I think most people start out with the intention of carrying their dslr and a lens or two but it gets annoying quick. These days phone cameras are so good that the convenience and quality wins out vs. carrying multiple lens/dslr. There's always going to be a market for DSLRs. I just don't think it's your everyday average consumer situations. i.e. happy hours..birthday gatherings..dinner with friends or other outings. Even vacations...i want to travel light. Not carry bulky cameras along.
Get a super zoom with an EVF (sunlight will made the LCD worthless outdoors) Latest and greatest sensors are great for lowlight and fast focus. Something not so important outdoors. So just decide on which size and price you can handle. You don't want to "blow up" a photo much, better to frame it correctly with a super zoom.
Ahh so you think the B700 is the best? How do you think that will handle taking pictures of the galaxy at night in rural areas?
Yea that is what I am hearing a lot even when asking my coworkers about it. I don't plan on carrying it every day I just want to have it when I go out into the wilderness and on vacations, etc. Plus, I want it to last, so it is nice to hear they are worth the investment in the long run as long as it is taken care of.
The B700 is on the larger side. I'm sure the size rewards you but like others have pointed out, large cameras get annoying. Many smaller cameras available with a viewfinder and decent range of focal lengths DSC-HX80 has 24-720mm (35mm Equivalent) B700 has 24-1440mm converted to 35mm If I were going hiking I would want a smaller camera. However pictures of the moon etc need a ton of lens.
I think before you get a camera or invest any money...try to learn Exposure (ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed) and Composition. Once you learn that, then learn to edit pictures in Lightroom. This is the key to getting those "wow" pictures everything posts on IG or Flickr. Getting an expensive camera might give you slightly better pics than your average joe but it won't be worth your investment if you can't take that and take it to the next level. I am just telling you what I learned after spending thousands on nice cameras (5D mk II and a lot of L series lenses). I currently use my iphone 6 plus and a Sony Nex with a 35mm F1.8 lens.
What @Sajan said. You won't be able to tell much difference between today's smartphones and DSLRs (especially with well lit people shots) unless you really get to know how to use the DSLR and realize the editing power of their RAW format.. I totally get that most people don't want to or aren't able to make that kind of commitment to it. That new iPhone portrait mode looks like it's basically going to emulate a dslr with a fast lens, further closing the gap. I just ordered a Rebel t6 as a gift for my wife with a 50mm f/1.8 lens on top of the kit lens. She's always wanted a "nice" camera and does experiment with photography (and prints/frames quite a bit) so it won't become a $600 paperweight, plus I'm well versed in photography as it's part of my job. I don't expect that we'll lug it around everywhere we go but it'll go on trips and be used to take pics of our soon to be daughter. It has wifi built in so will connect to a smart phone for easy uploading to social media etc.- that way pics won't sit on the memory card for 6 months before they get dumped off onto the computer.
yeah unless you buy a DSLR with an APS-C sensor or larger and pop on a hmmm 50mm f/1.8 lens then flip it over to Av. Auto metering so any dummy can do that. People on imgur and IG filter all the image quality out anyways. Learning exposure takes all of 5 minutes and is pretty irrelevant to your interests and I'm not sure why the comparison is DSLR vs phone when there is a massive middle ground.
Lenses are more important to me. Low F stop glass is huge. That being said, I like Nikon a lot. Especially the way you can make adjustments with finger dials without even looking. Just keep your eye in the photo and adjust around it. I'd steer clear of that B700 but the D3300 and 3400 are nice looking cameras. Honestly, I'd get the D3300 over the 3400 because that inflated ISO is only a big deal shooting at night. I'm sure the video at night is pretty spectacular, but sounds like that's not your aim. But if you're shooting nature at night, get that 3400. That VR stabilization is great for longer handheld shots. Keeps your lowlight photos steady for being blown up. But if you really want to get the perfect photo, turn off VR and use a tripod that's protected from ANY wind at all. Wind will blur a shot very easily. Even on a tripod.
Thanks for the replies. I am not a pro in lightroom but I do have it. I like the idea of taking pictures in the .RAW format and editing them. I plan on playing with it for as long as I can imagine so I will become accustom to it. Especially if I have a nice camera to use and play with it further. I will definitely be taking night photos (galaxy, moon, etc) a lot so sounds like the D3400 is my best option in the price I want to pay. Thanks again for yalls help!
Remember DSC-HX80 has 24-720mm (35mm Equivalent) B700 has 24-1440mm converted to 35mm D3400 with 70-300mm lens has a 35mm equivalent of 480mm. Not nearly as good for long off shots as even the small Sony. Pssst B700 has jpg and RAW
I've been happy with my Sony A6000. A poster mentioned mirrorless not being good for moving subjects but this thing takes 11 pictures a second (in .raw too) and even just sounds hilariously fast snapping all those pictures while in use. I've used it for kids, sports, and gotten shots of fast moving planes. Very fast AF too. Lens choice is a bit limited but most of us shopping in this range aren't shelling out for a tons of a bunch of lens. You can still get a nice prime, zoom, etc.
I agree with this. Have a great Canon DSLR and a handful of lenses, and I rarely use it because I have to take my backpack when I do. For most uses, the camera on my Pixel XL will do, unless I am going to a venue, scenic outlook, event, etc.
I always thought if I was to get something I'd look at Panasonic but that Sony looks like a really nice alternative.
