Total beginner! What should I buy next?

[Mom23fish]

Hi, this is my first post here. I am very new to photography and have a ton to learn. I am wondering what I should invest in next? I have a Nikon D7200. My lenses include kit 18-55, 35mm 1.8, and 18-200mm 3.5.

I do not have a tripod, any editing software (I play around a little on the free stuff), speed light, or prime portrait lens. What would you suggest I need next.

A little background...I am taking 2 basic photography classes over the summer. I mostly enjoy taking photos of my kids so portrait or sports ( competitive swimming), or animals.
Thanks

 

[tirediron]

You need nothing, you [probably] want everything, therefore, buy nothing. A tripod, speedlight, and software are all important tools in your kit, and it's hard to prioritize them without knowing more about your and your work. If I had to, I would suggest that a good editing suite is probably (IMO) the most important. That said, wait until you find out what you need. You will KNOW what you need when you find something you can't do... whether it's light an indoor scene at your child's birthday party or edit the pictures from that party properly. Again... wait until you KNOW what you need.

 

[Designer]

Hi, this is my first post here. I am very new to photography and have a ton to learn. I am wondering what I should invest in next? I have a Nikon D7200. My lenses include kit 18-55, 35mm 1.8, and 18-200mm 3.5.

I do not have a tripod, any editing software (I play around a little on the free stuff), speed light, or prime portrait lens. What would you suggest I need next.

A little background...I am taking 2 basic photography classes over the summer. I mostly enjoy taking photos of my kids so portrait or sports ( competitive swimming), or animals.
Thanks

If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, you might consider what the summer class will be teaching, and go for whatever fills the gap.

Or, I will recommend a tripod, a speedlight, and editing software. (Even without your mentioning them first.)

Children, portraiture, and animals could be handled with your 200mm zoom that you already own, but probably not the sports photos due to needing a wide aperture.

Really, though, I think you already know that the three items you listed are going to help you the most. Practicing good holding technique will help, but will not entirely substitute for a good tripod. A speedlight will let your photography grow in leaps and bounds, and especially if you can get it off your camera. Editing software could be done with a free software, but if you're just starting out editing, there is something to be said for the ease of use in something like Lightroom for instance.

I can't think of any lenses you might need right now unless you mean by "animals" you mean wild animals at a distance at which you could benefit from a really long lens. I took "animals" to mean dogs, cats, horses, etc.

 

[weepete]

editing software

 

[Derrel]

I would suggest Adobe's Lightroom software for editing/arranging your camera's .NEF format raw images. The 18-55 kit zoom is okay, but limiting in focal length range. I do not know the 18-200 lens.

A speedlight flash might be fun to play with. head over to the Scantips website and read up on flash a bit; look for the Neewer-brand speedlight he suggests for $79-$89 for your first speedlight.

I like NIkon's 85mm f/1.8 AF-S G prime lens for its fast aperture and modest weight and size; one of *****the***** sharpest lenses available under $4,000 as tested by DxO Mark, this is a one-time,lifetime type lens buy at around $396 on sale; HINT, wait for Father's Day sales to buy photo gear! Just a couple more weeks and there will be HUGE deals on photo items from the big retailers.

Education and training, and photographic understanding is the key to great pictures...I think some BOOKS, actual printed books, on photography, would be the best $50 spent. Buy two new, or go to a thrift store and buy half a dozen used photyography books for the same $50.

Gear is nice of course. I think a few things could be useful....like an off-camera TTL connecting cord, like the Nikon SC-28 flash cord would be handy and useful once you have a speedlight to connect to it. Foreget off-camera flash triggering transmitters for now, and get the physical cord, and learn what that does.

An inexpensive, USED-market acquired macro lens could be nice. ALWAYS by macro lenses used!!! Most are practically brand-new and little-used, so do not spend much money on one. A sigma or Tokina 105mm or 100mm macro would be fine. Avoid a short macro like a 60mm...too short for macro-lens uses on bugs and such, but fine for plants. Get an 85mm DX-Nikkor macro if you can find a cheap one USED, or a Tamron 90mm, or the aforementioned 105 Sigma or 100mm Tokina.

Generally: I buy lenses used from a dealer that allows returns for defective or unsatisfactory stuff.

 

[The_Traveler]

You need nothing, you [probably] want everything, therefore, buy nothing. A tripod, speedlight, and software are all important tools in your kit, and it's hard to prioritize them without knowing more about your and your work. If I had to, I would suggest that a good editing suite is probably (IMO) the most important. That said, wait until you find out what you need. You will KNOW what you need when you find something you can't do... whether it's light an indoor scene at your child's birthday party or edit the pictures from that party properly. Again... wait until you KNOW what you need.

What he said.

Don't fall into the mindset that equipment will make good photos.
Yes, you may need some specific equipment to make certain photos but the most important step in learning to be better is learning.
Read the manual, learn your camera's capabilities, learn when to use those capabilities that you have.
Read about composition, take pictures and post them for critique

Learn, learn, learn.

 

[Derrel]

^^^^^ THIS!

Buy some photography books!

Personally, although seemingly outdated, the 32 photo books authored by professor of photography John Hedgecoe, are FANTASTIC educational devices, which break photography down into many easily-understandable areas and subjects, and teach how to SEE light; how to FIND light: how to APPROACH the light, and where to position the camera, in relation to the light; how to create light; how to modify light; and how to create photos out of the things we see in the real world, by understanding composing, exposing, and lenswork.

I've learned a huge amount from the John Hedgecoe books, and have bought and given away several to budding shooters. Forget that they talk about film...film vs digital, not much importance, but how to see,find,and approach light is a key issue.

Spend $5 and $2.99 on shipping, and buy a John Hedgecoe photo book from a used book vendor from the internet.

 

[Mom23fish]

Thank you everyone for all of the suggestions! I think I will hold off on purchases until after I get a couple of classes under my belt, unless I find a Father's Day sale that is too good to pass up on some of the above suggestions.

 

[Gary A.]

You need nothing, you [probably] want everything, therefore, buy nothing. A tripod, speedlight, and software are all important tools in your kit, and it's hard to prioritize them without knowing more about your and your work. If I had to, I would suggest that a good editing suite is probably (IMO) the most important. That said, wait until you find out what you need. You will KNOW what you need when you find something you can't do... whether it's light an indoor scene at your child's birthday party or edit the pictures from that party properly. Again... wait until you KNOW what you need.

What he said.

Don't fall into the mindset that equipment will make good photos.
Yes, you may need some specific equipment to make certain photos but the most important step in learning to be better is learning.
Read the manual, learn your camera's capabilities, learn when to use those capabilities that you have.
Read about composition, take pictures and post them for critique

Learn, learn, learn.

YES! Having too much gear ends up diluting the learning process. The dilution extends the learning curve. Photography can be a lifetime of fun, challenges, achievement and of learning. No need to rush there is always tomorrow with new opportunities and new challenges.

To be a stick in the mud ... Toss two of your lenses away, stick them in a closet. I suggest you pick the 35mm and just shoot with that for a month. Shoot that sucker until you know it like the back of your hand ... until you can see the FOV, perspective, DOF, sharpness without pulling the camera up to your eye. Shoot that lens until you have harmonized with the lens ... Then move on to another lens and repeat.

After you have harmonized with your lens(s) you'll know what to buy next, you'll know what you need because by the process of harmonization you will learn the sweet spots of your lenses and their shortcomings. You buy to cover the shortcomings.

PS- A month is purely arbitrary ... take more than a month, less than a month ... it is the harmony that is important. AND, using only one lens will sharpen your photographic eye and get your creative juices flowing. Focal length is just one of many equally important elements in successful photography.

PPS- Of course use a long lens for sports ... but otherwise try to stick to one lens.

PPPS- Gary's three tips to better one's photography:

1) Shoot;
2) Shoot Some More; and
3) At the end of the day when you think you're done, shoot again.

 

[The_Traveler]

1) Shoot;
2) Shoot Some More; and
3) At the end of the day when you think you're done, shoot again.

This ^
And when you're home with nothing to do, look at pictures, read critiques - all in the effort to understand why certain pictures are 'good' and why othrs don't seem good.

 

[JPI]

Gotta agree with Gary A, grab the 35 mm, put the others aside and shoot the living snot out of it.

Also look for the Nikon manual app and download it to your cell phone, when your not doing anything else you can read it, plus it's handy when your out shooting.

I would spring for a good Tpod though

 

[Gary A.]

PPPS- Shooting with only one lens is not very exciting as walking around with a boatload of gear ... talking equipment is fun ... but shooting will send you up that learning curve. You will hear/read a lot about how it is the photographer that makes the picture ... while there is some/much truth to that ... as your skills increase, better equipment will increase your success, deliver higher successes and increase consistency. But until you get there, it's wax-on ... wax-off. Don't dilute your acquisition of skills with an overload of hardware.

 

[Designer]

My lenses include kit 18-55, 35mm 1.8, and 18-200mm 3.5.

The 18-55 is the lens I use most often. I also have the 55-200, the 85mm 1.8 G, and the 50mm 1.8 G, but I have never seriously considered the 35. Just don't need or want it.

If a lens is what you're hankering for, start reading and learning about good lenses so you can increase the quality of your kit.

 

[menaxiao]

I'm also a beginner it seems that you have more gears than I do. So, I think you may need a durable DSLR camera bag with multiple compartments. it is much easier if you go out for photographing. Good luck to you and welcome to share your pictures with us soon.