Originally Posted by
rickztahone
For all of those kicking themselves about not having a DSLR camera, I will tell you that right now is one of the best times to buy an entry level camera. You have hundreds of models out there currently that are so underpriced because of the competitiveness that is going on with all the major brand names.
For instance, I shoot with a lot of Sony gear. I have an Nex6, a55, a77, and a99. When I purchased the a77 and a lens I bought it for $1700. At that time, this was a steal! That camera is not that old, it was released in 2011. Now, you can pick up that camera for roughly $400-$600! That is a significant mark down.
So, if you are currently in the market for gear, just do your research and you can definitely pick something up for cheap that isn't such a "cheap" camera. Last years bells and whistles cameras are selling for less than half of the cost this year.
Additionally, the top 3 brands are Canon, Nikon, and Sony, however, Pentax, Olympus Fuji and Panasonic also have great cameras. I have shot with almost all brands and I will tell you that they all have pros and cons. For an entry level person, every single camera on the market will have what they need and more. If you start getting to the hobbyist, or semi-pro, or even pro level, you start noticing some companies flaws and strenghths.
If anyone has questions please feel free to contact me, or we can start a thread here on SD.