Beginner questions

[why_spyderette]

This question is for a friend of mine. She is starting school for photography in January and she just purchased a Nikon D90 and lens. She has had it for a couple days now and says she doesn't like it because it is heavy and has too may buttons. She is wondering what is a good camera for beginners? She has to have one that has the detachable lens.

Thanks for your help in advance.

I am sure you have all heard this question before.

 

[Derrel]

Too many buttons??? MOre buttons is actually easier than fewer buttons and a long laundry list of items buried in menus on LCD screens. She needs to give it more than, "a couple of days." She might wish to read the instruction manual for more than five minutes, and actually read some manual pages with the camera right there, and then actually use the controls to go through the material covered in the manual. That will really help to solidify what she has read.

What's odd to beginners is that MORE buttons, and MORE specific, single-function buttons, controls, and dials is actually MUCH EASIER and more direct than the digicam type design idea of a few buttons, and three,four,or five pages of menus with 5 to 7 choices on each page.

A D90 is a SIMPLE camera. It really is. Her laundry machines probably have more choices.

 

[The Shoe]

I agree with Derrel. I got the D90 partially because of the easy/quick to access controls. I hate scrolling through slow, clumsy menus while staring at an LCD.

 

[gsgary]

The D90 is not heavy

 

[camera obscura]

Tell her to get a "point and shoot" camera.

 

[Babs]

She is starting school for photography in January and she just purchased a Nikon D90 and lens. She has had it for a couple days now and says she doesn't like it because it is heavy and has too may buttons. She is wondering what is a good camera for beginners? She has to have one that has the detachable lens.

TBH it doesn't sound like a problem with the camera! Your friend needs to spend a bit of time learning about what the camera is all about, what the buttons are, what the different modes are and how to use it. If she's giving up after a couple of days, how is she going to stick out a photography course?!

I've had my camera 6 weeks now and I STILL don't know what everything does! I can shoot in different modes (M, Av, etc) and get good results, I've read my manual a couple of times, I've bought (and read!) some books, I've been out "there" and taken hundreds and hundreds of photos - sometimes of nothing worthy of showing anyone else just to practice different techniques and learn more about how my camera works. I've read threads on here, looked up other internet sites and looked at videos on YouTube, to name but a few. But I will still need to do all these again, and more, over and over and over again until I am happy with what the camera does and how I can best use it.

A DSLR isn't something you can pick up and know inside out in a couple of days. Learning how to use your camera and how to take a good (technically good) photograph is a process which takes time and dedication.

 

[Vinny]

Is it a photography class or is it a photography school?

If she's looking for a career in photography she'll appreciate the D90 for all of its buttons and how quickly she can change things. That was the reason I went for the D90 vs D5000 when I bought it although I am not a professional.

If she is pursuing a career then she'll probably outgrow the D90 as well so tell her not to invest in lenses that will fit only the DX format and look into FX lenses. Heck, she may decide to leave 35mm altogether and get into medium format!

 

[why_spyderette]

Is it a photography class or is it a photography school?

She is going to school for photography not a class.

Thanks for your help everyone. I will tell her everything you guys have said. I am trying to ger her to join the forum. I think it would help her out a lot.

 

[SrBiscuit]

Tell her to get a "point and shoot" camera.

and pick another major :lmao:

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

This question is for a friend of mine. She is starting school for photography in January and she just purchased a Nikon D90 and lens. She has had it for a couple days now and says she doesn't like it because it is heavy and has too may buttons....

If she finds the D90 heavy... She wont be happy with the more advanced dSLRs if she decides to stick with photography...

The D90 is quite light compared to some...

The Nikon D300, D300S, and D700 are much heavier and more complicated... She'll find the same with Canon.

Most "good" dSLRs that I've seen are as heavy if not more than the D90 and as for buttons... Well as stated earlier in this thread... More buttons isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[bazooka]

And the equipment only gets more cumbersome as you go it seems... it sounds like she may be underestimating how much work it takes to be a professional photographer. I'm a one-year noob whose not even sure I'd consider this a hobby and I've already got more crap than I can carry on a plane. :thumbup:

 

[tygr1]

Tell her I'll trade my D3000 for her D90.