DSLR & Lens advice required for a beginner

[arthurking83]

.......

I'm a fan of buying used to get started (that's what I did) but I think the D60 is too far behind the D5100 for the few hundred dollars you would save (for example the D5100 + 18-105mm is $670 including insured shipping from eGlobal). That extra $320 gets you a hell of a lot more camera (and warranty).


Good luck with it...


Cheers.

Then again the D5100 is just as far behind the D5200 in terms of both technology level and feature set as well. So to start off with, and keeping in mind the financial constraints and possible uses, I still reckon the D60+18-105mm, and then the 70-300mm VR would make an ideal beginner set for at least a year or so. In that time, the D5200 will drop to a more reasonable price as well.

So for an initial outlay of less than $800, you could have the D60+18-105mm+70-300mmm rather than the same gear costing with the D5100 costing closer to $1100!

Not sure if the OP has mentioned that they have a tripod(for landscapes), and obviously won't yet have any filters and other useful paraphernalia that can be important for some situations.

While the extra dynamic range can be dealt with relatively easily, the extra 5Mp of resolution of the D5100 compared to the D60 won't make much difference for someone that's only starting out.(ie. printing large).

Noted tho that the better high ISO quality of the D5100 will be a significant advantage compared to the D60, but in the genres listed by the OP, not particularly significant.

D5200 is currently sitting at about $750 on DWI's site .. it won't be too long before it drops into the $500-600 range.

Having used a D5100 and recently a D3200, to be honest they don't feel all that much of an improvement over the D70s, in terms of feel or performance .. particularly AF speed!
D7000 is another level tho, and the D5200 uses the same AF technology as the D7000, so one should reasonably expect the D5200 to offer a focus performance advantage.

If bird photography is one of the key forms of photography, then AF performance will become important. For this reason, I reckon that the D5100 will become a limitation sooner, rather than later for the OP.

[ROA44]

Another alternative would be to just get the body you decide on and just start with a good 35mm f1.8, $218 or 50mm f/1.4, $399 prime lens from ddp new, sure you wont have any zoom but depending on your finances you can then save up for the lens you do want and not be settling for a lower grade lens. These small lens are great quality & cheap but always good to have in your kit and can be obtained fairly easily from reputable camera shops that do second hand or ex-demo. This way at least you have something to start off with so you can start practicing, learning about the camera, posting and enjoying photography. As stated earlier I regret gowing the way I did & have since purchased a 35mm & sigma 120-400 still wish I had waited a bit longer & got the 150-500, as they say patience does pay.

[Doc63]

Doc you don't mention if you are willing to buy grey market (Hong Kong, etc), which (as extraball already mentioned) will generally be considerably cheaper than buying locally. If it was going to take me a while to save the money for what I wanted (eg 18-200mm), what I'd do is get the D5100 and 18-55mm kit lens as soon as I had the funds. (For example ~$490 including insured shipping from eGlobal). Yes the 18-55 will be redundant if you later get the 18-200, but it's not a huge investment over the price of the body alone (~$70 if buying grey). What it does do is allow you to get out and shooting much sooner. It also gives you a chance to give further thought to your full setup (for example once you get a bit of experience you might decide that the 70-300VR is a better option for you telephoto needs).

[This is Nikon-specific as that's all I know, but there should be similar options in the Canon camp. Also I've only checked eGlobal prices as they are usually very competitive, but do "shop" around].

I'm a fan of buying used to get started (that's what I did) but I think the D60 is too far behind the D5100 for the few hundred dollars you would save (for example the D5100 + 18-105mm is $670 including insured shipping from eGlobal). That extra $320 gets you a hell of a lot more camera (and warranty).


Good luck with it...


Cheers.

Well, buying Grey is an option I suppose. I've bought other things Grey, such as runners, Ipods etc, so a camera shouldnt be any different.

It would also give me time to get familiar with the camera, while I save enough for a 18-200 or 18-270 lens. I also need to save for a tripod as well - its never ending, isnt it?

I know it will take me a while to save for what I want, so its a matter of deciding whether to get the Grey Market D5100 & 18-55 (or the 2nd hand D60) now & start taking photos, or waiting until I have enough saved to get the 18-200 or 18-270. I also need to save for a good sturdy tripod as well, which I imagine I'll need for the 18-200 or 18-270 - its never ending, isnt it?


Neil

[Brettmc20]

As said above a 50mm 1.8 is cheap and it would be a great start to learning.

[Mark L]

Me thinks buying grey is OK. 'tis unlikely there will be a need for any warranty claim as quality control on cameras seems pretty good.
Just buy from any of the large grey sellers, some of who can be found here........http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...te-Advertisers .... and if you click the link from AP Rick gets a little to help the AP finances.
I know decisions can seemingly take forever, just be happy with what you decide. If you're happy with your decision before you buy, you'll be happy with what you get.

[fillum]

its never ending, isnt it?

You've only been here two weeks and your learning already

[NCHANT]

Good luck with the decision

I only started a year ago (in 3 weeks to be exact...) with Canon 600D twin lens kit (with a free 50mm ƒ1.8) - again I knew absolutely nothing at the time!
I quickly grew out of the 18-55 lens and mainly used the 50mm for a while as the image quality is awesome! I still use the 55-250mm lens as I have no quarrels with that, but a bit more reach would be handy.
But for landscapes, I found the 18-55mm wasn't quite wide enough - this is where you start wishing for more money.
So I got a 10-22mm second hand, best investment ever! Then I found the 50mm wasn't quite wide enough... so got a 40mm ƒ2.8 as well. Perfect little lens, and cheap too!

The only thing I need now is a 400mm+ lens, then I can cover off any situation. My mission now is to stop spending money haha, beware it gets addictive.

As someone else has mentioned, possibly getting the kit lenses to start with will get you out there shooting sooner, but as I found you will want to replace the glass.

[Tommo1965]

if I was starting right now..Id buy a D7000 with a AF 50mm 1.8..this lens can be had for about $100 grey..camera is $790 grey

the D7000 has the ability to use older screw focus type lenses that can be bought quite cheaply used online....it also has a great sensor even by today's standards

ive a screw drive Tamron lens , 24-135 F3.4 -5.6...a great sharp lens that sell for around $140 used ....you couldnt use that on a D5100 or D5200...also the D7000 is 100% viewfinder and a pentaprism rather than pentamirror viewfinder

[Doc63]

if I was starting right now..Id buy a D7000 with a AF 50mm 1.8..this lens can be had for about $100 grey..camera is $790 grey

the D7000 has the ability to use older screw focus type lenses that can be bought quite cheaply used online....it also has a great sensor even by today's standards

ive a screw drive Tamron lens , 24-135 F3.4 -5.6...a great sharp lens that sell for around $140 used ....you couldnt use that on a D5100 or D5200...also the D7000 is 100% viewfinder and a pentaprism rather than pentamirror viewfinder

I was originally thinking about the D7000, and was willing to wait until I had saved enough, but I thought it might be a bit much for a beginner to handle.

[arthurking83]

....... but I thought it might be a bit much for a beginner to handle.

No such camera exists.

They all work the same way, so making use of one, is the same process as it is for another model/brand.

What invariably happens is that the photographer outgrows a camera model(usually the lower end models) and wishes for an higher end model.

If you don't feel confident in using any of the usual manual/semi manual modes, the D7000 does have auto modes.

But in my brief playing with this camera in those auto modes, actually had me .... confused: .... I had no idea on why it chose the settings it did, and there was no way to stop it from choosing those settings.

I distinctly remember one time when I chose the Landscape mode to see what it did, and for the life of me, it chose some lunatic settings like 1/320s f/8 and ISO400 or ISO800.

Why it chose 1/320s and ISO400(as an example), and not 1/160s and ISO200 is beyond my ability to comprehend! Took me (and another experienced photographer) a good 10mins or so, to work out that we weren't going to work out how to lower ISO in this instance!
The idea of the exercise wasn't to capture the image, but more so to see what these auto program modes do.

Working out what settings to use for a particular instance is not rocket surgery ... there are tried and tested methods for ensuring that a decent image can be captured using predefined variables as your settings for the camera. If you follow those methods, you shouldn't go wrong.

If you can eventually end up with the D7000 as your first camera, then this is ideal. It's one of those cameras that is at a level that will take you a long time to outgrow it's ability.

[Tommo1965]

I was originally thinking about the D7000, and was willing to wait until I had saved enough, but I thought it might be a bit much for a beginner to handle.

Nah......as Arthur said...they are all basicly the same...and in a a month or two you will kick yourself for not going that small step further. The d7000 was about $1500 when it was released. ..its a absolute bargain for $790...and will allow you to grow into it..rather than being frustrated a little way down the track..anew d7100 is coming although im unsure the pricing..but I expect it to be around the $1500 mark
The d7000 is still a very good camera..

[Miyuki]

No such camera exists.

They all work the same way, so making use of one, is the same process as it is for another model/brand.

What invariably happens is that the photographer outgrows a camera model(usually the lower end models) and wishes for an higher end model.

If you don't feel confident in using any of the usual manual/semi manual modes, the D7000 does have auto modes...

I totally agree with what Arthur said.
Before I actually started learning how to take photos, I used my hubby's Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm (which came with the camera as a kit) for blogging and stuff. D3100 was ok, but I wanted a higher model once started learning photography to do more manual mode photos. I used my dad's D700 when I visited my parents, and that also pushed me to buy a new camera. I ended up buying D7000 in the end, and I'm happy with it. With D3100, auto mode is the main feature, and it has a help button for beginners...which is nice to start with, but when you actually start learning photography a bit more, you'd find higher models to be nicer to handle for more detailed settings and manual modes. So I'd recommend to save a bit more to get a higher model.

Apparently Nikon is launching D7100 soon. It will be around $1500. Way over your budget...but the price of D7000 may drop...or people may be selling their older DX cameras for upgrade. Just my thoughts

I am a newbie here, just like you. Hope this helps

[Epoc]

Have you considered 2nd hand? There are bargains to be had out there. Just over a week ago, I picked up a brand new D7000 with the kit 18-105 lens for $600. Admittedly you don't see many bargains like this, but they are out there if your prepared to look.

[ROA44]

I reckon just go for the best body you can think you can afford but leave enough for a good quality small lens eg 35 or 50 you will always need one and then save up for the rest. later you will want other stuff so if your one who can regularly put money away until you can get what you want next it's the best way remember you buy a big lens you need the mono & or tripod to go with it.

[Doc63]

I suppose it all comes down whether the extra cost of the D7000 is worth it for a beginner, or should I put that extra money into better lenses & sturdy tripod.

I was able to hold both of them today. The D5100 felt pretty light in comparison to the D7000, though the D7000 was comfortable to hold. I must say, I like the fold out screen on the D5100. Decisions, decisions !!!

[ameerat42]

Doc63. Time for a new thread, titled:
"DSLR & Lens advice."
Ha-ha-ha-m.

[Doc63]

Doc63. Time for a new thread, titled:
"DSLR & Lens advice."
Ha-ha-ha-m.

Your not kidding!!

Its been great though, i have really appreaciated all the responses & advice.

[Hayaku]

Not sure if you've bought a cam/lens yet, but in case you haven't just my two cents.

I don't think anyone has brought this up but have you actually tried holding the cam your thinking about? When I was choosing my cam I was picking between a 600d and a 60d. Went with the 60 because it just felt more comfortable for me and I knew I could handle the weight.

Someone told me before that you should be comfortable with your cam, especially if your gonna be bringing it everywhere you go. If it's too big/small or heavy for you, you might just leave it at home cause it's not comfortable for you.

[Doc63]

Not sure if you've bought a cam/lens yet, but in case you haven't just my two cents.

I don't think anyone has brought this up but have you actually tried holding the cam your thinking about? When I was choosing my cam I was picking between a 600d and a 60d. Went with the 60 because it just felt more comfortable for me and I knew I could handle the weight.

Someone told me before that you should be comfortable with your cam, especially if your gonna be bringing it everywhere you go. If it's too big/small or heavy for you, you might just leave it at home cause it's not comfortable for you.

Yes, I've held both the D5200 & D7000. While the D5200 was noticeably lighter, The D7000 felt better in my hands. I have long skinny fingers, and I think the D5200 felt a bit small where you grip with your right hand.

[Doc63]

Hi all,

Its been a long time since I posted, but I haven really had much to add until now.

I've decided to pull the trigger on a Canon 70D. I('m going down the Canon route because my daughter bought a Canon 700D with a 18-135 lens.

My question is, to start out, should I get the 70D with the 18-55 & 55-250 twin kit, so that we have 3 lenses between us, or is there a different kit that I would be better of getting.

Thanks

Neil