Nikon SLR Cameras

What specs should i check in a DSLR camera for macro shots?

Guest
Guest

I want to start a photography hobby but i do not know what specs to look at exactly… I know that i want more than 12Mps and full HD movies with a big optical zoom for if i want to take pictures of ex: flowers, insects, water drops etc… But what should i look at more? I have a few cameras in mind: Canon EOS 550D SLR
Canon EOS 500D SLR
Sony HX1
Canon 1100D
Samsung NX10
Nikon D3100
Sony HX100V

Jim A
Jim A

With dslr cameras there are no Macro specs, that's all in the lens. What you should be looking at isn't the camera at all for macro specs, you need to be looking at lenses because the camera body has nothing to do with any lens specs.

Elaine
Elaine

The body's nothing to do with the zoom or macro, that functionality comes with the lenses you buy to do what you want. As a minimum a multi-purpose zoom lens (Nikon's 18 - 200mm zoom is a real all-purpose workhorse) is essential (the kit lenses are ok but mostly just unsatisfying). If you decide you like the photography thing then a fast f2 or better fixed 50mm or 60mm prime lens is next on the list, then a good wide-angle (Nikon's truly excellent 10 - 24mm zoom). Back this lot up with a bunch of filters (particularly neutral density and polarised) and you're starting to get the kit together. If you're wanting to do half-decent macro stuff then a decent ring-flash makes a world of difference.

Eclipse
Eclipse

Just to be clear, the Sony HX1 and HX100V are not DSLRs. They are bridge cameras. And the Samsung NX10 is not quite a DSLR but, it is a FourThirds format interchangeable lens camera that offers the same functionality and performance as a DSLR in a slightly smaller package that lacks the optical viewfinder. Only the Canon and Nikon models you've listed are full fledged DSLRs.

The Sony cameras do have a macro setting and will likely do a fine job while offering the optical zoom characteristics you are looking for. These are likely to be your cheapest option to do everything you want to do. That said, they are essentially just expensive point-n-shoot cameras and suffer from most of the same limitatons. If you've ever heard the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none… " superzoom cameras fit that bill perfectly but, they are significantly cheaper than DSLRs equipped with similar superzoom lenses.

With the Samsung, Canon and Nikon cameras you've listed, the lens is typically a separate purchase from the camera itself and dedicated macro lenses are available in addition to superzooms and a host of other options not possible with point-n-shoot cameras. While not cheap, the whole point of these cameras is the ability to pick the best lens for a particular shot rather than trying to get one lens to do it all as is the case with the Sony HX1 and HX100V. Additionally, the imaging sensors in DSLRs and interchangeable lens cameras like the Samsung are up to fifteen times larger than those found in point-n-shoot cameras leading to better image quality.

So which one should you buy? That may be limited by your budget. Sony's HX1 sells for $500 (US Dollars) or less. You'll pay that much or more for any of the DSLR or Interchangeable Lens camera bodies and a basic kit lens alone. The Canon 1100D or Nikon 3100 are likely to be the cheapest DSLRs you'll find and both shoot full HD. Macro capability with DSLRs and other interchangeable lens camera is decided by the lens, not the camera. To that end both Canon and Nikon offer several different macro lens options at costs ranging between $300 and $1000.