First setup

[Jonzilla]

So in a few months time hopefully I will be able to afford a dslr. I am completely new to dslrs and have no lenses, not tied to any brand etc....
I could get a entry level but I think I will just outgrow it quickly and want to upgrade and I can not afford to upgrade after, also I have huge hands and the entry lvl ones are tiny!
So with this in mind and my budget of around £600 I think I will get:

-Nikon D300 £420
-Nikon AF 50mm f1.8D £80
-Nikon AF 70-300 f4-5.6G £70

I shoot everything so wanted a good 50 and a tele just to cover everything.
I know glass counts more than the camera but I will get better glass next year.

So what do you think?

Any other ideas?

 

[DizMatt]

hi Jon
welcome to the forums
loads of similar threads about so have a search
D300 is a great camera, I know what you mean about entry level ones been titchy
glass does count but does the photographer!
I would also budget for other things
flash, optional to start with but I wouldn't be without one now!
a 17-50 ish lens, the nikon kit one is quite good I think
a bag, memory cards, etc

can you still get the D300 new? or are you looking for 2nd hand bargains
I thought it might have been replaced now.
still a good camera either way

also if the camera is still small, look at oem battery grips, very handy

 

[rjbell]

You are missing a huge amount of focal length buy only starting at 50mm. If £600 is your budget you would be better off in my opinion do go for a entry level model with its 18-55mm kit lens and a 55-200mm vr to accompany it. Something like a d5100 or d90 £450ish 55-200mm vr £140ish.

 

[Jonzilla]

Matt: Yea I was looking a MPBphotographic.co.uk for second hand. I know what you mean about the extras I have a whole list of stuff I wanna get so will have to make a christmas list And battery grip will definately be on it as I want the 8fps the d300 will achieve.

rjbell: I was definately looking at maybe a twin lens kit, but I went down to jessops to give them a feel and the cameras i would be able to afford were way too small. :-( I will hopefully get maybe the 18-55 or maybe a 10-20 afterwards. Trouble is I want the 50 1.8 and a tele to at least 200mm as I like to attempt (being the main word here) nature shots. But I will plan on getting more lenses next year!

 

[Nod]

Personally, I would suggest the D300, a Sigma (ideally and if budget allows, the Nikkor) 24-70, and the VR version of the 70-300. From that list, I would drop the 24-70 to stay within budget - there's always next year. Unfamiliar with other manufacturers' ranges IIRC, the Canon equivalent is the EOS 7 D but a quick comparison of specification sheets should tell you.
One final point, IMO it's worth making sure any lens purchases are suitable for Fx (full frame) bodies if you have any aspirations in that direction.
One final point, are you sure the D300 will hit 8 FPS with a grip? I know the 700 will but not sure about the 300. Another final point, have a good test drive of a grip before shelling out for one - not everyone likes them, myself for one.
Happy shooting and welcome to the forum.