Newbie what equipment to get?

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Josh
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Hi all new to this and really enjoying it we got a Nikon D3200 with a 18-55mm lens all it is im looking at more accessories lenses, filters etc to optimise our experience but we wanted something recommend from the people that know!!

Also is there any decent, easy to use picture editing software at a reasonable price on the market?

Thanks all
Josh & Sue
 
Welcome to the forums

Lens hood (it may help reduce flare and stop fingers touching the front lens element).
Spare battery.
Memory cards.
Possibly a camera bag.
I feel Lightroom is reasonable priced and a good editing program. It may be all you ever need.

After shooting for a while you will know want accesories etc you will need, like a tripod and remote release.
 
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Depends on what your favorite subject is, landscape/portrait/wildlife/sport etc. and budget ?
 
Hi all new to this and really enjoying it we got a Nikon D3200 with a 18-55mm lens
I'd buy a spell checker. Some forum members go ballistic when people spell lens wrong ;)

Gimp is good for editing and free.
 
I would say adding a longer lens to allow you to zoom into things a long way off (like animals in the zoo) has got to be an early candidate for adding to your kit. Look into a Nikon 55-200 or 55-300.
 
Have a look at photoshop elements.
Might be around the £80 mark and very good!! Next step up would be possibly CS5 or similar and that's £500 mark!

I use elements 9 not the latest 13. And I'm happy good editor and organiser.

And it's photoshop so plenty of advice and lessons on it.
 
We have a bag and really we want to do family portraits and to take out walking in the district parks etc, ive just purchased the spell checker lol so its now lens.

The new item on its way is now a 55-200 lens

Cheers guys
Sue & Josh
 
I would sugest to wait a while,and see what type of photography you like.A new lens once bought drops in price like a stone.Better think twice and spend once.
A always usefull item might be a extern flash like a SB 800.
 
Stay well clear! It will be manual focus as it is very slow (if you look on the picture of the box it I'd f8.something to f22 so it lets in very little light) and probably not very sharp either. The price for even a reasonable budget lens of that length is generally over £1000.
 
Hi Josh,
you mention editing software...well as a few have recommended Photoshop Elements is very good. I have version 12 and need to upgrade to 13 as I have just bought an upgrade so would be happy to pass this on to you if we could reach an agreement?. Sorry to be so forward, but it seemed like a good idea when I saw your post.
I would also recommend looking at getting a tripod...there are many options on the market my only advise would be that you should get a sturdy model. Not sure if you know of Costco a members outlet..they were selling a Manfrotto with ball head for £60.00 about a third less that on the high street.
If you might be interested in the editing software lets talk.
 
Hi AJ is it pretty straight forward software to use and i am a costco member my self ill take a look at that thank you also what arrangement do you want?

Cheers
Josh
 
Always define your needs/style/what you want to do first, always do that FIRST.

ALWAYS. FIRST. Before you listen to what people think, and DEFINITELY before you listen to what manufacturers think.

YOU. DEFINE. THE NEED.

You're new to this so you will be surprised the amount of people who insist you buy similar things to what they have, or they are convinced what they've bought is the best thing in the world and everybody must think the same, and spend their money in the same place. I think there needs to be a clinical name somewhere deep in psychoanalytical dictionaries for this.

You can experiment a lot with basic kit lenses and get fabulous shots before you can tell which your favourite style is. Macro requires different gear, wide angle creative options is its own thing, journalistic/street is something else, portrait photography, etc. They are all different and can require different gear if you want to advance in any one direction.

A kit lens 18-55, and a cheap tele lens, say 55-200, can be all you need for now. Use them for a year until you can tell where you want to spend your money.

And THEN... you define the budget.
Are you making money out of your photography? Is this spending an investment that is going to pay for itself?
Are you doing it for fun? Just a hobby? How serious do you want to take it?

Define the need first.
Define the budget.

and THEN

You can ask people what options there are for the particular need and budget you have.




This is how everyone should ask about new gear. Dammit.
 
Hi Josh, perhaps you might email me at amazeandcreate at gmail.com to discuss elements
 
Re Photoshop Elements yes it is fairly easy to get to grips with once you play around with it and what is really cool is that you can edit images in guided edits that way it helps you get some of the basics in easy steps. Also there is loads of help and tips on Youtube so it's quite easy to become very good at editing quickly.
 
Software. Adobe do a photographers collection of Lightroom and Photoshop at under £9:00 a month on subscription. You will probably find you do most of your editing in Lightroom anyway. Subscription is Adobe's current preferred business model
 
A lot of very good advice there... and the best of the lot is not to dive into buying something until you really, really know what you want, and when you do spend make sure you buy quality stuff that will last. It's the easiest thing in the world to waste a lot of money on kit you won't use. The 18-55 kit lens is a very decent lens that will allow you to do most of the things you want to do - when you reach the limits of that lens you will know whether you need something longer, something a bit wider (or both...), flash, tripod etc. One immediate purchase I would recommend: Check if there's a UV or Skylight filter screwed onto the end of your lens. If not, get one.

But the most important suggestion is to get out and about with your camera and take a lot of photos. You will soon become more aware of the limitations of the kit that you have and what you really need to take your hobby forward.

All the best

Rob
 
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