Hi Preetam, and sorry I missed your phrasing 'considering photojournalism'.
Out of the two cameras you list the D7100 would be the better choice or if you prefer the Canon equivalent.
Either would be competent enough and the style of camera you would need to learn on.
You will find any DX camera harder to use than a full frame as light fades at trying to keep acceptable amounts of noise down and accurate focusing going but neither is impossible just much harder.
I agree a good second hand body and lenses from a reputable dealer would be a good way to start. I have a couple of bits of second hand gear bought that way and they first came with at least a limited grantee and had been checked and serviced.
The basic starter lens focal lengths for this type of photography are from 14mm (Actual view) to 200mm. That would cover most wide group shots or very close up photography to limited longer needed distance coverage. That would be a basic reportage style carry around kit. You should also think about a basic flash unit. It could be manual to keep costs down and learning curves up but needs to have at least a 54GN (Guide Number) to cover the focal lengths suggested above. This will help where people are in deep shadow as well as for when light fails.
If you can't at first afford wider aperture lenses, that is not so bad but learn how to clean your own sensor as shooting at narrower apertures will show up dust in the images more and working with only one body means any lens change may result in picking up dust. Learning to clean your own sensor is one of the basics and will save you a lot of cash in the long run.
Photojournalism is a very shrinking market as others have pointed out. It is very competitive and there are a lot of wannabes out there competing.
My original reply was just about the gear surviving in the real world. For practice a D7100 is fine but even if an image doesn't have to be the best technically, the eventual shot will probably be the one that says the most to the people buying it. To get that the camera must at least be able to cope wherever it is.
It is not a Pro body. It doesn't have the weather sealing of a higher end body or the ability to absorb shocks as well. On the plus side, the lack of frames per second and buffer depth will teach you to time your shots and anticipate better.
You may have to practice editing in the field as well. Speed is of the importance once you have a shot worth selling if you are surrounded by other photographers. If it's something not being covered that much then you have more time.
This is very hard work. I'm getting older and don't have the stamina for it day in, and day out, but good luck to anyone trying.
One person in the UK that is still working as a journalist is Leon Neal that I respect and is now a Nikon Ambassador. He until recently worked for AFP and is now a staff photographer with Getty Images. He has his own online presence and his tips on photo journalism can be found here.
From there you will find links to other working press photographers via his twitter account and you can see just how demanding a job this can be with a few warnings about how precarious it can be, even for a seasoned professional.
