Nikon D3200 vs. D5200

You don't need a DSLR so have a look at the better compacts.

MM, 

Some of the pictures on the Nice Photos thread have been taken using an iPhone 5. Like Tony I'd recommend this over a compact nowadays. If you want a decent SLR you can pick up some decent 'older' models second hand. But remember it's not the camera that takes great pictures it's the person using it.

Steve

Without the ability to change settings on the camera the photographer cannot create great pictures. Someone that has previously had a dslr will be severely limited by a phone but not so much by a sophisticated compact.

I concur with most of the replies here. Can't see the need for a DSLR, more likely to be left at home due to its size. Probably best to have a good compact like a Fuji X20 or Sony RX100. Both will provide super picture quality. Even more compact than those, the Panny TZ range is very good but image quality, whilst still excellent, will be noticeably inferior to a DSLR when printed.

I assumed he would be buying a DSLR which is why I suggested he look at some of the recent older models 2nd hand. I didn't mean the iPhone 5 should be his only method of taking photos. Perhaps I didn't make that clear in the original post. 

Steve

I must agree - I'm getting great results even with a $200 Canon Powershot. Actually better results on auto on some of these cameras than on the DSLRs...

Hi MM, if by family, you mean kids, then I wouldn't rely on an iphone. You have no control over speed/aperture and so many of your photographic memories of kids will leave you remembering them as a blur...While I use the camera on iphone myself, the subjects are usually very still or I'm using it in a 'lo-fi' way...It's also awkward to hold and take pictures in a 'studied' manner IMO.

As to your original question, I guess the specs will tell you where the money goes, the Snapsort website does these kind of comparisons for you. On the flickr site, a couple of my contacts use 5100/5200 and they can take very decent pics with them.

In terms of entry level Canons, the 1100D is apparently not all that. The 700D is very good though and not all that different from the 650D and 600D before it. Given that you can still get all these and if you look around, a new 600D can be had for about £300, then for someone with Canon glass, that's a good option perhaps?

I don't subscibe to the compacts are dead theory either, but easily set manual controls, particularly just being able to select aperture/speed mode are still quite key for me, so avoiding the ultra budget models is a good idea perhaps. I guess anything in S110 (Canon), LX7 (Lumix/Leica), MX1 (Pentax), X20 (Fuji), RX100 (Sony, about to be replaced) mode will offer good potential...Nikon and Olympus will have their alternatives too.

Clearly for travel these make life easier too. My Canon S95 usually accompanies me in my pocket...

The 5200 is a much better camera overall.  The real value as you go up the price chain is the ability to focus quickly in low light and maintain picture quality (at the pixel level) in low light.  You would only seen modest difference, if any, between a Nikon D4 that costs $6,000 and a D3200 in perfect lighting outdoor landscape scenes.  Go indoors however and things change quickly.  

Brian

Mango,

I am an old Canon shooter, circa A2E, 17-35L, etc.  The 5200 looks good.  If you have any Nikon optics, stick with Nikon.  Otherwise, abandon ship and look to Panasonic, Olympus, or Sony.

I love  the Panasonic GF-1, et al.

My 2p.

Nick

Or, you could try one of these...

http://leicarumors.com/2013/06...ally-announced.aspx/

Joke. What were they thinking?

Jamie, that is so crap! I can't believe Leica would make something like that, with such a slow lens, for such an outrageous price! For that money you could get a second-hand M8!

I do hope it is NOT a sign of things to come.

This is even more of a joke than the new Leica. And it costs 5,000 Euros...

Hassleblad Lunar

Yeah, I think I'll get one of those $5K leicas. :-)

Lots of interesting choices. When I get time, I'll take a memory card to a store take some photos with various cameras and compare them to see which way  I want to go.

I think I'll end up getting  a D5200 AND something like the Fuji/Canon mentioned above..

Thanks!

I spent several hours on flickr. It's kinda cool: you can filter photos by camera taken and subject.

I probably am imagining things but the photos do have a different feel to them - depening on whether it's canon or Nikon. Tried to blind guess what brand a photo was taken from and was wrong most of the time though - so I was probably imagining things.

Anway, got a Nikon D5200 on order. I've lived the past 10 years with Canon - time for a change. Unfortunately, I ended up getting 2 extra lenses and an external flash at the same time. So it'll be expensive if I decide I do prefer Canon. :-)

Thanks for interesting tips though - been good food for thought.

I know we've got off the earlier comment... but my big issue with iPhone as a camera (which I do use a lot) is that there is a large lag between pressing the shutter button and the photo being taken.

I also still prefer a view finder to composing with a LCD screen.

Eloise

Do you use an iPhone5 Eloise? This seems to have a shorter lag time than earlier models.

Pleased to hear you're enjoying the Nikon MM.