Beginner photographer which dslr ? Looking at the t5i

[Nickbruh510]

I am looking to get into photography and short films. I have my eyes on a canon t5i with 18-55mm stm lens and the 75-300 stm lens. Anyone want to shine some light on this if anyone has one? Or if I should be looking into the nikon line-up? Btw I have a 2014 MacBook pro w/ 16 gb fam and 512 mv flash memory so I know video editing/ rendering will be fine ! Please help me choose

[cromag27]

Nikon vs Canon is like Chevy vs Ford. I shoot all Nikon but you can shoot Canon and get the same results. I would stay away from kit lenses. if you want close up photos of coral look into a macro lens. prime lenses (28mm, 35mm, 90mm, etc) tend to be higher quality than zoom lenses. fast lenses (1.8, 2.8, etc) are also higher quality than kit lenses and they will work better in low light situations.

[seabass]

If you're looking at the T5i, check to see if the SL1 would work for you (slightly different features but essentially the same picture quality for less). Prime lenses will give you better quality. For a macro lens, you might choose the Tokina 100mm macro; and for a walking around lens, you might pick the 40mm pancake.

 

If you are looking at Nikon, I'd probably start with at least the D3200. You could still get the Tokina with a Nikon mount, and I'd probably get the 35mm for a walking around lens.

[shawnd08]

If looking at Nikon I have had a good experience with the d3300 so far. I just recently picked on up from Best Buy for $499. I've had it for around a month now and it seems like there is alot of potential and plenty to keep me busy just learning the settings. I have no prior experience with dslrs and this is my first so I can not give you an experienced opinion. It does seem user friendly and gets you into the hobby for a fairly low price.

[RJWalters]

Damn how do you guys afford the reef hobby and the photography? that Tokina lens cost as much as the damn camera.

[cromag27]

And that's considered a cheap lens!

[ajmckay]

I ended getting an old used nikon, however, I was very close to purchasing the SL1. My favorite feature was the quiet lens. It auto focuses in video mode without transferring noise and vibration to the microphone or video footage.

 

Also it's really small so you can easily take it with you

[seabass]

Damn how do you guys afford the reef hobby and the photography? that Tokina lens cost as much as the damn camera.

People always say invest in glass, camera bodies are upgraded much more frequently (that's also why I said to look at the SL1 versus the T5i). Often people start with the kit lens. It's pretty versitile and does an alright job. Then they get a cheap 50mm prime lens and see the difference a faster prime lens makes, and buy more prime lenses. Then they wonder how people are getting those nice close ups of coral and get a macro lens. It can be cheaper if you have a plan.

 

Another way to go is get an extention tube for macro photography (to use with the 40mm pancake). You could get a Canon tube, and there are even cheaper ones available. There's a good chance that one of these tubes would work for your needs (or at least give you something to play with until you buy a true macro lens).