El_Capitan Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 I've decided to take on photography again. Nothing too fancy, just personal pictures to go along with my HD video recording. Since I have a good HD camcorder, I have no use for video recording on a DSLR, so that's not a factor in my purchasing. I've read up on a lot of cameras, and decided on either the Nikon D5000, D90, or the D7000. Someone local is selling a Nikon D5000 body for $400, which seems like a good deal. Otherwise, I'd be buying new for a D90 or D7000. I'm also getting a Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras that my cousin will give me in exchange for building her a new computer. The D5000 seems pretty similar to the D90, with a lower resolution LCD and takes pictures on the darker side than a D90 ($~750), but I'm okay with that. The D7000 seems overpriced (~$1200) for its advantages, though. Any thoughts or suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedCrazy Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Other than price wise i would say go with the d7000. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotdamojo06 Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 I am a huge fan of my Sony A100 My mom has the A750 and my girlfriend has the Cannon Rebel XS...those two are pretty good as well I cannot comment on the Nikons as I have never used one personally Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locutus Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 There are some really good Canon digital SLR cameras out there on the cheap-side if you buy em used. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverfox Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 What sort of photography are you going to be doing and in what volume? I guess with the freebie lens, you want to stay with Nikon? The freebie is worth around $700 itself if I remember correctly, so getting a cheap body could be a waste. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Capitan Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 Mostly going to take pictures of my builds, friends and family, when going on vacation, etc. It will be a decent amount of pictures, but not like 100 a day. Yeah, that freebie lense would cost around $730 or so, and I read positive reviews, so that's why I'm sticking with Nikon. I'm most likely going with the D5000 for $400 (trying it out on Tuesday), mostly because I'm a cheap bastard. The D5000's no slouch when it comes to image quality, and I can always upgrade to a better body if I start taking photography to the next step. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedCrazy Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 When youve had some time with it come back and report on it. I kinda want to go with the pro series but that is mainly because they are so comfortably solid and intuative, if i could convince myself that the others were as well i might finally get one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverfox Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 Pick up a short lens - 12-24 or close to that spec, if you want to shoot buildings. Absolute must in my eyes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmajor007 Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 Hey EL Capitan - OK, i can't help much with computers and such, but photography has been a "Hobby" (and part of my job) for a long, long time (i'm backing up from shooting digital and burning more film - 35mm and 6x7cm medium format). As to which brand to choose - it's tough staying away from fanboy-ism. Everyone has their "favorite" camera brand for whatever reason. Mostly, people don't have an honest reason for their choices, only adopting what someone else told them - and usually some part-time employee in a camera shop or someone similar on the web. Most of the people who are past fanboy-ism know these types as lemmings.... Anyway, back to your question. I would say this (and you're on to it already) - invest in the best lenses you can't quite afford. Glass will never wear out and will always improve your images. Camera bodies and sensor's will seemingly go to obsolescence every 2 years or so. A professional photog who i know is a Nikon shooter and she's pretty happy w/her D90 and uses a D5000 as a back-up body. Another pro i know shoots w/a D700 to good result (but is moving to medium format film for optimal results). However, both use excellent glass - something with a comma in the price tag usually. Honestly, i'd choose the D90 as well if i were going to shoot APS-c format in Nikon mount. As far as one camera shooting "darker" than the other, you can change that. It's pretty simple to do. Simply set the camera on Manual and bumping ISO (from say 200 or 400 to something like 800 or 1600 - depending on ambient light), opening the Aperture and/or slowing Shutter. Since the lens you will have access to has VR that *should* give you an additional 2-3 stops of exposure. Keep in mind that the super-zooms will compromise on something in regard to Image Quality (distortion, soft corners, flare, etc), but they make a decent travel/starter/general-purpose lens. Initially, concentrate on your technique and remember for taking shots in low-light to spend an extra 10 minutes and use a tri-pod. You will not believe how much better your photos will be and when you're on Family vacations you will get to be in the pictures too!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Capitan Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 Thanks fmajor, I will keep that in mind! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekiM Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) I've had my D90 for a year or so, and I absolutely love it. No professional applications, just personal hobby shooting (Wildlife, automotive, scenery... whatever floats my boat). For you I'd suggest the kit containing the 16-85 AF VR, the wide range will pretty much cover whatever distance you're shooting from Don't forget to invest in a nice camera bag (especially if you have more than one lens) and tripod. Edited March 22, 2011 by ekiM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBeardedMann Posted May 27, 2011 Posted May 27, 2011 I just bought a Canon T3. Sears had a good deal on it. I don't quite know what I'm doing, but I love the camera. Here's a picture of a stuffed monkey I took at the Fresno Zoo. I was figuring out how to use f and blur the background. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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