Hi all,
I am in the market for a new camera and have been concentrating on the D3100. Before I ask a bit of advice I will tell you where I am in photography and what I want to do with the new camera.
I have been using a Nikon D50 which came with the 18-70 lens. I have had this camera for a few years now but only use it for special events when I want a guaranteed good photo – party shots, informal shots at friends weddings etc, and recently at a friend’s 50th birthday. There have been many of these things over the last few years and as the camera is very easy to use, and because in a small way am relied upon to take some good photo’s, I have been getting more keen the more I do it.
I would now like to expand myself and try my hand at portraits with off camera flash, either with speedlite and softbox/umbrella, or strobe etc.
Now I know I could do that with the camera I already have but I feel it’s time to move on, and get a couple of much better lenses, etc. One thing about the D50 I don’t like is the 100,000 mega pixel 2 inch screen which although ok ish is nowhere near the quality of the modern one’s.
I wouldn’t say money is no object, but am willing to go the extra mile on expense if I need to, to get a better camera than the D3100, but don’t want to overkill either.
Lenses and equipment aside, do you think a D3100 is a good move forward to do what I want to do, or do you think I should be looking at a higher model like the D5100 or D90? If I was a pro or semi pro I would leapfrog these and get the D7000 but I’m not and just a hobbyist. And when I say hobbyist, I still consider myself a beginner.
I know I started another thread recently asking sort of a similar thing but didn’t explain myself enough to get a valid opinion. I haven’t set my heart on the D3100 or any model yet, but am swaying towards it because of simplicity.
So basically I’m asking advice on which way to proceed. Go for the D3100 or forget it and head for a higher model?
I am in the market for a new camera and have been concentrating on the D3100. Before I ask a bit of advice I will tell you where I am in photography and what I want to do with the new camera.
I have been using a Nikon D50 which came with the 18-70 lens. I have had this camera for a few years now but only use it for special events when I want a guaranteed good photo – party shots, informal shots at friends weddings etc, and recently at a friend’s 50th birthday. There have been many of these things over the last few years and as the camera is very easy to use, and because in a small way am relied upon to take some good photo’s, I have been getting more keen the more I do it.
I would now like to expand myself and try my hand at portraits with off camera flash, either with speedlite and softbox/umbrella, or strobe etc.
Now I know I could do that with the camera I already have but I feel it’s time to move on, and get a couple of much better lenses, etc. One thing about the D50 I don’t like is the 100,000 mega pixel 2 inch screen which although ok ish is nowhere near the quality of the modern one’s.
I wouldn’t say money is no object, but am willing to go the extra mile on expense if I need to, to get a better camera than the D3100, but don’t want to overkill either.
Lenses and equipment aside, do you think a D3100 is a good move forward to do what I want to do, or do you think I should be looking at a higher model like the D5100 or D90? If I was a pro or semi pro I would leapfrog these and get the D7000 but I’m not and just a hobbyist. And when I say hobbyist, I still consider myself a beginner.
I know I started another thread recently asking sort of a similar thing but didn’t explain myself enough to get a valid opinion. I haven’t set my heart on the D3100 or any model yet, but am swaying towards it because of simplicity.
So basically I’m asking advice on which way to proceed. Go for the D3100 or forget it and head for a higher model?