# another camera thread



## katt (Feb 3, 2010)

so i am going to do it.

i have been talking about getting a DSLR camera for over a year now. i have about 2 weeks untill get my tax return, and i am going to spend a chunk of it on getting myself a nice new camera. i am now lookin hard into what camera i want

now while i drool over a nikon d90 that is way out of my price range.

so i am considering getting a nikon d3000. anyone have this camera?

i am open to suggestions. cannon? what do you think about them? what about samsung?

i am so new to this world of cameras that i really don't know what is going to be the best one for the money as a starter camera.

i hope to buy the camera plus lens kit. but what else do i need to plan on buying? a memory card, ect. . .


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## Pet_Bunny (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi Katie! :wave:

It's different when you move from your Kodak point and shoot to a DSLR. Since you are new and not tied down a particular brand (Nikon, Canon, Sony...) yet, the field of cameras are yours for the picking. Each company have their own cameras and every camera will have its own advantages over the other. It's like comparing Fords to Dodge to Hondas.

I suggest you look at the different brands, hold them in your hand to see how it feels. You might realize a Nikon is too big to hold or a Canon doesn't feel right where the buttons are, or a Sony features a better price point.

Camera bodies are always changing and getting upgrades. There is no perfect camera. It is better to buy a better lens, and that would last longer than the camera body that you have now. Some kit lens are better than other kit lens. If you can hold off for a few more days, Nikon might be revealing some new cameras soon, and that should lower the price on theprevious models. 

I know I am ready to spring for a new body (my third one now) if Nikon has something that matches my shooting abilities. But I am set with the lens that I already have andinvested in.

Stan


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## TinysMom (Feb 3, 2010)

I am not a camera geek as far as Stan is (I don't know that much for sure) - but I have had experience with getting new cameras as I might be a "camera-holic" in some ways. 

My first digital camera was a Kodak Easy Share and I loved it - but it ate batteries (I was always putting in a newly recharged set of batteries). It was frustrating for that reason - but when that baby died - I cried.

So I went camera shopping and wound up getting a Nikon CoolPix 4800.

Now there is a line in the old movie "Gotcha" when the father says to his son, "Its not a camera - its a Nikon" and boy - do I understand that statement. In some ways it was "too much" camera for me - and I don't do well with reading manuals as opposed to having someone show me hands-on how to use the camera. Still yet - I LOVED this camera (and still do - but some of the settings don't work well).

When I went to replace it - I did what Stan said - I felt how cameras felt in my hand and I played with them to see what felt right and what I felt comfortable with. I really wanted a Nikon but couldn't afford the one I wanted (and I needed a camera for something fairly soon). The Nikons in my price range I didn't like - and I didn't care for the Canons in my price range. I knew I didn't want Sony and the Kodak ones didn't feel right either.

I wound up going with a Fujifilm FinepixS1500. There are several things I like about this camera - BUT - I hate the fact that it is NOISY when I'm taking videos and have to move the lens in or out. 

About Christmastime - I broke down and got myself a used Canon at the pawn shop. It didn't work - so I took it back - paid a bit more and got another, nicer Canon. This one is a PowerShot SX100 and it has a 6 month warranty. 

I mostly like this camera - but truth be told - I'm thinking of saving up some money every month and getting myself a really nice camera (in the price range you're probably thinking of) with the interchangeable lenses, etc.

All I can say is to TAKE YOUR TIME when picking your camera (something I didn't do enough of) and play with it A LOT. Check to see how loud it is when you're videotaping. If you can - see how long it takes to save a picture (some seem incredibly slow - probably because of the megapixel size). 

Consider issues like batteries - my Nikon had a special battery it came with along with the recharger. WOW - that battery lasted forever in between recharges. My FujiFilm can take hundreds of photos with the batteries - my Canon - not so much. I just got both lithium batteries for it - and rechargeable ones and was about to PM Stan to ask him which he would recommend.

I have to admit - I'm a tad bit jealous of you getting a new camera (not in a super bad way) because I really really want a NICE camera someday. 

In the meantime - I find myself alternating back and forth between my FujiFilm and Canon - depending upon what I'm doing. I love some features of the Fuji - and I love the Canon for videos.

EDITED TO ADD: I KNOW MY CAMERAS AREN"T IN THE RANGE YOU"RE LOOKING AT WITH INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES, ETC - but I thought I'd share my experiences with camera purchasing...


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## Pet_Bunny (Feb 3, 2010)

*TinysMom wrote: *


> I just got both lithium batteries for it - and rechargeable ones and was about to PM Stan to ask him which he would recommend.


I use rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries (AA's) for my camera and flash, for ease of use and cost. When buying rechargeable batteries, look for the newer ones that are ready to use (pre-charged)andhave a low discharge (they don't drain if not in use). Also choose a battery that has a higher mAh (Milla amp hour) rating. The higher the number, the longer it lasts. eg. 2650 mAh will last longer than a 1800 mAhbattery.

Also when recharging batteries, try to charge them at the slowest period of time (the longest time). The fast chargers like a 15 minute charger tends to over heat the batteries thus shorting the life of the battery.


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## katt (Feb 3, 2010)

thanks guys.

i am thinking i might go with the nikon d3000, i have played with it in stores.

money is always an issue for me, but as peg will know, i really need a hobby lol, something that i enjoy doing, and with my one nephew 2 1/2, and my other sister expecting this march, it just feels like the right thing to do.

my next question is. . . does this look like a good deal? buying a large kit off of amazon for this price? or should i just go to a store hear, and buy the basic camera and lens kit, then buy everything seperatly?

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6G-Accessory/dp/B002NRSMYY/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1


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## TinysMom (Feb 3, 2010)

Now I AM jealous - that is the exact model and package I was looking at on Walmart.com for a bit more than that price. (Walmart is out of them online).

I'd wait a couple of weeks though - as Stan said - they're introducing new ones and the prices might drop.


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## Pet_Bunny (Feb 3, 2010)

Check this link... 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm

Kenhas alot of information, but he has his own opinions too that people love or hate.


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## katt (Feb 3, 2010)

thanks peg. i am so excited about getting it.

and it will be about 2 weeks before i am ready to order it, so i have a while to keep looking around and seeing everything.

the nikon d3000 feels right. and honestly it fits into my budget perfectly.

and the great thing is that i will be gettig it just over a month before my next neice/nephew is born. so i can learn about the camera and get some good new baby shots.

and peg, i felt the same way about my kodak easy share point and shoot camera. i LOVED that camera. it was a sad day when it finally died. for being only $100,8 mp it took amazing photos IMO













and this wasn't playing with any settings, just using the "auto-general" setting.

i am doing this completely for me, and i am SO excited!

still open for opinions though!


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## katt (Feb 3, 2010)

thanks stan for that website. it is making getting the d3000 sound better as that seems about the new d40 for nikon.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Feb 3, 2010)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-...lack/9220229.p?id=1218061795563&skuId=9220229

here is what i want to get as my camera just broke, and with four kids and animals i cant be without a camera. I will get this one for the time being but i would love a Nikon d3000 some day,lol


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## katt (Feb 11, 2010)

had to bump this thread to say that i just ordered my new camera!!!!

it should arrive in about 5 days (although with the weather lately, i am not holding my breath).

ended up with the nikon d3000 kit from amazon that i posted the link to above.

i am so excited! can't wait!


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## Blaze_Amita (Feb 15, 2010)

I am a brand person. I am drooling over a Pentax K2000 DSLR, I have 2 Pentax K1000 SLR 35mm cameras. 
All of my point and shoot camera's have been Olympus. my first one I don't even recal the model(still have it) then teh FE220 digetal point and shoot and I did have an OM-1 SLR 35mm. So I'm very attached to my two brands. 

CONGRATS on your purchase


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## SunnyCait (Feb 15, 2010)

I just have to say once you get your DSLR, you won't ever go back to a P&S. I just can't... I have a lower end DSLR (Canon XTi) and I also have a Canon Powershot SX120 IS and even though it's a nice little camera, and everyone else thinks it takes great pictures... I just have a hard time using it and being satisfied with the images. Because I just know how much better the DSLR photos of the same scene would look. Honestly it makes me frustrated to shoot with the smaller camera LMAO! So I am always hauling around my "big" camera and it's bag o' stuff. 

For example (I'll link so as not to hijack completely LMAO)

Powershot: http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz221/CaityCaitsPics/Athena/IMG_0359.jpg


DLSR: http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz221/CaityCaitsPics/Athena/IMG_4570.jpg

It's just... Different enough to make me not want to use the P&S nearly as often as the DSLR. So be prepared for that change haha!


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## MikeScone (Feb 15, 2010)

*katt wrote: *


> ended up with the nikon d3000 kit from amazon that i posted the link to above.


I think you'll be happy with the D3000, and the 18-55 lens is a good beginner lens. It'll take you from a mild wide-angle to a short telephoto. In 35mm terms, it's roughly a 28-70 equivalent, and the 28-70 was a pretty standard everyday lens in the 35mm world for years. The VR (vibration reduction) feature is nice - I have the 70-300VR lens and it really does help in low light situations. 

The main weak point in the D3000 (and its predecessor the D40) was the lack of an in-camera focus motor. Since you're starting from scratch, that's less of an issue than for someone like me who had accumulated a bagful of lenses over the years, but it does limit your choices on additional lenses (especially non-Nikon). You have to be careful to get only lenses that have internal focus motors. 

The kit seems to have pretty much everything you'll need to start with. The extra battery is nice - always have an extra battery with you - but I think you'll be surprised at the life you get out of the standard battery. My D300 takes a different battery (EN-EL3e), but I think the capacities are similar, and I get 700+ shots to a charge. However, since the D3000 lacks the top-panel LCD display that the D300 has, you're going to have to use the color display on the back more, so you may not get quite so many. 

I suspect you're going to want more lenses as time goes on. What you get will depend on what sort of photography you wind up doing. 

The 18-55 lens is an f3.5-5.6 which can be a bit limiting if you do a lot of pictures of, for example... bunnies. (How did I guess that?) The f-stop is a measure of how much light gets through the lens. The lower the number, the more light. The range on your lens means that the lens is f3.5 at its widest setting (18mm) and f5.6 at its longest setting (55mm) - a difference of two f-stops, or, put another way, the lens will gather only one fourth the amount of light at 55mm as at 18mm. That means that you will find yourself needing to use flash instead of available light for indoor shooting, more often than not. 

So, my next-most favorite lens after the 18-135 (that's my everyday lens) is a 50mm f1.4. That can be a bit pricey, but you can find lots of 50mm f1.8 lenses for not too much on eBay, and that's only one stop smaller. An f1.4 lens is six stops faster than your zoom at 50mm, so that it lets in 64 times as much light - or, putting it another way, if the exposure on the zoom is f5.6 at 1/4sec (which is too slow to handhold), the exposure would be f1.4 at 1/250. That would be fast enough not just to handhold, but to freeze action. And, you also get much less depth of field (the range of focus from front-to-back) so you can have the bunny stand out from the background. 

After that, you'll probably look at something longer (like a 70-300) or shorter (like a 12-24), depending on the kind of pictures you like to take. 

So, take lots of pictures, and let's see 'em!


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## katt (Feb 16, 2010)

so it came. and i am in love. but still learning (only had it working about 20 minutes now)

but i thought i would share my first 3 photos. just using the auto but still, i am happy! not very good, i expect to get better, but i am rather on top of the world right now!


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Feb 17, 2010)

ok Katt i have a question, first i love the pic of the flower, secondly i was looking at the kit you got and was thinking of getting it. The original camera i was going to get is discontinued and i cant get it without a big hassel, so then i was looking at this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-...ategoryId=pcmcat180400050000&id=1214611419717 

But for something like 50.00 more i can get the whole thing that you got. 

My question is that i am a beginner does anyone on here that knows about camera think either one of these are ok for me or are they too advanced for me? i want it to take pics of t he kids, the pets, kids outside playing, and scenic type stuff, will these cameras give me what i want?


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## katt (Feb 17, 2010)

i don't know canons, heck, i barely know my nikon yet.

but i am a complete beginner, i had never even taked a photo with a dslr camera before

and my nikon d3000 is proving to be easy to use, it even has a little '?' button that is i am doing something and don't understand something, i can press that button and it explains to me what i am doing or need to do.

the kit is worth it to me. 

so far, i LOVE my new camera.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Feb 17, 2010)

now all i have to do is covince the hubby to put that much money out on a camera,lol, but with four kids, family, animals and life i cant not have a camera.

Question does it take videos? how long is the battery suppose to last for?


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Feb 18, 2010)

well i ordered it!!!!!!!! I will get to know how to use it then add another lens to it that was suggested that i get.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Feb 21, 2010)

This is Brayden, "the baby", he is being silly.




Up close one of Simba





Up close one of Sylvester




Here is Benny





My Belle mommy, so kissable





She is giving me the but




Rex






Charger







I love how nice the close up pics come out on my new camera, i have taken 150 since getting the camera on friday,lol.


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