a DSLR story - What to buy?

Year-end for 2012 is fast approaching which means my birthday is fast approaching as well (woopeee!) and as early as September, I've been thinking of a good gift for myself.

When Apple launched their 5th generation Ipod touch, I got ecstatic! I got amazed with the new features (5mp camera, siri, etc.) and thought that it was a perfect gift. However, as time goes by my longing for it slowly fades away. I've been wanting to have a DSLR from a long long time ago, and so I thought, it was a better alternative indeed!

I searched for the best entry-level DSLR (Why entry-level? I never had a DSLR before and don't want to invest lots of thousands right away. I want to explore my photography skills first and go from there) and my choices narrowed down to three.

1st Choice: Canon EOS 550D

18 MP, 9 AF points, 12800 ISO, 3.7 fps, 530 g

This is not the newest model of Canon's entry-level camera but it perfectly fits my budget. I considered buying 600D but I don't want to spend extra thousands when the difference is just the screen (which flips-out for 600D). It's price on Red Market (authorized sellers) is around Php 30k (18-55 mm kit lens).

**If you'll buy this at Grey Market you can get it for as low as Php 25k. Very tempting right?

My only concern with Grey Market is the warranty. Canon's warranty now extends up to 3 years - which means a lot for someone who's clumsy like me.hahaha!

2nd Choice: Nikon 5100D

16.1 MP, 11 AF points, 25600 ISO, 4 fps, 560 g, swivel Vari-Angle LCD monitor

This is not the newest model of Nikon either. However, according to my online research, D5100 has the best feature for their entry-level DLSRs. I also considered buying D3200 which has 24 MP but what am I going to do with that super high resolution? I won't use it for posters nor billboards naman.. D5100's price is around Php 30k (18-55 mm kit lens) as well and you can get it for as low as Php 23-24k on Grey Market.

3rd Choice: Canon EOS M

18 MP, 31 AF points, 25600 ISO, 4.3 fps, 298 g, touchscreen

It's nearly 2013 and our technology have evolved. This is Canon's entry for mirror-less camera. (According to Wikipedia this kind of technology started way back 2004 and Epson is one of the first to offer a mirror-less camera.) I was totally amazed with it's features. These are the 'IN' thing nowadays I think. Its lens are interchangeable so you can really get a high quality image without having to carry those heavy and baggy DSLRs. I'm not sure if this is already available here in the PH but Canon said this will be released sometime in October (but hey it's nearly November na). I haven't seen this at authorized dealers or retailers shops but its price is around Php 35k (18-55 lens) as per Canon PH's website.

**The only downside of compact SLRs is the AF speed. Of course, DSLRs autofocus systems are faster. Which means that If I enjoy taking photos of skittish subjects, then having a slower AF can be a drawback.

I'm planning to buy standard kit lens (18-55 mm) for now. Saka na ko mag-iinvest sa mahal na lens pag PRO na. Naks!

As for now 550D is on top of my list. It's ergonomics is perfect. It's comparably lightweight and I have used a Canon 1100D before and It's good for me.

So what do you think? :)