Just bought a Nikon D3000

[guitar guy]

Hi, I'm Rick and I'm up here in Minnesota. I posted this in the on the "Welcome" page but it doen't look like that one gets much action, so I'll post this here.

I just bought a Nikon D3000 off Craigslist for $300. New condition, the guy said he'd only shot a couple of pics with it.

So I don't know what I'm doing at all because obviously I spend most of my time playing guitar, but photography has always been a big interest of mine so I'm excited to start educating myself.

So is this a decent camera? Good one to start out with?

BTW, I also have my deceased father in laws' old camera kit, a Nikon FG with a couple of lenses (one is a telephoto of some sort). I assume these will work with the D3000 but I will have to manually focus?

 

[8ball]

Welcome!
I love my D3000, good to start out with.

 

[Stradawhovious]

The D3000 is a great beginner body, and I'm sure you will get lots of great shots with it! Congrats! As far as the lenses are concerned, check the intrawebs for NIKON lens compatibility. Some will meter but have to be manually focused, others won't even meter, and some might even damage the body. Do your homework first, but there are lots of inexpensive options for lenses.

Also, depending on where in minnesnowta you are, there are some great places to shoot. Granted right now they are covered in three to five feet of show, but they are there!


ETA: Here is a good compatibility page......

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

 

[guitar guy]

Also, depending on where in minnesnowta you are, there are some great places to shoot. Granted right now they are covered in three to five feet of show, but they are there!

I'm in the twin cities, land of 10000 snowstorms.

 

[Stradawhovious]

I'm in the twin cities, land of 10000 snowstorms.

You and me both. I hope you're not a Vikings fan, I hear they suck so bad that their stadium imploded! :lmao:

Look on the bright side, there is another 8" forecast for today, and possibly another 8-10" by the weekend!

Yea!

If photography interests you, Minneapolis Community Education offers many classes for around the $40 mark. The classes normally run 4, 2 hour sessions at public schools and the ones I have attended have all paid for themselves in the first session.

Do take a look, they are worth every penny. The catalog will refresh on Jan 3rd to show the Winter offerings.

Minneapolis Community Education

 

[Light Artisan]

Welcome from a fellow Minnesohhhtan, down here by Mother Mayo (Rochester).

 

[PavementPilot]

Check out this article by Thom Nikkor Lens Information by Thom Hogan

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Body[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D3100, D5000[/FONT]

Pre-AI
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts, no meter [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AI, AS-S, E[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts, no meter[/FONT]

AI-P
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts and meters[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AF[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts and meters no AF unless AF-S or AF-I*[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AF-D[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts and metersno AF unless AF-S or AF-I*[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AF-G[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]mounts and metersno AF unless AF-S or AF-I*[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mounts = can be mounted on the camera in question[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Meters = all metering functions work with the lens in question[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]No matrix = matrix metering is disabled with the lens in question[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3D metering = distance taken into account in matrix metering[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Advanced flash metering = some advanced balanced fill-flash mode(s) supported[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*Special note: [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Since some Nikon cameras only focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses, other manufacturers have now started imitating those lenses. This page is focused on Nikon's designations, but to be complete I should mention that Sigma's HSM and Tamron's NII designations are essentially the same as Nikon's AF-S designation.[/FONT]

The original F-mount appeared in 1959, and lenses that were produced from then until about 1979 are usually referred to as Pre-AI. These lenses are dangerous on current Nikon bodies. With the exception of a modified F5 and the D40/D40x, mounting one of these lenses on your new Nikon will result in damage, so don't even try it. If you find that you have one of these lenses and want to use it on a current camera, you must have the lens converted to AI first.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In shorthand: on most recent Nikon bodies, you want an D-type or G-type lens to get the most metering and flash capability; any other type of lens compromises something in the metering or flash system slightly. On a few cameras (D40, D40x, D60, and D5000) only AF-S (or AF-I, HSM, NII) lenses give full compatibility.[/FONT]

 

[CapM]

Well, let's see pics of those guitars...

 

[Derrel]

Welcome! Enjoy the new low-cost D3000! It'll be a great start for you.

 

[Ken Rockwell Fan]

This should help light your way. Also, make sure to check out the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. It's awesome for shooting without a flash.

Nikon D3000 User's Guide

 

[Stradawhovious]

If you read the Rockwell review ok the D3000, please take it with a very large grain of salt. That review has a way of making folks who purchased a D3000 feel like idiots for their purchase, and personally I think it is unnecessarily brutal. The information in the links so far is sound, but remember that you purchased a fine camera. It, like any other entry level DSLR will have its limitations, but it is a fine camera capable of taking fantastic photos if you do your part behind the shutter.

 

[guitar guy]

If you read the Rockwell review ok the D3000, please take it with a very large grain of salt. That review has a way of making folks who purchased a D3000 feel like idiots for their purchase, and personally I think it is unnecessarily brutal. The information in the links so far is sound, but remember that you purchased a fine camera. It, like any other entry level DSLR will have its limitations, but it is a fine camera capable of taking fantastic photos if you do your part behind the shutter.

Funny, I actually did read that review last night before I called the CL guy about the camera. It seemed like a lot of quibbling about some finer points that really wouldn't make much of a difference to a noob like me. And I thought the $300 price tag seemed like a good deal so I went for it.

I see there's quite a book books on the market on the D3000. Can anyone recommend one that is particularly good, especially for a novice such as myself?

 

[PavementPilot]

If you go to your library, or even get this book in the local bookstore, check out 'Understanding Exposure' any of the 3 editions by Bryan Peterson. I just started reading it last night, and only made it to the second assignment and fell confident in manual mode now. Cant wait to finish the book and see what I can do with my D3100.

 

[flatflip]

If you read the Rockwell review ok the D3000, please take it with a very large grain of salt. That review has a way of making folks who purchased a D3000 feel like idiots for their purchase, and personally I think it is unnecessarily brutal. The information in the links so far is sound, but remember that you purchased a fine camera. It, like any other entry level DSLR will have its limitations, but it is a fine camera capable of taking fantastic photos if you do your part behind the shutter.

Funny, I actually did read that review last night before I called the CL guy about the camera. It seemed like a lot of quibbling about some finer points that really wouldn't make much of a difference to a noob like me. And I thought the $300 price tag seemed like a good deal so I went for it.

I see there's quite a book books on the market on the D3000. Can anyone recommend one that is particularly good, especially for a novice such as myself?

Congrats for a good deal and congrats for a good camera and tons of fun ahead. I have a D5000 and so wanted a D5000 book. After a couple weeks of looking at my manual every night I got pretty comfortable with my camera and don't care for a model specific book now.

Did you get the manual with yours?

Mick

 

[Stradawhovious]

If you didn't get the manual, it can be downloaded in its entirety for free at the NIKON website.