Just purchased my first DSLR. Looking for add on recommendations.

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pittsgutta

New member
I am a newbie to the DSLR world and just made my first purchase. For the most part I just want to shoot animals, landscapes, family portraits, etc. for now. So far I have only purchased a camera and lens and I went with:

Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera
Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

What else do y'all recommend getting? Filters? Flashes? Case? Thanks! I'm looking forward to being a part of this community!

Here are a few items I'm looking at:

Bags:
http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Video...UTF8&colid=3VNC6XMJRKQAX&coliid=IONEILQMU6X2J

http://www.amazon.com/Koolertron-Sh...&qid=1353443693&sr=1-28&keywords=slr+backpack

Filter:

http://www.amazon.com/58mm-Clear-Ha...TF8&colid=3VNC6XMJRKQAX&coliid=I23PIUIW4VVLL1

Not enough? Too much?
 
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pedroj

Senior Member
If buying filters make sure they are the right dimensions..A bag is a must to keep it all together....SB700 is a great part of any kit..
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
Welcome Pitt! I'm assuming you have the 18-55mm kit lens also? As far as bags go, buy what fits your needs for mobility and storage. Many of us jump in and buy a big backback only to realize someday that we rarely carry everything with us at once. Thats a nice filter in you are in need of such a thing . Much depends on your budget and shooting needs.
 
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§am

Senior Member
Welcome.

Get a bag, some may argue for/against a filter (look at Hoya filters too - the Pro1D series), and then think about where your photography is going before plunging into more kit.
For family, and portraits etc, the 55-300mm is probably fine, but if you want landscapes, something a little wider would be ideal (maybe an 18-55mm if you are on a budget).
 
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pittsgutta

New member
The only lens I have is the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens. Is there something else I need? I'm so lost. I don't even now what the #'s mean on lenses. Whats good, whats bad. The filer i listed. What is it lacking?
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
pittsgutta said:
The only lens I have is the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens. Is there something else I need? I'm so lost. I don't even now what the #'s mean on lenses. Whats good, whats bad. The filer i listed. What is it lacking?
Click to expand...

Knowledge is what's lacking. Do some research (read a lot here :)) and learn about what things like lens #'s mean before buying anything. You will save a lot in the long run. We are all going to recommend our favorite stuff, learn what is going to work for you.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
I would recommend Barnes and Noble,, and pick up an intro book into Digital photography, a few hours research makes sense, since you have already invested hundreds of dollars, a couple of hours of quiet reading will pay off.
 
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fotojack

Senior Member
Most of all, read the manual that came with your camera. Do a search on video tutorials online. There's thousands of them! :) And take your time. This isn't all going to happen overnight.
 
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RickSawThat

Senior Member
Use the camera just as you have it. Shoot and have fun. As you use it you will realize what you need for your needs for the camera. No need to rush out and buy more stuff. What you have is excellent. Keep the lens hood on when shooting outdoors to shade your lens and protect it too.

I use an old backpack I had already to carry my camera rather than an expensive camera bag that just shouts out "I have really nice expensive cameras in here in case you want to steal this great bag and the even better stuff inside" ;)

Shoot, shoot, shoot and then off to your computer to play with the images. There are free and paid for imaging software programs to make your images really rock. Do you have any imaging software yet?

I use Aperture 3 and Photoshop CS4 a lot others use Lightroom.
 
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pittsgutta

New member
Hey guys. I just started testing my camera and i'm noticed that when i look into the lens to take a picture it looks blurry. Any way to fix this?
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
There's a thing called a diopter to the side of your viewfinder that looks like a knob on an old fashioned windup watch. It allows you to adjust your viewfinder to match your eyes. Just get something in focus and then adjust the diopter and it will then be crystal clear.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
When you look into the viewfinder it looks blurry? That is weird. Mess with the dioptric adjustment. This is done via a little slider to the right of your viewfinder. It is normally used for people who have corrective lenses which reminds me I need to dick with mine and see if I can get better results.
 
AC016

AC016

Senior Member
pittsgutta said:
The only lens I have is the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens. Is there something else I need? I'm so lost. I don't even now what the #'s mean on lenses. Whats good, whats bad. The filer i listed. What is it lacking?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you are a real begginer and there is nothing wrong with that. We were all begginers becasue we have to begin somewhere. However, there is no need to stress yourself out about filters or anything else at this point in time. Not to be harsh, but if you don't know what the numbers on your lens means and if you feel "lost", i would venture no further than maybe buying the 18-55mm lens. This will complete your kit. Read your manual back to front and front to back or whatever.... just read it! As of this moment, your only concern should be to learn how to use your camera and to also learn about all the numbers on the lens and the ones that appear on your LCD screen. Anyhting else at this point does not matter and will only confuse you and take you away form learning the fundamentals of photography. If anyone comes by and says that you need such and such a software, RUN! Learn how to take a "good" picture before diving into software. To many people who begin photography, end up learning how to use their software better than they know how to use their camera to take a "good" picture. Don't be one of them. Good luck, read your manual and shoot!
 
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