[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by govigov

It should be mostly children / adults in an indoor setting / semi-outdoor setting. (That is, not open parks / fields; more like marriage halls). I also do a bit of a street photography when I am abroad. The full frame upgrade will be there, so looking only at FF compatible lenses. But there is still so much to learn on the humble 60d, that I cant justify buying full frame, yet!

Well. If you want tight portraits, 85mm is better. If you want to include more of the surroundings, 50mm is better. Not getting into 1.8 vs 1.4, which has obvious tradeoffs re cost, bokeh/isolation, and AF performance.

85 mm will be rather tight on a crop sensor, especially in a room/hall.

[jayantvs]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

3. D7100 is old now. There are better sensors....

First of all big fan of you wildlife threads, Nilanjan. Thanks for the great pictures!!

Agree D7100 is old, but among the two cameras mentioned I think this one is more VFM if and only if it is well maintained since it is a used one. Correct me if I am wrong.

1. GPS: how is that useful?....
2. WiFi: how is that useful?....
3. D7100: if one is in the Nikon ecosystem, it makes sense, if one wants to learn. But moving from Canon to Nikon: why? Why not a 70D?

I do not know how much this will be useful for the buyer, it was comparison on what features are missing if he chooses one over the other. Since the OP is still in his teens and just wanted to learn photography so I think D7100 would be a wise choice at the moment and gradually move to a high end camera instead of spending huge money right away on a camera which he is not sure about.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by govigov

It should be mostly children / adults in an indoor setting / semi-outdoor setting. (That is, not open parks / fields; more like marriage halls). I also do a bit of a street photography when I am abroad. The full frame upgrade will be there, so looking only at FF compatible lenses. But there is still so much to learn on the humble 60d, that I cant justify buying full frame, yet!

{Back to back posts. Mod: join, if this is inappropriate?}

Given that you are talking in plural: children, adult(s) - perhaps the 50mm will be better, definitely in the short term, till you get a full frame?

And the tradeoff b/w 1.8 and 1.4. Note: this is my perspective using 85mm, not 50mm. I have shot with 85mm f/1.8, f/1.4, and 50mm f/1.8 (D and G, Nikon).
1. Bokeh/isolation: 1.4 better, but not when shooting multiple folks. If you stop down significantly, why a 1.4?
2. Cost: 1.8 is significantly more vfm
3. AF: 1.8 is better than 1.4. It can be challenging to nail the eye using 1.4.

[govigov]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

{Back to back posts. Mod: join, if this is inappropriate?}

Given that you are talking in plural: children, adult(s) - perhaps the 50mm will be better, definitely in the short term, till you get a full frame?

And the tradeoff b/w 1.8 and 1.4. Note: this is my perspective using 85mm, not 50mm. I have shot with 85mm f/1.8, f/1.4, and 50mm f/1.8 (D and G, Nikon).
1. Bokeh/isolation: 1.4 better, but not when shooting multiple folks. If you stop down significantly, why a 1.4?
2. Cost: 1.8 is significantly more vfm
3. AF: 1.8 is better than 1.4. It can be challenging to nail the eye using 1.4.

Thank you for the detailed help. My findings are the same. I was going in for the 50 1.4 blindly from Canon. Then I found out that the street cred for this lens is not that great. Image too soft wide open. If that is the case, then there is no use going in for the 1.4. Additionally, the front element and the micro USM motor (not true USM) was prone to failures.

The 85 1.8 even though brilliant will be too long for my 60d. I love my 50 1.8 and I was not so happy when it broke, so I decided to get another one, this time with stm motor, that makes it silent.

[Aroy]

Actually for indoors, I find 35mm F1.8 DX ideal lens for a cropped sensor (D3300 in my case), 50mm and 85mm are too long for closed spaces.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by jayantvs

First of all big fan of you wildlife threads, Nilanjan. Thanks for the great pictures!!

Agree D7100 is old, but among the two cameras mentioned I think this one is more VFM if and only if it is well maintained since it is a used one. Correct me if I am wrong.

Thank you :-)

My suggestions:

1. Better to stick to the same brand, if one is looking at used crop sensor bodies. 70D is as good as D7100. When switching, one will have to sell old lenses, get familiar with new ergonomics etc. The costs IMO are more than benefits.

2. Focus on core features and capabilities that really matter. It doesn't take much time transfer photos, almost everyone carries a laptop.

[govigov]

What is a good price to pay for a used 6d? Is it ok to pay 50k for this body, shutter count is about 15k and is about 3.5 years old. It is functionally claimed at being a 10/10.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Well. If you want tight portraits, 85mm is better. If you want to include more of the surroundings, 50mm is better. Not getting into 1.8 vs 1.4, which has obvious tradeoffs re cost, bokeh/isolation, and AF performance.

For portraiture 85-90mm on a full frame is considered ideal. As for a compact sensor (most popular now) put in the fudge factor. Unfortunately, the most common zooms top/bottom out at 50mm which I consider the critical point on 1.5-1.6x compacts since we are right at the limit for portraiture, and also it is at the extremes that the lens distortions are at their worse.

[navin_bhp]

Originally Posted by govigov

What is a good price to pay for a used 6d? Is it ok to pay 50k for this body, shutter count is about 15k and is about 3.5 years old. It is functionally claimed at being a 10/10.

50K is the right price for a camera thats 10/10.

[rm_arjuna]

Recently was on a vacation in coastal area , due to cloudy and overcast sky most pics came up darker inspite of increasing iso and shutter speed upto 1/3.

Need tips for shooting in such conditions, i don't want to use flash or auto mode and want to learn shooting in overcast or low light conditions.

I use a Canon 70d with 18-135 kit lens. Look forward for suggestions.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

Recently was on a vacation in coastal area , due to cloudy and overcast sky most pics came up darker inspite of increasing iso and shutter speed upto 1/3.

Need tips for shooting in such conditions, i don't want to use flash or auto mode and want to learn shooting in overcast or low light conditions.

I use a Canon 70d with 18-135 kit lens. Look forward for suggestions.

You are increasing exposure by increasing ISO, and decreasing exposure by increasing shutter speed. So both balance out. Not sure what you were shooting (movement requiring high shutter speed?), trying to say or do. Or which mode you were in e.g. manual.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

Recently was on a vacation in coastal area , due to cloudy and overcast sky most pics came up darker inspite of increasing iso and shutter speed upto 1/3.

Need tips for shooting in such conditions, i don't want to use flash or auto mode and want to learn shooting in overcast or low light conditions.

I use a Canon 70d with 18-135 kit lens. Look forward for suggestions.

Use the Aperture priority or Shutter Priority modes.

From landscapes, in general, use a smaller aperture (f/9, f/11 etc).
Keep the ISO lowest possible.
Let the camera decide the Shutter speed, based on the calculate exposure.

If calculated shutter speed is greater than 1/10th, then use a tripod.

[nilanjanray]

Given a choice, I would shoot Auto. If the gear AI/capability is good enough

You need to know what end result you want. Now whether that is possible through Canon/Nikon/Sony/Olympus/Smartphone, and whatever mode, that's just the execution - based on capabilities - with whatever gear you happen to hold in your hands.

Edit: there many nuances, but I feel it is best to start with first principles. And not to make stuff too complicated.

[R-Six]

Hello People,

With all the offers we see online, I'm tempted to upgrade from my Sony P&S camera to a decent DSLR. Just so you know, the usage is going to be more or less the same. Limited to shooting pictures during our vacations. Mostly landscapes and the family posing around it at times too.

I've kept a budget of around 35-40K. What would be a good upgrade for me and something that I wouldn't outgrow quite soon? If I can get a kit or a combo pack, that would be even nicer.

I thought about buying high end P&S but then I feel like if I'm spending around 25-28K on a point and shoot, why not extend a little more and get a DSLR since that would give me a luxury to upgrade my lenses in the future as well.

Hope the gurus here can help me!

R-Six

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by R-Six

.....why not extend a little more and get a DSLR since that would give me a luxury to upgrade my lenses in the future as well.

Hope the gurus here can help me!

R-Six

Not a Guru by any means, but check out the Nikon D5300 with a AF-P lens combo, if that is within your budget. Good sensor, nice sharp and fast lens. Should keep you happy for awhile.
By the way, don't get overly swayed by online deals. They may not be the best. Do check locally with the good dealers as well.

For example - I recently picked up a D500 from a dealer and got it for about 9k cheaper than the least online price (not counting the Paytm cashback, since I can't trust unknown sellers on Paytm).