Expert: Abe - 3/26/2011

Question
Hi Abe.  After waiting several years I have finally decided to take the plunge and buy myself a DSLR and I need help.  :-)

Where do I start?  Except for mega-pixel I dont know the difference between them.

Looking forward to your response.

Answer
Hi Ash,

The answer to your question depends on several factors, like your budget and and the type of shooting you plan to do. If you have a moderate budget and want a good camera that isn't going to be more than you need as you begin your quest into more serious photography, I would recommend any of the following:

Canon T3i with 18-55mm lens and/or additional kit lenses (often sold as a package)
Pentax K-r with 18-55mm lens and/or additional kit lenses (often sold as a package)
Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm lens and/or additional kit lenses (often sold as a package)

The best and most expensive of the three is this group is the Canon, but not because it has the most megapixels (more megapixels can often be more of a hindrance than an asset). It's superior to the others because it has the best image quality and overall feature set.

The Pentax is a great starter camera as well. It's probably the best value for the dollar among the three cameras here. Image quality is excellent. Also, you can use any old Pentax lenses with this camera, and they're readily available on eBay for little money. Keep in mind that the old lenses are manual focus though. Still, it's a great option because using these older lenses are not only extremely good, but will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the cost of new lenses (many of which are inferior to their predecessors).

The Nikon is a very nice camera with very solid image quality, an excellent feature set, and, buying a Nikon means being able to use Nikon lenses, which many consider to be better than the other two brands listed here. Nikons tend to have the best build quality at this price point, which means it may last the longest and be more durable under tough conditions compared to the others. We're not talking leaps and bounds here, but it might be something to consider about half way down your pros and cons list.

No matter which of these three cameras you decide on, the differences in the final image output will be so minor as to be hardly noticeable, if noticeable at all. So while the Canon produces the best images, the difference between the others is really unimportant. For those who obsess over their images - magnified to 100% and looking at them through a microscope - than the Canon will prove very marginally better in the image quality department.

It's a good idea to go to your local camera or electronics store and try each of them out while you're there. See how they feel in your hands. Get a feel for which menu system is most intuitive and comfortable. After you've done that, go to reputable places like amazon.com, bhphoto.com, jr.com, or buydig.com and make your purchase. If you go with amazon.com, be sure to buy only from them ("sold and shipped by amazon.com") and not one of their affiliates, as that will guarantee you the best chance of hassle-free returns should you have issues down the road.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance, and good luck!

Abe