hello from a Brit in USA!

Good morning/afternoon all!

My name is Mandy and I just wanted to share some info about me....

I'm originally from Manchester, UK but have been living in New York since 06. I'm 30 yrs old (eeek!) , i'm a married mommy of 2 boys who are also showing their love for photography and are already taking some wonderful photos at ages 4 & 9. I am yet to purchase my Nikon camera but plan to do so within the next month. I decided on D7000 - yay!!

I have been shooting with a bridge camera for the last 12 months, the fujifilm HS20 EXR. I've loved every minute of learning how to choose settings to get the photos I want but I am noticing more and more limitations which is why I've decided to finally buy a DSLR.

I like to shoot a wide range of subjects and like to experiment as much as I can with different settings... and sometimes even surprise myself with the outcome haha

You can see some of my photos here Flickr: MandyCee's Photostream

I haven't uploaded in awhile though and really should get around to doing so :/


Anyway... that's my intro, I'm sure there is more to tell but I'll save that for a rainy day

I look forward to getting to know you and seeing your amazing photographs.


Have a wonderful and creative day

Mandy

Welcome to the site!

Welcome Mandy. I'm still in Manchester and it still rains all the time! Unless you are going down the prime lens route I would recommend the 18-200 VR lens to go with that camera if your budget will stretch to it. It's very versatile for the kids. If you'll be indoors a lot an external flash would also be useful.

Hello Mandy

What made you pick Nikon?

Hello Mandy

What made you pick America ?

Welcome, those are some awesome cemetary shots!!!

Hi Mandy, welcome to the group !!
D7000 is a great camera. You will enjoy it. Price on it are dropping.
I own a D5100. also a great camera..
Peace Joe ...from Brooklyn also. but now living in North Carolina

Thank you all for your kind welcome

Geoffc said:

Welcome Mandy. I'm still in Manchester and it still rains all the time! Unless you are going down the prime lens route I would recommend the 18-200 VR lens to go with that camera if your budget will stretch to it. It's very versatile for the kids. If you'll be indoors a lot an external flash would also be useful.

Click to expand...

haha i was there last month and the weather actually wasnt toooo bad, it was a welcome relief from the humidity here in NY anyway

I was considering a prime lens (either the 50mm or 35mm - probably both but i'm gonna try the 50mm first) and also the Nikon 18-105mm lens. The 18-200 is just a little beyond my budget at the moment... but i noticed the Tamron AF 18-200mm lens was much cheaper. I know you usually get what you pay for in the photography world but does anyone have any experience with this lens?

Eye-level said:

Hello Mandy

What made you pick Nikon?

Click to expand...

Well.. thats a long story but made short.. I spent many hours trying out camera's of my friends, a couple in stores, comparing reviews, stats watching videos - after all that i was still confused but was leaning more toward Nikon even though my friend practically screams at me every week to get a Canon. I just liked the feel of them in my hands and they seemed more sturdy? What I finally did was take a look at some my favorite photo's online and in my magazines and see what camera had taken them - 36/50 were taken by a Nikon camera

Pierro said:

Hello Mandy

What made you pick America ?

Click to expand...

lol Pierro, that one is easier than my camera picking question... my husband He was born and raised in Brooklyn and I fell in love with NY too

cnyram said:

Welcome, those are some awesome cemetary shots!!!

Click to expand...

Thank you very much

joecap said:

Hi Mandy, welcome to the group !!
D7000 is a great camera. You will enjoy it. Price on it are dropping.
I own a D5100. also a great camera..
Peace Joe ...from Brooklyn also. but now living in North Carolina

Click to expand...

Thanks Joe, I cant wait to get it. How long have you had your 5100? I almost bought that one but at the last minute changed my mind, AGAIN lol.
How long have you been in NC? I have a friend there in Charlotte.

Well Mandy it has been monsoon, hail and lightning in Manchester today! I think it would have been nicer in New Orleans.

Go for the 35mm rather than 50mm, it will be more useful, although the 50mm is good for portrait type stuff. I even found the 35mm a little tight after the flexibility of the 18-200 but it is a nice lens for the money. If you got the latter you could skip the others altogether. I don't care what anybody says it will provide great pictures until you become a glass snob. Both my wife and I have one.

I do like sharp glass but the 18-200 spends more time on the camera than my 70-200 2.8, the 11-16 ultra wide or the 35mm prime. Yes they are all superior, but I know I can get the shot with the 18-200 without changing lenses or carrying a heavy bag.

Having said all that, if you've set a budget I'm sure you'll be very have with your choices. As I'm finding more and more, I would swap all my good stuff for a decent eye for a picture which I sadly don't possess without trying quite hard.

Welcome Mandy, from Toronto, Ontario, not too far from NY. I was going to ask, why NYC and not Toronto! Then I read your response.

All my family on my dad's side lived in the Bronx. When my grandmother's time came to immigrate, they closed the border so her brothers told her to go to Toronto, until they could get her in. She never looked back! So, I live in Toronto.

I too love NYC. Great place, love visiting.

Hi Mandy, welcome to Nikonites. What part of Brooklyn? I used to live on Ashford Street in Brooklyn back in the early '70s.

Anyway...back to your camera choice; a great choice of camera. And I like your choice of the 18-105 lens for it, too. Seems like mine never comes off my D40. You might want to look at the 55-300, too. Great lens for the money. It's what I usually keep on my D200 when I go out on a shoot.
Anyway...enjoy your stay with us, and looking forward to seeing some of your shots with your new camera.