Help picking a camera?

leahfiish · Mar 6, 2018

I'm looking to purchase a used beginner dslr for macro photography of my corals and fish. I've been looking on Craigslist and other local buy/sell places and I need some help determining a good deal. I'm trying to keep my total budget around $500. I realize that isnt much but I think with some patience, and some haggling and charm I'll be able to find something.

I'm having trouble narrowing down the models to look for. I have seen recommendations for nikon 3300, 3200, and 3100. I'm not sure what the comparable Canon models would be. Someone also recommended a Sony a6000 and I don't know how that compares to the other brands but it also seems like a good option.

As far as lenses I think I've got a general idea but I am not sure how to tell if a lens will work for a camera I've seen a lot of recommendations for a Tamron 90mm. I've also seen a Tokina macro lens recommended, as well as Canon and nikon macros. As far as I can tell, any of them will work for my needs so it's just a matter of which will fit my camera and what I can find a deal on.

This is one ad that I found, I've never seen anyone use this brand of camera but maybe they are good? I asked for specific model info.

This one is probably more than I was looking to spend but might still be worth it?

I would love to hear anyone's thoughts on any of this. Any tips or advice is welcome!

leahfiish · Mar 6, 2018

Definitely gonna pass on the first one I posted but this is another option.

dragon99 · Mar 6, 2018

Both of the Nikon's would be good choices. However, those aren't great prices. You can buy refurbs direct from Nikon (w/ warranty) for about that price:
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/dslr-cameras/index.page#!/tag:nkE:$0 to $700

I'm not super up on Canon, but I think the Rebel T5 or T6 would be comparable.

leahfiish · Mar 6, 2018

dragon99 said:
Both of the Nikon's would be good choices. However, those aren't great prices. You can buy refurbs direct from Nikon (w/ warranty) for about that price:
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/dslr-cameras/index.page#!/tag:nkE:$0 to $700

I'm not super up on Canon, but I think the Rebel T5 or T6 would be comparable.

Thanks. I had a feeling that those prices were a little on the high side.

leahfiish · Mar 7, 2018

I think after doing some more research I'm going to go with a Sony a6000. I like the smaller size and wifi, and it seems like a versatile camera in case I want to use it for other things. I have found them in used condition for $300 which is within my budget. One thing I'm not sure about is that I know that you can get an adapter to be able to fit other lenses onto it but what are the disadvantages to doing so? Is it a big deal for macro photography?
I also have been researching different macro lenses and I have seen recommendations for the Tamron 90mm and Tokina 100mm as reasonably priced lenses. Is one better than the other for coral and fish photography? For both of these I would need an adapter.

dragon99 · Mar 7, 2018

No experience with the adapters, but I have the Tokina 100mm. Great lens, but the Tamron is probably just as good.

leahfiish · Mar 7, 2018

I have seen a bunch of amazing pictures on reef2reef with either one so I have a feeling it will just come down to which I can get a better deal on.

leahfiish · Mar 8, 2018

Update: I made some purchases:
Sony a6000 body (used)
Sigma 30mm f/2.8 (used)
Viltrox auto-focus extension tubes - I hope these will work

I ultimately decided that if I was going to spend $500+ I needed to be able to take pictures of more than just my tank. From the research I've done, this should be a good starting point for me.

Brien · Mar 8, 2018

Looks like you’ve made your purchase.

leahfiish · Mar 14, 2018

So got the camera, it's a lot to learn but after a few hours of fiddling I've already got better pictures than I did in the last year with my phone. I am using sony capture one software since it's free. But there's a big learning curve there too.

dragon99 · Mar 14, 2018

Starting out with wrasse pictures, nice. Taking pictures of my wrasses is like trying to catch a speeding bullet.

leahfiish · Mar 14, 2018

dragon99 said:
Starting out with wrasse pictures, nice. Taking pictures of my wrasses is like trying to catch a speeding bullet.

The earmuff is definitely the easiest of my 3, he is fairly predictable...the fairies, not as much.

leahfiish · Mar 14, 2018

https://flic.kr/p/25bCh34
https://flic.kr/p/25bChTx
I can't figure out how to embed flickr photos but here you can see the original pic I took, and the edited pic.

BigJim · Mar 15, 2018

Great shots! It is easy to embed the photos here. Click on the Share button (arrow on the bottom right that looks like an email forward button) then click on the BBCode tab and select the size you want to display. Then just copy the link and paste it here.

leahfiish · Mar 15, 2018

The focus is a little bit off but I still like this picture.

Kamden Uelton · Mar 15, 2018

I have the Nikon D3100 and love it! High Quality camera for a low price

leahfiish · Mar 15, 2018

Kamden Uelton said:
I have the Nikon D3100 and love it! High Quality camera for a low price

Thanks, I actually went with a Sony a6000 mirrorless, bought it used for a good price.

leahfiish · Mar 18, 2018

Getting the hang of it

Tiger Conch by Leah , on Flickr

Algae by Leah , on Flickr

Blastos by Leah , on Flickr

Clownfish by Leah , on Flickr

SneakyTortuga · Mar 18, 2018

leahfiish said:
Getting the hang of it

Tiger Conch by Leah Szczepanski, on Flickr
Algae by Leah Szczepanski, on Flickr
Blastos by Leah Szczepanski, on Flickr

Clownfish by Leah Szczepanski, on Flickr