Advice Needed - New Kit

  • Thread starter gingerweasel
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gingerweasel

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Hi Guys,
I've been visiting talkphotography for a month or two now and finally decided to register. I'm fairly new to photography but I really enjoy the time I spend on it.

I'm looking to get my first DSLR camera (and lens) in the next few months and would like to get some expert advice.

I've been around the local camera shops and tested a range of Cannon and Nikon bodies. From a pure comfort point of view I prefer the Nikons.

I have two possible budgets (not decided how much to spend yet). The first would be around £1200, but I can spend upto £2000 without breaking the bank. I would like to pick something that I won't outgrow quickly or need to replace in the next year or two.

I enjoy landscape, macro, and artistic photography but would like to test my hand in every possible area to see what I can do with each.

I held the Nikon D300 and D700 today which felt good to use but my budget won't go far with these :)
 
Welcome to the forum :)

Can't help re the Nikons I'm afraid, however a couple of things you might want to include in your budget:

1. Extra memory card(s)
2. Extra battteries
3. Tripod
4. A good book
5. A decent bag to carry you kit around

Re Macro lenses, against not sur re Nikon, but 3rd party the Tamron 90mm and Sigma 105 both seem to be well regarded.

You might want to state if the budget you mention is for the camera only or for everything.

Good luck

Al
 
£2000 would have to cover everything I need for now.

Wait let me check my lottery ticket ... no .... £2000 will have to do :LOL:
 
D90 + Nikon 105 vr macro + Nikon 12-24 = circa £1900 that should get you up and running :D
 
well you want:
a body
a standard zoom
a tele zoom
a fast prime
a macro lens
a flashgun
a tripod
filters
triggers
spare batteries
cards
a bag
a card reader

that covers every aspect of photography to some degree, which elements you want and which you will depend on you really
 
I have a nikon D90 (around £750) and was in your situation about 6 months ago... I can highly recomend it. The 18-105 (worth around 170) is a kit lens that might come bundled as it did with mine its a decent lens to have for walking about but not particularly special and you will probably want to leave it to save money for something else. If you're into landscape you'll NEED a tripod. Personally I'd only use a prime for portraits but have heard good things about 12-24mm (around 700 new) for landscape shots. Should leave you enough cash for that tripod and a few other things too.
 
Are you going to buy new or second hand and whatdo you fancy turning your hand at?

You need to decide if you are the type to get something really good and grow into and with it or start easy and then change as you grow. Good lenses don't need changing as much if you get good uns!

There are some good buys on this forum but there are some folk who like top dollar too!

I personally would not get a new d90 for 750. I'd get a second hand d200 and invest mainly in your glass. If you stick with dx,, the sigma 24-70 is great and a lot cheaper than a nikon 12-24. A 50mm 1.8 is only 80 quid or so second hand. Th etokins 12-24 is anothe rlense that I found great but others prefer tamron, roughly the same money I think. Just some figures for you to consider. Oh its great spending other peoples money:D

Ahem, I have a d300 for sale, too:D that leaves you with 1200 left to spend(y)
 
I would look at a D300 which you can pick up for just under £1100 new or £800 second hand :) The rest you need to invest wisely. I would save £50 for cheap bag, tripod, UV and CPL filters (just get cheap ones for now these are not BIG investments and can be sold off to another newby later as you upgrade. You can pick up a tripod for about £10!.

This would potentially leave you £1150 or £850.....

You need to decide what range you wish to cover. An 18-200vr can be found for about £400 which would leave you plenty left for say £90 for a new AF 50mm f1.8 from Argos and then maybe a macro lens.

This is the collection I bought with my D200 when I started! ie 18-200, 50 and a AFS 105mm f2.8

The D300s has a £200 voucher off the newer 18-200 included in its purchase price if you get it from a nikon pro dealer so....

Check this from one of our advertisers http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=159832

So £1299+£699 - £200 = £1798 + AF 50mm f1.8 at £90

= £1888 + decent UV filter for the 18-200, bag, CPL/ND filter and tripod you could then look at using a macro "filter", tubes or reversing ring on the nifty fifty for macro shots at least to begin with.

So lots of different ways to spend the money !
 
Just wonder if a D300 may not be a step too far for an absolute beginner Cowasaki? Maybe the D90 is a better option, bit more user friendly to start with. Agree about the glass though.

Andy
 
Andysnap said:
Just wonder if a D300 may not be a step too far for an absolute beginner Cowasaki? Maybe the D90 is a better option, bit more user friendly to start with. Agree about the glass though.

Andy
Click to expand...

I would personnally disagree because the better bodies have easier access to things like iso, w/b etc and in doing so make it more likely that these things will be changed. Also with the £200 voucher I think that the price difference makes this a nobrainer. It will also last ad long as the ops interest in photography does.
 
Yeh, see your point, long term it makes sense just a bit of a steep learning curve.

Andy
 
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