If you want to get into photography, whether professional or amateur, there are two main camps: Nikon and Canon. There really isn’t a huge benefit of one over the other, but once you pick one it is best to stick with it. So rather than tell you which brand to pick, I’m just going to give you the best thee of each. Go ahead and get the kind you’ve used before. Or toss a coin.
The Cheapskate
If you want to delve into the world of photography beyond a point and shoot (or your phone) start with one of these basic DSLRs.
Canon: EOS Rebel SL1
Best feature: Incredibly small and lightweight, it almost feels like you are using a point and shoot.
Worst feature: Because the camera itself is so light, large lenses make it unbalanced. If you are planning on using high end lenses, you might want to consider a step up in your camera body as well.
Price: $400
Nikon: D3300
Best feature: “Guide Mode” to help walk beginner photographers through different settings beyond “Auto.”
Worst feature: Definitely a basic starter DSLR, not nearly as many features as most.
Price: $350
The First-Class
For the true professional, these high end cameras are well worth the high price tag.
Canon: EOS 1D X Mark II
Best feature: Fantastic speed and accuracy of autofocus, including stellar touchscreen video autofocus.
Worst feature: Loud shutter sound proves disruptive when photographing quiet events.
Price: $6000
Nikon: D5
Best feature: Fantastic high ISO for beautiful photos even in low light conditions.
Worst feature: Low dynamic range for low ISO means more noise in uneven lighting.
Price: $6500
The Best of Both
There can never be enough mommy blog family photographers or Pinterest food stylists, right? If you want to join the ranks, these cameras will get the job done with a quicker return on investment.
Canon: EOS 80D
Best feature: Articulating touchscreen for easy focusing and shooting awkward angles
Worst feature: This jack-of-all-trades and master of none is great for all around basic shooting, but does not shine for any specialized shooting.
Price: $1200
Nikon: D7200
Best feature: Great dynamic range is very forgiving at any exposure.
Worst feature: Large and bulky compared to other cameras in the same price/quality range.
Price: $1200
