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Who the heck would have thought that there was a photography section here!!!!!
That said, I have been contemplating a camera upgrade for some time now and am looking at this:
Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera w/ AF-S DX 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G VR Lens - 25459-2176 - WolfCamera.com (http://www.wolfcamera.com/product/SLR1191.htm?bct=t13079503%3Bcislr-digital-cameras - broken link)
I mainly want to use the camera to better my current pictures. I think the SLR will allow me to do this. Is this a decent set up? Pro's / Con's on it?
Basically I will be using the camera for hobby stuff, sports, dance pictures, etc. Also, I really want to explore taking close up / macro photo's...will the lens included with it cut the mustard?
Finally, most of my pics will be inside pics where its dimly lit, will the flash set up included be okay or are there lens adjustments I can make to compensate.
I just got a Canon SX10is.. Not a Full DLSR.. it has a 28mm ~ 560mm equal to 35mm lens plus a double Macro Setting. It's a point and shoot..also does video... It's other twin that just came to the US 2/09 is the Canon SX1is with a CMOS processor this will do HD video plus both are great cameras. They don't have threads on the lens for filter, but you can purchase a Darlin ring that mounts on the lens for 58mm filters.....Both cameras are 10 mega pixel...... The Sx1is has a couple more bells & whistles than the Sx10is... Compare them to a 35mm DLSR.....
If most of your photos are going to be inside and you want to use flash the first thing you should do is buy a flash and a bracket. The built in flash on cameras generally provide less than stellar results due to being located so close to the lens and no ability to change the direction of the flash.
I would suggest a Canon Rebel or Canon 40D depending on your budget. The both have built in flashes so you would not have to buy a separate flash and bracket right away. The built in flash will cause red-eye but its easily edited out in PP.
I also cannot say enough about Canon's optics (lenses). If you want to do macro, they have the BEST macro lenses on the market. Most other lenses are comparable between the big makers and even third party manufacturers but for me, IMHO, Canon is the best.
Nikon has really good glass and that's all that matters (the glass). Canon is good but Nikon is, in my opinion, better in the long run. Spend the money on a cheaper body and more expensive glass. I promise you will not regret that. Glass will always be with you, but the camera won't.
I'm mostly a Canon shooter and don't know too much about Nikons, but....
It's a good lower end SLR -- as are any in that price range. Nikon is a popular, well-known camera company with dealers in most cities. My stepdaughter just got the same one for Christmas, in fact.
As Randy stated, you'll need a good flash and bracket. I'd recommend a Nikon flash for best compatibility, and get one with a rotating and swiveling head, whichever models those are. Select a rotating flash bracket that doesn't get in the way of your controls in either position. The bracket is a very personal selection; I've gone through several finding the one that works best for me. Prices can vary from $50 to $300 or more. If you use it much, the expensive ones are worth their cost, but they all do pretty much the same thing.
For macro photography you'll need something other than that lens. I'd suggest a dedicated macro lens, probably 100mm or so. That'll give you a little room to work for bugs, etc., and still be a reasonable size and cost. Most all macro lenses are very sharp, so if you can't afford the cost of a Nikkon macro, look at other brands. I use a Vivitar that's available for $150 or less that's pretty good. Tokina, Tamron, and Sigmas probably have something between the cost/quality of the cheap Vivitar and the expensive Nikons.
You could "get by" with a close-up lens, often called a close-up filter. These screw onto the front of your current lens and work like a magnifying glass. They're available in either a "double element" lens or as a set of three single element lenses. The single element designs are much cheaper, but the double element designs are much better. Nikon and Canon both make excellent double element close-up lenses in the $60-$100 range, price dependent on the size needed to fit your lens. A set of the single element lenses runs around $25 or so.
You could also get extension rings to get closer, but they rob the lens of light. I use one now and then, but they're not much sharper than double element close-up lenses and not as convenient.
You'll need more telephoto reach for about any sports photography, but I can't recommend which size without knowing which sports you'll be shooting -- indoor or outdoor, etc.
One disadvantage of the D60 body -- To save some cost, Nikon eliminated a built-in AF motor, so D60s only function properly when coupled to AF lenses with built-in motors. This translates to fewer lenses from which to choose since some Nikon lenses don't have AF motors. I don't know if this would ever be a problem for you or not, but it's something you should consider before buying.
I would suggest a Canon Rebel or Canon 40D depending on your budget. The both have built in flashes so you would not have to buy a separate flash and bracket right away....
Nothing against Canons, but I doubt the built-in flashes on Canons are any better than those on Nikons. The ONE advantage that Nikon has had over Canon in the past decade has been better flashes.
Those little pop-up flashes will scatter enough light for snapshots, but if you want more natural-looking indoor pictures you need a bigger flash that will direct bounce light to the ceiling, walls, etc. None of the pop-up units deliver any quality light -- okay for party shots, not okay for quality.
The zoom will give you more options for non-macro, and is a pretty good butterfly lens. By adding the close up lens (it screws on like a filter) you can zoom out to 200mm and focus about a foot away and get close to a 1:1 macro ratio. This gives you some nice working distance, plus you can still change your composition by unzooming without having to move your position like you would with a fixed macro lens.
You can do that combo for about a third of the cost of the 105 macro lens, and you might be able to find the 55-200mm as part of a bundle (be sure and look for the VR version of the lens). I picked up my D40 with the 18-55 and the 55-200VR from Costco for about $600. It's a nice little camera.
If you're going to be doing a lot of indoor, I would add the add the SB-400 flash. It is very small, but can be adjusted to bounce the flash off the ceiling - which will make an enormous difference in the quality of your photos.
Nikon has really good glass and that's all that matters (the glass). Canon is good but Nikon is, in my opinion, better in the long run. Spend the money on a cheaper body and more expensive glass. I promise you will not regret that. Glass will always be with you, but the camera won't.
That's not true. Both Nikon and Canon have good glass that are pretty much equal to each other, while Leica and a couple of others have better glass than both.
That said, if I were to be looking for a Nikon camera, I would not consider anything below a D80, since these can use any Nikon lens with VR on the lens instead of the body (like the D40, for example).
I've been shooting with Nikons for over 30 years. If it ain't broke I don't fix it.
The glass is EXCELLENT. I mean I'm addicted to Nikon's optics. My gun scopes are Nikons, binoculars are Nikons, and every damn lens with only ONE exception is a Nikon.
D90. The 80's good, but the 90 has the better sensor in it.
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