New guy - kit help please
I'm needing a little help. I've had a Canon Powershot point and shot for about 3 years now. I've finally managed to break it after abusing it. After looking at DSLR's for the better part of a year, this give me a reason (read excuse) to finally buy one. About six months ago I went looking and the Nikon D series came out on top for comfort of me. I didn't buy anything that day, but was very close. I decided to wait and do more research. Well, now after reading reviews and the like I'm almost ready to drop my hard earned stimulus check on a new camera. I'm almost completely sold on Nikon, but I'm going to check out the competition one more time before committing to a D40, most likely. A few questions first.
1.) Would you recommend a kit setup for a new guy?
2.) With the kit would you say,assuming Nikon, buy just the 18-55mm lens only, or get that lens and the 55-200mm VR lense also (about $120 more)?
3.) OR, get the kit with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm NON VR lens (about $90 more than just 18-55 lens)?
4.) Buy the body only and get seperate lens? I'm lens dumb by the way!
I'd like to shoot mostly outdoors. Close up (macro?), arcitecture, action, standard or normal (if there is such a thing), and of course the family and pet pictures. Thanks!!!
Kris
1.) Would you recommend a kit setup for a new guy?
2.) With the kit would you say,assuming Nikon, buy just the 18-55mm lens only, or get that lens and the 55-200mm VR lense also (about $120 more)?
3.) OR, get the kit with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm NON VR lens (about $90 more than just 18-55 lens)?
4.) Buy the body only and get seperate lens? I'm lens dumb by the way!
I'd like to shoot mostly outdoors. Close up (macro?), arcitecture, action, standard or normal (if there is such a thing), and of course the family and pet pictures. Thanks!!!
Kris
0
Comments
If you are testing the waters, get the D40 and the 18-35 to see if you need more.
Be aware that the D40 does not auto-focus. In order to get AF on the D40, the lens has to be a AF-S lens. These days though, most new lenses that come out have AF-S built in but they are more expensive. Having a D40 will limit you from getting some older lenses. Sigma and other 3rd party lens manufacturers are making sure most of their new lenses are AF as well with the D40 being big seller for Nikon.
nightowlcat-- I don't have a real tripod per-say. I have a Gorilla Pod (i think thats the name). Its the one where the legs can wrap around just about anything. It was great when I went hiking trying to take pictures of myself. How exactly does that Canon lens work? Does it just thread onto the end of any lens? Thanks!
Kris
If you can afford it a single zoom lens that covers the whole range would be your best option so that you can always have it with you and makes everything easier to carry.
With just the 18 to 200 (VR would be nice, but it's not the end of the world if you can't afford it) you can try basically any type of photography, you do landscapes get a wide-angle, if you can't get close enough you go for macros etc.. and then buy the lenses to fit your specific needs
The two lens kit would also work, but it's usually just a lot more cumbersome to carry around different lenses
I started off with the N50 and 35-80 kit lens that came with it, then got the D50 and 18-55 kit lens. Found myself needing/wanting more reach, so got a third party 70-300 with macro ability, but then got a Nikon 70-300 non vr lens. I don't find it too cumbersome to switch between lenses usually, for the shoots I do. I've been building up my prime lens collection more so than the zooms, but need to start saving for the better zooms:
20mm f2.8, 35mm f2.0 AIS, 50mm f1.8D AF Nikkor, 85mm f1.8 D, 100mm Manual Focus Series E, 105mm f2.8 micro, 135mm f3.5 Manual Focus, 180mm f2.8 ED IF-AF
18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AF-S DX, 18-70mm DX, Sigma 28-70mm, 35-80mm 1:4 5.6D, 35-135mm 3.5-4.5, 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED, Promaster 70-300mm 1:4 - 5.6 LD Tele-Macro
The Canon 500D Closeup lens screws on just like a filter. If your lenses have different size filter attachments, you can get step up rings to allow you to use one large size filter on smaller filter size lenses to help save some $$
For now, get the camera and get out and shoot, you'll see what you need within six months time as you get familiar with the gear, just in time for Christmas presents!!
The D50 came out before the D40, which is why your spec reseach shows the D40 better in some areas.
I'm curious though, why the D40 and not the D40X???
www.kabestudios.com
I use a little bit of everything gear wise...
Nikon/Canon/Sony/GoPro/Insta360º/Mavic 2 Pro
Kris
If you can find a D80, that might be the way to go. However, I think you would do fine with a D40 as long as you know going in to it about the lenses you can and cannot use. You can still use pro grade lenses on this body, just have to make sure about the AF. Better lenses are more of an upgrade than camera bodies anyway.
After reading this all of my research lately might help you, I have been looking at the Olympus DSLR cameras mostly due to the e420's tiny size. So far, the reviews I've seen have been pretty good, and the users who have reviewed it seem to really like them. The thing I was surprised with though is how cheap you can get a whole system going for. Both the e420 and 510 are about $550 with the small zoom lens, with the 420 being smaller (it has a shape more like an all Nikon FE) than the 510 which has a more traditional shape like the d40 with the grip for your hand (which also happens to be the reason I can't use that camera or most dslr's but that's a whole other story) but the five-time also has built-in image stabilization for the sensor. So basically all lenses become VR.
But as I looked into possible things that I would buy in the future for it I was surprised with the affordability of the system for basic needs. If all you need is the wide angles zoom which comes with the camera, Sigma makes a 55 to 200 (which really is a big zoom for this camera it has the equivalent of 400 mm in 35mm standard) which is about $150 and a macro lens is only 200! And actually has good reviews.
It's all about what you need the camera for, if you just want to shoot around and dont need the expansive selection of all sorts of accessories from Canon and Nikon. Basically any camera now can create great prints in the sizes you want, and Olympus uses a 10 megapixel sensor so there's some room to crop. Hopefully someone with more experience on this system can chime in about specifics in use
$569.00 for camera w/kit lens and 55-200 lens. I do wind up carrying the d40 with my 18-200 A LOT, but that lens is quite pricey. I absolutely love the d40, some of my best stuff comes out of that camera, mainly because it's almost always within easy reach
http://sartinphoto.com
Nikon Stuff (not that it really matters)