New to Photography

f211s

New member
Hello,
I always had a love for photography from the outside looking in, but for some reason or another I had not made it a hobby of my own.
Now I finally made a real effort to make this a part of my life.
Im looking to purchase my first Nikon DSLR!

I know this may not be suited for this section of the forum but it is part of my intro.

After researching numerous cameras, I have my eye set on a D5600. I have a couple of questions to ask, not sure if this is the right place but here they are

1- Is this too bold of a leap into photography?; jumping straight into D5xxx and bypassing the point/shoot, coolpix, d3xxx?
(I have always been one with many hobbies and dont really like to settle for less than what my stubborn mind wants.. Plus I really would like a camera that I can grow with and the features on the d5xxx compared to the d3xxx really catch my eye)

2- Should I start with the kit lenses (18-55 + 70-300), or buy the body and go straight into a prime lens and the 18-140 as my 2 lens options?

3- Am I being overzealous?

Im open to any suggestions and advise from anyone. please feel free to give me your brutally honest opinions.

Thank you!
 

jc32750

Senior Member
Great camera Hard choice on lenses I’d buy a D5xxx over a D3xxx but... how about a refurbished Nikon D7200 with the 18-140 Now if you have the cash and like shooting sports and birds in flight a refurbished D500 is the way to go


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lokatz

Senior Member
1- Is this too bold of a leap into photography?; jumping straight into D5xxx and bypassing the point/shoot, coolpix, d3xxx?
(I have always been one with many hobbies and dont really like to settle for less than what my stubborn mind wants.. Plus I really would like a camera that I can grow with and the features on the d5xxx compared to the d3xxx really catch my eye)

The D5600 is a very capable camera with outstanding image quality - definitely not a poor choice even in the long haul. While much more feature rich than a D3xxx, it still is a 'consumer' camera, though, in a sense that its whole control concept targets consumers generally preferring simplicity over access to every little detail.

Don't get me wrong: you can do almost everything with it that you can do with Nikon's 'prosumer' and pro bodies. Doing so may just be a bit harder and less convenient, plus a few features remain out of reach. Just to give you an idea of what this might mean: bracketing and flash sync control options, for example, are quite limited on the D5xxx bodies. The former is merely a convenience issue, but the latter can get irksome if you do lots of flash work at some point.

If you think you might get more ambitious over time, wanting better access to and greater control of your camera's settings, @jc32750 definitely has a point. Otherwise, get a D5600, start taking great pictures, and be happy with it. Your pics will look as good as with the D7200.

2- Should I start with the kit lenses (18-55 + 70-300), or buy the body and go straight into a prime lens and the 18-140 as my 2 lens options?

Hard to give a generic answer here because this really depends on what you like to shoot. If you like nature walks and expect to take shots of birds and other wildlife, 140mm is not nearly enough as your longest focal length. I would opt for Nikon's AF-P 70-300 in that case, but not for the 18-55; though it is not terrible, Sigma's 17-50 and 17-70 are sharper, feature better built, have a slightly shorter focal length, and can open wider so they perform better in low light.

If you're into portrait shooting, on the other hand, that prime+mid-range zoom choice sounds good. If architecture is your thing, you may want something even wider than 17 or 18mm. Hard to give good advice without having details, so please be more specific on your favorite subjects if you want more suggestions from your fellow Nikonites.
 

Danno

Senior Member
@f211s if you really want to do this I do not think you are being overzealous. I was in that boat just a few years ago. I bought a D3200 and a year and a half later I bought a D7200 for all the reasons that @lokatz mentioned. The D7200 initially was a bit intimidating but with a good handbook, youtube and this forum I learned how to use it fairly quickly.

Lens choice is harder. It really does depend on what you like to shoot. I like landscapes, cars, farm stuff, Family and stuff at my church. Lothar gave some good suggestions.

It is a great way to pass the time. I was a workaholic and never seemed to have time though I always thought I would enjoy it. Than some health issues removed one obstacle and now I have the time and find it very rewarding. Good luck on the adventure.

Hang around here and these folks will help any way they can. It is a very nice environment.
 

Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Welcome! Don't forget to feed the creative side, its not just about the equipment. As I can't even draw a stick figure, I read books about composition and lighting. I think the weekly contests and monthly challenges are a good place to stretch creativity, so join in.

The D5600 is a great place to start. Started with a D5100 then moved to a D7100.

Lens I have four

24-120 F4
70-300
10-20 Sigma
50

That is probably the order of usage, it being a toss up between the first two. The last is almost never used.
 

Iansky

Senior Member
Welcome to the site, you have certainly come to the best place to get answers to your questions as this site has many very knowledgeable members who are willing to share their knowledge and advice in a friendly manner.

I am not familiar with the D5600 so cannot comment on that.

You do not say what sort of photography you favour so again your lens / camera choice should be tailored to meet your shooting needs in a package you can afford and that allows you a broad enough capability to cater for your learning curve.

I wish you well with your choice and know there will be members on here who can advise you better than I can.

Good luck
 

Fortkentdad

Senior Member
Welcome

My first DSLR was a D5100 and that proved to be a good choice for me. I have no hesitation on saying go for the D5600. I'm thinking of getting one to update my D5100 which I still use when I want a much lighter weight camera. My sister-in-law bought one about a year ago. She had a D90 and it was damaged. She was considering mirrorless system but had lots of Nikon DSLR lenses. In the end she bought a D5600 and loves it. She bought a super zoom to go with it. The size and weight were big factors for her. My wife prefers our D5100 to any of my other cameras as they are all too big in her hands (or so she tells me).

As for lenses - if I were starting out again I'd start with the Nikkor 35mm DX 1.8 - fast and small and sharp. OR a 50mm 1.8 and there are lots of them to choose from.

Keep in mind the D5XXX series does not have a focus motor in the camera so you are limited to AFS and other lenses that are equipped with an internal motor. Older AF or AFD Nikon lens and other old film lenses will not autofocus (they work fine in manual mode but most people want autofocus). You need to go to a 7000 series to be able to use the old glass, but if you are thinking of older glass you may as well look at an older camera like a used or refurbished D90 or others older digitals. (I would not go older than a D90).

After a fast prime like the 35mm or 50mm lens I'd add a super zoom. These range from 18 to 200, 250 or 300mm and Tamron even brought out a super super zoom up 400 this year but that one is going for close to a grand here in Canada. I toyed with getting the Sigma 18-250 which claims to also allow for macro. Such super zooms give you a winder range than the kit lens and in the case of the sigma even a macro option. (That lens is often on sale for $400 here in Canada). The 24-100 is also a good option, often faster and more money though, Sigma sells an "Art" one that is beautiful but costly.

There is nothing wrong with kit lenses and if the price is right get one. I have used several. The best is the Nikon 16-85 which I'd recommend over the 18-55.

The 70-300 is a very common lens and many models to choose from. My first SLR came with a kit lens (28-85) and I added a 100-300mm back in the film days. Those two lenses did me for years. If you want to get to 300mm that is a good choice and economical. Depends on what you want to shoot. When I bought one for our D5100 I went Tamron and have no regrets about that. That will get you started in shooting long.

IF you can find someone around who has a DSLR with some of these lenses and is willing to show you the ropes and let you try these lenses I strongly recommend you do that. I've never met a photography enthusiast who didn't want to spend some time with someone interested in the hobby who wants to chat about camera gear.
 
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jc32750

Senior Member
Compare the D5600 to the D5300 the D5300 is a good camera Good for portraits


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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Howdy and welcome to Nikonites!!!

I also started my digital photography experience with a Nikon D5x00, specifically the D5300 at the time. It’s a great camera, very capable, and not priced like the more professionally oriented camera models. It will provide you similar control over your images, while some settings need to be changed through on-screen menus rather than tactile controls like buttons or command wheels.

On lenses, I started with the two lens kit. It came with an 18-55mm and a 55-300mm set of zoom lenses. The current versions of those lenses are even better. I think they are a great place to start, unless you just want a single lens to carry around which would be that 18-140mm you mentioned. From there, you can start watching what focal lengths you to decide where to spend money on more expensive lenses.


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Dawg Pics

Senior Member
No, not overzealous at all. It has different auto modes and manual mode, so you can get to learning.
I can’t advise on the lenses, but there are lots of people here that would love to help you spend your money.
Welcome.
 
The D5600 is a good start. Skip the standard kit lenses and go with the 18-140. Great lens. That was always my go to lens when I was shooting my D5100 and later my D7100


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Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
Go for it! I would feel incredibly limited with just the 18-140 and a prime, The 18-55/70-300 option covers a good range, and would be the way to go if you anticipate needing a telephoto.

Welcome to Nikonites!
 
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