I can't claim to be any where near an expert on the cameras that are available, and I had even less knowledge back in August 2013 when I started researching them. I turned to the interweb. There is a lot of info out there about buying your first DSLR. I did googles such as "best entry level dslr" and got lots of hits.
Now, 5 months later, I am not sure what sites or pages I read. And to make it more interesting, there are new models out since I was looking into this. Here's one page that still has info that was more applicable to the August 2013 time frame, provided as an example:
http://photo.net/equipment/entry-level-dslrs/
In it are the following tidbits of info that is still pertinent:
All of these cameras will produce excellent images under typical shooting conditions. With sensors much larger than any P&S camera they will capture images that can be used to make larger prints with lower noise. If you just want good images shooting in good light, they will all do a good job.
"Factors to consider might be that Nikon and Canon probably have the largest line of available lenses and accessories, plus all the 3rd party lens makers make their lenses in Nikon and Canon mounts. Both Nikon and Canon put image stabilization in their lenses rather than in the body and the best IS lenses probably offer a little better stabilization than you can get with the stabilization in the body (which Sony and Pentax use)."Other web sites had similar, non-committal information, again leaving you almost as confused as when you start looking into this.
But the bottom line is, they all produce good pictures. The feature set is different. I didn't have any idea what features I'd be interested in so that was kind of a wash. The more I looked into things the more I realized I probably couldn't go wrong with a Canon or Nikon. The other brands might be interesting but if you look at enough articles you'll see that people who shoot for National Geographic, Arizona Highways Magazine, weddings or other significant events, are likely using either a Canon or Nikon.
I kind of stumbled into Nikon just because of a sale that was happening at the Avondale Best Buy. I don't regret it, but I doubt if I'd regret it if I'd got Canon either.
One thing I can say at this point is that if you want a sharper picture with the best quality, you need to step up to the "full frame" camera such as a Nikon D610. But along those lines, if "bigger is better", and referring to the actual image sensor, Nikon cameras have a slightly larger sensor than the Canon cameras (1.5x vs. 1.6x respectively).
And, at this point, I have to say that after getting my camera, I found a guy online that I have appreciated for his informational books. I've read some other books too that I'll mention later but this guy is pertinent at this point.
I've bought a couple of Tony Northrup e-books (for my Kindle, which I'll also talk about later). One of the books (and the 2nd one I got) is his book on buying equipment. Tony (not that I know him personally, but I'll use this familiar name) is a pro photographer and writes about photography, as does his wife Chelsea. I like his writing and his books are VERY reasonably priced. In addition, he provides lifetime updates to his e-books. I've only had his books for a few months and I've already got updates including info about new equipment, techniques, etc.
He also has an active and private Facebook community group that you automatically get access to after purchasing his book. He reviews images as do the other members and you can get a lot of info about your pics that you post or about other pics.
Okay, back to the subject at hand, one of Tony's books is called "Tony Northrup's Photography Buying Guide: How to Choose a Camera, Lens, Tripod, Flash, & More". It's packed with up to date info about equipment that's actually in the stores and that he's actually used and compared to what he uses "on the job". Great info. At the time I'm writing this, the e-book is $8.99. This is a great resource to use when figuring out what to get. I wish I'd known about it before I made my purchases. Not that I'd have changed anything but at least I'd have been more confident that I was doing the right thing.
Disclaimer: I'm in no way affiliated with Tony, nor do I get any kick-back from him. I'm just a fan and like his writing and level of information.
Disclaimer #2: Regarding the buying guide, it DOES assume you have some knowledge about photography. In other words, this book/guide does NOT always explain a lot about why you might want a feature or how to use it. His other book that I bought, "Stunning Digital Photography" is a great resource for that.
Another option, which I didn't take, is to go to a local camera store and take lessons, possibly renting different camera models. I toyed with this idea but didn't feel it would provide much more clarification than I was getting online. Plus, my wife and I had just done that process last year when getting into firearms. That may be a bit different because different firearms feel different in you grip but the actual round being fired still likely punches holes in paper targets about the same. (By the way, that's another hobby we sunk money into and lost a lot of interest in after a few months).
I also want to mention another guy and his site which I find interesting. Sometimes the guy is abrasive but I also think he cuts to the chase and has some good info. I'm talking about Ken Rockwell, of course. Here's a link to his comparison between Canon vs. Nikon. He's got some cool info about the 2 companies.
And again, I'm not automatically saying that Canon and Nikon are the best. But I do think they're the biggest in DSLR offerings. There's a new Sony out that's quite something though, and if you don't really want the full DSLR, there are a lot of cool options available from a number of manufacturers. I used to really like my little Pentax 35mm film camera back in the 1980's.
In the end, the more you research the more you'll find out about the choices. All of the entry level DSLR cameras are going to probably be fine. But at some point you have to make a choice and actually buy one. You may end up finding out you want a different one, which is a good reason not to spend too much. A good camera will probably sell used for 1/2 of what you pay for it. You just need to bite the bullet and get you one! Take some pictures! Find out what kind of photography or subjects turn you on! Have some fun!
