Need Advice for a DSLR camera for a travel blog

[pratapsingh]

Hi All,

One of my pal has just started his new blog with a long list of destination which he wants to explore on road at Rajasthan India. Now we want to know that what will be a perfect entry level DSLR. So far I am sure that we will go with cannon but again we are stuck that:-


1. Should we go with Single lens or double one
2. Next which one is better? 1200D or 1300D (Cannon)
3. So if we are taking pictures from distance like 200 mts away. Will we get an awesome picture for the blog?

The goal is to have finest images of the blog. So anyone who has been in the above situation please suggest.

 

[thethePete]

Honestly, take a look at the Sony A7. It's been the go-to for action photographers for a while now. Packs way smaller than a true DSLR and takes the best low-light shots in the business right now. I'm actually looking at them to replace my not-that-old D3200.

 

[robgendreau]

The "finest images" on a blog aren't really very fine, and those cameras are probably overkill. You could something much smaller and lighter and get pictures that would be more than fine for a blog; maybe a Canon HS60 if you needed a long lens or maybe even a smaller point and shoot that would be easier to carry.

 

[donaldj]

Cheapest Canon or Nikon body (like a Rebel).

A good wide angle lens.
A good medium (normal lens)
A good zoom (I like 70-200mm f/2.8)
A very good tripod for long range shooting.

Honestly, your $ should go into lenses, not the camera body. Most entry level ones will do nicely. Lenses add your capability.

 

[Christophe Noel]

One of my favorite travel cameras is the Sony RX100iv. It takes glorious images that rival my pro-level DSLRs, but it fits in your pocket...small pocket. You'll always have it at the ready, and it shoots 4k video, 16fps...amazing little camera. I shot a lot of images including the lead image for this piece:

http://expeditionportal.com/destinations-nepal/

I also agree with the comments above about good lenses. Long lenses can be helpful for candid portraits if you want to shoot undetected and not have to shove a chunk of glass in someone's face. Shooting wide is also great for travel in tight spaces. On that score, the one weakness of the Sony is the very normalized 24-70mm range that doesn't give that unique perspective that long and wide lenses give, but it is easier to shoot with.

That Sony is a no-brainer to work. They have simplified the controls so you can get professional performance with not such a finite understanding of exposure, depth of field, etc. It works as well for a rookie as it does a seasoned pro, which is really cool. Great camera.

 

[pratapsingh]

Thanks for the revert guys. I did got some good points from here.

 

[Herbie]

This topic made me do a complete 360° (or at least 270°) turn.

We've had a really nice Nikon D90 body for several years, and we've accumulated (by purchase and inheritance) a wide collection of lens glass to go with it. Lately though, I've been sticking to just using my phone for my adventure photography because of the convenience and to avoid risk to the "good" hardware.

This thread got me thinking that all that nice glass is going to waste and I should look into the Nikon 1 mirrorless system and the adapter so we can use our lenses. Pricing that out, I thought I should go compare to the current "street price" for our D90 and I realized that the bodies have dropped like a stone. I could replace my D90 for pennies on the dollar compared to when we bought it new.

The end result of this little research project? Screw it, I'm bringing my big DSLR on more trips. I'll still use the phone for hiking and probably point/shoot duty, but those thousands of dollars of Nikon gear don't take good photos when safe in the case at home.

 

[Airmapper]

I'm a fan of the Canon SX series, I have an SX30 IS and just got a SX60 IS. Those things will focus from literally the dust on the lens out to so far away it's ridiculous. Why pack a bag of lenses?

They have a few drawbacks, but for so much versatility, it seems like the perfect travel camera. That is why I got one, I want one camera, just one. And no extra junk to forget in the bag, or the vehicle, and regret not having, like lenses.

 

[UsubM]

I recently got a Canon SL1 due to its reduced size and weight, and I love it. I have it paired with a 24mm prime for hiking use, making it smaller than most mirrorless cameras. I carry extra lenses when in my vehicle or keep them in my pack when I want to take a wider angle or zoomed in shot of something.

I enjoy having the versatility of a DSLR that I can adapt for a wide range of applications, and have easy control over the image

 

[Tazman]

Costco had a close out on the Cannon EOS Rebel T6i. It came with a 18-55 and 55-250 lens, and camera bag. I could not be happier. I was a film shooter many years ago and had nice Nikon equipment. The Cannon is so much more capable than my old tech stuff. I takes a while to learn the camera, but two times through the manual and realize this is a real nice setup. Costco was selling it for $600 regular 1k. Great deal on last years model.

 

[zracer]

Get a cheapie until you know by experience what you like to shoot while traveling. I didn't hear what you want to shoot other than a blog, assuming you don't know yet?

Image quality is like 1/4th of what a good picture is. For example capturing people and their expressions while camping. We don't need a 50 MP mirrorless DSLR with a strap the size of a seatbelt wrapped around our neck. It will just intimidate people, be awkward and stick out like a sore thumb.

Capturing birds like an eagle soaring low across a glass lake at sunrise, well that is completely different. Image quality is everything and can cost thousands of dollars on a quality zoom lens.

Once you know what you like to shoot and how often you are shooting, then buy gear tailored to whatever that is within the budget that makes sense for how often you are doing it or what you get out of it.

 

[OtterHome]

Get a cheapie until you know by experience what you like to shoot while traveling. I didn't hear what you want to shoot other than a blog, assuming you don't know yet?

Once you know what you like to shoot and how often you are shooting, then buy gear tailored to whatever that is within the budget that makes sense for how often you are doing it or what you get out of it.

I second this opinion. Get something up front that won't break the bank, until you know what you actually need and want. I started with one *average* camera and one *very average* lens. As I learned what I was doing and what I wanted to achieve, I got cameras and lenses to match. Now I shoot all-weather Pentax for my photography business and couldn't be happier, though I also carry a little Sony RX100iii in my pocket when a DSLR is just too much (but it's pricey). A Pentax K50 or KS2 with a medium zoom lens may suit your purposes well.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Kerensky97]

The end result of this little research project? Screw it, I'm bringing my big DSLR on more trips. I'll still use the phone for hiking and probably point/shoot duty, but those thousands of dollars of Nikon gear don't take good photos when safe in the case at home.

A guy named Wayne Gretzky once said you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. I've never seen his work but he must have been a good sports photographer because when I google the name I see lots of hockey pics.

 

[bishop2queen's6]

I am a huge sony fan boy. I would recommend the Sony a6300 ($1000 body only). Buy the body only, and purchase the 16-105mm f/4 lens ($600) and the 28mm f/1.8 lens ($400). You really can't go wrong with this set up. When I go minimalist, I take my a6300 and these two lenses and it covers nearly everything I want to do. The a6300 is very compact with all the features of a full sized DSLR. The APS-C crop sensor is excellent with very clear images. I would actually not recommend the A7 at all. For one, battery life sucks. Lasts around 350 pics with the A7ii, while on the A6300 I can take nearly 1000 pictures and still have 40% battery left. Also, for the A7ii, the FE (full frame e-mount) lenses are very expensive comparing to the crop sensor lenses. You'll need a seperate flash on the A7ii which is another expense. You'll want a seperate flash anyways, but the a6300 has a small one built in when you need one in a jiffy.

The a6300 films in 4K, but only for 3 min, but does 1080p for 29 min limit. According to the interwebs, the overheating issue has been resolved on the a6300. The a6300 is receiving very high accolades and is being called the best camera sub $1000. Super fast auto-focus which is what I like a lot about it.

PM me if you want more info on sony camera or lenses. I own both the a6300 and a7ii with a few lenses to boot so I have a bit of experience with them.

 

[Texans Outdoors]

I was in the same boat, looking for a new camera. I had a DSLR Rebel that stayed broke most of the time, so I took most of my pics with the I-phone. I need more than that so I did a lot of research and ended up purchasing the Nikon D3300 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses Kit ($496 w free shipping and no tax). It had good reviews from more than one photography website and friends. I purchased the camera from B&H Photography and they have a 30 day return policy. There is also a $39 wi-fi adapter to save images on my I-phone

I really wanted to go back to Cannon since I have a lot of EF glass, but the reviews for the cameras in my budget (T5i) were not good. I REALLY wanted the Sony A7 but that's out of my current price range. I thought hard on the Sony A6100 but the 55mm-200mm additional lens pushed me over a grand.