# which used dslr



## sa80mark (22 Nov 2013)

Ive spent the last month looking into dslr cameras basically when it comes to photogarphy im a complete beginner,  im pretty sure im going to buy a used camera for obvious reasons and I think im fairly set on a nikon, this is from the no end of reviews ive read, from what ive gathered nikons are solid, highly recommend cameras I think ive narrowed my choices down to 3 models, I know all 3 are quite different and ages vary but I cant fully understand the differences between them and all have been reviewed highly the other reason for selecting the 3 is they all fall in the price range im happy with (under £200)

I suppose as a round up im wanting the camera to grow with me as I improve id rarther not have to upgrade 6 months down the line, also main usage will be aquatic photography,  landscapes, wildlife, and quite a bit of astronomy photography

so if you had the choice what would you go for ?

Nikon d80
Nikon d3100
Nikon d5000

Any help will be greatly appreciated


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## Michael W (22 Nov 2013)

I believe all of the above is good, with digital I always believe the newer the better due to new technology, with that in mind I'd go with D3100. D80 is a awesome camera and was designed for more advanced photographer although its the oldest, as it has a lot of options which beginners should not find themselves using them often, and perhaps confuse them. D3100 has the highest ISO of them all I believe so its good for in door photos and aquarium photography. 

In my opinion, as you get better you will always want to upgrade  so I don't think I can tell you that you won't want to upgrade in the near future. If you want to upgrade/improve you can choose to get new lens rather than the body of the camera because the lens can also be transferred on to any cameras with the DX format for Nikon.


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## BigTom (22 Nov 2013)

Partly this will depend on how important video is to you. The D80 has no video, D5000 will record 720p and the D3100 has 1080p.

The D80 has excellent ergonomics and is very well built, but the sensor is aging quite badly now and will not do well in low light situations. I'd go with one of the other two. Although they have different sensors, image quality of the D3100 and D5000 is broadly similar. D3100 gets you 1080p, while the D5000 has the benefit of a flip screen, which I found very handy on my GH2. Other differences are fairly minor.

Personally though I'd try and stretch to a D5100 (I've seen bodies going for £225 on talkphotography). Improved sensor, improved autofocus, 1080p video recording and a better screen.


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## sa80mark (22 Nov 2013)

Thanks chaps  the video isnt important to me but I suppose its a nice handy feature to have, also the flip screen appeals, I can see where that would come in very useful,  I take the point on the ageing d80 and think it maybe is just a bit to outdated I also like the idea of cmos sensor on the d3100, d5000 and d5100 so I think im at the d5000 unless I can find a good deal on the d5100

Thanks guys


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## sa80mark (8 Dec 2013)

As advised ive been searching and looking into the nikon d5100 and am set on it now  and am just about to buy one ( body only) so the next thing is lenses,  from what ive been able to gather there are 4 main "must have" lenses

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro

Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR

Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G 

I cant afford them all at once so am thinking the nikon 18-55 and the nikon 55-200mm gives me some scope to get started

What are your thoughts ?

Mark


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## BigTom (8 Dec 2013)

I'd get the 18-55 as an entry level walkabout lens and then the 35 for low light stuff which'll be handy for aquarium photography. Then either the macro or a 70-300VR depending on what takes your fancy. 200mm will never feel long enough for wildlife shots.

And then an ultrawide 

And then upgrade the 18-55.


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## sa80mark (8 Dec 2013)

Brilliant thanks tom 

Big help as always


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## nybraby (17 Dec 2013)

A bit late to this thread but you can't go wrong with the d5100, a number of people in my photo club use this model, me I'm still using my D80 which does need upgrading....I can't decide what to !


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## sa80mark (17 Dec 2013)

Thanks nybraby, 

Ive not yet bought the camera as a job came up and im working away again but on the plis side ive now got some more pennies in my budget so it now stands at around £500 soim going to wait for the January sales and see if I can pick up a deal on new d5100 

After a lot of looming theres no price saving on a used body not when you can buy new with 2 year nikon warranty for £30 - 40 more


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## BigTom (17 Dec 2013)

Yeah, prices from traders and even eBay don't tend to be terribly competitive on used gear. Worth keeping an eye on talkphotography and avforums classifieds though. Also, I don't normally recommend buying imported cameras but HDEW are very well established with a good reputation - you get a warranty with them with repair centres in the UK, so no worries about sending stuff abroad, and their prices are normally extremely competitive.

Nikon | Talk Photography
Digital Camera & Camcorder Classifieds | AVForums
nikon (HDEW)

And for checking main retailer prices, camerapricebuster is pretty good -

Digital SLRs Price Comparison From CameraPriceBuster


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## sa80mark (17 Dec 2013)

Im really glad you said that as one of the retailers ive got bookmaered is hdew and a quick google searched gave them quite favourable reviews so that definitely puts my mind at ease  they currently have the Nikon D5100 + 18-55mm + 55-300mm Double Kit at £465 which is a bloody bargin and leaves some pennies for memory cards etc


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