Canon EOS 1100D

[sgshot]

Hi i am a newbies to DSLRS. can anyone advise me whether EOS 1100D is sufficient for a newbie? or any good recommendation? thx thx

 

[catchlights]

welcome to clubsnap,

1000D is an entry level DSLR, if it not sufficient for a newbie, than which camera is more suitable? 5D MKIII?





thread moved from Review section.

 

[rhino123]

Please read our stickies for very detail method of selecting new camera.

Canon 1100D is a good DSLR, very basic and easy to use. However, please do not limit yourself to Canon only, ask yourself a couple of questions,

1) Budget (it is always about $$$)
2) What is the must have in your camera (Fast Live View, Touch screen, movie mode, AF is movie mode, weather sealing, etc etc)
3) Must it be a DSLR? can other format interest you - mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras such as Olympus/ Panasonic offering, Sony offering, Canon and Nikon's offering, Pentax offering etc, etc (and note that these cameras' image quality is already very very good, some of them even beats or equal the DSLR and some of them have blazing fast AF too)

After answering these questions, then we can explore further into the options you have. At present moment, you will only get more confuse when different school of people came in and tell you about Pentax, Sony, Canon and Nikon.

Oh... and don't limit yourself to entry level DSLR too, I mean, there is no rule saying that newbies cannot use semi-pro cameras and sometime I find semi-pro cameras might be easier to use too... that is me though. And why not, if you have the dough... go for the best - 5DmkIII or D800/ D800E or 1DX or D4.

 

[sgshot]

Thanks rhino123!

1) ard 700-900sgd
2) basically some easy/friendly-user functions (currently own a Samsung compact camera). the too complicated functions might be too much for me at this stage. once tried Sony NEX-5N, kinda tough for me to handle.
3) not necessary to be DSLR. was recommended this was the entry for someone like me so thot maybe might be good to ask ard for some genuine advices before buying one.

thank you.

 

[Rashkae]

Thanks rhino123!

1) ard 700-900sgd
2) basically some easy/friendly-user functions (currently own a Samsung compact camera). the too complicated functions might be too much for me at this stage. once tried Sony NEX-5N, kinda tough for me to handle.
3) not necessary to be DSLR. was recommended this was the entry for someone like me so thot maybe might be good to ask ard for some genuine advices before buying one.

thank you.

If you think a NEX-5N, which is designed for people with little or no photography skill (basically a compact camera with a DSLR sensor), was tough to handle... A DSLR will be a whole new hurdle and headache.

But you can also look at the Pentax and Sony DSLT-A37 cameras, which may offer far more "features for money" than the 1100D.

Stick to your compact camera, or upgrade to a G1X, RX100 or G15 if you need more features.

 

[chillicutter]

Hello and welcome sgshot!

1100D is a basic dslr and it can also produce good pictures if used correctly.

I agree with Rashkae that you should also try out Sony and Pentax cameras as these cameras comes with more extra features.

If you don't really need a DSLR, you can look into the m4/3 system because it also produces good pictures and you can change lenses as well.

 

[rhino123]

Thanks rhino123!

1) ard 700-900sgd
2) basically some easy/friendly-user functions (currently own a Samsung compact camera). the too complicated functions might be too much for me at this stage. once tried Sony NEX-5N, kinda tough for me to handle.
3) not necessary to be DSLR. was recommended this was the entry for someone like me so thot maybe might be good to ask ard for some genuine advices before buying one.

thank you.

Ok... good, now we know more. And yes, do not limit yourself to just Canon as suggested by others... do looked into Sony and Pentax and also Nikon.

A couple of camera that you can consider is,

1) Canon 1100D, 650D (they basically have the same user interface).
2) Nikon D5200, D3200 (these are very very easy to use, the D3200 even featured tutorial style interface in the camera, I think)
3) Sony A37... but don't limit yourself to that, look at more powerful version like the A57 too.
4) Pentax K-30 (the only one here with rugged weather seal)

You can start off using Auto mode, then read about different area of photography before going into aperture mode, shutter speed mode, full manual mode, etc etc.

My next advise is for you to go down to the shop, pick up these cameras and test them, pay attention to the following,

1) Ergonomic - see if the grip feel nice in your hand, the overall weigh and bulk of the camera is okay for you, the button and dials placement is comfortable, etc.
2) User interface - the menu system making any sense to you
3) Again... budget (everything falls back onto budget).

Note that most cameras had the basic functions these days - scene mode, auto mode, video (many had HD video), etc etc, so no need to ask about which is more value added or value for money, because frankly, we do not know, we do not know what you value more

So... happy hunting... and hope to see you in some outing soon.

 

[silvermoon1407]

Thanks rhino123!

1) ard 700-900sgd
2) basically some easy/friendly-user functions (currently own a Samsung compact camera). the too complicated functions might be too much for me at this stage. once tried Sony NEX-5N, kinda tough for me to handle.
3) not necessary to be DSLR. was recommended this was the entry for someone like me so thot maybe might be good to ask ard for some genuine advices before buying one.

thank you.

If u r not anal about used stuff, can check out the Bns here got cheap deals. Dslrs/mirrorless that are 2-3 generations behind would still b gd enuff for u to get started with photography.

If not, given ur budget, there's not much choices for dslrs anyway. Go molest above mentioned entry models from various brands n see which one feels gd in ur hands. Alternatively, if u want smth gd in comparison to ur Samsung compact but may nt actually be ready for a interchangeable lens system, check out advanced compacts like g1x, RX100, xf1 etc...

And btw, nex5n is really quite easy to use...

 

[Edwin Francis]

All the entry- and mid-level DSLRs I've ever used have a Full Auto / Green Square mode -- anytime you feel overwhelmed by the options, you can switch to this. The NEX 5 has this too, so I'm not sure why you found it tough to use.
If you're used to framing with the LCD screen, you may not be used to the viewfinder. Of the major DSLRs (Canon, Nikon & Sony), only Sony seems to have fast autofocus on LiveView. If you prefer using LiveView, this might be something to take into account.
Or go mirrorless -- most of those have decent AF speed with LiveView (except the Canon EOS M).
As others have said, go to the shops and try them out. Be wary of salespeople pushing you one way or the other.

 

[Shizuma]

Canon 500D has got "scene" mode like in consumer cameras, too. Quite interesting although I don't use them much...