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Hi everyone! ^^

Hey just a quick question...im going overseas soon and am in the market for a DSLR.

I have an old crappy Nikon Coolpix 3100 T_T
Ive been looking around lately but have absolutely no idea where to start...ie. Canon or Nikon or Pentax etc etc

The type of pictures im hoping to take will just be of scenery, people and just a whole variety of shots.

Im looking to get a whole deal at once...so no buying the body from one place and the lense from another place. (all except the bag and cards...)

Last week, i was lucky enough to have a play with an old Canon 10D and found that the pictures it produced were quite astounding.

So...i was wondering if some of you "pros' would be able to shed some light on my current situation or direct me in some kinda right direction...

Would be greatly appreciated.....


=BlackWater=

Blackwater, this is like buying a Holden and Ford i think, it is something you have to have a play with and see what feels good for you. I went for the Nikon and haven't looked back as well being here we have a 1 stop shop for all our needs but not available to members unless you have 30 post up maybe to share a picture. I brought my camera from Birddog and gear as you wont find a better price beleive me.
We all could say buy a D70 which most of us have but you should maybe go to a shop that has either brand and see how they feel.

We have some canon guys here as well but choice is yours, and by the way welcome to the forums. Another SA person.
Cheers
John

Yes...ive seen that BirdDog has been doing some very good deals by the look of things....at the moment, im leaning towards Nikon, only because the old man had jusst about everything nikon back then... I mean ive tried out a few canons and even a D70 once...overall the canon 350d just felt kinda plasticy all over whilst the D70, more rigid in construction....

Thanks for the quick reply BBJ, but lets just say that ive gone for the D70 option, what else would you recommend to complement such a fine camera??

Cheers

=BlackWater=

oh yeah, forgot too mention that my budget is around the 2.5k mark. (no more than that though )

Blackwater, if you go Nikon, start with the D50 or D70 + kit lens (18-70DX), it is a fine lens and very cheap when bought as a kit, then buy lenses as you feel you are lacking them eg ultra wide angle, telephoto or macro

Thanks Glen...
Thats kinda what i was thinking about....D70 or D70s + kit lense (not too sure about that?? help??)

After that what lense do you think i should get??
Maybe 50mm or go with more zoom as i like to take pics of birds etc etc (300mm)


Cheers

=Blackwater=

Only the D70s is readily available (it replaced the D70) but both are similar, the kit lens which comes is great for the modest money, so I would give that a big thumbs up.

The 50 1.8 is good for low light or portraits of people, around $200. For bigger birds, a good quality lens is the Nikkor 300mm F4 for under $1.5k. Both those lenses will last a lifetime. Also a choice is the 70-300 lens, about $300, not as versatile but more of a stepping stone lens. Mind you, I have seen some great shots in the right hands. I would get the kit first, then see which you swear more about - not having a fast lens for low light - or not having enough reach. That should make the choice for you.

Thanks alot Glen, much appreciated...

Ok, im probably gonna go with the D70s by the sounds of things...(cant byou get the D70 no more??)

But the problem still lies in where and who??
At the moment, i still cant access that other 'special' thread

Seriously though, if someone could find me a deal similar to this one http://www.d70users.net/viewtopic.php?t=8610 ill most likely swipe it up straight away as i have the money all prepared ^^

=BlackWater= wrote:After that what lense do you think i should get??
Maybe 50mm or go with more zoom as i like to take pics of birds etc etc (300mm)

I'd suggest buying the camera first and playing with the kit lens. Buy extra lenses a little later when you've gotten used to your camera - and perhaps borrowed/played with gear from other people. This will give you a better idea of what kind of lens you want to buy.

You'd be annoyed if you went out and bought a D70S and kit lens, and a 70-200 then found you wanted something longer almost immediately.

Blackwater,

You will probably find we are not about the money here, more the sense of community. 30 meaningful posts, post an image and ask an admin for membership usually is the requirement for membership and eligibility to bargains. Wont take you long, you are up to 7 already (just note the word meaningful, a post asking how the weather in Sydney is doesn't count)

Glen wrote:Blackwater,

You will probably find we are not about the money here, more the sense of community. 30 meaningful posts, post an image and ask an admin for membership usually is the requirement for membership and eligibility to bargains. Wont take you long, you are up to 7 already (just note the word meaningful, a post asking how the weather in Sydney is doesn't count)

Hahah....true true

Well its a bit late now...so maybe tommorow?
Oh and do the adelaidians on this forum meet often??
I wouldnt mind learning from a few pro's

Cheers guys

=BlackWater=

I'm going to take a slightly different approach, and suggest the D50 kit, plus the 55-200 lens, for you. I think that the Maxwell offer is still standing on this, so there are freebies to be had as well.

It's a truly ideal beginners' kit, and fits well within your budget, evcen after allowing for the fact that you'd still need to buy some memory.

But the most important advice I can offer is that you need to get yourself into a store and have a play with a D50, a D70s, and a Canon 350D. All are very good units, and each of them will be able to help you turn out excellent work. What you need to do is determine which of them feels best in your hands.

Hi Blackwater, Mate all the advice given is dead right start with the kit lens it is a great lens, and will cover a lot of things. I would suggest waiting of to you get them post up mate and then hit Birdy you can not beat the price anywhere.

Ok now there are some Adelaide users that do have outings so it is a matter to keep an eye on things here to see what is going on.
Fozzie is the man who is the fellow you need to look out for as he is always looking for somewhere different for the group to meet and socialise. He is 1 of many up there, i dont always get the chance to get up there but have been to a shoot with them all and great bunch of people.

Ok mate well hang around jump in have a chat join in as we are like 1 big happy family even our over seas members, the talent and expertise is 2nd to none.
Cheers
John

Cheers guys

Thanks for all the help...


oh yeah...so im guessing Birdy's the one stop shop??

Stay clear of the 70-300G if you want to take bird photos.

As Glen pointed out, either go the 300F4 or the 70-200 F2.8 Sigma + TCs. However to get that you're going to have to spend more than your 2.5k budget.

kipper wrote:Stay clear of the 70-300G if you want to take bird photos.

As Glen pointed out, either go the 300F4 or the 70-200 F2.8 Sigma + TCs. However to get that you're going to have to spend more than your 2.5k budget.

Is there anything wrong with the 70-300G?? (The ones that go for around 300 ish???)

The 70-300G is slower to focus than is required for fast moving subjects like birds. Probably the best review site for lenses is the Bjorn Rorslett site, but a complete list of sistes is listed in this excellent thread from Glen.

The problem with the 70-300 is that it's very slow to focus when you need it to be fast for catching the bird shots in flight.
The smallish aperture of F3.5 to F5.6 also makes the AF hunt a bit due to the low light hitting the sensor.
As said before the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 is an ideal starter if not slightly out of your budget.
You can get great shots from the 70-300, but you have to have an ideal set up and bit of luck.
Better start saving

I sold my 70-300G after owning it for 2months. Then purchased a 70-200VR lens, and was very happy with that purchase. It really produced good bird photos.

Hey, i had a look at the older D70 and the newer D70s....apart from the silver button and the screen size, what would be the main difference(s)??

Which one would be better and can anyone even get their hands on a new D70 anymore??

If you were looking at a 350D then if you were to purchase from Adorama or B&H (ie. mail order from New York) you'd be looking at ~AU$2200 for:

• camera body (black)
• EF-S 17-85mm IS USM lens
• EW-73B hood
• 2nd battery
• 1GB SanDisk Ultra II CF card

(You might well choose different cards/etc, but I priced this configuration for a friend recently and am copying from an email)

That lens will give you a 35mm-equivalent field of view from 27-136mm which is a very good starting point and the general-purpose lens I would recommend for newcomers. You can look at longer lenses, but that will increase the price and there are lots of choices. Once you're more-familiar with the camera and that initial lens you'll probably be in a better position to make decisions about the right compromises to make (e.g. cost/weight/aperture/focal length) in a telephoto. I think the same would hold true for other manufacturers.

Hi Blackwater,
I don't know how far south of Adelaide you are, but we are having a meet near Waikerie at the end of October. There will be Nikon and Canon users there and you could play with lots of different lenses and cameras to see what you like. We are going to Glupot Reserve which has lots of birds to see and photograph.
Failing that, Fozzie and Big V have an assortment of lenses from both Canon and Nikon and both live in Adelaide. Perhaps give them a pm if you want to have a play.
Good luck!
(I have the D70 and love it!!!)
Marvin

=BlackWater=

Welcome to the forum

The following is sound advice:

gstark wrote:I'm going to take a slightly different approach, and suggest the D50 kit, plus the 55-200 lens, for you. I think that the Maxwell offer is still standing on this, so there are freebies to be had as well.

It's a truly ideal beginners' kit, and fits well within your budget, evcen after allowing for the fact that you'd still need to buy some memory.

But the most important advice I can offer is that you need to get yourself into a store and have a play with a D50, a D70s, and a Canon 350D. All are very good units, and each of them will be able to help you turn out excellent work. What you need to do is determine which of them feels best in your hands.

During the course of the year we have 'Mini Meets', and it is a time where you can experiment with other people's lenses out of the retail shop envirnoment with no sales pressure.

Wow...sounds awesome!!
First i gotta get me a decent camera >_< hahaha
Cheers for all the help

=BlackWater=

Hi Blackwater
I have a D70 and I'm completely satisfied with it but if I had no camera and I was in the market for one at the moment, I would seriously consider a Konica-Minolta DSLR due to the anti shake incorporated into the body.
The only drawback is that there's no Minolta birddog.

phillipb wrote:Hi Blackwater
I have a D70 and I'm completely satisfied with it but if I had no camera and I was in the market for one at the moment, I would seriously consider a Konica-Minolta DSLR due to the anti shake incorporated into the body.
The only drawback is that there's no Minolta birddog.

phillipB,
With your talents and skills, I'm sure you'll DIY to convert all your Nikkors to use on the KM.

You still need the Vibration to massage your hands after a long day shooting though, so antishake built into the body won't help!

hey guys...yay or nay??

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Nikon-D70-with-1 ... dZViewItem

Just a quick squiz....

Im not too keen on these sales but from Canberra??

=BlackWater= wrote:hey guys...yay or nay??

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Nikon-D70-with-1 ... dZViewItem

Just a quick squiz....

Im not too keen on these sales but from Canberra??

I'm sure it's the import one, if it's new!
This guy may import it from O/S and sell it here, price of it from local Nikon/ Maxwell and comes with local Nikon warranty is not a big difference, though, send him an email and ask for warranty details.
Otherwise, it's a real damm good price if it's from local stock.

hmmm....yes emailing him now

Thats what im most worried about, the warranty

Hey guys...ive almost got my hands on a camera

Just one last question....if i were to get a 24-120mm AF-S VR f/3.5-5.6G ED, would it still be worth my while if i also got a 50mm Prime f/1.4??
Oh or would i be better using the moeny to get an sb 800 instead of the 50mm f/1.4??

Cheers

=BlackWater=

The 50 will still be better in low light conditions like parties, nightclubs, etc. It is also smaller and lighter to walk around with.

oh, so i should get both them lense??
Because to tell you the truth, i dont want to get both and find out that i only need one of them to take the kind of shot i want...

I will mainly be shooting scenery and also prtraits....mainly i need an all-rounder lense...

any ideas or suggestions ???

Start with the 24-120, if you find you can't get the shots you want in low light then get the 50 1.4

thanks glen, what do you think about getting t his lense??

Isnt this the old version VR??
And ive seen some reviews saying that the standard kit lense matches it or even betters it??

I have seen good shots with that lens. I don't have one myself. It has Vr. There is a selection of lens review sites at the top of the equipment section, this lens attracts varied opinion. Read them all on this lens then work out what you believe. I haven't used one enough to know what to believe


VR is the new model, the old had no VR

BlackWater: the 24-120 VR is a great walkaround lens, it's sharp enough by f/8, and optimally sharp at f/11. In terms of 'low light' performance, it really depends how much shooting you do under these conditions. If you're doing a lot of indoor work with flash I wouldn't recommend this lens, as it's not as sharp as some others at for example f/5.6; outdoors and in good light though it's great, no complaints.

Edit: oh and the 50/1.4 and SB-800 are also great. I don't have the 50/1.4 (yet), but the SB-800 is a godsend. In particular, if you're using the lens hood on the 24-120VR and similar or bigger lenses the inbuilt flash will give ugly shadows from the hood/lens, whereas the SB-800 will produce great pics. If you need to shoot with flash, grab a SB-600/800.

thanks guys...gives me alot to think about.

MCWB, i wont be shooting much inside (outdoors kinda guy) so ive decide i will get the 24-120VR.

The only problem is, the guy that im buying the D70 off gave me the wrong bsb number so now i have to wait another 4 days for my money to bounce back

When you say the sb-800 is great, is it ONLY good for indoors??

And how much do the sb-800's retail for??
(i think ive seen one for 600 or so...)

Blackwater, the SB800 is versatile and is of great use both indoors and outdoors

Don't go get it via retail By the time you get your camera, you would have qualified for the 30+ posts, then post up a few images to critique whilst providing your own for other users' images. This will let you have access to member pricing

=BlackWater= wrote:

kipper wrote:Stay clear of the 70-300G if you want to take bird photos.

As Glen pointed out, either go the 300F4 or the 70-200 F2.8 Sigma + TCs. However to get that you're going to have to spend more than your 2.5k budget.

Is there anything wrong with the 70-300G?? (The ones that go for around 300 ish???)

As a lens with a bit of reach to get started with, the 70-300G isn't all that bad. You should be able to pick it up on ebay for $150 or less which will give you the reach for a low price til you can afford something ab bit more costlier.

PiroStitch wrote:Blackwater, the SB800 is versatile and is of great use both indoors and outdoors

Don't go get it via retail By the time you get your camera, you would have qualified for the 30+ posts, then post up a few images to critique whilst providing your own for other users' images. This will let you have access to member pricing

"Dont get retail" as in get from Birdy right??

It would be great because ive been around to few shops lately and their prices are through the roof >_<

The 24-120 was $1300 (i think ??)

Whats ebay like when purchasing lense???

Cheers

=BlackWater=

Ebay is OK but you have to watch the pricing and the feedback of the seller. To many negatives and forget it.

Once you have reached 30 posts plus a pic posted you can contact admin for the right to enter the bargains section - it is worth it.

Blackwater,

Here is one eBay store that you can trust. Mr Poon is a member here (and probably much more).

http://stores.ebay.com/www-hksupplies-com