New guy - New Camera

[Trebin]

I am new to photography and I am looking to get my first SLR camera. I am fairly comfortable with photoshop but have never had a good camera to take photos. I am interested in taking photos of my family, nature, animals etc while I am out w/ them. I am looking at spending about 750 bucks or so total.

 

[WilfordSy]

Good luck getting your first SLR Camera! I remember the day I got my first SLR. It was amazing hearing that shutter click everytime I take a picture!

Welcome and enjoy shopping!

 

[KmH]

I am new to photography and I am looking to get my first SLR camera. I am fairly comfortable with photoshop but have never had a good camera to take photos. I am interested in taking photos of my family, nature, animals etc while I am out w/ them. I am looking at spending about 750 bucks or so total.

Nature is a fairly broad photographic genre that ranges from extreme close up work, Macro, that requires some specialized gear to broad panoramic landscape shots.

Animals generally require using a telephoto lens.

For your $750 I would recommend you get something like the Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens - and a second lens like the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens

None of that gives you a macro capability, but will handle just about everything else.

18 mm is wide angle enough for landscape/nature type shots, 35 mm to 200 mm is used for family, and animal shots can be done using the 200 mm.

 

[Trebin]

Sounds good, is Nikon one of the better brands? I know that I see canon in there as well.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+D...?id=pcmprd165800050001&skuId=9999166000050001

 

[Redbaron]

yep - Nikon and Canon are the most popular. Don't ask which is the best, it's a pandora's box that one.... like asking someone their favourite football team/religion or political figure.

 

[dots]

football team/religion

:hug::

 

[analog.universe]

I'd suggest getting either Canon or Nikon, and deciding between them based on ergonomics. Those 2 brands have the majority of the market, which means they have the best lens selection and the widest support community. I'd take a trip to a store where you can play with a couple different models from each brand, and choose the brand that is most comfortable to you and that you will most enjoy using. The performance differences between Canon and Nikon are slight, except in very specialized areas at the high end.

 

[Trebin]

Well it has been 2 years almost and a lot of researching but it ultimately came down to budget. I ended up getting a Canon t3i w/ the 18-55mm IS kit lens. It is a refurbished model directly from Canon and during a sale I picked it up for 440 w/ free shipping. I have started taking pictures, around 500 or so and started reading up on photography. I am hooked. Here is a link to my flickr account that I am posting edited photos and the ones that I like after researching them. I do have lightroom 5 that I am using right now for post processing. I hope to get photoshop, I think that is probably the best there is for editing. My goal would also be to eventually do this as a side job for some extra money. I am in IT right now and hate it so hell if I could do this full time I would in a second.

 

[o hey tyler]

You took two years to decide on a camera?

 

[Trebin]

It wasn't that it took 2 years to decide, I should rephrase that. I couldn't come up with the funds for 2 years and it took a lot of convincing from the wife.

 

[Juga]

It wasn't that it took 2 years to decide, I should rephrase that. I couldn't come up with the funds for 2 years and it took a lot of convincing from the wife.

Congrats on the camera. It took me a while before I finally had the money to buy my first DSLR.

 

[Trebin]

IT has been a blast so far. I am reading through the book on the T3i which has helped a lot.

 

[Gavjenks]

Wow thanks for remembering/taking the effort to follow up on a forum post from 2 years ago!!

 

[Trebin]

Wow thanks for remembering/taking the effort to follow up on a forum post from 2 years ago!!

I read through the comments several times here when making my decision. I am going to be active on here now, I can't wait to see the improvement this time next year.