Sony Alpha A55 or Nikon D5100?
Which one would be a better camera? I'm not a professional and only want to take pictures when travelling around.
Also which lens Sony/Nikon 18-250 mm or Tamron 18-270 mm would be good?
Well the Nikon has a 18-200 mm VR lens which is the one I use when shooting most of my editorial assignments.
You really need to visit a proper camera shop and hold both cameras in your hands with the aforementioned lenses attached. See which one is the easiest for you to hold securely to provide the least camera movement during relatively long exposures (longer than 1/125th second)
While the new Sony has the "mirror-less" feature, it is not clear which direction Sony is going with its large sensor camera line.
Here is what has been said by a writer who is usually on top of all the trends when it comes to digital cameras
"Sony: 2010 was the year Sony took off on a tangent. NEX and Pellicle mirror cameras are definitely both a bit on the side of non-traditional DSLR plays. The inexpensive full frame thing failed, as did the dozens of low-end traditional-DSLRs-with-minor-differences thing. Somewhere in the organization Sony execs sent and responded to a different memo than the one Canon didn't see. Sony's is a high risk, high reward (or big failure) strategy." Thom Hogan
Where Sony will be in the next five years is anyone's guess. They have only been in the dSLR business since 2005 when they bought Minolta's stake in dSLR cameras. Since most people buy camera systems for the long haul (like for a few decades) you may want to keep a close eye on Sony before you make up your mind
I think you should go with Nikon. Nikon and Canon are the best DSLR making brands, others are not even comparable nor reliable. Sony is probably the best at point and shoots, atleast i think it is. So i'd say go with Nikon. Its a wonderful camera, takes beautiful shots and excellent videos. I suggest you read this review to help you more:
You can get great discounts for it on here:
The Nikon comes with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens. Its a basic lens, i don't think you need any advanced lens or anything. This would do for you.
Still if you wish to go with Sony, here's a link with great deals and discounts:
Get the one that suits you best. Best of luck.
I'd skip Sony's previous models, their a66 and a77 are good but Nikon is an older, more serious brand.
I'd get Nikon 18-200mm lens or stick with the 18-105mm if it's in the kit.
Here's a DSLR Buying Guide - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/11/which-dslr-to-buy/
Nikon D5100 is my first DSLR and i'm absolutely in love with it! I chose this camera for its ease of use, and the fact that is has the same sensor as the more expensive nikon d7000. I shoot all sorts of things, landscape, nature, concerts and it delivers 100%. The start lens is ok, but i ended up buying the 50mm f/1.8 lens (which is awesome) for anyone who is still learning photography, i think this would a great camera for you.has a ton of scene features and modes.keep in mind that it DOES NOT have an auto focus pin build into the body, so you will have to use lenses with "AF-S" in them. The swivel screen is a nice feature to have, even tho i don't use it too much. I have zero complaints with this camera and highly recommend it.
The A55 is the better camera. The D5100 is more popular camera.
I'd take the A55 myself, but I'd rather carry 2 lenses instead of 1 superzoom. If I had to take the superzoom, the Sony 18-250, or for a few hundred dollars less the Tamron 18-250 (which is the same lens!). You won't even notice the 20mm difference.