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Which one to buy? I keep reading and the more confused I get. I want a kit. Should I get nikon d5200 24 mega pixels but not waterproof or dustproof and doesn't have a pentaprism

or pentax k30 waterproof and ruggeed but only 16mp I really like this buy I'm concerned I will miss having more megapixels i've read your buying into a system and pentax may or may not be around long term

or the canon SL1 no wide angle lense included

i thought about canon 650 d but its been replaces and what i read the canon 5ti isn t that great

I want to learn photography i want to camera that i can grow into and enjoy

HELP ME I WANT TO BUY BUT I REally don't know which one to get I made bad choices

Regmi
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user20584
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    First, a little bit of proper grammar, capitalization and punctuation goes a long way towards helping prospective answerers understanding your question in full. Please edit your answer to clean it up, eliminate run-on sentences, etc. Second, there are LOTS of questions like yours here on this site...have you tried using our search to find the answers you need? – jrista Jun 20 '13 at 15:56
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    The reports of Pentax's demise are greatly exaggerated. They don't have the marketshare of the big two but are big enough that the most likely risk is getting bounced between owners -- which happened, and now they're owned by Ricoh, which is a very large company with a serious interest in cameras. I would cross that particular worry off of your list. – mattdm Jun 20 '13 at 17:43
  • I'll second the Pentax comment... They've been around since 1919, still ticking, and they aren't going to disappear any time soon. – Joanne C Jun 21 '13 at 01:18
  • "i read the canon 5ti isn t that great" What? Likely to be one of the most popular if not the most popular DSLR of the next 12 months, isn't that great? In what regard? – dpollitt Jun 21 '13 at 02:01
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    The T5i is mostly the T4i with a new grip surface and a new STM lens. It should have really been named the T4iN. Just because the marketers at Canon, or any other company, replaced the 650D doesn't mean it is a bad buy. They will still support it for many years to come. Cameras are not like computer components where the manufacturer stops writing drivers for a model the moment a replacement model is released. That is mostly because they want you to stay with their brand for all the new lenses that will work on your discontinued camera. – Michael C Jun 21 '13 at 03:09

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First, don't be too worried about making a bad choice. Canon, Pentax and Nikon all make good cameras. You aren't going to be horribly disappointed whatever choice you make. Unless you are going in to a higher end model, if you need durability, then the Pentax may be the way to go. If you want to be able to invest in optics, then Canon or Nikon may be a better choice, though their optics tend to be more expensive than the Pentax alternatives (but they are also more popular brands with more widely used cameras, particularly when you get in to the high end).

You aren't going to notice a serious difference between 16 and 18 megapixels, so that shouldn't be a major factor, though other factors of image quality (such as noise, auto focus speed and low light handling) might matter more.

As far as mixed reviews on the 5Ti and not wanting to get a 4Ti, don't worry too much about cameras that have had a follow up model. In many cases, the older models are the better deal as they tend to drop in price but still offer nice features sets.

The best advice I can give you based on your concerns is don't worry too much about making the wrong choice, you'll get good results with any and even if you buy in to a lens system, you can always sell it and change systems. Lenses generally hold value pretty well.

Don't be concerned about minor differences in megapixel count. There is a lot more to image quality than mega pixels and while a difference of 30%+ might be noticeable, small differences are going to be pretty insignificant compared to things like lens quality and general sensor quality.

Finally, don't be too worried about slightly outdated bodies. Digital cameras are not the computer and cellphone world. They don't instantly go obsolete. Progress tends to be slower and more incremental. People still recommend both the 4Ti and the 5D Mark ii regularly when they fit people's needs. In fact, most of the lack luster response about the 5Ti is specifically that it isn't much of an improvement over the 4Ti (which was a solid camera for it's market segment.)

AJ Henderson
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  • Oh, one additional though. If you are interested in getting decent lenses, you may also want to consider buying a body only and getting a lens separate. Particularly on cheaper bodies, the kit lens tends to be rather poor in quality. – AJ Henderson Jun 20 '13 at 17:05
  • I'm giving you a skeptical look with my eyebrow raised over "generally considered better brands with better cameras". I don't think that's a fair or accurate categorization at all. – mattdm Jun 20 '13 at 17:38
  • @mattdm - They have the vast majority of market share at least. – AJ Henderson Jun 20 '13 at 18:43
  • Perhaps I should further clarify. I don't know that I've ever seen a pro photographer that wasn't using a Canon or a Nikon. I should perhaps clarify that I don't necessarily mean best value for the $ on the lower end, but rather than if you plan on moving up to higher end gear, they are a more secure lens line to invest in. I am not at all saying the other options are bad. I in fact started out saying that Pentax may be the way to go if durability in a cheaper camera is the core concern. They all have valid niches, but Canon and Nikon are the major players by far. – AJ Henderson Jun 20 '13 at 18:49
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    "Major players" is very different from "better brands" or "better cameras". The pro distinction is largely because those companies have large professional support networks. That's a valid concern for actual professionals, but says nothing about what cameras are "better". – mattdm Jun 20 '13 at 20:49
  • @mattdm - it depends on what you consider better. Canon and Nikon got to be the major players by making products with superior value. Currently, nobody else has been serious competition to them. For certain uses, the other brands can be the better value though as well. Again, I'm not saying that the cameras by other parties are bad, but the bulk of purchases has shown which brands are favored as "better" in general. Unless people are going out and intentionally buying what they feel is a worse choice. – AJ Henderson Jun 20 '13 at 21:42
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    By that measure, McDonald's is the best restaurant in the world. – mattdm Jun 20 '13 at 22:03
  • I think it really depends on what segment of any given brand's products your discussing. When it comes to small, light weight lenses, Pentax kicks the crap out of both Canon and Nikon with their DA Limited and Q series lenses. When it comes to telephoto and supertelephoto lenses, Canon is currently top dog. When it comes to raw sensor IQ, Nikon is kicking the crap out of the whole market. The "better" brand is a subjective thing, and very dependent upon what kind of camera or camera system your are interested in. There is no cut and dry "Brand X is better" here...each its pros and cons. – jrista Jun 21 '13 at 00:14
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    Not buying the "better brands with better cameras" argument. Not born out at all, really, especially when you start sifting through reviews, DxO, etc. They all have pluses and minuses, Pentax is strong on the compact/weather-sealed camera, Canon for the sports and long distance, Nikon for resolution and high ISO performance, etc. Though, having shot across two brands now, the differences really start to manifest in ergonomics and configuration and less in image results. – Joanne C Jun 21 '13 at 01:25
  • I don't know that we are necessarily disagreeing. I think we are more getting caught up on semantics. To avoid an extended discussion, I've changed the wording. My point was simply that in terms of broad, general use, far more people have found Canon or Nikon to be the ideal choice for them. Never meant to call the other brands inferior in all situations and pointed out they have their areas that they excel prior to making any comment about Canon and Nikon's popularity. I'd also second what John said about ergonomics and how the camera operates being a good factor to consider as well. – AJ Henderson Jun 21 '13 at 01:59
  • Yep, I can live with that. I am quibbling over the semantics, but I think it's important, especially for this site. – mattdm Jun 21 '13 at 03:15
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    Being major is usually more about marketing budgets than superior products. pros with Canon or Nikon: Im not sure I saw one that wasnt using Canon. I think they have a firm grip on the Danish market. – Michael Nielsen Jun 21 '13 at 07:52
  • @mattdm - that's a fair point and I think my answer is better now with the alteration, so thanks for pointing it out as confusing and/or misleading. – AJ Henderson Jun 21 '13 at 13:50
  • @MichaelNielsen - I buy that argument more for the consumer portion of the market perhaps, but on the professional side, it tends to be far more about the capability of the product. Marketing and cost doesn't matter so much as functionality, as long as your product is known. Marketing is most effective at showing people why they would want something that they don't know much about. When it's the tool of someone's trade, they know what they are looking for. That said, I suppose you can argue that the minor companies simply don't target professional models as much. – AJ Henderson Jun 21 '13 at 13:53
  • Although I also suppose that is relevant since if they don't target the professional market as much, investing in a minor brand's lenses limits how far up quality you can move with bodies if they don't have the same level of professional/high end bodies available. – AJ Henderson Jun 21 '13 at 13:54
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As others have said, this is a frequently asked and answered question.

Ruggedness is not an issue for a begineer's camera, you should not be throwing it around.

Canon and Nikon have far larger lens systems. However, I'm not convinced that this is a critical distinction for a beginner. You will want to have choices, and you won't want to stay with the "kit lens" very long, but all of the major brands have more than enough variety to handle your needs until you become at least a serious enthusiast -- at which time you will know what you want and why.

Megapixels are pure marketing argument. For a beginner, all camera bodies have more than enough megapixels. There are downsides to having too many megapixels, but there are many questions here that address those issues, and beginners don't need to worry about them.

What do you mean by "discontinued"? There is no reason to worry about a model that has been replaced, say the Canon T4i compared to the T5i. There is a reason to be concerned about an abandoned brand, say Minolta, which is no longer in the market. But even for Minolta, they were bought by Sony and you can still get accessories and repairs. Realistically, begineer's cameras don't get repaired. They cost only about $500 and the minimum repair charge is well over $100, so if they break after you've had one a few years, you just buy a better camera anyway.

Recommendation: go to a real camera store, try some starter DSLRs and see which fit your hands. Buy what you like, buy it there. Do not go to a store and then buy over the Internet -- I consider that immoral in that you are wasting the store's personel's time.

There is a reason that most folks start with a Nikon or Canon "consumer" camera, its a safe choice.

Pat Farrell
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Some said: lens make good picture, not the camera.

If you believe that, Within your choices, I will go for Nikon. Yes, Canon and Nikon both have large lens system, however, like I understand, Nikon can use old lens without an adapter which will affect manual focusing in the case of Canon.

A good condition old lens make good picture, cheaper to develop your lens system, it is good for beginner I think.

user20608
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    For what it's worth, Pentax, which the question-asker suggested, has even stronger backwards compatibility with old lenses. – mattdm Jun 21 '13 at 17:12
  • Sadly, Nikon's well advertised backwards compatibility of old lenses is not as complete as they claim, depending on how old your lenses are. I bought a Nikon F/Ftn in 1970 and collected about ten lenses over the years for it. When I went looking for a DSLR, I took three of these old lenses with me. They would not work on any of the consumer/enthusiast Nikon bodies. They would not physically fit on the entry bodies -- the coupling prong used to connect the lens aperture ring to the meter hit the pentamirror. The pro-level bodies could use them, but I was not interested in spending $4000. – Pat Farrell Jun 21 '13 at 17:34