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ChiefEW
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Mar 2, 2016 22:07:20   #
ChiefEW
 
Hello, I just joined today. I'm looking for advice for the best camera to buy. I want a good SLR camera. Not interested in the video aspect. Want a camera that has a good stabilizer and is easy to operate. Will be taking the Panama Canal cruise in October and want to have a good camera for the cruise. I currently have the Cannon PowerShot A710. Also have a Pentax 35 mm With a zoom and wide angle lens. I have been looking at the Nikon D7100 and the D3300.
Thanks.

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Mar 2, 2016 22:09:13   #
ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas
 
Welcome to the Hog Chief, enjoy.

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Mar 2, 2016 22:19:06   #
Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI
 
Welcome to the Hog Chief. I am taking a Panama Canal cruise on April 26th. Miami to San Diego. I'm taking my Nikon D5100 and my D5200. Both make fine photos and are not as heavy as some of the full frame cameras.

My lens on the 5200 is the new 16-80 f2.8-4. I use this for landscape and portraits (informal, street type shots) Tagging along is a polarizing lens filter.

The D5100 has a 70-300 lens on it for longer reach. I've carried it all over the world and it is not the fastest or the best, but it does a fine job. I'll try to post some pics when we get back.

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Mar 2, 2016 22:35:11   #
ChiefEW
 
Thank you. Interested in seeing your photos and your thoughts of the cruise. An old Air Force friend recommended the 5200.
ChiefEW

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Mar 2, 2016 22:51:52   #
RaeRae Loc: Seattle Wa
 
I have the D5100 and have taken it to many countries...it has been a great camera!!

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Mar 2, 2016 23:08:35   #
RaeRae Loc: Seattle Wa
 
Also don't forget to practice a lot with the camera before you need to use it....nothing worse than taking bad pictures because you didn't know how to use the camera.

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Mar 3, 2016 07:02:29   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
ChiefEW wrote:
Hello, I just joined today. I'm looking for advice for the best camera to buy. I want a good SLR camera. Not interested in the video aspect. Want a camera that has a good stabilizer and is easy to operate. Will be taking the Panama Canal cruise in October and want to have a good camera for the cruise. I currently have the Cannon PowerShot A710. Also have a Pentax 35 mm With a zoom and wide angle lens. I have been looking at the Nikon D7100 and the D3300.
Thanks.

Consider the D7200, an improvement over the D7100. Read some reviews and comparisons.

(Reviews) http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu
http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/compare/

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Mar 3, 2016 07:43:38   #
Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio
 
Hello Chief and welcome to the UHH. The D7100 is an excellent choice..you may even want to head to the local store and test one out or rent one for try. That camera kit w/18-140 lens make for a great set-up.

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Mar 3, 2016 10:21:08   #
Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas
 
Welcome Chief -
All the above are good recommendations - the one thing I think is important is to go to a store with the cameras - pick them up and see how they feel. If it is not the right fit, you will not be happy with it - regardless of the quality, price, brand, etc...

There are also option for refurbished /used units through the manufacture or other sites.

Top recommended sites for photo gear:
B&H Photo & Video here
Adorama here
Cameta Camera here
KEH Camera here

For those located it in the U.S., it is recommended to stay away from gray market items (non-USA items) as explained in this article by Nikon.
Although it is a Nikon article, a recent announcement by Canon says the same thing...

With that aside, I received a flyer from Nikon on a sale they having this week on the 3300 - $499.95 for a 2 lens kit -
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/dslr-cameras/13473/d3300.html?cid=EML:EC:022916

Have a great cruise :)

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Mar 3, 2016 11:49:32   #
Jim Bob
 
ChiefEW wrote:
Hello, I just joined today. I'm looking for advice for the best camera to buy. I want a good SLR camera. Not interested in the video aspect. Want a camera that has a good stabilizer and is easy to operate. Will be taking the Panama Canal cruise in October and want to have a good camera for the cruise. I currently have the Cannon PowerShot A710. Also have a Pentax 35 mm With a zoom and wide angle lens. I have been looking at the Nikon D7100 and the D3300.
Thanks.


You want a camera with built in image stabilization?

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Mar 3, 2016 18:11:57   #
jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ
 
ChiefEW wrote:
Hello, I just joined today. I'm looking for advice for the best camera to buy. I want a good SLR camera. Not interested in the video aspect. Want a camera that has a good stabilizer and is easy to operate. Will be taking the Panama Canal cruise in October and want to have a good camera for the cruise. I currently have the Cannon PowerShot A710. Also have a Pentax 35 mm With a zoom and wide angle lens. I have been looking at the Nikon D7100 and the D3300.
Thanks.


Either one of those cameras will do a fine job. Just pick one that is in your budget and learn how to use it before you go on your trip. Get one that comes with two lenses so that you have most of the focal lengths that you'll need without a huge investment. You'll get fine snap shots anywhere you go. If you find that photography grows into much more that taking snap shots of vacation spots around the globe, then you'll pretty much already know what those cameras can and can't do.

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Mar 3, 2016 19:04:12   #
ChiefEW
 
Dave
The Air Force BX has the 7100 with the 18-140 MM AF-S DX Nikkor lens for $1100 a savings of $600. And no tax.
Does that sound good? I do plan on going to a camera store in Ft. Worth, Texas before going to the base.
Thanks.
Earl

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Mar 3, 2016 23:17:06   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Welcome to UHH,

FYI: Nikon and Canon put stabilization in their lenses, not in their DSLRs. This has the advantage of stabilizing the image in the viewfinder, too. Pentax, Sony and Olympus put stabilization in their cameras. That has the advantage that every lens you put on them, new or old, is stabilized.

You need to be aware that Nikon's D3000-series and D5000-series require AF-S lenses, if you want autofocus. Those lenses have a focusing motor built into the lens itself. Other Nikon auto focus lenses (AF-D and some others) do not have the motor built in, but can auto focus on D7000-series and higher models.

All Canon EF and EF-S lenses made the past 25 years or so are fully compatible with and will auto focus fine on all their crop sensor (APS-C) models (the Nikon's you are considering are also APS-C "DX" cameras).

I'm not as familiar with and am not sure about Sony, Pentax and Olympus.

I do know that Canon and Sony are able to accommodate a lot of vintage manual focus lenses from most of the other manufacturers, via adapters, manual focus and manual aperture control only, of course. A lot of old Nikkors can be used on Nikon, vintage Oly OM lenses on Olympus, and old Pentax PK bayonet mount lenses will work oon modern Pentax too... but these brands cannot accommodate other system lenses as well as Canon and Sony do. Sort of ironically, one type lens that can't be easily adapted for use on modern Canon is Canon's own vintage FL/FD mount. But, depending upon what you've got with your Pentax 35mm camera, lenses for it may be usable on either a Pentax (directly), Canon or Sony camera (via adapters).

Sony and Pentax both also offer APS-C models, like the Nikons you've mentioned. Olympus uses a smaller "four/thirds" sensor that allows them to build more compact cameras and lenses.

Honestly, they all make good products that can produce excellent results. I would encourage you to go to a store, handle the various brands and models to see what you feel most comfortable with. Turn each on and check out the menu to see what seems easiest and most logical to you, because you'll need to use it to use it frequently.

Have fun shopping!

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Mar 3, 2016 23:40:56   #
Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA
 
ChiefEW wrote:
Hello, I just joined today. I'm looking for advice for the best camera to buy. I want a good SLR camera. Not interested in the video aspect. Want a camera that has a good stabilizer and is easy to operate. Will be taking the Panama Canal cruise in October and want to have a good camera for the cruise. I currently have the Cannon PowerShot A710. Also have a Pentax 35 mm With a zoom and wide angle lens. I have been looking at the Nikon D7100 and the D3300.
Thanks.


The D3300 and D7100 are the best in their class. The D7200 has a few upgrades, but higher cost. Read kenrockwell.com on each of those. Rockwell has been providing great advice for years. The only time I have regretted following his advice was the one time I did not.

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Mar 4, 2016 00:12:30   #
lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania
 
Jim Bob wrote:
You want a camera with built in image stabilization?

Why not? Several manufacturers do so.

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