Newby needs advice on starting camera kit!

Alright well I've ordered my Camera and Lens to get started in photography, and now I need to put together the rest of my kit. There are some things I'm not sure if I need or not so I'm looking for some advice.

Camera: Nikon d5300
Lens: Nikkor 18-140mm

Other items I have:
SDHC Memory Card
Neck-strap
Tripod
Screen Protector

Other items I think I need:
67mm Circular polarizer?
67mm Other filters?
67mm Lens UV shield?
Camera case / neoprene sleeve for protection?
SD memory card case/protector?

What else am I missing?

I would look at having another battery.

I personally would hold off on filters. If you plan to use them right away then sure go ahead. But if you want them "just to have them" then I'd wait to get a feel for what you should and what you would really use them for. Another reason, I tend to buy the largest filter that I need (in my case a 77mm) and then have step down rings to fit like your 67mm so at the very least that is something to consider.

Buy at least 1 additional SD card as backup. Make sure that it is at least a class 10. Speed is another issue altogether. It you plan on doing any video you need to talk about what speed card you need
67mm Circular polarizer? Not a bad idea. You will like the difference it can make in sunny days.
67mm Other filters? No
67mm Lens UV shield? No
Camera case / neoprene sleeve for protection? Camera case Yes. Check out some of the backpack ones / neoprene sleeve No
SD memory card case/protector? Optional - I just put my spares in the little plastic cases they come in and put them in a pocket in my camera case.

A squeeze blower. The Giottos Rocket Blaster is a good one.

At some point you will need to clean your sensor better than just blowing at it. When that time comes you will need cleaning supplies if you want to do it yourself. I like using a sensor brush. Between the rocket blower and the brush, I rarely need to wet clean.

My advice, besides Don's recommendation for an extra SD card would be to get out and shoot. Shoot as much as possible. When you discover that you need something to further your personal needs you can study that then. I bought things that I just don't need or use but thought them necessary before I took the time to discover my style and individual needs. I spend my money much better now!

Ditto on most of what has been said about an extra battery and SD card.

A Nikon flash is a big improvement over your pop-up. A SB-700 would be dandy but the smaller ones are OK to, just make sure it tilts. Swivelling is big bonus too. Other brands can work too but if you can swing it go for a Nikon for your first flash.

RE: The Polarizing filter - is not a bad investment, certainly not necessary but very nice to have if you shoot bright places, eg. lake or snow scenes in full sun, I find I use it very sparingly - get much more use of my flash.

RE: UV FILTERS - There is considerable debate about UV filters. You do not need the "UV" part of the UV filter, but it is most often used just for protection not to filter out UV rays. There are clear or filters called protective filters. These are better, but UV will also serve to protect your lens from scratches. Far better to scratch a less expensive filter than your lens glass. I don't let my lenses go out naked - they all have either a UV or other clear protective filter. Some think this is being overly cautious. Some fear there is the potential for loss of image quality (IQ) or worse glare can be introduced. I've not noticed this. On the other hand none of my filters have ever been scratched, suggesting my lenses naked would not have been scratched either - but I like to error on the side of over protection, especially as you get more expensive lenses. I bought many of my filters at a second hand store for less than a quarter of the price new. Just examine each one carefully in the sunlight to see if they are perfect. I only bought good brand name filters (Tiffen and Hoya is a good ones, I've had good luck with Kenko too). Necessary - certainly not - prudent - some think so.

And be sure to get a genuine Nikonites Micro Cloth to clean your lenses.

Chris@sabor said:

My advice, besides Don's recommendation for an extra SD card would be to get out and shoot. Shoot as much as possible. When you discover that you need something to further your personal needs you can study that then. I bought things that I just don't need or use but thought them necessary before I took the time to discover my style and individual needs. I spend my money much better now!

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Ditto - take it slow so you can spend your funds on what you need and not what that"expert" friend advises. Most camera stores are helpful; get gear that fits your camera, not just what's on sale. The folks on this forum are a great resource for help. Happy shooting

SgtUSMC, Viet Vet (in country), AmLegion, VFW, LifeNRA, DAV

Plenty of memory and a spare battery first

Think about how you are going to be using the camera when you get the bag or case. I have two bags. A back pack for when I want to take several items and a smaller case that holds the camera lens and cleaning supplies.

Looking at your Avatar, If you are going to take it on backpacking trips where you are already loaded down you may want to consider a small case for the camera that has a rain fly that you can throw over your shoulder... that holds extra batteries and sd cards and some cleaning tools like the blower, lens cloth and brush; just enough to keep it clean on the trail and dry if you get caught in rain. I just got a CaseLogic bag that kind of fits that use.

It will also hold the extra batteries and cards you will need.

35mm f1.8 DX prime. Yongnuo YN565 or 568 flash.

1. I find the Nikon supplied strap fine, just as long as I have a thick collar in my shirt

2. For filters you can go for the Hoya 3 filter kit - UV, CPL and ND, the set is very competitively priced
Buy Hoya Filter Kit C-Pl Uv (C) NDX 8 Normal Filter 67mm Online at Low Price in India | Hoya Camera Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in
Hoya 67mm Digital Filter Kit II HK-DG67-II B&H Photo Video

3. 35mm F1.8DX for low light and shallow DOF shots

4. External Flash

5. Manfroto Tripod and ball head

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have purchased a backup SD card, and a blower for cleaning.

I'm also going to pick up a backup battery.

I'm definitely going to want a carrying case eventually but for now I just ordered a compact protective case that I can fit into another bag until I know what my specific needs will be.

I plan on doing most of my photography outdoors, so I don't think I need a flash at this time.

The camera should arrive tomorrow and ill be out playing with it this weekend to get familiar with it.


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Watch the Sunday sales ads. Best way to get SD cards at a good price. Never too many cards since you may want swap out every night (many do) to prevent loss of all your pictures if something goes south. You'll figure out the size you need based on how many pics you shoot at one time.


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napeequa55 said:

I plan on doing most of my photography outdoors, so I don't think I need a flash at this time.



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You might want to rethink that statement.
If you're outdoors in a high contrast situation with the sun to the side or in front of you, you'll need a flash to fill in the shaded portions of your subject.
The onboard flash won't cut it most of the time.
I found that out the hard way when I first bought my D3100. Even a basic flash like a SB-400 will light up shaded areas when the subject is backlit.
I pack an off camera flash wherever I go. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

I agree with Zeke - it is a common misconception you never need a flash outside, but you do need a good one outside I recently bought a SB-400 (my third flash - warning these things breed like rabbits). Paid $50 used for it and it is a gem. Small enough to slip into a pocket (well a coat pocket) but much more powerful than the pop up.

Has anyone warned you to get vaccinated against catching N.A.S. Nikon Acquisition Syndrome. A common ailment. Once you start you can't stop. It like eating that first chip. You can never have just one.

Look at the lists of lenses and gadgets that people list in their footers. Some of us have taken years to collect that much but if you are like many, you will start small . . . just this ______, then you discover eBay and stumble into a good used camera store, ... and heaven forbid you get to a photography event. Dozens of vendors of 'must have' gear all lined up to part you from your hard earned coin. There is no end to it.

Yes, you do 'need' a back up SD card, and a back up battery will save you from the dreaded - oh, no, dead battery no more pictures until tomorrow.

BUT most importantly, start shooting, and learning from your shots.

Oh did you say you had some sort of photo processing software and a good computer and a portable backup hard drive for images? You need that to analyse your images. process them, sort them and catalogue them. I've found for every minute spent shooting pictures, I spend ten on the PC sorting out the best shots, processing them (cropping white balance, sharpening and so on, and then filing them, and of course backing them up. Some I even print. AND then of course posting the best ones here on Nikonites.



Welcome to the wonderful money pit familiar to all photography enthusiasts.

Shoot RAW + jpeg initially. For processing download the free Nikon Capture NX-D and use it to process RAW images. NX-D will do till you want more from your RAW images, then you can think of either Lightroom or Photoshop. If you install Nikon View NXi that comes with the camera, you can dispense with jpeg and shoot only RAW. If you do not want to process RAW initially, you can convert RAW to jpeg with NXi in batch mode.

aroy said:

Shoot RAW + jpeg initially. For processing download the free Nikon Capture NX-D and use it to process RAW images. NX-D will do till you want more from your RAW images, then you can think of either Lightroom or Photoshop. If you install Nikon View NXi that comes with the camera, you can dispense with jpeg and shoot only RAW. If you do not want to process RAW initially, you can convert RAW to jpeg with NXi in batch mode.

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That works - and works well.

And absolutely - learn the difference between RAW and JPG. You will want to shoot RAW and share JPGs

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop totally dominate the market - but they are not the only ones out there and there are many less expensive, even free options that may meet your needs. For now go with Aroy's advice on the Nikon bundled and freeware. And of course it all depends on if you are a Windows or Mac user.

When I'm on holidays I even use a tablet and some free Android photo programs to do some quick edits and posts to friends.

Spending some money on a quality carry bag that will protect the camera and lens while traveling from one shoot to another is always a good idea.

The easycover silicon protectors for the camera body (you can get them for a lens as well) also are a good investment. Here's a link, although a number of sites carry the product:

easyCover Silicone Protection Cover for Nikon D5300 ECND5300B