DSLR recommendations?

[Comet Hunter]

So I am in the market for a used or referb dslr. So far I am leaning towards the Nikon D5500. I am in the $350 to $550 price range for the body only hence the used or referb options.

Main use, day to day imagery, milyway shots etc. I'm not a pro, but looking for a decent camera. My current camera is a 4/3 olympus. Nice size, but looking for a little larger sensor. I have no brand favorites.

All Tips, brands and suggestions welcome, or businesses who sell these you can recommend is also welcome
Thx Ed

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Not a Nikon shooter so can’t comment on the 5500. You can’t go wrong with any of the brands today. In the canon world at that price range a 5D Mark III might work. If a crop sensor would work, there are quite a few options and glass would be cheaper for a cropped body.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Ed, that's a good question.

I have been going to MPB www.MPB.com for the last few years for any used gear I get. I like that they show actual photos of the item being sold, they list the shutter count, etc.. They have been totally trust worthy in my interactions with them.

As to cameras now, the D5500, it's a great camera, but I would recommend for that price range instead the D7200. The reason being as one of the main differences is the D7xxx series has a better quality body. And then for the controls, there is a dedicated wheel for the shutter speed on the right back that your thumb scrolls, and there is a dedicated wheel for the Aperture in the right front that your forefinger scrolls. The D5xxx series only has 1 wheel, and it defaults to the Shutter I believe, you hold down the +/- button and then scroll the wheel it adjusts the Aperture then. Not a big deal, but I prefer the dual scrolling wheels.

Other then that, the sensors are typically the same between the D5xxx and the appropriate D7xxx model. I just like that the D7xxx for the reasons I gave, and also there isn't much difference in price once you are in the used market. So that would be my choice.

If you want a lens, I like the 18-135mm for those crop bodies, that's what I have on my D7100 that I converted to IR. You can always get longer lenses if you want, Nikon makes a nice 70-300mm. And between those 2, you are covered. Nikon makes an 18-200mm, and the older versions of it are not very good from 150-200mm, really soft. The later version of the 18-200mm is better, but I have gotten to really like the 18-135mm like I said.

Hope that helps you.

 

[Kyle Jones]

The Canon 6D (original version) is a really nice camera for milky way shooting that you can probably get within your price range. Full frame helps with nice big pixels and lots of fast wide angle lens choices.

 

[JimFox]

The Canon 6D (original version) is a really nice camera for milky way shooting that you can probably get within your price range. Full frame helps with nice big pixels and lots of fast wide angle lens choices.

I am a Nikon user as everyone knows, but I will say I have always heard good things about the Canon 6D.

 

[AlanLichty]

I have a 6D camera body and used it for quite a number of years. It is surprisingly good for low noise - better than the Canon 5D MkIII series and actually slightly better than the Canon 6D MkII. I still carry mine as a backup body to my 5D MkIV.

 

[Comet Hunter]

Decisions.... decisions
Thanks all for your feedback, both look like great cameras. And www.MPB.com has some great deals in my price range.
I will stew on this awhile and let you know what I end up with