Buying Gear
It's taken me many years to get the gear I have now. I started with a Nikon F65 and gradually bought and sold my way to my current kit. F65 to D100 to D200 to D300 to D700. As a general note camera bodies get "old" fast while lenses hold their value in a photographic and monetary sense. Basically by the best you can afford at the time.
What is important when buying a camera?
I pretty much ignore megapixel as they all seem to be great now, 10MP+.Also the last time I really looked hard at entry levels cameras was when I bought one...and it was a film camera. I've got some great links below for camera reviews on all brands and models.
But really depends on you needs but I look for:
- Price, is it worth stepping up to the next level? What "add ons" do you get and will you use them?
- High ISO, great for low light photography
- Frames Per Second (fps), for photographing sport it helps to have a high fps rate.
- Ergonomics, how does it feel to you? Some like a light camera, I like a bit of weight.
What camera should I buy, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus or Canon?
It depends on your needs, experience and budget. I use Nikon, but think Canon is also a great reliable brand. For beginners I recommend an entry level Nikon or Canon body with a wide range(NOT angle) lens such as a 18-200mm.
Which lens should I buy?
Again it depends on your needs, experience and budget.
For beginners a 18-200mm zoom lens allows you to find out what what you use most, wide or telephoto. 18-200mm lenes are ok for everything, but great for nothing. A brand the same of you body(eg Nikon/Canon) is best, but I have used Tamron and Sigma when starting out.
I'd also recommend a 50mm f/1.8. It's a relatively cheap lens and has the f/1.8 which means it's great for low light and it creates the beautiful, arty, blurry background at f/1.8.
If you have any other gear questions please feel free to contact me here.
Here are a few websites I use when I'm considering purchasing gear:
Ken Rockwell
He's opinionated and not for everyone, but so far he's given me great advice for my 10+years in photography.
www.kenrockwell.com
Thom Hogan
A Nikon user with lots of reviews on gear.
http://bythom.com/
Nikon Rumours
Great to stay "in the know" as to new products and developments. The same person runs a Canon and Lieca version of the site
http://nikonrumors.com
Fred Miranda
Lots of reviews on lenses and accessories of all types, models, and ages.
www.fredmiranda.com
Pixel Peeper
Photos from a variety of lenses to give you an idea of what you get from a lens before you buy it.
www.pixel-peeper.com
What is important when buying a camera?
I pretty much ignore megapixel as they all seem to be great now, 10MP+.Also the last time I really looked hard at entry levels cameras was when I bought one...and it was a film camera. I've got some great links below for camera reviews on all brands and models.
But really depends on you needs but I look for:
- Price, is it worth stepping up to the next level? What "add ons" do you get and will you use them?
- High ISO, great for low light photography
- Frames Per Second (fps), for photographing sport it helps to have a high fps rate.
- Ergonomics, how does it feel to you? Some like a light camera, I like a bit of weight.
What camera should I buy, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus or Canon?
It depends on your needs, experience and budget. I use Nikon, but think Canon is also a great reliable brand. For beginners I recommend an entry level Nikon or Canon body with a wide range(NOT angle) lens such as a 18-200mm.
Which lens should I buy?
Again it depends on your needs, experience and budget.
For beginners a 18-200mm zoom lens allows you to find out what what you use most, wide or telephoto. 18-200mm lenes are ok for everything, but great for nothing. A brand the same of you body(eg Nikon/Canon) is best, but I have used Tamron and Sigma when starting out.
I'd also recommend a 50mm f/1.8. It's a relatively cheap lens and has the f/1.8 which means it's great for low light and it creates the beautiful, arty, blurry background at f/1.8.
If you have any other gear questions please feel free to contact me here.
Here are a few websites I use when I'm considering purchasing gear:
Ken Rockwell
He's opinionated and not for everyone, but so far he's given me great advice for my 10+years in photography.
www.kenrockwell.com
Thom Hogan
A Nikon user with lots of reviews on gear.
http://bythom.com/
Nikon Rumours
Great to stay "in the know" as to new products and developments. The same person runs a Canon and Lieca version of the site
http://nikonrumors.com
Fred Miranda
Lots of reviews on lenses and accessories of all types, models, and ages.
www.fredmiranda.com
Pixel Peeper
Photos from a variety of lenses to give you an idea of what you get from a lens before you buy it.
www.pixel-peeper.com