What make of dslr to "invest" in?

Hi everyone, I am looking at buying my first dslr in the near future and am stuck in deciding which brand to "invest" in as I realise this is an important choice. I was never one for photography until I purchased a Sony rx100 about a year ago. I have been really impressed by the rx100 and love it, but my wife has now taken an interest in photography also. Hence the reason for planing on getting a dslr and having the rx100 as a back up and so we both have a camera when out. The other reason is to have a bit more freedom to have changeable lenses for macro and sports etc etc...
I have narrowed it down to either the canon 70d, Nikon 7100 or the Pentax k3. I realise these cameras r very similar in a sense but my question is which brand is better start with. Any other brands or models suggestions in the mid range are also welcome
Also we really like shooting all kinds of things so a good IQ camera with good technology is what we are after.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions we have done a lot of reading and research but it is all very confusing and seems like a big decision to get started

Newby008 said:

I realise these cameras r very similar in a sense but my question is which brand is better start with.

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The Canon shooter will say Canon, the Nikon shooter will say Nikon, and the Pentax shooter will say Pentax...otherwise, why would they have chosen that brand?

To start with, it doesn't matter. But in the future, it might. It will depend on your "needs." For 90% of shooters though, all the brands will suffice.

Sony makes cameras too. Not DSLR's, but equivalent. The difference is they use electronic viewfinders, which you may or may not like.

The 3 cameras you mentioned are all excellent and will have the same features for the most part. The OEM lenses for them will be good to great depending upon the particular lens. There will be more aftermarket lenses for the Canon and Nikon because they have many millions more cameras in use than Pentax so they have more sales potential with C & N. Pentax makes good cameras and optics and, if you are not going to be looking for a less expensive while more expansive lens selection, it should be a contender.

Each of those cameras has an ergonomic design. You might like the feel when handling of one better than the others. You should take that into consideration. The feel in your hand should be comfortable when operating the controls and shooting.

Finally, the "invest" is misplaced. An investment has the potential to grow in cash value. That will not happen with the cameras. If you buy a new one, it will lose from 10 to 30 percent of its value once it is used. For that reason, I suggest you consider a good used model or an earlier model like a D7000 Nikon for which the price dropped when the D7100 became available. Buying used has some risks, but when bought from a reputable dealer with a return privilege you have time to test the camera for proper function before keeping it. Warranties can also be purchased for use cameras and they plus the cosy of a used camera might provide a meaningful saving. Just a thought thought.

Good luck choosing.

Richard Weisgrau said:

Finally, the "invest" is misplaced. An investment has the potential to grow in cash value. That will not happen with the cameras. If you buy a new one, it will lose from 10 to 30 percent of its value once it is used. For that reason, I suggest you consider a good used model or an earlier model like a D7000 Nikon for which the price dropped when the D7100 became available. Buying used has some risks, but when bought from a reputable dealer with a return privilege you have time to test the camera for proper function before keeping it. Warranties can also be purchased for use cameras and they plus the cosy of a used camera might provide a meaningful saving. Just a thought thought.

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You can also consider manufacture refurbished cameras. Often, such cameras were never broken to begin with. They get used and returned for whatever reason, and they can no longer be sold as new cameras. No guarantee you would get one of those, but my experience with buying refurbs is that they look new, or close to it.

There is nothing that cannot be done with either Nikon or Canon, and done very well. For a select few specialized professional photographers, Pentax may present some weakness, but only in special applications. For the average photography enthusiast, any of those brands will do everything needed, and so will Sony.

Pick the one you "feel" best about, and start your photographic journey.

SLR is a technology; a rather outdated one, actually, that isn't paramount for digital photography. That format has stayed, largely because people have already spent big cash on SLR equipment in the old days of film, so a DSLR makes the transition easier. But the new mirrorless cameras should not be overlooked.

Three cameras you should take a look at are the Olympus OM-D E-M1, Fujifilm X-T1 and the Sony Alpha 7. I understand that the latter may be out of your budget, but still, at $2,000 MSRP for the kit (the kit lens is actually good), it's a bargain. And you're probably already used to the Sony menu structure, if the Alpha 7 and RX100 share that.

There are countless comparative reviews of these cameras, so I won't go deeply here into the differences between them. Just know that the OM-D E-M1 is fast, the Alpha 7 is superb in low light (sporting a great full frame sensor), and the X-T1 is kind of a wash between them. The Sony FE system of lenses is the newest, followed by the Fujifilm X system, and then the Micro Four Thirds system, the most "mature" of the three - though I feel Fujifilm has caught up, or at least will fully catch up when the three promised weather sealed lenses (16-55mm f/2.8, 50-140mm f/2.8 and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6) are finally released. The Sony FE system feels like a premium one, as all lenses (other than the kit lens) are quite expensive.

If you still prefer a DSLR, I'd recommend the Nikon D7100 of the three 7 times out of 10 - the Canon EOS 70D twice, mainly for amateur video shooters, and the Pentax K3 for the underdog lover who values features vs. price above all else. Though I'd generally suggest stepping down to a D7000 and spending more on lenses or education, but it seems to me like you're planning this forward, so getting the camera out of the way can be a good idea. If a DSLR is what you desire, get the D7100.

However, you should also take a deep look at the brand new Sony Alpha SLT-77 II, which comes in at $1,800 with an excellent Sony 16-50mm f/2.8. Its autofocus capabilities are supposedly top-notch, and image quality from the sensor is par for the course from Sony. Lens selection is very good indeed, with practically every front covered.

trekkeruss said:

Richard Weisgrau said:

Finally, the "invest" is misplaced. An investment has the potential to grow in cash value. That will not happen with the cameras. If you buy a new one, it will lose from 10 to 30 percent of its value once it is used. For that reason, I suggest you consider a good used model or an earlier model like a D7000 Nikon for which the price dropped when the D7100 became available. Buying used has some risks, but when bought from a reputable dealer with a return privilege you have time to test the camera for proper function before keeping it. Warranties can also be purchased for use cameras and they plus the cosy of a used camera might provide a meaningful saving. Just a thought thought.

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You can also consider manufacture refurbished cameras. Often, such cameras were never broken to begin with. They get used and returned for whatever reason, and they can no longer be sold as new cameras. No guarantee you would get one of those, but my experience with buying refurbs is that they look new, or close to it.

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I think you have to distinguish between open box and refurbished. Open box refers to returned items, demo units, and other situations where the camera functions like new. Refurbished means that the camera was returned or identified as malfunctioning for some minor or major reason. Refurbished cameras have been repaired and usually have only 90 day warranties. I have bought several refurbished Nikon Dslrs and lenses over the years and experienced no problems with them. They do save the buyer money for minimal to no risk.

You should choose the subjects which interest you more, the lenses which cover them best now and in the future at your budget, and finally the camera.

photosen said:

You should choose the subjects which interest you more, the lenses which cover them best now and in the future at your budget, and finally the camera.

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This is what you will be "investing" in… the lenses. With digital cameras, we tend to change the bodies a lot more frequently than we did with film. But with either technology, the lens is something that you carry over again and again.

Decide on what lenses you want and see who has what you desire at a price you're willing to pay. Once that decision is made, you'll know which system you will be committing yourself too.

I have a Nikon D7100 and a Pentax K3. Between those two I prefer the K3 for most things (general vacation and family photos.) But the D7100 is better for action pictures of my dogs running due to advanced AF system (D7000 does not have).

Canon 70D is very intriguing. But shutter/mirror noise is distracting for some situations I shoot in. (D7100 is a bit noisy too) K3 is quiet.

The one place I would look really hard at in choosing a camera is the "cons" section in the conclusions section of dpreview reviews. All the cameras are very good overall. But you have to watch out for some little thing that most people are okay with and can overlook, but may really annoy you (slow AF in LiveView for D7100 being an example) Lack of articulated display being another typical one.

Thanks so much to all of you for your amazing feed back. I never really considered mirrorless cameras for some reason but it could be a good option. I understand that there won't be the same range of second hand lenses withe the mirrorless but im sure there will be in time, I wonder if buying into this type of system is better for the future? I will try to get into a store this week and try some different models out for the feel as many of you have suggested. I really would like to stay with the Sony brand as i really have enjoyed the rx100 but wonder if its safer to move to a canon or nikon who are so proven? Anyway it's good fun trying them all out in the meantime, just hard to make the final decision

Richard Weisgrau said:

trekkeruss said:

Richard Weisgrau said:

Finally, the "invest" is misplaced. An investment has the potential to grow in cash value. That will not happen with the cameras. If you buy a new one, it will lose from 10 to 30 percent of its value once it is used. For that reason, I suggest you consider a good used model or an earlier model like a D7000 Nikon for which the price dropped when the D7100 became available. Buying used has some risks, but when bought from a reputable dealer with a return privilege you have time to test the camera for proper function before keeping it. Warranties can also be purchased for use cameras and they plus the cosy of a used camera might provide a meaningful saving. Just a thought thought.

Click to expand...

You can also consider manufacture refurbished cameras. Often, such cameras were never broken to begin with. They get used and returned for whatever reason, and they can no longer be sold as new cameras. No guarantee you would get one of those, but my experience with buying refurbs is that they look new, or close to it.

Click to expand...

I think you have to distinguish between open box and refurbished. Open box refers to returned items, demo units, and other situations where the camera functions like new. Refurbished means that the camera was returned or identified as malfunctioning for some minor or major reason. Refurbished cameras have been repaired and usually have only 90 day warranties. I have bought several refurbished Nikon Dslrs and lenses over the years and experienced no problems with them. They do save the buyer money for minimal to no risk.

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Just to note. Canon USA now offers a one year warranty on refurbished cameras purchased through Canon Direct.

Newby008 said:

Hi everyone, I am looking at buying my first dslr in the near future and am stuck in deciding which brand to "invest" in as I realise this is an important choice. I was never one for photography until I purchased a Sony rx100 about a year ago. I have been really impressed by the rx100 and love it, but my wife has now taken an interest in photography also. Hence the reason for planing on getting a dslr and having the rx100 as a back up and so we both have a camera when out. The other reason is to have a bit more freedom to have changeable lenses for macro and sports etc etc...
I have narrowed it down to either the canon 70d, Nikon 7100 or the Pentax k3. I realise these cameras r very similar in a sense but my question is which brand is better start with. Any other brands or models suggestions in the mid range are also welcome

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Since you mention sports photography, you might want to watch this.

Canon 70D vs Nikon D7100 Epic Shootout Comparison | Which camera to buy?

Newby008 said:

Also we really like shooting all kinds of things so a good IQ camera with good technology is what we are after.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions we have done a lot of reading and research but it is all very confusing and seems like a big decision to get started

Click to expand...

Newby008 said:

Thanks so much to all of you for your amazing feed back. I never really considered mirrorless cameras for some reason but it could be a good option. I understand that there won't be the same range of second hand lenses withe the mirrorless but im sure there will be in time, I wonder if buying into this type of system is better for the future? I will try to get into a store this week and try some different models out for the feel as many of you have suggested. I really would like to stay with the Sony brand as i really have enjoyed the rx100 but wonder if its safer to move to a canon or nikon who are so proven? Anyway it's good fun trying them all out in the meantime, just hard to make the final decision

Click to expand...

Because you want to shoot sports I would advise against a mirrorless camera. Even the fastest focusing mirrorless camera the Sony alpha 6000 still requires a substantial depth of field to photograph a moving subject.

The difference is mirrorless cameras don't track the way a dSLR does. dSLR tracking actually anticipates where a fast moving subject will be and focuses there, where the mirrorless cameras still just focus very quickly where the subject is or was in the case of a fast moving subject.

That really is an interesting video thanks for that. Even though sports won't take up a whole lot of my shooting time I still want that option and fast, accurate focusing is very important especially in low light

I am not sure what to make of your term "invest", even though you do have it in quotes. A camera is a tool in the same way as a hammer is a tool. A bit (OK - a lot) more expensive but still just a tool. One would not ask what hammer to invest in so why should one use the term with regard to a camera/

It sounds as if you are assuming that your investment in the camera will go up in value. It will not. At some point in the future you will just end up selling it at a loss or giving it to a kid (which is sort of an investment) which is what I do with my older cameras.

Ido S said:

SLR is a technology; a rather outdated one, actually, that isn't paramount for digital photography. That format has stayed, largely because people have already spent big cash on SLR equipment in the old days of film,

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Well, that, and because sensor-based AF is still catching up to SLR AF systems in the year 2014, and cameras with good EVFs are just getting competitive (price-wise) with DSLRs.

Ido Scharf said:

so a DSLR makes the transition easier. But the new mirrorless cameras should not be overlooked.

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No, they definitely should not.

Your mirrorless options and DSLR recommendations are all solid.

• Dennis
  --
  Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com

Yea don you are correct. "Invest" wasn't the correct term I should have used. I simply meant which of the major brands I should put my money into as once I have chosen the brand I will be only able to use the equipment compatable with that brand, that is what I am finding difficult! Now the option of mirrorless has come to my attention! Dessions dessions .....

I am now really considering a mirrorless option as you have suggested! Just wondering if you would recommend buying the Olympus or Sony looking at the future? I realise they are both very good cameras but I worry that they might not have the range of lens options as other models of dslr? The dslr just has been around longer and has been proven for so long. I would love to know your thoughts

Newby008 said:

I am now really considering a mirrorless option as you have suggested! Just wondering if you would recommend buying the Olympus or Sony looking at the future? I realise they are both very good cameras but I worry that they might not have the range of lens options as other models of dslr? The dslr just has been around longer and has been proven for so long. I would love to know your thoughts

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Both systems are great. Micro Four Thirds is basically complete right now, while the Sony FE system is still very young - but the roadmap looks good. Currently available native lenses for the Sony FE system:

• 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
• Vario-Tessar T* 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS
• 70-200mm f/4 G OSS (pre-order)
• Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.8 ZA
• Sonnar T* 55mm f/1.8 ZA

Promised lenses:

• Vario-Tessar T* 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS
• PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS
• G-series macro lens
• Zeiss-branded "wide aperture prime"

OOS - Optical SteadyShot, Sony's optical image stabilization.

The German names - Zeiss-branded, premium lenses.

G - Sony's premium series of lenses, equivalent to Canon's L series.

PZ - Power Zoom, pretty much what you'd find in point-and-shoot cameras. the 28-135mm is mainly targeted towards video shooters.

This looks like a darn good system. The 16-35mm should come by August, and I can only assume the 28-135mm will follow. I think the macro and the fast prime should be released, or at least announced with specifications, this year, too.

So basically, when the 16-35mm starts shipping, one can cover 16-200mm at f/4 with a full frame camera, for as low as ~ $5,400 (if rumors that the 16-35mm will be priced similarly to the 24-70mm end up being true). That's great value, if you ask me.

However, those lenses get big. The 70-200mm is pretty large, and good wide angle lenses tend to be quite heavy, so I'm not very optimistic about that. With that being said, you have considered a DSLR system, which is even bigger, heavier and bulkier - so this is still a size reduction.

Micro Four Thirds is a killer system. It really is the most mature mirrorless system right now. But I think that the safest bet, is probably the Sony FE system. I'm no industry analyst / expert, but Olympus and Panasonic aren't making that much profit from the stills industry. Sony, being the giant Sony, will be here for quite a while.

Again, I know I contradict myself way too often, but don't fear jumping in to the Micro Four Thirds system just because the two companies aren't as successful. Choose whichever system suits your needs best. Read / watch comparative reviews, and read through the entire reviews on this site. Either way, I'm sure you won't be disappointed with the camera / system, no matter which one you end up choosing.