First camera for a beginner (Sony Nex)

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Finners

Finners

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I'm thinking of getting a camera for my birthday after being inspired by the monthly photo competitions on here. But I am a complete novice when it comes to cameras so I have no idea what to look for. I've had a browse around the shops and the internet, and someone recommended that I start with a Sony NEX camera, mainly because it has instructions on the screen to tell me what i'm doing! Has any one got/used one of these? Are they any good? As i said i'm a complete novice when it comes to 'proper' photography and I don't want to blow a fortune on a camera that I can't use properly! Thanks for any advice.

http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/nex-compact-camera-system
 


I have no experience of Sony cameras so can't help you on that one.

What I would say is get yourself to a shop and hold a few cameras, then find one you like the feel of, it'll make a world of difference to you in the long run.
 
the NEX range from sony are brilliant cameras and would love to own one but for the cash i'd rather jump straight into getting a dslr.

by the way, play.com were knocking them out dead cheap at xmas, dunno if they still but might be worth having a look on there.
 
I would rate the Nikon above the Sony any day. Above ISO 400 Sony image quality tends to degrade very quickly indeed and Nikon metering and imaging is hugely superior. Also, as your photography knowledge grows you'll find you reach the limits of the NEX fairly quickly while the Nikon will allow you to push yourself a bit further before you feel that the performance characteristics of the camera are starting to hold you back.
 
DBCII said:
I would rate the Nikon above the Sony any day. Above ISO 400 Sony image quality tends to degrade very quickly indeed and Nikon metering and imaging is hugely superior. Also, as your photography knowledge grows you'll find you reach the limits of the NEX fairly quickly while the Nikon will allow you to push yourself a bit further before you feel that the performance characteristics of the camera are starting to hold you back.
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I'd disagree with that like, IMO there's not much between Sonys, Nikons and Canons these days, especially when you consider the price differences too.

I have a couple of Nikons - digital and film - and use a variety of Canon DSLRs at work and there's nothing notable between them in therms of quality. If anything the Canon comes out top, but you'll probably not like me saying that. :lol:

I've also seen first hand the photos Sony DSLRs and and NEX 5 can produce and they're excellent. Slightly different 'look' to them maybe but in terms of quality I'd go with the Canon. Superior metering based on what?
 
andy m said:
I have a couple of Nikons - digital and film - and use a variety of Canon DSLRs at work and there's nothing notable between them in therms of quality. If anything the Canon comes out top, but you'll probably not like me saying that. :lol:

I've also seen first hand the photos Sony DSLRs and and NEX 5 can produce and they're excellent. Slightly different 'look' to them maybe but in terms of quality I'd go with the Canon. Superior metering based on what?
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Based on the fact that I use a lot of different cameras and have plenty of opportunities to compare their performance. I use a Canon, myself, and IMO Canon's are easier to use than Nikons but Nikons meter better. Canon lenses probably just have the edge in the pro range but not by much. Mainly on weight ! :D Both Canon and Nikon image performance is very good. Pentax and Olympus do well but don't seem to be built as well as the main two. Sony, again IMO, are still well off the pace, particularly in high ISO performance. I'm working with a guy who's bought the A850 soon and I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces although reports suggest that, like it's cheaper siblings, once you get it above ISO 400 the noise becomes unacceptable so we'll see. The point about the NEX v the Nikon is that the NEX doesn't give you the same amount of choice in lenses and thus aperture/angle of view/focal length selection that the Nikon will so will never be as versatile.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'm pretty much set on the Nikon D3100 now. I'm not sure what IOS or metering is though so I don't think they'll affect me too much as a complete novice. My old man uses a Nikon camera as well, and he's got quite a few lens's which I can hopefully use so i don't have to pay a fortune for them!
 
Finners said:
Thanks for the advice, I'm pretty much set on the Nikon D3100 now. I'm not sure what IOS or metering is though so I don't think they'll affect me too much as a complete novice. My old man uses a Nikon camera as well, and he's got quite a few lens's which I can hopefully use so i don't have to pay a fortune for them!
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My first proper camera was the Nikon D40 - the predecessor to the D3100. I loved it, and the D3100 is way better.

You'll not regret it, especially since you can lend a few lenses.
 
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