Best SLR for my travel needs?

[Cihans]

Hi all

just joined this forum. For some background info I have never used an SLR just your standard point to point cameras. Last time I went to Europe I felt my photos didn't do justice to what my eyes saw. This time round I plan to change that and get my hands on a quality slr.

Here re is what I am looking for I hope you guys can recommend te best camera for my needs:

1. Image quality is of utmost importance. I want images to be extremely sharp and full of contrast. I want the image to look better in the photo then through my eyes. This especially includes shots at night time. I need a camera which will not sacrifice image quality and keep clarity after the sun goes down. I don't anticipate taking many shots indoors most will definitely be outdoors day time and night time.

2. Most shots will be taken standing still. Therefore I won't need to take many shots whilst moving.

3. Portability and weight is a factor but no means the be all and end all.

4. I absolutely do not care about video. I don't care if video is an option or not and if it is I don't care about quality time etc. Video is far from my concern.

5. I don't care about any extra features unless ultimately it is going to help with image quality.

6. Frequency of each shot is also not a big issue. I anticipate that for most shots I will stand still for a good moment and have time in between each photo.

7. LCD screens not really fussed about. I just want to be able to look through the camera directly and take a good shot. Not really fussed about extr features as mentioned above.

8. I would like to purchase a good lens if necessary if it will add to the image quality during the day or at night.

9. Zoom is not too important but I would like some level of small zoom.

10. Battery life before recharge is definitely up there considering that I expect to be out all day say 8-10hrs straight. I will be gone in Winter so I want a camera that can handle weather conditions. Not necessarily water proof (I will buy a water proof bag and keep the camera out of the rain) but I don't know if some cameras get affected by the cold weather more than others.


I'm an amateur but willing to spend time to learn. I want something basic but also gives me the opportunity to advance with that camera if you like.

Finally price! I'm hoping $800 Or less but with a good lens and top notch image quality with slight zoom I am willing to go to $1000 max.

Thank you all in advance so much for your time for reading and responding

[Cihans]

I found the nikon D5300 which looks pretty good but a good competitor may be the fujifilm xm 1?

Which one would capture better image quality also taking into consideration dark lighting

[Franglais]

I use the Nikon D7100 with 18-140 and 10-24 lenses for anything risky i.e. holidays. Image quality is nearly as good as on my D800 (which is the best you can get on cameras under $10000). It is particularly good in the dark.

The good news is that the D5300 is the D7100 in a cheaper body (less buttons and dials at your fingertips, so-so viewfinder). It usually comes with the 18-105 which I actually had on my D7100 at first. Its pretty sharp but I prefer the 18-140 because it has enough reach to cover all my needs. You might be able to find the 18-140 in a kit with the D5300.

The Fujifilm XM1 is a hybrid, not a DSLR. Whether you want to spend a lot of money for something which lacks a good focussing and viewing system is up to you. But be aware that many of the hybrid manufacturers are losing money. Some people (including me) think that some of them may disappear quite soon.

[mattb]

I have the cousin to the D7100, the Pentax K-3 and I think it makes a nice travel camera too. It has the same Sony sensor as the D7100 and I imagine image quality is pretty similar between the two.
What makes me prefer the Pentax is:
Having image stabilization in the camera body instead of in the lens so it works with all lenses and it only need to be purchased once.
The camera body is sealed and there are a decent selection of sealed lenses available too. I do a lot of adventure photography and this is a nice extra peace of mind for me in harsh conditions.
Lower spec models like the K-50 are slightly smaller but still have most of the image quality of the flagship. If higher end features aren't important to you the K-50 might be just the camera for you.

Bottom line is all manufacturers make some nice cameras these days. The key is to get the one with the features and ergonomics that suit you and your shooting style. Also knowing what lens(es) you want can help make the decision as the different systems all have different lenses available.

[Franglais]

The D7100 has a Nikon sensor made by Toshiba. The K3 seems to have the Sony sensor used in the NEX-7. Both are very good, perhaps a bit ahead of what Canon is currently providing.

[Cihans]

Thanks for the help guys.

I ended up choosing the Nikon D5300 Body Only and purchased separetly second hand for $650 the 17-55mm f/2.8 lens.

I feel that I will not require much zoom and am more so looking for the best combination of width, image quality and low light photography.

I was consdering purchasing the 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma or the 17-50mm f/2.8 Sigma, however I did not proceed with either purchase because I have read compatability issues with the Sigma lenses and the D5300 (which can be rectified by a firmware update, but the USB dock needs to be purchased in order to so and hence it gets quite expensive).

If I hadn't gotten such a sweet deal on the Nikon 17-55mm I would have probably purchased one of the Sigma lenses above, but considering I got the Nikon for practically half the price of its RRP I feel it was the safer "branded" option and also in terms of build quality it seems to be very strong. I feel I got lucky on this price.

Hopefully I can walk through Europe with that one lens and upgrade later to a zoom lens as required.

I have done some extensive research and also decided to invest in a tripod (apparently tripod is king when it comes to low light photography) although at the moment I am absolutely torn between the Manfrotto BeFree Tripod and the (Benro) Mefoto A1350Q1K Roadtrip Travel although to be honest I am leaning towards the Mefoto.

Both seem like good travel tripods, and also not so cheap to render them unstable for my use, but also not so expensive for my budget ($200-$250 mark).

The only reason I would buy the Manfrotto is because it is sold in my city, whereas the MeFoto I would have to import it and I am weary of something happening to it on the way...eeeekkk

What do you guys think?

[joearndt59]

Nikon D5300

[rajivjaipur]

i always trust on sony

[margaret]

Thanks, great review.

[LisaLawson]

Hi thanks for the complete information

[zalan05]

canon 70D would be great

[pipi99]

Thax to informations,

[samgood]

I just use my Nikon D500 camera and I am ok with it. You don't have to agree with me, you can always check different travel forums and to read others' opinions. Best of luck!

[rohinidubey]

Canon M100. With a large APS-C size sensor as found in their DSLRs, the Canon M100 is one of the best budget travel camera options to consider.
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[SKYFAREZ]

CanonM100 is best for photography. I am also using this. If you are looking for book the flights, then SkyFarez offers you the best and cheap flights for your destination.

[FREEDDAWG]

Guys, after lockdown I'm planning to travel a lot, but I need to get a visa. Any advice on how to do this quickly?

[Cetoryt]

I also love going on different trips and therefore I think that a camera is the first necessity. But, unfortunately, I have a camera, but I don’t have a visa. Can anyone help with this issue? I will be very grateful to you

[Azamakix]

Hello! I think everyone wants to go travel after quarantine. Most likely because of this there will be huge queues for obtaining a visa.
Fortunately, I am already a very experienced traveler, so I have a couple of excellent visa centers in mind that will help you. The best of them, I think https://tnvisaexpert.com/k1-visa/
Contact these guys, they will certainly help you with your visa!
At the same time, I will soon ask them for help with updating my visa.