Doh! I wonder if he'll be my friend too?
BTW, I don't think the £20 cashback applies to the D3200 so that brings the two priced closer together.
Steve
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Beginner D3300 or D3200
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BTW, I don't think the £20 cashback applies to the D3200 so that brings the two priced closer together.
Steve
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Doh! I wonder if he'll be my friend too?
BTW, I don't think the £20 cashback applies to the D3200 so that brings the two priced closer together.
Steve
Not sure on cashback, the OP states it in his post (7). If not available it makes the D3300 more appealing.
Also, do these cameras come with the smaller lens, I think the 18-55 has shrunk in size and is like a power zoom lens????
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Hello
I'm new
I've been wanting to learn more about photography for ages and decided to do it this year. I've got a course lined up for either end Jan or Feb, but want the camera in hand for a while first.
I've been looking at the d3300 and d3200 as these have been recommended to me by 3 different people.
I obviously don't want to spend a fortune, so I've been leaning towards the d3200, but I don't want to regret the decision, is the d3300 worth the extra £70-90?
I've found a couple of deals for the d3300 for £299 but I believe they are called 'grey importers'. Can anyone recommend a trustworthy site with good prices? Ideally I would prefer to buy locally, but due to where I live, that isn't that easy.
Thanks, sorry for rambling
John lewis £349 then £30 cash back to £319. 2 years guarantee. expeed 4 gives certain improvements and removing the aa filter when combined with a nice reasonably priced prime to get the benefit of the excellent sensor seems a good buy to me.
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a) Prices: I provided dealer's 2nd hand prices for reference; shop around & you can get the same equipment more cheaply, especially if you buy privately. While Cash-Back 'offers' are just that, over the counter you pay the full retail asking price; some time later, IF you follow the instructions AND get the application in before the deal dead-line etc, they send you, not 'Cash' back, but a 'gift-voucher' credit card thing... so.. you have to have the extra to start with, and be able to live without it for a couple of months, and then want to spend it some-where else that takes the gift-card.
b) 18-55 over 35AF... the 18-55 is a very good value lens; and IF the OP was just exploring photography for their own amusement a great place to start; but, as reply, for academic exercises it's limitations can quickly become frustrating; hence, planning to take a photo-course the 35, 'normal' can be a better choice, sacrificing the limited zoom range of the kit for a wider aperture and 'simplicity' of a prime, to frame with the feet, and not get muddled up with f-numbers changing when you zoom etc.
Post was not about finding the 'cheapest' deal, but the 'best' deal... they are not always the same.
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Mike are you referring to the Nikon 35mm 1.8?
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I wouldn't call it a con, you get a Visa cashback card which can be used effectively as a debit card. And as it's Visa, it can be used anywhere - for fuel for a photo trip, on a website for an accessory, on Paypal as part payment for something else, etc etc.
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I bought some stuff from Amazon direct with the card,very nice
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And my advice in previous thread was exactly that. Buying a used D3100 for approx £150 where you possibly dont know the history of camera, or a brand new, newer model with a lens for £218. Also, the lens has VR which may help the photographer starting off using a DSLR. You also get the benefit of a Nikon 2 year warranty.
Another thing to remember when buying a used camera, especially privately, is knowing the camera is working correctly and hasn't got stains on sensor or scratches etc........... buying new takes these problems away, especially if you dont know what to look for.
I have had my cash cards from Nikon and they have taken a few weeks to to get the card to me, as they are Visa cards you can use them in millions of places throughout the world.
Due to the discount the OP gets from Currys, in this instance a new D3200 represents good value as does the D3300 over a secondhand D3100 with no lens.
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Even at £238, it's excellent value for a new camera and lens with a Nikon warranty. Cheaper than a lot of P&S cameras.
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Yes
OK, to re-stress the point of post....for an ACADEMIC COURSE, as the OP was planning, the f1.8, 35AFS is the lens for the job. NOT the kit 18-55; great value as that may be, as a general-purpose mid range zoom. It is quite limited and for academic exercises. Faster, simpler 35, Is the tool for that job, and will make academic exercises 'easier', not least since most of them were written for the common 'entry level' 35mm film SLR and it's 'kit' 50mm standard lens, half a century ago, which the AFS-35 is intended to mimic on a crop sensor DSLR of today.
NOW, you keep quoting the APROXIMATE £150 dealer price of a D3100 I mentioned for reference, as an absolute! I didn't pay that for the one I bought from a dealer b/o for my daughter's GCSE or A-Level courses, nor the one I bought with kit 18-55, privately for the g/f a while later. Price was offered for guidance, and while adding the price of a 2nd hand 35/1.8 to that may make the 'outfit' close or even more expensive than brand new, 32oo, or 33oo & 18-55 'kit', on special offer and with staff discounts, you are NOT factoring in the fact that the 2nd hand outfit has the better, more expensive and more 'appropriate for purpose' lens, you would likely STILL have to buy, for academic exercise on top of the retail 'kit', which would push the discrepancy back out in favor of buying 2nd hand, by probably another £80 or more.
Had the OP not said they were signed up for a photography course, then, yup, the 18-55 would be perfectly adequate and yes, probably very helpful for a newby, to start of learning by doing, but that was NOT the remit the OP provided.... but even then.. 2nd hand might still work out 'better'... and while warranties are nice, but they only cover defects in manufacture; knocked off the tripod, or dropped in a river, or full of sand from an afternoon on the beach, or or or... not worth a lot, really.
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I think you need to go back and read your post # 16 in the thread again and from where I have commented further.. Which is where this discussion has started.
I know what 35mm on crop is like as I have used both DX and currently FF in Nikon. With my earlier comment for the zoom, I mentioned the zoom would be a good idea as you can then have a feel of which focal length the OP would use, then buy the relevant prime. Myself I didn't like 35mm on crop when starting out and bought a 50mm instead, wey're all different. If the OP buys the kit and likes the 35mm range go buy a 35mm prime, if 50mm is prefered buy the 50mm. I'm not saying the primes are bad, but the zoom goves a lot more flexability. i.e landscapes @ 18mm, wide group shots, portraits at the 55mm end ect...........
Plus there is VR on the zoom which can be useful. You must also remember the current cameras will have better DR, ISO over the older models, so are better in low light.
Currently MPB have D3100's starting from £129 > £179, if you bought the most expensive as you would presumme this would be the cleanest and close to new >http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d3100-18 and an older 18-55mm for £54 >http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...fit-lenses/nikon-af-s-18-55mm-f35-56g-dx-vr-1 then it's £4.95 delivery. This gives a grand total of £237.95. The OP states he can buy the a D3200 brand spanking new for £218, another poster states he won't get cashback so it could be £238
So shall we look at the figures £238 for a older model camera with an older lens, or a brand spanking new, newer camera and newer version lens for £218 or £238. With the new camera you have a two year Nikon warranty and with the secondhand camera you have six months. Remember my point in previous post about buying secondhand if your not sure to look for. Your daughter had you to look after the sale?
As for courses, there are experienced photographers out there who offer one to one training for newbies along with open learning courses. If in an academic environment my local college would loan equipment if it was needed. So there is no need to go straight in with a 35mm lens. The OP hasn't stated which course they're attending, as it's next January or February they may not even bother.
Anyway the OP hasn't been back so it's the end of discussion for me.
I know what 35mm on crop is like as I have used both DX and currently FF in Nikon. With my earlier comment for the zoom, I mentioned the zoom would be a good idea as you can then have a feel of which focal length the OP would use, then buy the relevant prime. Myself I didn't like 35mm on crop when starting out and bought a 50mm instead, wey're all different. If the OP buys the kit and likes the 35mm range go buy a 35mm prime, if 50mm is prefered buy the 50mm. I'm not saying the primes are bad, but the zoom goves a lot more flexability. i.e landscapes @ 18mm, wide group shots, portraits at the 55mm end ect...........
Plus there is VR on the zoom which can be useful. You must also remember the current cameras will have better DR, ISO over the older models, so are better in low light.
Currently MPB have D3100's starting from £129 > £179, if you bought the most expensive as you would presumme this would be the cleanest and close to new >http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d3100-18 and an older 18-55mm for £54 >http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...fit-lenses/nikon-af-s-18-55mm-f35-56g-dx-vr-1 then it's £4.95 delivery. This gives a grand total of £237.95. The OP states he can buy the a D3200 brand spanking new for £218, another poster states he won't get cashback so it could be £238
So shall we look at the figures £238 for a older model camera with an older lens, or a brand spanking new, newer camera and newer version lens for £218 or £238. With the new camera you have a two year Nikon warranty and with the secondhand camera you have six months. Remember my point in previous post about buying secondhand if your not sure to look for. Your daughter had you to look after the sale?
As for courses, there are experienced photographers out there who offer one to one training for newbies along with open learning courses. If in an academic environment my local college would loan equipment if it was needed. So there is no need to go straight in with a 35mm lens. The OP hasn't stated which course they're attending, as it's next January or February they may not even bother.
Anyway the OP hasn't been back so it's the end of discussion for me.
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Just to quickly chime in with a couple points:
(a) I'd also consider a used D90. The sensor isn't as new as some of the options presented, but it remains a very good performer nonetheless, at a sensibly low price, and offers two control wheels - very handy for some styles of photography.
(b) The OP opened this thread on Dec 30 2014. We can perhaps assume her decision was made some time ago. =
(a) I'd also consider a used D90. The sensor isn't as new as some of the options presented, but it remains a very good performer nonetheless, at a sensibly low price, and offers two control wheels - very handy for some styles of photography.
(b) The OP opened this thread on Dec 30 2014. We can perhaps assume her decision was made some time ago. =