Looking to get into Photography - Camera Suggestions?

DezUk

DezUk

DezUk

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So was recently made redundant and have much more time on my hands and have always been interested in photography. Have owned a few bridge cameras and like to think I have an eye for a good photo but have never played with ISO and Aperture settings etc, just point n click.

So I was thinking about getting into the dSLR world and had my eye on a Nikon d3000. Would this be something worth considering?

My budget would be around the £300 mark and that would have to include the camera and lens.

Cheers!
 
You will get a 3100 with lens for that budget which would be a great starting point. If you find it isn't your thing after all then you will likely get good money back if you sell it on.
 
Ok I see there are newer models of that range these days so should I be considering them or maybe looking at Canon?

I would also like to use the camera to shoot the odd bit of interview style videos i.e. mounting it on a tripod and recording candidate interviews. Would the d3000 be suitable for that?
 
DezUk said:
Ok I see there are newer models of that range these days so should I be considering them or maybe looking at Canon?

I would also like to use the camera to shoot the odd bit of interview style videos i.e. mounting it on a tripod and recording candidate interviews. Would the d3000 be suitable for that?
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Th D3000 doesn't shoot video, the D3100 does have video.

I would look at the Nikon D3100, D3200 or D5100. D5100 I think is the best option.
 
ive got a nikon d5100 for sale in the MM going for £280 comes with kit lens and spare battery for £280 if your interested has 5 months warranty left :)
 
D.P. said:
Th D3000 doesn't shoot video, the D3100 does have video.

I would look at the Nikon D3100, D3200 or D5100. D5100 I think is the best option.
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Also the D3000 has a fairly dated sensor so really isn't very good in low light.

I don't think they've quite hit the £300 level, but a used D90 might be worth a look. It's a more substantial camera then the D3x00/D5x00.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll do some reading up and see whats what. I am a total n00b so would be starting from scratch on how to take a decent shot with depth of field etc.

Also have some Apple bits n bobs to sell to help fund the camera ;)
 
Maybe be worth looking at Canon, 600d or 650d depending on budget if you have friends that also have canon stuff so you can borrow lenses etc :)

Failing that, the Nikon suggestions are good too (you can't go too far wrong with either)
 
Can I ask what bridge camera you have - a lot of them do have aperture and shutter speed controls. The FZ200 I owned was a fantastic, versatile little camera and I will miss the focal range and ability to photograph the moon.

Are you 100% sure you can't get more out of your Bridge?
 
Well I did have a Panasonic Fz7 bridge camera and I did briefly start to get into some manual settings along with Lightroom editing until someone stole it :(

So looking to get back into it with a better camera this time.
 
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Unless you need a crazy long zoom I'd go down the dSLR route.

Bridge cameras have much smaller imaging sensors. A larger sensor gives you better image quality and the ability of create shallower depth of field.
 
Do you have any friends colleagues that use DSLR's, always a good idea to buy into the same system as them if you do. That way you can share knowledge and potentially lenses.
 
I have been doing a wee bit of reading and see that to get that nice DOF look you really want a 50mm lens and thats the standard 18/55 lens isn't that much use?

WWould I be better buying the body and the lens separate?
 
DezUk said:
I have been doing a wee bit of reading and see that to get that nice DOF look you really want a 50mm lens and thats the standard 18/55 lens isn't that much use?

WWould I be better buying the body and the lens separate?
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My advice would be to go for the 2nd hand 5100 and the kit lens.
Play with it, learn the ropes, you can get good photos with a kit lens, it will be fine for starting off.
The good thing with starting with a kit lens is that you can look back in six months when you want to buy a lens and you will be able to tell your favourite focal length from your pictures and end up with a lens you will use.
Photography forums tend to be gear obsessed and you will always get suggestions to buy this or that, but to start out, all you need is a reasonable body and the kit lens.
you can buy more gear when you know more and have an idea over what you want..
 
DezUk said:
I have been doing a wee bit of reading and see that to get that nice DOF look you really want a 50mm lens and thats the standard 18/55 lens isn't that much use?

WWould I be better buying the body and the lens separate?
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50mm is a no-brainer, at least on Canon - the plastic fantastic is about £80, f1.8 and performs fantastically well. I'd imagine there's a Nikon equivalent.

35mm is a bit more flexible on a crop body, but you need a big aperture to give you the same subject/background separation as a 50mm f1.8. Unfortunately there's no big aperture 35mm on the market in the same price range as the 50mm.

Get a 50mm for sure, they're fun to use.
 
CGrieves said:
50mm is a no-brainer, at least on Canon - the plastic fantastic is about £80, f1.8 and performs fantastically well. I'd imagine there's a Nikon equivalent.
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Nikon has the 50mm f1.8 AFD, it however will not auto focus on the D3x00 or D5x00. The it will auto focus with the D90, you could also look at the excellent 35mm f1.8 AF-s (which is a fantastic lens) or the 50mm f1.8 AF-s.

I will however reiterate what's been said, the kit lens it a good starting point.

Here's an article by Ken Rockwell about Nikon lens compatibility. THis article is fine, but some or the article on his site need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr
 
Thanks for the advice lads, plenty to be going on with for now. I'll be back when I'm closer to a purchase :)
 
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