Used dSLR Camera for Beginners

[doomed forever]

i've bought a 2nd EOS 30D (not D30, that was 3.3 MP, not 8 MP) last year for just around 120 Bucks in mint condition, with about ~10.000 actuations, works like new. Still way good as backup body with my 18-55 STM all-purpose, or 10-18 STM ultra wide angle lens. 55-250 STM telezoom lens would be added 2016 someday.

A cheap 2nd Hand DSLR is much cheaper then a current LX100 Lumix, FZ-1000 Superzoom Lumix, or a Superzoom Sony RX10 (II) Series Bridgecamera. But one should add good glass to it. For Canon APS-C Bodies, that should be the STM Lenses line introduced since 2013, because they're quite better all then their predecessors, optically..and really worth it.

For Nikon DX (APS-C) Bodies, the older 18-70 DX, 16-85 DX, 35/1.8 DX are quite remarkable good lenses. I don't like the 18-200, 18-300 "Soupzoom" Variants, too much optical Compromises.
Same goes for all other brands within that Zoom Range. A great Bargain is also the Tamron 17-50/2.8 lens, without VC, quite good IQ, i do have it myself, for more than one system.

[jcuknz]

Fortunately I was able to find the money to purchase by specifications rather than by price. After 60 years plus of photography I look for the capabilities of my equipment rather than simply follow fashion. So you bought a cheap body, Good, but how much are you going to spend on lenses?
So to any bridge camera owner I would suggest the addition of a moderate [ two dioptre ] close-up lens if you do not already have it to make your rig complete and learn, truely learn how to use it to its fullest potential and to get on with photography rather than hankering after expensive gear which is probably needed by the professional, maybe, but which is over-kill for the person contributing to this blog or similar.
As a professional I gave away a Leica for a Japanese fixed lens camera which had better specifications for what I wanted to do and served me well for three years until I sold it to a fellow pro who had heard what it was capable of and I was doing at the time.
Unlike the contemporary situation where having back-up gear is apparently essential I never had more than one camera, one flash, to earn my living with Today I have half a dozen digital cameras as an amateur ... such is life

[doomed forever]

Well, about me personally, the 10-18, 18-55, 55-250 (in 2016) much enough for my 30D & 50D. On FF, 28-75/2.8 or 24-105/4 and 35/1.4 lens yet. I do also have my 18-70/3.5-4.5, mostly on the D90, and 17-50/2.8, 35/1.8 lens for DX Nikon. There are 2 APS-C Systems here, but it came within time...don't ask me...G.A.S. Syndrome ages ago...i'd say...plus many old, but good MF prime / zoom lenses. I don't use all of it the same time, of course...but very situation-specific, for instance, travel light, need a small zoom, or just a prime, etc. I do have this hobby since 87, and it really costs sadly much money, but besides 1-2 lenses, i am set and alright with the things. Well, sometimes i am also collecting stuff...this time, a old 10D, for a bargain.

[Tronhard]

Everyone will inevitably have their own opinion on what is, for THEM, the best camera to buy. Cameras come with a dizzying host of features, some of which will be relevant to you, some of which will not. To make sure you get the set of features for you, then you need to identify the benefits you want from a change in camera. Don't buy just on price and features, buy on benefit to you.

1. What kind of budget do you have?
That is probably fairly fixed, and I would be wary of extending my expenditure beyond what you are comfortable in spending.

2. What kind of photograph do you expect to take?
General purpose (a bit of everything), portrait, landscape, wildlife, technical etc. The more specialized you are in a specific area the more specific you would be in the kinds of lenses and body you would want.

3. What kind of output do you want?
I ask because if your intent is to produce large, high resolution prints, modest prints, or digital output, the sensor size in particular will become significant. If you are looking at smaller prints, or similar you can get by with a much cheaper unit than if you want prints the size of a window!

4. What are you prepared to carry?
There is no use having equipment that you are not prepared to carry. It will waste photographic opportunities and your investment.

Right now you seem to be on a learning path, and you may not have or want to spend a lot of money to invest in gear. I am guessing you are, at this point, looking to improve general photography?

That fact that you are looking at second-hand gear is absolutely valid, and if you have set your mind on a DSLR that's fine, but if you do so I would suggest looking at the shutter count of the body, look for wear shine on the handling points, and check out wear and tear. Make sure the features of the camera work and make sure you like the menu system - the camera may look fabulous but you may hate the interface.

I would suggest investigating a bridge camera as an alternative. They generally have the same controls as their bigger DSLR cousins, often have wide ranges for the lens - which is permanently attached. This can be a benefit for you as there are no joints where an interchangeable lens would connect, and the whole unit is smaller and lighter.

As I mentioned they have quite wide focal length ranges... the really big ones, such as the Canon SX60HS has a focal length equivalent to 21-1365mm while the Nikon Coolpix 900 has an equivalent range of 24-2000mm! There are other bridge cameras that have more modest ranges too. I would suggest looking at those cameras that have both a rear LCD panel and a viewfinder. A separate hot-shoe may be worthy of consideration if you decide to investigate flash photography and the ability to shoot in JPG and RAW formats is worthy of consideration. See the DP Review table of comparison in the link below.

Any bridge camera would work for the majority of photographic purposes and will offer a relatively cheap access to quite long telephoto shots. I know several bird photographers who love the bridge cameras as a cost-effective way to get their images.

I mentioned output as an important factor. The sensor size of a bridge camera is much smaller than a DSLR with a crop sensor, such as for the Canon models you mention, however if you don't need to have larger prints (say bigger than A3 size), then this should not be an issue.

If you want investigate that option, then a couple of sites may be worth visiting:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2015...camera-roundup
http://www.techradar.com/news/photog...camera-1259503
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...options-rated/
https://www.ephotozine.com/article/t...ras-2015-16928

I am loathe to suggest a particular brand or model to someone else. It would reflect my own personal preferences, experience and bias, and they may not match your aspirations. Whatever you get, learn to use it to it's maximum. Study the features and take lots of photos and really look at them to see what you are doing right and what doesn't work.

Good luck!