Very very new photographer looking for some good advice

[Renard]

my name is Luke but most just call me regard, i hope i read up enough to post this in the right place/topic. Anyway enough with the formalities, i am fresh into my senior year after labor day.. I need some advice what to spend my birthday money on so i can start taking this seriously. I feel as if the class i took in my high school was a joke ( we had low end Coolpix cameras that didn't work half the time, i feel as it i wasted my time in that class, the only thing that i learned was how to develop light paper :/) and i want to get a head start on what i will need for photo 2 for this year, i heard we are supposed to be getting some cameras but I'm scared to see what condition there going to be in.

my budget is very tight right now so the highest i can go is around 300 at the moment. I don't know much at all about different types of cameras and what they need... I'm just used to using a digital Camera.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, Figuring i will learn more here than my low budget school.

 

[quiddity]

buy a used nikon d50 ~$200
18-55 vr ~$100
80-200 4.5-5.6 ~80 lightweight zoom

 

[MTVision]

300.00 isn't close enough for the d5100 kit. If I were you (and my budget was 300) I would wait and do what ^^^^ said and said up for the nikon d5100 or for a used d90. If you are serious about getting into photography then I would wait til you had more money. Do you have a point and shoot (like a coolpix)? You can learn quite a bit (IMO) with a p+s.

 

[oldmacman]

Why is it that students always think that schools should have everything and teach everything? Have you read the news lately about the state of the national debt? Do you really want to increase taxes so you can have a better camera to play with? School should teach you to be a life long learner. It will stick with you better when you go out a look for and practice concepts. I teach photography and still learn new techniques and concepts all the time.

Anyway, for $300 I guess you'll be looking at used equipment. Some of the big stores like B&H have used sections. Then there is eBay, kijiji and craigslist. You need to decide on what you want to shoot because that will dictate the capabilities of the camera body and lens you eventually purchase.

 

[Renard]

To the post above, i know of the debt and the stuff thats going on but as i should have mentioned... the school feels its ok to use its budget to buy all the teachers iPads instead of keeping the school music programs and other electives (because of bad funding we only have 5 periods in a day). Anyway, i would love to this time around bring my own things to the class thats why I'm here to get advice , so i may not rely on others for things that i need.

Thank you for the things you have said i will keep that in mind next time I'm around micro center or on creigs list.

 

[Ballistics]

Why is it that students always think that schools should have everything and teach everything? Have you read the news lately about the state of the national debt? Do you really want to increase taxes so you can have a better camera to play with? School should teach you to be a life long learner. It will stick with you better when you go out a look for and practice concepts. I teach photography and still learn new techniques and concepts all the time.

Anyway, for $300 I guess you'll be looking at used equipment. Some of the big stores like B&H have used sections. Then there is eBay, kijiji and craigslist. You need to decide on what you want to shoot because that will dictate the capabilities of the camera body and lens you eventually purchase.

Well, I don't know where you live, but where I live middle school and high school teachers are paid in excess of $90k and property tax averages around $7-10k a year in my area. If schools have programs, they should supply the students with the necessary equipment needed for the course. I've worked in both federal and civil fields, and budgets are so mismanaged to the point where, they could supply the entire school with a D3100 with the amount of money that is wasted.

Back on topic, try to find yourself a used D40 kit.