Nanc Loc: Rocky Face

Have been retired for 5 yrs. and travel all the time and take lots of pictures--some good and some not so good. I joind this forum to get help from you experienced photographers finding me a new camera to purchase that will be better than my current one.

photophly Loc: Old Bridge NJ

What do U have and what did U have in mind???

Nanc Loc: Rocky Face

I currently have a Canon SX30 IS 14.1 MP 35X optical zoom and it does OK but I want something else so I can get a clearer, crisper picture. In low light my pictures are very blurry. I would like to know which/ one/ of the following three cameras (lens included) that I am listing below that you would recommend for my purposes. I mainly use a camera to take photos of wildlife (birds in flight, bears rapidly crossing the road, deer running and jumping, etc.). Some are very far off so I need a good zoom. Often these animals especially the bears are seen at dusk in very low light conditions.
So, I wonder which one of the three cameras below has the best lens, rapid shutter speed, and low light clarity to do the best job. Here are my three choices:

1. Canon Rebel T2i 18 mp (18-55mm/55-200mm)
2. Nikon D3100 14.2 mp (18-55mm/55-200)
3. Nikon D5100 16mp (18-55/55-300)

EricLPT Loc: Jonesborough TN

Any of the three cameras listed would be a big step up in image quality, as long as you get a better lens. The Big Two kit lenses do not have a good reputation for image quality.

Most camera shops will discount a quality lens if you purchase a camera with it. Leave the kit lenses behind, unless you need a paperweight. If you are wanting a low light lens, get one with a large aperture (low F number), like F4 or lower. This will be expensive, but you will be able to continue use the lens when you upgrade your camera.

'Buy a camera body, invest in lenses.'

Eric

jigarkumar

hi dear pls gidence me my mail id is jignesh6548@gmail.com ok

dongrant Loc: Earth, I think!

I normally agree with this. But there is an issue in that higher quality lens often weigh more. So you need to decide the weight vs quality issue and only you can. Depending own your take on image quality and now much you may end up carrying you camera and lens, the kind of walking etc, you may be better off sacrifice a bit of quality to save weight. At one end, you may want to consider a single mid-quality wide range zoom to allow you to carry just the camera and a single lens the other end a set of heaver quality lens (possibility including a go low light prime). I, myself, would go for higher quality, but for someone who's interest is more of reasonable quality photos of their travel I would highly recommend the light weight options, for a number of reasons. Buy to fit your lifestyle and personal needs. Also, I see that you are in the North Georgia area. We used to live in Atlanta and I can highly recommend Show Case Photo in the North of Atlanta. It is an hour and half from you, but well worth the trip for the improvement in service over Wolf or other big box stores. Also, if you find yourself often in Atlanta you may want to check into the Roswell Photographic Society. Excellent, first class people. They have a web site.

EricLPT Loc: Jonesborough TN

I normally agree with this. But there is an issue in that higher quality lens often weigh more. So you need to decide the weight vs quality issue and only you can. you may be better off sacrifice a bit of quality to save weight. [/quote]

Good points Don but the original poster said nothing about weight. I did edit the quotes to save space but tried not to change meaning.



I will be in ATL sometime in the next month or so and will look up the camera stores you listed, I probably won't be buying anything, but it is nice to handle new cameras now and again. While NE TN is noted for outdoor beauty, we only have one 'camera store', a Ritz Camera, 45 minutes away in Kingsport.


:thumbdown:

Eric

dongrant Loc: Earth, I think!

Good points Don but the original poster said nothing about weight. I did edit the quotes to save space but tried not to change meaning.



I will be in ATL sometime in the next month or so and will look up the camera stores you listed, I probably won't be buying anything, but it is nice to handle new cameras now and again. While NE TN is noted for outdoor beauty, we only have one 'camera store', a Ritz Camera, 45 minutes away in Kingsport.


:thumbdown:

Eric[/quote]

I will admit that the original post said nothing about post, but it does mention travel and with travel weight is often a issue. As for in NE TN, if you are passing through Knoxville (Central East TN) you may want to check out Thompson Photo. It has been years since I have dealt with them, but a good friend of mine who live in Knoxville, tells me the service is still excellent. That would be about an hour to hour and half drive for you, I believe.

EricLPT Loc: Jonesborough TN

Don,

Thanks for the store names and locations, I wrote them all down. I hope to visit B&H in NYC someday...

Just to clarify, the thumbs down in my previous post was referring to Ritz Camera and not your comments, I do not want any misunderstanding there.

Eric

dongrant Loc: Earth, I think!

No problem I am reluctant to recommend equipment because it has to be a personal fit and I will not recommend stores unless I and others that I have known have had good service. My experience with Show Case in Atlanta and years ago Thompson in Knoxville was excellent while my experience with Wolf/Ritz was not so great. So I understand your feelings.

Pathfinder Loc: Naches, Wa

Hello Nanc---You might google Ken Rockwell camera test site. He raves on an on about the new Nikon D5100. It sounds like a real winner to me! Jim