Information overload....advise please.

Francis Drake

Francis Drake

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Francis
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I have a budget of £600-800 to buy a DSLR after hours of reading best DSLR reviews and endless blogs I had my mind on a Nikon d7100 I think I have information overload mixed with indecisiveness . I've noticed prices vary online SLR hut nikon D7100 with 18-55 mm lens & 55-300 mm lens + accessory bundle @ £699.00
HDRW have the D7100 body only for £469 including a three year warrenty. It's been said that the camera is not as important as the glass and this is whare I should spend a considerable amount of my budget on.....any advise please?
For most I will be shooting portraits and Landscape .
 
Francis Drake said:
It's been said that the camera is not as important as the glass and this is whare I should spend a considerable amount of my budget on.....any advise please?
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That's absolutely correct.

If you're shooting portraits you'd benefit from a fast lens, and a 50mm f/1.8 delivers an awful lot of bang-per-buck.

Landscapes can be photographed with virtually any type of lens, so the 18-55mm kit lens will get you started until you work out what you really want. (Ultra wide perhaps.)

But you could find that you outgrow these two lenses quite quickly. So it would be a good idea to keep some of your budget unspent until you have a clearer idea of your priorities. Absolutely the best way to work out which kit you need is when you find yourself hitting the limits of the kit you have!
 
I second that, absolutely correct, the glass is something that can stay for many bodies. And a 50 1.8 is a must for portraits. It's cheap, light and awesome quality. I've had a nifty fifty in my bag since I started out. I recently picked up the digital version for £100 but the oldfilm version could be picked up for £50 give or take.
The 18-55 would be Ok for landscapes. I used one on my d40 a few years ago and never had any complaints.
But to repeat myself and echo what Stewart said, the 50 1.8 is a cracking lens and does indeed offer a lot of "bang per buck" and I'd highly recommend picking one up :)
 
I'd personally go 2nd hand, as you'll get allot more for your money. Just make sure you check it personally before handing over the cash.

Once you start, I very much doubt you'll keep what you have for that long as you discover what kind of equipment you like with you style of photo's, which in tern mean swapping out kit. There is so much good stuff to be had 2nd hand especially for 'getting into' photography. Good luck
 
60mm f2 macro instead of a 50mm if u can stretch to the extra cost, and a ultra wide
lik a 10 20mm

and cheapy kit lens
 
i have the D7100 and its a great camera, though that been said, have you held one? and compared it to say the equivalent Canon?

They feel different in your hand, location of buttons etc See which you prefer
 
Personally, I say go with the kit. You are getting two lenses that cover a whole lot of range for ~ £200. Yes, the lenses have limits and there are better, but you'll spend a whole lot more. Once you figure out what you really want/need, then you can buy the right lens *for you.*

I would also suggest buying used if you really want to stretch your budget... just buy from someone reputable.
 
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Whilst it is probably true that lenses play more of a role than the body in terms of image quality (IQ) that doesn't mean that you should neglect the body. The best image quality comes from the combination of glass and sensor, and things like good AF, metering etc play a vital role in getting a shot. Pretty extreme example but you can have the best glass in the world but if your AF isn't fast enough or accurate enough you can miss a shot that you might have got with a better body with rubbish glass. That being said lenses are better investments as, assuming you buy wisely, they tend to stay with you while you tend to swap bodies over the years.

The D7100 is a very good body and a great choice imo. The 18-55mm would suit your for landscapes initially, but it has the equivalent focal length of 27-82.5mm on crop bodies (which the D7100 is) and you might find that 27mm isn't wide enough after some time. Goos starting point though. Also, if you're interested in portraits I would suggest getting a fast prime instead of the telephoto. You could get the 50mm f1.8 for around £130 new which would give the effective focal length of 75mm on crop which would be a nice length for portraits. Even better would be the 85mm f1.8 (effective FL of 127.5mm) but this is £200+ more.
 
Try DigitalRev.

From experience......Brilliant, ordered on a Sunday delivered the next Thursday.
 
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