Best dslr camera for beginners?

6 years 9 months ago #534206 by albinpix
I had the Nikon D5300 for quite a while and I'd say it's one of the best you could get for under $1000. Definitely recommend looking into it if you haven't already - might be a bit advanced for beginners, but if you're looking for a great camera in that price range you can always grow into it.


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6 years 5 days ago - 6 years 3 days ago #578281 by BWalters45
I'm going to be a student at UMass Boston next year and will be studying photojournalism. I'm trying to choose my first camera as a graduation present, but don't have a large budget.

What should be my first camera for under $500? I'm hearing the Nikon D5500 or D3300 are good buys for the price, but maybe I should try to get a used one to learn on that once retailed for higher? If so, where should I look to find these? Craigslist?

This will be my first serious camera and I don't want to look like a fool walking into class with a "bad" camera, but I really don't know what to buy. I'll admit I had no idea how expensive camera gear could get :sick: .

Any guidance would be appreciated :)


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6 years 2 days ago #578774 by garyrhook
First off, hijacking threads is considered poor form. Easy enough to start your own.

That said, find a used Nikon D700 and a 50mm f/1.8 lens. You can't go wrong with a basic setup like that.

A D300 is a 12MP camera, crop-frame, and is quite nice and robust. It still has many fans. The biggest problem with buying used is knowing how many shutter actuations a body has had, and whether it works at all. You can find the shutter count from any image produced by the camera (there are websites for this). Rule of thumb: 150,000 actuation before replacing the shutter mechanism. But that can vary. A new shutter runs about $300.

Yes, cameras are spendy. Your entry point is going to be closer to $600-$700 no matter how you slice it. You can look for a used D5300 to save some money, but that's still $500.

Or look at some of the suggestions made throughout this thread.


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