First DSLR

dhill

dhill

dhill

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Currently looking at pushing the button on the following gear in the not so distant future, but just wanted a sanity check first from the guys & gals that frequent this part of the forum as this is my first foray into the wonderful world of DSLR.

Am looking to use the camera for just general use really (family portraits/gatherings/parties, wildlife, landscapes etc. Don't envisage much motorsport photography though, if at all).

  • Nikon D5500 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-P VR kit lens
  • Tamron SP 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di VC USD zoom lens
  • 64GB Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - Class 10 - 95MB/s
  • Hoya HMC UV Filter's for the above lenses (not sure if I need these on modern lenses or not?)

So guys and gals, any comments/suggestions more than welcome.
 
Well I've made the jump myself, and have to say that I'm very impressed with it so far!

Going to be a while before I start posting any pics on here mind lol.
 
Went for the D5500 & Tamron 70-300mm lens as well.

This is my first venture into the world of dslr's having come from various point and shoot type cameras.
 
Gungnir said:
If I may suggest a couple of 32GB cards rather than one 64GB.

They can and do spontaneously fail sometimes.
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I did think about that, but felt fairly safe (rightly or wrongly) buying the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-U3 Memory Card.

Is it a regular occurance for the cards to fail?
 
Cavallino said:
I really need to read more into this... in Barrel focus?
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I've found myself that the acronyms associated with the various lenses can be confussing to say the least, especially if you are used to other manufacturers kit. For example;

The Tamron lens (Tamron SP 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di VC USD) I've brought has the following:
  1. SP = Super Performance
    Tamron’s code for “expensive” lens. You’ll get sharper glass with low chromatic aberration (purple halo around certain subject’s edge). However, expect to pay more.
  2. Di = Digital
    Tamron lens with optics designed specifically for digital sensors. Can be used for full frame, smaller sensor or film cameras.
  3. VC = Vibration Compensation
    Tamron’s Image stabilization method. Will reduce image blurriness due to unstable handholding. Also minimize the shake in your viewfinder, giving you clearer viewfinder when taking pictures, a VERY handy feature.
  4. USD = Ultrasonic Silent Drive Focus
    First introduced in this lens, this technology uses ultrasonic wave interactions to propel the focus mechanism quickly and precisely to its desired point. The end result is ultra-fast focus even at long focal lengths, making this lens ideal for sports and wildlife photography. If you prefer manual focus this is attainable at any time without a switch, just by rotating the focus ring manually – courtesy of the Full Time Manual Focus feature. Filters are easily managed too thanks to fully internal focusing.

The Nikon lens (Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR) has:
  1. AF-S = Autofocus Silent
    Focusing is driven by a "Silent Wave" motor in the lens instead of the focus drive motor in the camera. AF-S lenses focus faster than standard AF-Nikkors and almost completely silently. AF-S lenses with a "II" designation weigh less and are generally smaller than their equivalent predecessors.
  2. IF-ED = IF = Internal Focusing allows the lens to quickly focus by moving some of the elements inside the lens barrel, without moving the front barrel or extending in size. Many of the modern Nikon lenses such as Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II are IF lenses. Lenses with IF acquire focus faster than lenses without IF.
    ED = Extra-Low Dispersion glass
    High-quality glass that corrects for chromatic aberration, a type of image and color distortion that occurs when light rays of varying wavelengths pass through optical glass and don't converge or focus at the same point. Nikkor lenses with ED glass deliver superior sharpness and contrast, even at maximum aperture. Super ED glass is a new type that is used together with ED glass in some lenses to achieve an even higher degree of freedom from chromatic aberration.
  3. VR - VR = Vibration Reduction
    An optical innovation that minimizes image blur caused by camera shake and offers the equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed three stops faster, allowing sharper handheld pictures with longer lenses. The system even automatically detects when a photographer pans while photographing a moving subject. VR operation is available only with specific Nikon cameras.

So if I've read the acronyms correctly, there's not much difference technology wise between the Tamron and Nikon lenses and the major difference will be down to the glass used.

Nikon Acronyms
 
Cavallino said:
Wow, thanks to all for their responses. Very insightful and informative.

Just wonder what am I best starting off with. Will go with a D5500, but should I just get the body or the 18-55 lens to start off with and then get the 50 1.8 lens for portraits etc (and possibly the aforementioned Tamron as above)...
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My only words of advice before jumping in and buying the D5500 are;

Make sure you handle one first, it feels (at least to me) completely different to say D5300 or even the Canon 760D. The grip on the D5500 has been revised over the D5300, and as such is slightly deeper which in turnmakes the camera feel more secure in the hand. The ergonomics on the back of the Canons feel better, but the grip on the front doesn't feel as secure.

I personally struggled initially trying to justify the extra cost of the D5500 over the D5300. But the extra battery life, better grip, touch screen and the other minor changes make it worth the extra cost. Because at the end of the day the D5300, D5300 & D5500 are all going to produce very similar quality of picture.
 
Yeah probably the 750D, but then all the reviews read said buy the 760D instead. But your then looking at £700/£800 for the body and kit lens.

I certainly couldn't find a Canon that offered the same as the D5500 for similar money. Ended up looking at the 750D/760D and just couldn't justify the extra cost.
 
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Cavallino said:
Cheers. I was told things like the motor lens focus motor making noises when recording movies on the 5500 compared to the 750D?

Also the speed of focus is slower on the 5500?

Whats your take on this dhill?
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To be honest, I've not noticed much of a noise with the auto focusing of either lens. But then it's not something I've listened out for as it wasn't a priority when I was looking to buy as I don't intend on shooting much video. And as such wasn't something I was looking to compare on the cameras.

I have read reviews that I recall mentioning the noise of the motors when recording video, but I can't remember if it was acamera review or a lens review....I have read so many reviews since starting my search lol.
 
Holst1981 said:
I'd be tempted to look at the 7100 over 5500
There are some advantages to each.

If your just starting out I would just get a body and kit lens.

The kit lens will take great photos and you can learn a lot with it.

These cameras are complicated enough on there own.
Best to leave extra lenses for a bit until you understand things better.
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Looked at going down that path myself as well, but it all comes down to cost and value for money/ law of diminishing returns at the end of the day.

750D body only - £459 (£409 after cashback)
D5500 body only - £499
760D body only - £549 (£499 after cashback)
D7100 body only - £569

750D + 18-55mm kit lens £579 (£529 after cashback)
D5500 + 18-55mm kit lens £569
760D + 18-55mm kit lens £728 (£658 after cashback)
D7100 + 18-105mm kit lens £799
 
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