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Question

Nikon D5200 or D3300

Sep 4, 2015 6:34PM PDT

I have been thinking of upgrading from my current Canon Powershot sx280 hs to a beginner-mid range DSLR and have come to a difficult choice. Should I buy the Nikon D3300 or the Nikon D5200? Price, battery life, and size aren't an issue between the two. What I have found that is holding me back with my current camera is: low light capabilities, it's lack luster colours/contrast, and the overall sharpness of the image. I know and am comfortable with all the manual controls my current camera has, including: Manual Focus, Aperture, ISO, Shutter Speed, and White Balance.
TL;DR
I want a camera that will give me the chance to improve my skills and I won't get bored of. I don't care about price, battery life, or size between them.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
An interchangeable lens system is about the lenses.
Sep 6, 2015 8:28PM PDT

Even in a case like this when both cameras use the same the lenses, it's a good idea to take the lenses into consideration because:

1) there are no 20X zoom lenses (like you have on the SX280).
2) there are no 10X zoom lenses that are good in low light.

So you should first determine which focal lengths you need and which of those need to be good in low light. Then subtract the cost of these lenses from your total budget. Then, if you have enough leftover for either camera body, you can decide whether you need an articulated LCD and/or 9 cross-type AF points, etc.

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I bought the Nikon D5200
Sep 7, 2015 11:38PM PDT

Hi,

I ended up buying the D5200 with 18-55mm and 55-300mm lenses to cover the majority of the sx280's focal length and they have been serving me well.

Thanks for replying Happy

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re: I bought the Nikon D5200
Sep 8, 2015 10:48PM PDT

Glad the camera is working out for you! But for others reading, I'd note that neither lens is what most folks would consider good in low light. Although the significant increase in sensor size should give the D5200 better low light performance than the SX280 even with these lenses.