Good beginners DSLR help please

[MissNarniee]

Hi guys,

I've been thinking about photography as i need a new hobby.
I've got a Canon point and shoot camera but its old, slow, gitches and i hate the fact that it chews 4x AA batteries..

Anyway im looking at some good entry level DSLR's. Whats good?!
I've always loved old style house pics, trees, scenery&sunsets, lightening, up close leaves/bugs etc (so really a bit of EVERYTHING:lol:) i think i just need to get myself a decent entry level camera and have a play and then see what lenses would suit me and see what i enjoy capturing most?

Also what specs make THE difference? I have been looking at the Nikon and Canon cameras and they seem to vary betweek 18 and 24 mega pixels..
any info would be greatly appreciated :)

TIA

[I @ M]

Anyway im looking at some good entry level DSLR's. Whats good?!

They are ( with only a tiny few exceptions ) all "good".
Some are better than others, some are priced more attractively than others.

What is your budget?


i think i just need to get myself a decent entry level camera and have a play and then see what lenses would suit me and see what i enjoy capturing most?

Have a look at buying the camera body only and then better quality lenses than the "kit" bundle offers depending on your preferred genre.


Also what specs make THE difference? I have been looking at the Nikon and Canon cameras and they seem to vary betweek 18 and 24 mega pixels..


First off, forget mega pixel specifications ( to a large degree ) as they are most important when printing at large sizes. Look more at reviews and information that tell you about the durability of the brand / camera body, the availability of good lenses, both made by the camera maker and by the established 3rd party manufacturers.

There are a lot more makers out there than just Canon and Nikon -----

[ricktas]

As a beginner, any of the Canon range will suit. It just depends on how much you want to spend. Of all the Canon models on sale now, none are going to be bad. As for lenses, well that is where you need to look for the genre you like to shoot. Building etc often lend themselves to a reasonable wide angle cause you can get in reasonably close and still not miss the edges of the buildings. For leaves, bugs etc, you need to consider a macro lens.

Your big learning curve ahead is how to use all the functions of your camera, with the right lens choice, and good composition skills to get a great shot to start with, then the editing skills come in to make that great photo a superb photo. Just getting a DSLR does not make your photos better. 80% or more of a good photo, is the photographer.

So welcome to AP, you have a huge learning curve ahead of you.

[MattNQ]

As mentioned, the entry level cameras from most brands are quite good. They all have their own 'feel' though. Go into a camera store and pick a few up and see what feels comfortable. A good store should have working ones and can step you through basic functions.

[bitsnpieces]

Maybe possibly the Sony a6000? It's light, fully functional, and with adapters, you can use just about any other lens to their full degree, so you'll still be able to use your old lenses (adapters are separate purchases of course), or go with new lenses.

Price isn't too bad either.

[MissionMan]

I think the important thing to realise is that cameras are cameras, at the current level you're at, there aren't many of the DSLR's or mirrorless cameras that will impose a restriction on your growth, but lenses will make a huge difference. I'd be inclined to say that whatever you invest in (DSLR or mirrorless), you need to consider what you will be doing long term and invest in the right lenses to make it work. You could take a base range DSLR or mirrorless, and put a decent lens on it and the photos will look incredible, but having a decent camera and putting cheap glass on it isn't going to look much better than a cheap camera. So in short, rather skimp on the camera slightly because good lenses will last 10 years.

[MissNarniee]

Thanks everyone :) youve been a great help!!

I'll be doing ALOT of research and save some $$ for a few months.

At the moment ive been looking at camera bodies in the $500 range - i need to look at lenses and have a think about the main things i want to take pics of and then see what suites - not sure how much they'll end up costing.
I definitely want something decent and will last me a long time - and yeah lenses :p :confused013

I have a lot of thinking to do haha!

So if i got a camera that comes with just the plain starter lens - they are pretty crap?

I like the idea of the flip out view finders

[davsv1]

There is nothing wrong with starting with second hand too, plenty of people buy brand new latest model camera only to find they seldom use it so sell it hardly used after a few months, or upgrade and sell off the older one which really has nothing wrong, bodies and lenses. For the same $$$ you could get a model above what your considering but a generation older that would still last a few years more but will still met or surpass your requirements

[MissNarniee]

Ive been looking into the Nikon D5200 - anyone have this one? I aggree with MattNQ - i need to go to the shops and have a feel of them :)

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, thats a good idea! :)
Funny, my Boyfriend just purchased his first rifle and i think its either someone who has alot of money and got sick of it or from a deceased estate because its MINT condition, top of the range and hardly used - might have a look for a camera like that and save myself some money or put the money towards something else like a tripod or something :)

Will definitely have a look around, thanks!

[ricktas]

'starter' lenses are referred to as Kit Lenses. Whilst not crap and certainly able to capture some really nice sharp photos, they are not on par with the more expensive 'pro' level lenses. Having said that a 18-200mm lens is not a bad place to start out. You get a reasonably wide 18mm and a good 200 mm zoom. Some of these lenses are also quite ok for the occasional macro shot. I would suggest that the 18-200 is a good place to start, then once you develop your photographic experience, and know what genre you want, then you can start looking at some better lenses to suit. You can always sell the 18-200 down the track.

[Dennis Estigoy]

When I started Photography, I bought a used Canon 5D with EF 28-135 lens. I won a few comps with it here and there. They are good for portraits and landscapes and you can attached a cheap extension tube and shoot macro or attached a cheap extender and shoot birds. I still use this combo until now and the funny thing is a few of my friends are still willing to buy it from me for around $550, which is the price I paid 3 years ago. You can then build your arsenal around it depending on the Genre you want to pursue! Good Luck hunting!

[MissNarniee]

I think the Nikon d5200 that i was looking at earlier came with the 18 - 55mm

Was thinking about getting the kit, that way i can have a play with it, learn the settings and then think about what lens i would like to spend my money on. So hard because i LOVE all photography haha its going to be an expensive hobby ;)

[Ian Brewster]

Please Google "The Lesser Photographer" - it will take some of the pressure off you over the hardware choice.

[MissNarniee]

I'll have a look tonight after work, thanks :)

[MattNQ]

I think the Nikon d5200 that i was looking at earlier came with the 18 - 55mm

Was thinking about getting the kit, that way i can have a play with it, learn the settings and then think about what lens i would like to spend my money on. So hard because i LOVE all photography haha its going to be an expensive hobby ;)

The Nikon 18-55 is actually not too bad for a kit lens. It is sharp enough. It only starts falling short when you get more serious & adventurous. By that time you will have a better idea of what you want.

[MissNarniee]

I went to the shops today and had a hold of the Nikon d5200 and felt really nice, also felt the canon 600d with a kit 18-55 lens.. They both feel pretty nice - not really sure whats better or anything yet... Its so hard to pick!! The Canon with kit lens was cheaper, they are both just what the young guy passed me to have a feel of. Wish i stayed and studied them a bit longer :/

[arthurking83]

FWIW: I'd avoid the 18-55 kit lenses, not because they're no good, in fact they can get you decent results.

The reason I'd avoid them is more to do with the ability for them to allow you to find your lens types into the future, as you get more experience.

I'd go for more of a 18-100mm or longer range.

I don't know what Canon or other brands have, but Nikon have their 18-105mm and 18-140mm lenses which are very well priced(ie. low priced).

Some comments have been made that you should worry about the camera body only and get better lenses with them .. this is very true(and you will find this out for yourself if you also get hooked completely into the hobby too!)

The problem is, which lenses are the ones you want or will be comfortable to use.
That is, you may have an interest in portrait photography, or say landscape, and while there are traditional lenses that do these genres well, this doesn't mean that using those types of lenses is what YOU are interested in!!

as an example of what this means, taking some numbers into account:
Say you want to do portrait photography, tradtional lenses for this are for 50mm 85mm 105mm and 135mm .. and longer if you care for large frame cameras.
For smaller framed D5200 type APS-C, this changes to 35mm, 50/60mm, 85mm and 105mm, with 135mm and 200mm ok too, but as you get longer focal length distances become an issue.

But what if you prefer wider lenses for doing portraits .. ie. more environmental type portraits.

Same with landscapes .. really short, ultra wide lenses are considered traditional lenses for landscapes .. While I mainly use these shorter focal length lenses myself too, my preference is for longer focal lengths.
I like using my 70-200mm and 500mm lenses to do more landscapes, as the conditions allow. Those two lenses are not traditional lenses for doing landscapes tho.

Doesn't matter if it's Canon/Nikon/Pentax/Sony/Olympus/etc ... it's the choice of a good cheap lens that allows a good range of focal length(to start with).
You may find that you shoot mainly at 18mm .. no point getting an expensive 24-70mm f/2.8 lens if all you need is 18mm!
Conversely, you may find that all your shots are made at 100mm and nothing else. No point in having a 14-24mm f/2.8 lens when it's obvious a longer lens is what you want.

As you develop(your experience) you then have a better idea of which good lenses to get once you've understood what focal lengths work for you. 18-140mm is a very good range to start with.
I can't imagine that you would be restricted with a lens in the 18-100 mm range being a beginner.


I second the comment made that you should also consider the second hand option too.
Many folks have gone through this learning experience themselves and hence you will see a lot of D5200+kit lens kits for sale on various locations on the net.

D5200+18-105mm kit lens will be an awesome start for ya, I reckon .. or the equivalent Canon starter kit.
If you can save yourself $200 on such a kit getting a second hand one, then this leaves you a bit of money, after having gained a bit of experience, to get at least one 'better' lens .. but only once you know what it is you refer to shoot.

[MissNarniee]

Wow, thanks for that Arthur!
I'm still not sure what would suit me more, its so hard to pick!!

Was thinking something that would do decent portraits - landscape (18 - 105mm you mentioned sounded good) and then a macro but i think macro is really expensive?! :confused013

I love bush walking and taking up close pics of flowers, toadstools and other little things.. Is there something that would be ok as a all rounder? I'm not sure how well a portrait type lens would focus on a small flower...


Cant i just win lotto and buy them all???

- - - Updated - - -

I know my friend bought herself a nikon d3200 and the 35mm 1.8 dx lens... So far her photos are looking great!

[arthurking83]

For macro, you can get something relatively cheap like a Tamron 90mm f/2.8, or Sigma 105mm f/2.8 lens and they also do really good portraits too.

You can get close up adapters that are cheap too, but I think they make close up shots a bit harder to do than a proper macro lens.

D3200 is a good camera :th3:

put a 18-105Vr lens on it and it's very versatile. 18-140VR lens is supposedly slightly better, but it cost a lot more and for not as much gain per every extra dollar spent on it.

35/1.8Dx lens is a very good value for money lens.

So there's a specific recommendation: second hand D3200+18-105VR(they used to be able to come in a kit, so you may find some sold in that manner) .. then look for a 35/1.8Dx .. and it should keep you very close to your $500 budget .. maybe a teeny bit over.


ps. the only reason I give you Nikon examples is that I know them much more than I do other systems .. I'm sure Canon/Sony/Olympus/Pentax has something similar to offer too(I just don't know what they are).

[MissNarniee]

Yeah i ment i was looking at spending $500ish on the camera body and then a nice lens but of course less $ would be nice. Maybe all together $7 to 800? inc bag and maybe a tripod.. Not really sure yet.

Might have a better look in the shops next weekend and see whats around. I've given myself a few months to research and save - also mentioned to Mum i am looking for a camera *hint hint Muuuuummm!* ;) B-day is in Oct haha

You've definitely helped me with what to look for, thankyou Arthur!! :)

[William W]

I went to the shops today and had a hold of the Nikon d5200 and felt really nice, also felt the canon 600d with a kit 18-55 lens.. They both feel pretty nice - not really sure whats better or anything yet... Its so hard to pick!! The Canon with kit lens was cheaper, they are both just what the young guy passed me to have a feel of. Wish i stayed and studied them a bit longer :/

If you do stay longer next time, then I suggest that use the two cameras through their basic MENUS that you would need to use to make photos - AND - also use the knobs and buttons that you would need to use to make Photographs.

Often one MENU system and one Functions LAYOUT (of buttons and dials) is more intuitive and more easily understood that the other.

WW

[Kym]

For a small budget think of using an up-market compact that has manual controls.
We have compact shooters in our camera club who win competitions.

A DSLR is a very powerful tool, but 80% can be done with a good compact camera.

If you're just starting having a good compact will be more than enough, and you then can save for a DSLR if you really need the extra capabilities.

[MissNarniee]

Is there a big difference between cameras like the D3200 and the D5200? I cant see much difference besides the flip out view finder (which i really like)

[Granville]

Is there a big difference between cameras like the D3200 and the D5200? I cant see much difference besides the flip out view finder (which i really like)

There ae some key differences like in camera HDR processing and also a lot more autofocus points on the D5200.

Have a look here, (http://www.d3200vsd5200.net/) and the point they make up front, "Bottom line though is that you will not be making a bad decision with either of these cameras..." is very true.

[arthurking83]

Yeah, there are some differences that you can't see, but may find can help with print quality(eventually).

D5200 has the ability to shoot in 14bit raw mode.
This is probably one of the most important extra feature advantages that the 5200 has over the 3200 model.

Not often talked about, but 14bit raw files(as long as you shoot in raw mode .. and not jpg!!) allows you a bit more leeway to process any image to a better quality output.
I'm sure there are many resources online that can explain the differences in final output that the two modes can offer.

Other features are the obvious flippy screen(could be handy) as you already noted.

... but again there are more hidden features such as faster continuous frame rate advance 5 frames per second vs 4 frames per second.
D5200 also allows you to use another continuous mode called Continuous Low, where you can select the fastest advance rate .. ie. 2 or 3 or 4fps instead. (can be handy) .. D3200 does have that, so you're either at 4fps or single shot.

Other hidden advantages are that the AF and metering system in the 5200 is more advanced.
Theoretically(and probably) the D5200 will meter more accurately as well as focus more accurately/faster .. and allow you to choose one of many more points in the viewfinder. (11 points on the 3200 and 39 points on the 5200)

This doesn't mean that you can't get good pictures with the D3200 tho .. of course you can.
it's just that the 5200 has some more advanced ability for those times when the 3200 may struggle a bit.
Also I noticed that the D3200 doesn't mention face tracking in it's AF ability, but be weary of such features in a DSLR. To use face tracking on a DSLR means that you need to switch to liveview mode.
Doing this obviously gives you face tracking ability .. but the focus performance is painfully slow in live view mode.
Can be handy, but be aware of that 'gotcha'!

The other advantage of any major noteworthiness is that the video ability of the 5200 is a bit better than the 3200.
The major difference is that the 5200 allows HD capture at 60 frames per sec .. which is basically a good way to do slow motion video(if you find that sort of thing interesting).

You may think .. video! :rolleyes: .. pfft! .. but you wouldn't be the first person to find an interest in macro imagery .. and then migrate to macro video capture .. and then find that 60fps isn't the dud feature you may have originally thought it was :p

remember the point of the exercise in getting your first advanced camera is to balance it's features with it's cost.

Of course we know nothing of you(this isn't important for you to elaborate on .. as long as you know yourself how deep do you expect to get into it) nor your interests ... and hence inherent desires in following through with something like a hobby.
Although .. (again) if you do catch the bug, you're not going to be the first person in history to start off with a $500 camera, and find yourself with a $3500 camera after a few years! (not to mention the thousands of dollars worth of lenses you think you need!) ;)

[MissNarniee]

Haha and here i was, thinking that i could treat myself to a nice camera set up and go out bush and walking and it be a relatively cheap hobby... NAWTTTT - i reckon there will be a never ending wish list ;)
Ah well, birthdays and Christmas' will be easy to buy for me then hehe!!

I was using the two Nikons as a example but at the moment the D5200 is the one i have my eye on, currently. Do yous know if there is anything else around that price and specs that i should be looking at too?

Thanks so much for being patient and sooo helpful guys! Been such a big help and i actually have an idea on where to start now!! :) :)

Just emailed a photography place not far from me and asked about their lessons (sounds good?! might do one when i get my camera) and they also offer laybys and will help me pick a set up, then when i pick it up they actually sit down and go through the settings etc with me - sounds like awesome customer service, might have a look on the weekend.

[davsv1]

Haha and here i was, thinking that i could treat myself to a nice camera set up and go out bush and walking and it be a relatively cheap hobby... NAWTTTT - i reckon there will be a never ending wish list ;)
Ah well, birthdays and Christmas' will be easy to buy for me then hehe!!

:lol::lol: just wait until you start printing and framing as well

[MissNarniee]

:lol: Ahh id love to print and frame my work! Our walls are bare at the moment - would be awesome to say "yeah i took that photo" :)

[MissNarniee]

Also photoshop? whats good for beginners, please?

Thinking maybe Adobe Elements?

[ameerat42]

Well, I feel like a politician, I've said the following so many times recently!!!...

Get this free CS2 (Photoshop 9) and install it.
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/3689-adobe-photoshop-cs2.html


BE CAREFUL you don't install Google Chrome as your default browser - or any other such stuff - along the way.

Am.

[MissNarniee]

Oh its free?!

Thanks :) Will check it out tonight :)

[ameerat42]

No worries. Here's a general reminder about it.

This thread here. (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?137900-Reminder-of-Free-Adobe-Photoshop-CS2)

[MissNarniee]

Just spoke to a local camera shop. Told him what i want to photograph and he said a good lens is Tamron 16-300mm Wide-Zoom for $785.00!?
Is that over kill for a beginner?

[ricktas]

Just spoke to a local camera shop. Told him what i want to photograph and he said a good lens is Tamron 16-300mm Wide-Zoom for $785.00!?
Is that over kill for a beginner?

Superzooms are great, but they compromise on image quality. Remember a sales person is just that..he/she wants to sell stuff. Perhaps the tamron has been on the shelf for a while and they want to get rid of it? His boss might have said, if you can move that stock you get an extra 10% commission. Never listen to a salesperson.. get your information from people have have no vested interest in selling something, but have the knowledge to guide you with accurate information.

[tandeejay]

A good site I find for comparing 2 cameras head to head is http://snapsort.com/compare

Just put in the 2 cameras you want to compare, and it lists all their features side by side

[William W]

Just spoke to a local camera shop. Told him what i want to photograph and he said a good lens is Tamron 16-300mm Wide-Zoom for $785.00!?
Is that over kill for a beginner?

You will often find that with a bit of haggling the purchase price of the BODY + 18 to 55 "kit lens" is only a few dollars more than the purchase price pf the "Body Only".

The "Kit Lens" will indeed allow you to learn a lot about The Craft.

I would suggest that you follow this first inclination that voiced on 13 Feb. here:


I think the Nikon d5200 that i was looking at earlier came with the 18 - 55mm Was thinking about getting the kit, that way i can have a play with it, learn the settings and then think about what lens i would like to spend my money on.


that is to say I still advise that you choose a camera body that you feel comfortable with and then set about to get the best deal with an 18 to 55 kit lens and get out and start learning.

The reality is: you won't really know what you want (or need) until you learn more and you cannot learn much more without a camera in your hand making pictures.

WW

[MissNarniee]

Thanks guys, makes sense :) Also it was the owner who suggested that lens to me so yeah - might be wanting to get it off his shelf..

Ahh thank goodness for forums like this :o:th3: so helpful.

[tandeejay]

A good site I find for comparing 2 cameras head to head is http://snapsort.com/compare

Just put in the 2 cameras you want to compare, and it lists all their features side by side

Argh, someone in one of my threads pointed out another site that seems to have better detail on the cameras, and I found that some details are better recorded on this other site: http://www.imaging-resource.com/camera-reviews

[Bonsai Jason]

I've just recently jumped into DLSR photography, and went through this exact same thing.
I ended up settling on the d5200, as it had the best features but was still at a low price with the 18-55 kit lens. That lens has been great to learn on, and has a really wide range that kind of allows you to experiment a little, but still taking quite solid photos.


Haha and here i was, thinking that i could treat myself to a nice camera set up and go out bush and walking and it be a relatively cheap hobby... NAWTTTT - i reckon there will be a never ending wish list ;)


I also went through this same scenario. Love photographing nature, figured I'd upgrade my camera to take better photos, couldn't cost me THAT much could it? That was when I started looking into getting a nice lens for landscapes and macro's.... oh boy, i quickly discovered that it isn't as cheap as i had originally thought :P haha

and I just noticed you're in perth too! :lol:

[peterv]

Just spoke to a local camera shop. Told him what i want to photograph and he said a good lens is Tamron 16-300mm Wide-Zoom for $785.00!?
Is that over kill for a beginner?

Nah.I got my first body and kit lenses at the end of November.Since then I have,accumulated,some more stuff. :(

vvvvv

[MissNarniee]

Haha yep!! Hi Jason! :D

Yeah i just purchased my first house so dont think ill be able to collect stuff as fast but, im thinking of putting my camera wth kit lens on layby - pay that off asap then by the time tax time and bday comes around ill definitely have a good idea on lenses ;) woohoo exciting! :lol::camera::lens:

[arthurking83]

.... Never listen to a salesperson.. get your information from people have have no vested interest in selling something, but have the knowledge to guide you with accurate information.

:th3:

Amen to that .. and I'm not even religious! :D

Something like a superzoom sounds great to begin with, but many folks have found out .. they always want more lens(in some way or another).

That could be more sharpness throughout more of the focal length range .. maybe more aperture .. those superzooms tend to slow down(in aperture) very low into the focal length range .. 50mm may become f/5, and so on.

A wide ranging zoom lens is always handy to have access too, but if your interest develops into a fanaticism, you'll tend to use it less and less as you acquire faster aperture lenses over a short length of time!

[MissNarniee]

Ive been quoted $569.00 for a Tamron starter kit which includes strap, bag, 18-270mm lens, uv cover and a cleaning kit... Hmmmm

ITS SO HARD TO PICK!

[I @ M]

Ive been quoted $569.00 for a Tamron starter kit which includes strap, bag, 18-270mm lens, uv cover and a cleaning kit... Hmmmm

ITS SO HARD TO PICK!

Analyse it ---

The lens can be bought for $430.00 delivered.

Without seeing the bag, strap, cleaning kit and UV filter but having a rough guess at the combined value of all items I would say that they would be worth about $50.00 total.
That figure would represent a very good profit margin for the dealer.
Price the items individually and see what you can come up with ----

Don't jump straight into deals like your example, you can save a lot of money by doing more research.

[ameerat42]

Ive been quoted $569.00 for a Tamron starter kit which includes strap, bag, 18-270mm lens, uv cover and a cleaning kit... Hmmmm

ITS SO HARD TO PICK!

Preliminary reply:
Part 1.
Have you seen this? http://www.shopbot.com.au/pp-tamron-af-18-270mm-f3-5-6-3-di-ii-vc-pzd-price-293631.html

Part 2.
Have you asked of the Site Sponsors here?

Part 3.
Have you done any research (ie, read reviews) about any lens you're interested in?
You say the likes of "tamron 18-270 lens reviews".

Part 4.
All lenses (or at least most) would have all the accessories mentioned bar the "cleaning kit".
I'd say "Pass!"

Am(for the moment).

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Final response...

For reviews, here's one such from DP Review:
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/tamron_18-270_3p5-6p3_vc_n15

I'd read it through completely, but go to the last page and read the Conclusion.
One thing that strikes me there are the lines:


Conclusion - Cons

Slow and occasionally indecisive autofocus
Geometric distortion across much of the zoom range
Significant chromatic aberration at wideangle and telephoto (especially 270mm)
Macro performance rather compromised (very soft at F6.3, focus shifts on stopping down)
Uneven zoom action, zoom creep when not locked
Slightly sub-par build quality

I'd be looking for something else:rolleyes:

Am(not impressed).

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Epilog:

Actually, I thought this thread was about a lens to get for a camera, but I see it's for a whole camera kit.

That puts a different light on things, and I'd only suggest that for whatever camera system you get (say, Canon, Nikon)
just get the standard kit lenses. Use them for a while and sort out your true and proper needs - not speculative forecasts -
from there.

I say this particularly for the fact that you are listed as a beginner in photography.

Am.

[MissNarniee]

Ah i thought that in the beginning, then went on thinking about lenses then back to the kit lens then everytime i call someone for a quote someone says "ohhh i will mention this lens though blah blah" ahha

i need to tell sales people to shhhhhh and give me the quote for what i asked for ;)
Maybe because im a young female they are trying to make some money out of me.... Little do they know i have you fabulous peoples help!

Thanks guys :)

[bcys1961]

Reading through this post it sounds like you have decision paralysis. I appreciate its a big decision but a few of the truisms are :

1. The sales people have to make some money . Agreed we don't want to get "ripped off" , but they have to pay their house off as well as you.
2. Whatever you buy and pay , you will probably see it cheaper somewhere the day after ! ( or a new model will be announced making what you just purchased worth a little less.)
3. The time and energy spent looking could be time and energy spent taking photo's

Somewhere else you mentioned paying maybe $500 for the body and $300 for the lens . I would switch your thinking around. Pay more for the lens. Buy the best lens you can afford . Ultimately the lens has the biggest impact on your image. You can always , over time, upgrade the body to match a good lens , but without the good lens body upgrades would be worth little in my opinion.

You don't appreciate the difference until you try both but a lens that will allow you to go to f2.0 rather than f4.5 gives you much more flexibility to shoot lower depth of field, low light etc. More creative possibilities. I started with a kit lens (12-50mm f4.5) 15 months ago and upgraded to the pro lens (14-40mm f2.8) after about six months , and the difference is amazing. Sure the pro lens is $700 more expensive , but worth it if you want this to be a serious hobby.

[MissNarniee]

decision paralysis.
:lol:
I always have hahaha i find it really hard to pick!! All the time about everything!!

[Bonsai Jason]

sounds like you have decision paralysis.

Such a good way to put it! I remember when I bought mine, it took me a few months before I could actually bite the bullet and (lay) buy one. Then I went through the 'After purchase panic' of whether i'd bought the right one or not :P

I wish I had found this forum earlier, would have saved me a month or two of worry haha

[William W]

. . . I'd only suggest that for whatever camera system you get (say, Canon, Nikon)
just get the standard kit lenses. Use them for a while and sort out your true and proper needs - not speculative forecasts -
from there.

Just repeating also consider buying just the one kit lens.

WW

[MissNarniee]

Just went to look at the shop with my partner, came back with a Nikon D5200 and kit lens!!!! :D :D :D
its charging now.
I CANT WAIT TO PLAY WITH IT!

Think we got a pretty good deal too :p:cool::D

[arthurking83]

:th3:

[MissionMan]

Congrats on the purchase. I'm sure you will be very happy with it.

[William W]

Good. Have Fun. Learn Lots.

[Bonsai Jason]

Just went to look at the shop with my partner, came back with a Nikon D5200 and kit lens!!!! :D :D :D
its charging now.
I CANT WAIT TO PLAY WITH IT!

Think we got a pretty good deal too :p:cool::D

The same one I ended up deciding on :) I think its the perfect camera for someone just starting out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am, and look forward to seeing your snaps :)

[MissNarniee]

I have no idea what im doing but im loving it already haha!
Lets see if i can work out how to use flickr....

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Went out for a popper play in my little garden.. no idea what im doing but yay it works haha :)


https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8673/16545255730_71da1e732f_s.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rd3L6Q)

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8599/16110360244_258f076875_t.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qxBNPN)DSC_0026 (https://flic.kr/p/qxBNPN) by sharnee.wagland (https://www.flickr.com/people/131071205@N07/), on Flickr

[ricktas]

Congrats on the new kit.

To link from Flickr properly, you need to choose a bigger size image to link (see step 2) : http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showlibrary.php?title=How_Do_I:Flickr_:_How_to_link_photos_into_Ausphotography

Choose a size around 1000 pixels

[J Commerford]

Realistically, any of the Canon range will be great. There are great entry level cameras, for instance the Canon 600D or the newer 700D. Both of these are quite similar, and both produce astounding images when in regards to their price. They also contain a lot of features that are given to top-of-the-range DLSR's. I currently own a 600D and once you have moved on from auto, the photos that can be taken are awesome. By the way, when you do get a camera, don't forget to use raw files because they keep much more opf the image data making the quality better when they're finally converted to jpeg or jpg files on your computer.

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Or the one you got too. I would have gotten that one if it had not been as expensive as it was for me.