DSLR recommendations for a relatrively low budget.

The on-board flash is mostly useless on any camera. Try sticking some TP over it as a diffuser.

Autofocus speed is dependent on the lens, the kit lens isn't the fastest focus. In general faster apertures help because they let more light onto the AF sensors an diet is easier to measure if a wider aperture lens is out of focus,. However with really wide aperture lens like fast primes the need for accuracy due to the very shallow DoF means that the focus motors turn slower and more controlled.
 
BuffetSlayer said:
I have a 70-300mm lense coming and have also ordered a shoulder bag and a couple of memory cards.

Can't wait to get out with it properly over the weekend. :)
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What memory cards did you buy and how much?

I'm still clawing my way to the MM, hopefully I can be there soon. I'm guessing the better lens you bought was had for around the same price as the standard 55-300 lens is brand new?

Make sure to post pictures of your first journey!
 
Spacedeck said:
What memory cards did you buy and how much?

I'm still clawing my way to the MM, hopefully I can be there soon. I'm guessing the better lens you bought was had for around the same price as the standard 55-300 lens is brand new?

Make sure to post pictures of your first journey!
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I ordered this twin pack for £29.99 from the electrical goods outlet named after Indian style food :p :


Read/Write speeds seem pretty good for the money.

Yes, you are spot on - I have paid £260 including delivery for the 70-300mm lens, which is about a year old so a big saving over new and a better lens overall than the entry level 55-300mm.

I am now thinking of perhaps a prime or macro lens. I have read a lot of people prefer a 35mm prime over 50mm. Will need to look into it further though.

Need to get to grips with the body first, as I literally only had 10 mins with it last night. There are a raft of options and settings I need to go through and I need to familiarise myself with the main 'go to' settings.

Even on auto mode I was getting some good DOF effects when simply altering the autofocus point which I was suprised with. The body has various focus styles. I also had a brief go with the colour effect mode too, which I am looking forward to experimenting with. I think it will produce some interesting shots, particularly in towns and for portraits.

I am intending to make my own thread "Buffet's amazing photographic journey" :p

Perhaps something a little less cheesy though? :D
 
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Spacedeck said:
Nice one, the price definitely seems pretty good? I wouldn't know as I don't buy a lot of these cards :p

Which Prime 35mm lens will you be looking at?
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Only an entry level one at the minute to be honest. The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens is the one I will probably get.

From what I read it is a stonking little lens for the money.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-nikon-35mm-f1-8-g-af-s-dx-lens/p1030389

Might have to wait till Christmas now, but I am also considering an entry level Macro too http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-nikon-40mm-f2-8-g-af-s-dx-micro-lens/p1526498
 
For the macro lens you need to think carefully what you want to photogrpah and buy a focal length suitable for that task.

All true macro lenses will achieve the same subject magnification of 1:2, but the shorter the focal length of the lens the closer you have to be. With a 40mm macro lens you are going to be mere centimeters away from the subject to get 1:2. For flowers and static things that is not an issue but if you want to photograph insects then you will want to have much more focal length. 105mm would be the minimum on crop for insects IM (or course things like the Tamorn 90mm will be close enough).



the 40mm Macro is for things like copying pages from a book rather than insects.
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Might have to leave it a while for those kind of lenses. Still got the kit lens and the 70-300mm to play with though :) Christmas is not far away with a birthday just the other side, so we might treat ourselves then.

How does a lens like this http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-sigma-105mm-f2-8-apo-macro-ex-dg-os-hsm-nikon-fit/p1524158 compare to the Nikon branded equivalent?

They seem to have similar specs, but a not an insignificant difference in price.
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It is pretty good. Macro lenses all tend to be relatively sharp.
 
Spacedeck said:
don't mean to sound stupid or anything, but what does the wording in the product mean? For example f/1.8G, f/4.5-5.6G?
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The f/1.8 f/4.5-5.6 refers to the aperture of the lens.

The F-number is the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil (aperture) of a lens.

It is a ratio so the longer the lens the wider the aperture must be to maintain the same f -number. Therefore, 200mm f/2.8 lens has a much bigger front element than a 24mm f/2.8 lens.


When there are 2 numbers hyphenated that refers to the aperture of a zoom lens with variable aperture where the telephoto end has a different aperture to the wide end. As explained above, a longer focal length lens with a certain aperture will give a certain f-number, if the focal length is reduced bu the same physical aperture is used then the F-number increases.





The letter G means the lens doesn't have an aperture ring, you control aperture form the camera. Makes little difference on a modern camera because you couldn't user the aperture ring while in an automatic mode.
 
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