Beginner Another New Camera/Equipment Help Request Thread!

Hi all. I'm hoping for some help with buying a new camera and some other stuff. I am pretty much a noob when it comes to "proper" photography. I have always liked the idea of learning but never got round to it. I haven't, as a rule, taken many pictures generally as I never liked the feeling of not having enough knowledge or control to take the pictures I wanted and having to rely on the camera to take what it thought best. For various reasons, however, I now find myself beginning to take more and more pictures and so have decided to take the plunge and try to learn a bit about doing it well. I have researched products and started to read a little on the subject (and experimented with my ancient 6 megapixel bridge camera).

The conclusion I have come to is that I want a decent entry level DSLR (not mirrorless, they are great but just not what I want. This despite the Fuji line being among the most desirable looking things on the planet - they did tempt). I surprised myself by deciding that I want a Nikon D3300 as I thought I'd go for a Canon when starting the research - I still remember as a kid dreaming of having rich enough parents to ask for a T70 as a Christmas present. Didn't happen so I've had to wait a few years to get my hands on a decent camera.

Then I found this place and it has raised a couple of questions about my choice. First, I read some opinions that getting the D7000 would be a better choice as it has better controls (dual wheels) than the 3300 or 5300 and that these would quickly become frustrating to use. Is this really the case? Bearing in mind I am a beginner would the 3300 out stay it's welcome that quickly? I should say that I would prefer to buy new rather than second hand for the simple reason that I don't feel confident enough in my knowledge of cameras to be able to differentiate between a good one and one that may have problems. I also like the idea of the 24 megapixel sensor as I will be taking a variety of pictures but won't have unlimited funds for lenses and the greater pixel count should (as I understand it) allow me to crop into photographs more and so act as a poor man's way of increasing the possible zoom I could achieve.

I also saw some posts recommending hdewcameras. I just wanted to check that these are a reputable seller as their prices are certainly keen and I could afford the 5300 from them which adds wifi and an articulated screen to the 3300.

My only other immediate purchases are likely to be a cheapish bag and a low/mid priced tripod but on my wishlist for the future is the Nikkor AF-S DX Micro 40mm lens as I paint (and sometimes photograph) miniatures and would like to explore some other macro photography. As I understand it, this lens will allow me to do both that and provide me with a 40mm prime lens. This may not be as good as the 35mm option but will it be a good "learning" lens for both functions or am I hoping for too much?

Finally, I am hoping (if the price drops low enough!) to go on a Northern Lights cruise in February. Would the basic camera, kit lens and tripod be enough (with some learning between now and then) to take decent photographs of this phenomenon or is there some problem or product I am missing?

Thanks for any help and sorry it is a mammoth first (begging) post.

My first DSLR was a new Nikon D3200, followed by a second hand D40 and then a new D7000, amongst other lenses I also have the 40mm macro lens. The main problem in recommending kit is knowing what features would be really useful and how quickly somebody will or will not grow out of an entry level body. The depreciation on camera bodies is fearsome, so if a body change is likely, it would make sense to not spend too much on an entry level DSLR whilst learning what would be really useful. A new D3200 will be substantially cheaper than a D3300 for what might be a barely discernible image quality difference, a D7000 likely to be the most expensive option.
The entry level Nikons (D3XXX series) are feature starved, no exposure bracketing, no built in auto focus motor (so only AF-S lenses autofocus), no flash commander mode and so on. Control means delving into the menu system which adds time and inconvenience. The D5XXX series add a few features but still no built in built in focus motor. The D7000 is much better for features and handling, but it is substantially bigger and heavier, I personally think image quality is a little better than the D3200. Would those features be useful, that really can only be decided by individual photographers, some might never feel the need to upgrade, others find that they would like to move on fairly quickly. I discovered that I did need the ability to do bracketing, I did acquire screw driven focused lenses and I like to indulge in off camera flash. I've kept the 3 bodies because the D40 and D3200 are worth peanuts in part exchange so act as back up or for use by family members. In short, the D7000 was the best for me, but that's only after understanding the possibilities and limitations of using the D3200.
The 40mm lens is very good, sharp, small and light but with one serious limitation. It's necessary to get very close to the subject, almost to the point of touching the front lens element for max magnification. This frightens away live subjects or shields the subject from natural or artificial light. It works well otherwise as a slightly telephoto F2.8 prime. A better lens for Northern Lights would probably be the 50mm F1.8, available as the cheaper screw driven AF-D or the more expensive AF-S version. I'm assuming you will be on solid ground for these photos!

Hi and welcome to TP. No problem with a long post - you've been very clear about the questions in your mind - but that inevitably means you'll get some long answers....

ADA said:

I surprised myself by deciding that I want a Nikon D3300 as I thought I'd go for a Canon when starting the research...

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OK. I hope you've made your decision by handling some cameras rather than by just comparing the feature sets. The ergonomics of the two brands are surprisingly different, to the extent that one might feel much more intuitive to you than the other. You'll probably get on better with a camera system - and it's a system you're buying into here - if things work the "right" way for you.

ADA said:

I also like the idea of the 24 megapixel sensor as I will be taking a variety of pictures but won't have unlimited funds for lenses and the greater pixel count should (as I understand it) allow me to crop into photographs more and so act as a poor man's way of increasing the possible zoom I could achieve.

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Sorry to disappoint, but I think that's misguided. You'll need a very good lens if you want to resolve 24 megapixels of detail. Although in some situations the capability of the body and the sensor can be important (e.g. fast moving subjects, low light), generally speaking the lens makes more of a difference to your images than the body does. Realistically you won't see any meaningful difference between 16 megapixels and 24 megapixels without a really good lens.

ADA said:

I also saw some posts recommending hdewcameras. I just wanted to check that these are a reputable seller as their prices are certainly keen...

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They have a good reputation for customer service and their prices are good. They sell "grey" imports, which has some implications regarding warranties which you might want to read about. Some people (myself included) question how they could have come up with an accounting dodge which allows them to consistently undercut all the other established UK retailers including Amazon, but there is no evidence of illegality.

ADA said:

Finally, I am hoping (if the price drops low enough!) to go on a Northern Lights cruise in February. Would the basic camera, kit lens and tripod be enough (with some learning between now and then) to take decent photographs of this phenomenon or is there some problem or product I am missing?

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No, and yes, respectively.

You'll need a lens which is much wider than 40mm - I'd recommend somewhere in the 10-20mm range.

Most online guides to photographing the Northern Lights say that you need a lens which is fast (low f number) and wide. They don't always say how you should value very-fast-but-not-so-wide versus very-wide-but-not-so-fast, but having been to Tromsø earlier this year I'd definitely go for the latter. If you get a light show it can take up a huge portion of the sky. If your lens isn't fast enough you can compensate by increasing the exposure time, but if your lens isn't wide enough there's not much you can do.

I have had the D7000 (16mp) and the D7100 (24mp) and we only commented the other day how poor the D7000 images were BUT i would say that the 7100 was with a Nikon Lens rather than sigma and I think this is another decision for you.Stick with nikon for future compatibility ( why do sigma need a dock to make them work right ? ..No forget it) I dont worry about grey market with lenses but am more concerned if its an expensive body. We do crop very heavy on occasions with our wedding photos something we could not do on the D7000.
Personally I would go for a D7100 and use Jessops interest free deal along with a 18-140 ( grey at about £220) and some extension tubes with the electrical connections (£25) The zoom range and 140mm will keep you away from small subjects. If you are a raw shooter fine but if using jpeg dont forget to up the sharpness to +9 or you will be very disapointed. I also have the D3200 and often I go to make an adjustment .....easy on the 7100 but I just cannot be bothered on the 3200 too much of a problem finding the right screen ...so its just a spare....same for the current D33/5300 .
Rockwell talks a lot of sense on Modern macro photography .ie at least 100mm .(www.kenrockwell.com)

All depends how much you want to spend. It sounds like I'm on the same journey as you atm.

For example you could get a Pentax K50, and a 50mm prime f1.8 lens at the moment for £370 quid after cashback. The Pentax only has a 16MP sensor, but has two control wheels and the camera body is weatherproof.

It's also got anti camera shake built into the body, so you can use older relativly cheap s/h lenses at low shutter speed handheld.
For example I picked up a F35-70 second hand lens that has a Macro function at 70mm for £30 quid. There about £40 quid if you want to buy from a shop with a 6month warranty.

For what it's worth Mark Littlejohn, who has just won Landscape Photographer of the year used to shoot Pentax, and only switched recently as Pentax didn't have a suitable Full Frame body.

hth

Thanks for the replies and help, I'm just going to sum up where I've got to so far - sorry if it is long again, my head is spinning with this at the moment!

Sorry Squintykid - I did consider Pentax but they appear to be the "idiosyncratic" choice of DSLR. I think if you have the time and energy to devote to photography they quite possibly offer the best value but I am currently both too old and too young to have that time so I went for the mainstream choice where there are more users/support, etc.

I did handle both Canon and Nikon (but just handle - they were switched off) before I bought the D5300 from Hdew. They had an offer on the weekend that was astonishing (just under £380 with the kit lens, delivered). This was why I questioned Hdew's practices. I knew they had a good reputation for customer service and was happy with the risk of a grey import but I didn't want to buy if they do not pay the import taxes. I did search round for quite a while and everything I read said they were legit so I went ahead. I would have loved the D7100 (mainly, after reading more, for the in body focus motor) but it was £400+ more. I hope I have made a decent choice, if not the right one! Considering the price I paid I should at least be able to make some of my money back if I decide to upgrade.
As for the 40mm - after looking more, and HarveyM pointing out (ta), it doesn't seem a great choice for exploring macro due to how close you need to get to the subject. The research introduced me to achromats (who knew they existed!) and I think the Raynox DCR-150 will be perfect for photographing my miniatures and allow me to dip my toe into other macro shenanigans for about £40. This means I can then get the 35mm f1.8 prime and will still have spent less than on the 40mm lens.

It appears I was an eejit about the 24 megapixels helping with cropping in - not the first time and won't be the last I'm sure! My last initial buys/wishlist choice is now down to a tripod. My reasoning here is that it would be more sensible to actually spend a little on this as it is a pretty known quantity, you aren't paying for whizzy features just quality and, if the worst comes, it should hold a decent resale value. I am looking hard at the Redsnapper RSF-284M & RSH-61 for £90. Any thoughts?

As for the Northern Lights, Stewart - you say get a wide and, if possible, fast lens. I don't know how possible getting and learning all this is going to be (I won't even get my hands on the camera til Xmas as a good chunk of the cash for it is being given as a present - another reason it had to be new) but would I be right in assuming I would be fixing the focus on some part of the landscape and then waiting for the right moment to take the picture - in which case if I can beg borrow or steal a lens it won't matter if it is an manual focus one?

Thanks again.

No probs, hope you enjoy your new kit.

Hello Antony,
first have a look at this, tripod & head combo it is very versatile as it can go from 0-180 degrees & any degree in between.
Also holds loads of kgs even in its 90 degree position. I bought it a few months ago after 6 weeks of research.

Secondly HDEW, I have bought from this place & received good service & the price advertised was the one I paid.
They are grey imports but offer a UK warranty via a UK based repairer, they have a place in Ashford & if you want can pick up from there.
At the end of the day grey imports are the same items it's just the company selling are not authorized to sell in that country via who ever make whatever it is you are buying.
Nothing illegal is going on as the company also pay the customs & tax & vat etc for you. Not all do & it is now illegal not to say if these taxes/duties are already paid or not.

ADA said:

As for the Northern Lights ... would I be right in assuming I would be fixing the focus on some part of the landscape and then waiting for the right moment to take the picture - in which case if I can beg borrow or steal a lens it won't matter if it is an manual focus one?

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That's correct. You'll be focusing manually for the Northern Lights, regardless of the capability of the lens.

However, I think you might struggle to find a very wide manual focus lens. Most manual focus lenses would have been designed for film cameras, and in those days 18mm would have been thought of as very wide, whereas on your camera with a DX sensor it wouldn't be particularly wide at all. You should be looking for something on the 10-12mm range, ideally, and they simply didn't make them in the old days.