Have you thought about purchasing a DSLR, but your not quite sure where to begin? I came across an excellent article with some great advice about choosing an entry level DSLR. First off let me say this article is definitely geared towards a “newbie” or hobbyist. I love how it’s prefaced with the fact that for a professional photographer, selecting a new camera comes down to skill and preferences. I think this could be said for many hobbyists out there too. I for one practiced photography as a hobby for well over a decade before I started my business and started to call myself a Pro. By the time I had several years of photography under my belt, I knew the specifics I want in my next camera. It is an amazing feeling when you reach that point, and if you are there, that is great!

If you are not quite there, let’s take a look at what Reviews.com has to say about what think are the best DSLRs out there for learning and growing in your photography. Being a Nikon user myself, I am happy to see a Nikon made the list. Reviews.com recommends the Nikon D3400 as a great entry level DSLR. My first DSLR was a Nikon D90, which was manufactured 8 years prior to the D3400. I was thrilled with what my D90 could do for a very long time. I can only imagine what a comparable DSLR which is 8 years more advanced is capable of! Doing a quick comparison of the specs, I noticed the sensor on the D3400 is nearly twice as large (24mp vs. 12.1mp) as what I had with my D90. What that means is greater color depth and a better ability to capture details. Along with much better ISO capabilities (for low light) I think this sounds like an excellent choice. One point I love that Reviews.com mentions is that the D3400 has a built in guide which helps you determine how to change your settings to achieve a correct exposure. This sounds like a great feature for someone who is learning photography. Not having used something like this in the past, I can’t say whether or not it would get in the way. I would love to know if it’s a feature you can turn on and off. If so, it sounds awesome for those times when you are practicing or just playing with your settings. If not, I don’t know if I’d want it interrupting me while I’m trying to photograph people and things that may be moving at a fast pace. If you ever need to study up on your settings, don’t forget this post which tells you how the exposure triangle works, and references a link to each setting broken down.

Rounding out there picks are a Canon and Pentax camera. Both Canon and Pentax look like good picks if you like keeping your video and photos all captured in one device. I would be curious to know how many of you out there prefer this? We have always been a family that does video on a video camera, and photography on the DSLR. I’m always on photography duty while my husband is always on video duty. I don’t know why, just a matter of preference I guess.

All in all, they have some really good advice about started DSLRs. Click here to check out the full article. I love that they gave each camera a test run and created a list of pros and cons. It’s really nice having this information when you are searching on your own. Sometimes it can feel like you are searching blindly. It gets overwhelming with all the specs there are to consider and so many differences between brands. How convenient that someone has already done some of the research for you 😉 It comes in extra handy this time of year!