Best DSLR under $1000

[chris_randall2]

<p>I would like to purchase a new DSLR. I would like to stay under $1000. What is the best DSLR I can get on a limited budget?</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>A Can-Nik-Ptax within your budget. Go and see which one you like the best, they are all good value, it all depends on which one has the feel, controls and menus you like.</p>

 

[leslie_cheung]

<p>There's no best. I would also add sony to the can-nik-ptax list. Also, check out mirrorless cameras. They are, in some ways, better than DSLRs.</p>

[chris_letts]

<p>I'm with Bob - the best is the one that feels right and has the features you want. Technically I believe there's nothing much between them these days, except the old adage is still generally true that 'you get what you pay for'</p>

[dave_redmann]

<p>How important to you is video? If video is not too important, I'd probably say Nikon D5100, or else a Canon T2i or T3i (550D / 600D). If video is important, take a look at the Sony A55--not truly a DSLR, but if you can get past the electronic viewfinder, it may be the way to go.</p>

 

[mukul_dube]

<p>I'll only say that you should perhaps stay away from the Four Thirds system (Olympus, which I use, and Leica and Panasonic) because it seems to be a lost cause.</p>

[Brad_]

I have no problem sticking my neck out on that. Canon T3i. Around $800, body only.

[joshroot]

<p>I'm not sure that the 4/3 system is a lost cause. I know a lot of people who love and use it. That having been said, I typically suggest an APS-C sized sensor camera for most beginners.</p>

<p>I'm with Brad on the T3i as being a great suggestion. The whole rebel line has been excellent as a "beginner" DSLR since the first one was released in 2003. I have had a couple of them and am currently playing with the T3i for a review that we've got coming out this week.</p>

<p>That having been said, I've also been pretty excited about the Pentax K-R as an excellent value in a entry level camera. Start with a kit lens, then later add in the wonderful <a href="../equipment/pentax/pentax-limited-lenses">Pentax Limited prime lenses</a>, and you've got a heck of a package.</p>

[JamesFarabaugh]

<p>Canon and Nikon are the big players, so they will have the most accessories, most retailers, most lenses, most support. As others have said, neither is really better than the other. It's like the Chevy vs. Ford debate - one is just as "good" as the other, despite what brand loyalists argue vehemently.</p>

<p>I ended up choosing Canon because I have a good friend who already has a collection of Canon lenses, meaning I can borrow from him (and he will be able to borrow from me). If you are in a similar situation where a friend/family already has one brand or the other you may take that into consideration.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider may be storage type. My P&S uses SD, and my computer has an integrated SD card reader, so naturally a DSLR that uses SD cards was more attractive to me. Do you already have a certain card type that you prefer, and would like to use across the board?</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>As I said, I use an Olympus 4/3 system. I propose to use the two bodies and four lenses until they curl up and die. That is, I do not propose to "upgrade" to something else while they can still do what I ask of them. I have no doubt that there are many others like me. All this does not take away from the fact that the system does not appear to be in a state of growth any longer. Development seems to have halted. Four Thirds belongs to the past.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>Instead of asking everyone for advice on such an open topic, your best bet is to do your own research and come up with your conclusions. If you have specific questions or want to compare one camera against another, then post those questions, but it is really impossible for anyone to ell you what is best for you.</p>

<p>It is sorting of like asking what car is best for under $30k. Depending on how you use the car, where you live and what you like and dislike, the answers will be all useless.</p>

[PeterKrenek]

<p>Another vote for Canon 550D (Rebel T2i) or 600D (T3i).</p>

[randyhargraves]

<p>Canon 60D or Nikon D5100, with slight edge to the 60D for having a better autofocus system and better video. </p>

[jcuknz]

<p>I'm sure you can get a excellent camera for less than $1000 but the problem comes when you start to buy lenses to go with it .... that is the elephant in the corner of the DSLR .... unless you are going to be happy with just one lens.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Any camera, even film ones, but especially digital ones, will sooner or later become "obsolescent" -- not because it will be any less capable, but simply because you will sooner or later want all the latest whiz-bangs.</p>

<p>These people are all pretty much right -- there is no current digital SLR that is a real bow-wow.<br>

All of them have decent assemblages of lenses for them, both made by the camera maker and by the "third-party" makers like Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. They all are likely to be worth as much or as little as the other if you decide to switch makers later for some new whiz-bang feature.</p>

<p>All are at a sufficient level of performance in terms of prints, projection, and number of picture elements to never actually NEED replacement so long as you can still get memory cards and batteries for them.</p>

<p>Just as film users of 620 or 116 film have trouble getting new film in their format, someday it may be difficult to get batteries and the like, but that's likely to be way off in post-apocalyptic times.</p>

<p>At least one humorist has suggested that the rapture did occur on May 21, 2011, but that God didn't find anybody worth calling home. I'd worry less about investing in any decent digital camera costing more than $500 than about the danger of the world ending soon.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>I fyou want more bang for the buck you can get a used or refurbished higher-up model, but as far as the best DSLR for under $1000 it's a toss up. It depends on how you want to build your system around it.</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>Welcome Chris, and tell us a bit more about what you intend to take pictures of with your new DSLR. Will this be your first SLR ever, or do you happen to own or have owned a 35mm film camera? (if so which one?)</p>

<p>As more Photo.Net members own Canon and/or Nikon equipment you will probably get thumbs up mostly for Canon or Nikon models, so let me mention two other excellent sub-$1000 models that you might like to check out as well: Sony A580 and Pentax K-7</p>

[chris_randall2]

<p>I would like to thank all of you for contributing alot of good advice.<br>

I am looking for an Aps-C sized DSLR camera to shoot landscapes, wildlife, and downtown Austin, Texas.<br>

I have owned a few cameras before. I have owned a Nikon D5000, Canon G11, and a Canon 50D. <br>

I have done alot of research as to what I might want to purchase. I am kind of leaning toward a Nikon D3100. I am also interested in a Canon 60D, however this camera would stretch my budget pretty thin. especially after I purchase all the accessories that I inevitably end up buying.<br>

I like to ask the advice of photographers before purchasing a camera. You guys seem to know alot of things that the reviewers and salespeople either don't know or don't mention.</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>For under $1K I would go micro 4/3.</p>

[charles_wood]

<p>If your budget can possibly stretch a few hundred dollars I would suggest you investigate a Pentax K-5. This may sound strange in this Canon/Nikon dominated world but if you go to www.DXOMark.com and do a sensor & noise comparison among the leading contenders in the $1K price range, the K-5 is a camera that in my opinion offers the best features of the Canon 7D and 5D2 and Nikon D7000, with no significant shortcomings.</p>

<p>1. Weather sealed<br /> 2. Professional body (alloy and steel) with in-body image stabilization<br /> 3. Outstanding ergonomics<br /> 4. State of the art SONY APS-C sensor (same as in Nikon D7000)<br /> 5. 7fps<br /> 6. Superior dynamic range (14ev)<br /> 7. Outstanding low and high ISO performance (80-51000)<br /> 8. Lower noise in shadows than any of the Canons and far superior dynamic range at low ISOs.</p>

<p>But if your budget can't stretch, or video capability is of high importance, then my vote would go to the Canon T3i.</p>

<p>FWIW, I've decided to move to the Pentax 645D digital medium format system and in determining what to use as a replacement for my Canon 5D2, the Pentax K-5 easily became my personal choice as a secondary backup, particularly because of outstanding image quality that other cameras, with the exceptions of the Nikon 5100 & 7000, have a difficult time matching in that price range.</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>Ok if you still have Canon and/or Nikon lenses then that would probably determine my brand choice if I were you. If you're not in a great hurry then you might give it another month or two and see if prices come down a bit on the 60D or D7000.</p>

<p><br /><br /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>the Pentax K-5 easily became my personal choice as a secondary backup, particularly because of outstanding image quality that other cameras, with the exceptions of the Nikon 5100 & 7000, have a difficult time matching in that price range.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Not that I would recommend switching systems and thus having to get another set of lenses, but since I'm a Sony shooter myself I do feel compelled to point out that the a580 has a variant of the same sensor of the K5 and D7000 & produces very similar image quality for only two-thirds of the $$ ;)</p>

[Brad_]

Same answer, Canon T3i.

[johne37179]

<p>The best DSLR under $1000 is probably a used camera -- don't forget to look at used cameras from reputable sources -- like Adorama.</p>

[phule]

<p>Why don't you have the 50D anymore?</p>

[rob_mulligan1]

<p>Stay with a "real" DSLR. APS size is what you'll find in that price range, and YES, any of the N-C-P-S cameras will give you excellent resolution and a nice selection of lenses. I shoot Nikon, and something to think about might be a closeout D90. The nice thing about the D90 is that it has "Auto FP" for high speed flash sync. You won't get that in a new Nikon until the D7000. The D90 has "commander" flash mode to fire Nikon speedlights remotely, the D3100 and the D5100 don't. The D90 also has a built in focus motor that works with older lenses that lack the internal focus motor. A couple of examples are the 50mm f1.8G and the 85mm f1.8. Both are great lenses and great values that won't focus on a D3100 or D5100. Just a few thoughts...</p>