Which DSLR to buy?

Hi
I am very new here and I am looking at puchasing a Nikon DSLR. My problem is I have no clue at which one to buy. This will be my very 1st DSLR and I want to learn to use it and take great pics!!! Love taking sunrises and sunsets and general landscape. Also want to take great night photos and portraits. Want to play with all the different lenses and everything that goes with it. I was thinkin that I might buy the Nikon D5100. But I just dont know which one is the best one. Nikon D3000, Nikon D3200, Nikon D3100??? I am saving up for it so cost isnt a huge issue. $300-$1000 price range. I am getting confussed with all the garon on each one and not really knowing what it all means untill I get one and start playing with it!

Which one would you suggest and why? Thankyou so much for helping me!

Re: Please HELP!!!!

Welcome to the forum. The D5100 is a great little camera. Many people here shoot them including me. Look in the D5100 section if the forum and you can see many great photos shot with thus camera.


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Re: Please HELP!!!!

Hi Kathy and welcome to the forum.

Before I begin with a typical and quick answer let me go with the longer answer. A good photographer can capture great pictures as long as he/she knows the basic fundamentals. Taking the time to learn more a little bit on how aperture (opening of the lens that allows the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor; Understanding how ISO affects the image similar to aperture or shutter speed; and Shutter speed - slower shutter speed allows more light to enter the sensor but can result to blurry pictures especially if you are not using a tripod, faster shutter speed leads to less light and can "freeze" any movement.

Lenses. Lenses that has f3.5-5.6 designations are commonly used as kit lenses. They are cheaper, lighter and can do just about anything except that they require more light. This can be augmented by buying a separate flash. Built in flash is ok but you'll tend to get red eyes, drains the camera battery faster and sometime it is just not enough. Lenses that has f4, f2.8, f1.8, and f1.4 allows more light to enter, generally provides better image output, sharper, and can isolate the subject better. Most of them are a little bit more expensive and heavier compared to the kit lens. The lower the f#, the shorter the Depth of Field (DOF), or what is in-focused. The higher the f# means that the lens will have a smaller opening, which equals to less light coming in to the camera sensor, which is usually not good when you are shooting indoors with incandescent lights.

So how do you compensate for that limited light to get a better exposure?
Here are your options:
1. Use a speed light or flash
2. Use a slower shutter speed
3. Use a smaller f# aperture
4. Increase the ISO i.e. ISO 800. (Higher ISO will give you more noise. Use lower ISO when outdoor during daylight use ISO 100).

With that said, I will leave this to others to make their suggestion since you will get plenty. Getting the right equipment takes time and a lot of research so don't expect to learn everything within a few months. I hope this helps.

P.S. If I was going to buy a camera with a limited budget and basing on the options that you've provided, I would get a Nikon D5100 body only, Nikon 35mm f1.8G DX lens, Nikon SB 700 flash, some rechargeable AA batteries, lens filter, and a camera bag. Tripods will be another different story later on. Good luck on your selection.

Re: Please HELP!!!!

Wow Thankyou!! Yes thats a huge start in learning what its all about! THANKYOU! I want to join in and do some challenges etc. Would love to do a course/workshop to learn all about it but I am in a tiny town that doesnt have that sort of thing! Cheers!

Re: Please HELP!!!!

If you planning to do just photography, the D5100 rocks.
If you intend to do some videography as well, you may want to consider the D3200.
Both brilliant cameras, you can't be disappointed with either
The D3000, D3100, D5000 are past their age so as to speak..

Re: Please HELP!!!!

Thankyou! No I dont think I will do videography at the moment, (never heard of it for one LOL) just wanna get my head around the camera and photos 1st!

Take a look at the D3200. You will find that it is a state-of-the-art camera that is user friendly and takes excellent photos on Auto, but allows you to grow as your experience progresses. I have been a photographer for 50 years and have used many cameras, including the D3200. It is one of my favourites because it is light-weight, simple to use, and allows for creativity.

Whatever you choose, welcome to your new addiction! May it last a lifetime.

Welcome to Nikonites...

Pat in NH

If I couldn't have my D5100, I'd want a D3200. Personally, I think the D5100 hits the "sweet spot" in terms of return on your investment with the D3200 not far behind.

As for flash units you can save yourself a ton of money by getting one of the Yongnuo YN-468 II units over any of the (IMO) waaay over-priced Nikon branded strobes.

Its fairly easy to learn via trial and errors today since we have LCD screens on cams and even basic touch-up features. If your budget is around 1000 and you've no idea where to start, I too would recommend a D5100 body only (or 3100, but your chances of outgrowing that one are much higher).

With lenses you could try different approaches.

To truly, fully, but painfully learn how whole aperture works and how to take properly exposed shots- Nikon Ai or Non-Ai old 50mm f/2 or f/1.8. Your camera will not help you set up your exposure at all, nor will it auto-focus, but with some reading and trying you'll learn everything fairly quickly. It will also force you to learn all the utmost basics or you simply won't take any decent shots.

To get your feet wet but be able to snap even in all-auto mode- Nikon 18-70mm or 18-105mm. Lenses can auto focus, camera meters lights perfectly through these, aperture is set digitally. You can dabble into manual mode when you deem fit, but you won't be limited by that alone. The rough range of either of these lenses will also let you experiment around and see what focal length you use the most to get a fast prime for that length later on. These would also show you whether you'd need a far reaching lens or not (sports, wildlife, etc).

Last is to drop the other $500 on a Nikon 18-200 or even 18-300 VR. You've spent a full grand, but you have a one-lens-do-it-all kind of deal and that will be plenty to learn with, work with, and you might not even need anything else besides a prime of your choice for low-light shooting.

Myself, when faced with the decision a few weeks ago moving from Canon to Nikon (best decision EVER!) I went with the D90 and here's why.

1)High ISO range (The ability of the camera to 'see' in low light settings). I can comfortably shoot at ISO 2500, or even higher if needed. What little noise I get actually looks more like film grain than the typical blotchy green/blue/red colors normally associated with high ISO. For ND filtered shooting, or night shots - this is a godsend.

2) I can use AF, AF-I, AF-D, AIS, AI, and AF-S lenses with the cameras built in motor - I don't need the lens servo (The "S" in AF-S). Although the AIS and AI lenses are still manual focus because there are no electronics with them.

3) Image quality is outstanding. Frankly I feel the only comparably priced camera that matches it straight out of the camera is the 7100. To get better you'd need to go full frame. My opinion anyway.

4) It is SO easy to use. All the usual functions you need to go hunting for have a button you hold, then spin the dial. Plus you still have an intelligently laid out menu system, plus a Function button you can assign to your own menu of quick hits if needed.

5) Light but tough, as far as I can tell. Not a magnesium body - but by no means cheap plastic either.

6) Did I mention image quality?

7) It doesn't cost a fortune, pick one up, with the Nikon 18-105mm VR lens (VR means Vibration Reduction - it stabilizes the image for handheld longer exposure shots so you don't get blurry pics) , and the Nikon 35mm prime - you're covered for everything but small and far away - for that the AIS 100-300 serves beautifully for $200 - total investment? Well under $1000 and I didn't get the 100-300 - not sure I need it since cropping is no longer an issue (because of the image quality lol), and I normally shoot landscapes and closer things anyway.

8) It fits my hand like a glove, rather than feeling like a Fisher-Price 'baby's first camera' it is decent sized.

These are most of the reasons I bought the D90, Newer isn't necessarily better and I'm an Image Quality/functionality guy. I don't easily bounce from camera to camera - I bought what I have for a reason and anything newer needs to be better, not just newer.

I'd recommend borrowing one - or Buying (Used or refurbished) from Adorama Camera to try it out. If you don't like it they are fine with a refund or exchange for up to 30 days after purchase - and they have great prices.

Nikon offers free tutorials on most of their cameras: http://www.nikondigitutor.com/index_eng.html