Best SLR to Buy

Dear All,

I want to buy an SLR but i am an amateur photographer and only shot with Digital Cams so far. I want to start with a semi professional SLR camera and after searching through the net found Cannon Rebel T3i 18 MP has very good reviews. I am still confused though and want your advice. My budget is something around 40-45k max.

let me know if there are any other cameras which i should look in to. I have no preference so far and will decide only after receiving some wise advise from you guys.

Also let me know what lens shall i prefer when i am more in to trekking and landscape photography.

Need your urgent advice.

Thanks
Tarun

Pentax K5 is the best APS-C DSLR you can get at the moment.

Are they available in India? And BTW, K5 is way above their budget.

Hi Tarun,
There is no SLR which can be called the Best DSLR. You have to select one which suits your need. You have decided on your budget and now decide on the usage type. With a DSLR, camera lenses are much more important than the camera body and to begin with you can select a less costly body. I own a Canon550D (T2i) with a kit lens and now I feel that I need to spend nearly the same amount as the camera kit to expand my lens kitty with some good lenses to capture in all situations.
Canon and Nikon are equally good brands in DSLR space and as per your budget, u can pick up a Nikon D3100/D5100 with 18-105 kit lens or a Canon 550D with 18-135 kit lens also. However, I would suggest that you get a lower priced kit like Nikon D3100 with 18-55 lens or Canon 500D/550D with 11-55 lens and get a couple of more lenses in the same budget. Like a decent telephoto-zoom and a fast prime lens will enhance your chance to take better photos.

... by what measure?

http://www.naaptol.com/price/862706-Pentax-K-5.html

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cam...Sensor-Ratings

Filter by Format APS-C

Here - let me throw a website that compares stuff just to pep things up ...

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D7000-vs-Pentax_K-5

doesn't get you anywhere does it?

Tarun - read Ananya's statements ... they're your best guide (and oft quoted by many experts too). There's NO best camera ... just one that suits your needs.

Thank you for the link, selar.

But according to the webpage 'Price Range: Rs. 68084* (*approx. price)' and you can now only add to wish list, not buy. I am afraid while buying you have to shell out the customs fee in addition to the price shown there.

And 68K is still almost 20-25K over the budget OP has.

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Pub...-the-Pentax-K5

Begin Quote-----

The best APS-C in all tested fields

No need for suspense: this new 16.3 MP sensor is simply the best APS-C we have tested so far, sometimes able to compete even with very high-end full-frame cameras.

The overall score of the K5 puts it in the lead with 82 points — more than 9 points better than the D90 or the Alpha 55, and 16 points ahead of the Canon 7D or 60D. The K5 is literally the best APS-C performer for each segment, even in low ISO.
--End Quote

selar, there is no end to this k5 vs d7000 debate. both of them are really good cameras with their own advantages and shortcomings. But in India I would never suggest someone to go for pentax dslrs (unless they start selling it here and build up a convenient service centre network) even if they are better than canon and nikon.

And in a thread where the OP is looking for suggestion of a camera within 40-45K rupees, do we really need to discuss about K5 or D7000? If yes, then my suggestion is canon 1D mark-IV or Nikon D4. Sorry, can't suggest any full frame dslr from pentax.

Biman - I was the one who brought up D7000 - also I didnt recommend it. I am supporting Ananya's original post (since I was too lazy to write something like this myself), that there's no best camera (even within a price range).... though there are some seriously bad ones!

Does Nikon D7000 offer shake reduction with any lens mounted on it?

Or the capability to mount lenses that were built before you were even born? I currently use a lens on my K5 that was built in 1965 and the best part is that it is stabilized.

That very comparison you quoted shows the K5 as having higher Dynamic range, greater Image Quality, and higher colour depth, yet awards the Nikon, go figure! BTW, this is the first time I've heard of Snapsort. DXOMark on the other hand is a well known yardstick in the photographic community.

The post by ananya was sufficient for the moment. So I, too decided to remain silent and not to add any confusion.

Even if I accept all your arguments, what purpose does it serve for the OP.

If I need to go Delhi from Kolkata and have only 500 rupees in my pocket, what is the use of searching for flights, although I know that is the most convenient way to travel.

Check kenrockwell.com or bythom.com for lens compatibility. All nikon F mounts should mount ... though not autofocus.

Anyways, the point remains that it's not available in India other than as an import and is a risky bet. he OP has a budget and is based in the same city as I am - post sales support (as biman has written above) is a huge factor for us. The pentax lure has been debated many a times on IM ... I think it was back in 2009 or so.

I know about DxoMark and they're indeed respected BUT only for sensor ratings. I dug out snapsort just to add fuel (please read my post above).

I do not use the d7000 personally nor do i care much about the newest advancement in digital technology. APS-C prices will keep falling over a period of time and individual features will continue to be enhanced.

I've written my point of view above and I'm prepared to stand by it. There's NO absolute in photography......

btw, congratulations on your new toy. Keep playing!!