Thanks very much for all the comments.
I just deleted a couple of sentences moaning about how people in the States and Canada always get electronics so much cheaper than in Europe, but looks like the gap has closed - both the 700D and the 7100 are cheaper to buy new here than in the US! That's a turn up for the books. Suits me.
@geezerhood - the D800e is just too rich for my taste at the moment unfortunately. The cheapest 2nd hand I can find in the UK/Europe is double the cost of a new 7100. As well as the body I will need at least one lens, a decent tripod, a filter or two, remote shutter release, fast SD cards etc, so I can't stretch.
@dwswager - can't buy until Jan, so any special pricing is out, and I don't want to come in with a model any lower than the ones I mentioned from either line.
Saying that, I completely agree with this:
Bottom Line: The quality of the images you make is more determinent on your skill, technique and creative vision than which camera you choose. It is just a tool that helps you achieve your goals.
There is a caveat here though which is that if your goal is to achieve professional quality prints at decent sizes rather than just have something that looks ok on Facebook or a forum, then the hardware takes on a whole new significance. This is not GAS (and I'm very familiar with that from the audio world
) - in the last year and a half I've been using a 2nd-hand bridge camera from 2009 that falls short in just about every department, and before that I've only ever had point and shoots.
So yes, any DSLR is going to be a big step up. But I want to buy once, buy right, within my means anyway, without having to wait months saving up for a higher end model. I want to be out shooting, not sitting indoors saving
First, figure out what features you need and try to come up with some measure of what is most important. This is hard to do sometimes, especially since you don't have any history to go on.
Yes, I need to be careful here. I've all ready caught myself worrying about not having an articulated touch screen if I go for the 7100.. Is this really so important in the grand scheme of things? No, it isn't. Better battery life is way more important to me for example.
I am a Nikon shooter and prefer their layouts and operation to Canon. Almost every friend I shoot around have Canon and when they ask for help it is a chore trying to figure out the Canon terminology. But if you prefer the Canon way, then mark that down as a plus for the Canon side.
What K Bennett wrote about this same thing has been causing me a dilemma. The only DSLRs I have actually taken any pictures with (for just a few mins) are the Nikon D5300 and the Canon 5Dmk II.
The 5D felt more familiar, and more 'enjoyable'(?), but I'm wondering how much of that experience was expectation bias, as I knew of the calibre of the 5D in advance, plus it felt like a 'real' camera compared to the 5300.
What wasn't imaginary was the control layout feeling much more intuitive and quicker to operate, maybe because it was more similar in layout to the Panasonic I have.
Because I have no real experience of either platform, I reckon that it doesn't matter if I go Canon or Nikon. Once I've put enough hours in on either, it should become second nature.
@K Bennett - I am wary of going by numbers on spec sheets alone, you're right to warn people about that, but all the subsequent reviews I've read place the 700D behind the 7100, in major areas.
Also think about the rest of the lenses and accessories you might buy. Most of the pissing and moaning about brands is because we long time users of one brand or another (amateurs) tend to be stuck in that brand due to legacy purchases. Once you accumulate $5,000 or $10,000 worth of stuff, it is somewhat unappetizing thinking of changing.
I might have got this mixed up, but this actually sounds like another plus for starting with Nikon.
If I start with Canon, and then decide to move to Nikon, then any Canon lenses I buy will be useless with a Nikon body, but if I start with Nikon and move to Canon, I can use the Nikon lenses on a Canon body with an adapter. Is this correct?
I've swung from Canon to Nikon in just a few posts
I guess I'm fortunate being a newb in that I'm not completely predisposed to one or the other and haven't invested anything yet.
So there are some benefits to being a beginner
Thanks so much for all your insights and comments, you're making this a lot easier for me.
I'm really excited about getting this camera, so I'm sorry for writing so much, but I don't have many enthusiast friends where I am. I only know two professional photographers, both in different countries so I can't really bang on about it here without boring people to death
Southern Spain has to be one of the best places for a budding photographer to be, there is so much incredible imagery here and I can't wait to shoot more of it.
Here's a couple more images of two different festivals in Spain, they sure know how to put on a spectacle!
Semana Santa (Easter week) in Sevilla this year
Morros y Cristianos festival in Xixona last year