_________________
Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
Visit my work here

Actually, in the UK the Nikon D3100 is much cheaper than a 550D.
Another thing is that I get quite caught up with product design. I like the E-P3/P2 and NEX5 because it looks good haha

The mirrorless bodies may look better aesthetically, but have you ever held them or used them in your own hands? Their grips just aren't as pronounced as those of DSLRs, and I find them very difficult to hold. That's a personal thing though, you'll need to hold each camera out in your hands to determine which one has the better ergonomics in your opinion.

If you want a small body and a small lens combo that will give you great image quality, the E-P3 would probably be the best option. You will have to sacrifice a bit of sensor size to keep the camera and lens' size down, though.

For a small body with a larger APS-C sized sensor in it, the NEX-5 is a better option. Its sensor is probably the best out of the three, however because of its large sensor it has very large lenses in relation to the body, and I find it to be very front heavy. That is of course, once again, a personal thing and you'll need to try the camera out to see if this bothers you.

The D3100 also offers an APS-C sized sensor like the NEX-5, but it's a considerably larger camera. It will feel stabler in your hands, but of course, it's much less compact. However, one major advantage that it offers is a MUCH wider lens selection, plus some 3rd party options to add to your collection.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

I want to throw in the Olympus DSLRs. Maybe you can find a used one, but, for instance, the E-420 is great and really small. Put a small zoom or pancake lens on it and youve got a really smart combo.

EDIT
I see you have already the E-410. What do you miss on it actually? It's a great DSLR...

_________________
Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

I wanted video capture, also I'm feeling increasingly disgruntled with the low-light performance of the E-410 so I feel like a change

If you want video capture, you may want to consider going Canon. 600D is an excellent camera if you want video capture, and it will have great low light performance.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Yeap,in my country as well. About 30% less of the 550D's price

_________________
Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
Visit my work here