Welcome to my new photography related site http://pfron10.de - I recently upgraded my camera gear to a entry level DSLR, a Nikon D3300. I'm somehow experienced in producing online media and making pictures, but I never used a DSLR before, so this will be an exiting journey.
Before I used a solid Canon Powershot G9 and an almost thrown away SX220 HS. The G9 was my partner many years on many adventures in the alps. The sensor was unfortunately always very noisy in low lights and the video mode is pretty outdated with only 480p30. The SX220 HS allowed me to take some shots in full HD but the built-in lens was heavily scratched and the sensor wasn't much better.
So what camera to choose? I didn't want to invest a ton of money, but I always wanted to get a system with an interchangeable lens option. So I went through some reviews of the current camera market in the price range up to 1.000 € (incl. lens options). To make things short, I decided between a Panasonic G70 and the now bought Nikon D3300. The decision towards the DSLR instead of the G70 was pretty simple: cheaper body, wider range on available lenses. With the saved money I'll invest later in a direct G9 upgrade as pocket cam, I currently have one of the Sony RX100 series in mind.
So I got an almost unused D3300 from a local dealer (returned in after a week with some scratches, I was told) with the newest standard kit lens, the AF-P DX 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G VR.
So how was my first DSLR experience? I was pretty confident I knew all the basics and I handled a few SLRs before (when I was like 10-12 years old). I instantly switched on the aperture control mode and went outside. The camera instantly threw out pictures, the auto focus is (compared to what I was used to before) lightning speed fast and accurate, but I was a bit overwhelmed by the new button and shortcut arrangements and the lack of a live preview on the back.
The same evening back at home in Lightroom I instantly deleted roughly 50 really embarrasing shots, where I just messed up really hard with the settings or just f**d up the composition due to confusion and the new handling. But I can say, that I really like what the camera does and what is possible with the RAW files compared to my G9. No more excuses, bad shots are now my fault (again).
Currently I'm waiting for a 50 mm 1:1.8 prime and a 55-200 mm 1:4-5.6 telezoom.to complete a first set. Enjoy my first few pictures from the D3300 around the Weissensee between Pfronten and Füssen.