What camera should I get?

[astroNikon]

With a budget of $2500 you can get better input on Macro solutions from the people that know about Macro.

They may even recommend a ring light, which is a light that goes around the lens to light up your subjects. Of course, books and learning about the subject is highly recommended too.

 

[waday]

if a salesman tries to sell you one.

Isn't that a requirement for a camera salesperson? Just like a car salesperson selling you rustproofing?

 

[jaomul]

I don't recommend the d7100 if macro is your big thing. When doing macro (at least for insects or flowers in a breeze for example) you often find yourself setting the lens to manual focus, and sort of rocking with the camera towards and back from your subject to get focus. All Canon cameras i had when used with autofocus lenses would beep when the point of focus selected( even though the lens was in manual) agreed that the lens was focussed at that point.

I loved that feature, I now own the d7100 and a little green light flashes in the viewfinder when using this function, however the audible beep was so much better as you generally are concentrated on looking at your subject.

 

[DustinB]

For a $2,500 budget I would go for a D7100 and the newest Tamron 90mm Macro lens or a newer Nikon 105mm macro. Would leave enough extra for a ring flash for macro, some kenko extension tubes to get closer, and possibly a good flash for general photography like a nikon sb-910 or alternative.

Of course that won't leave you with a lens for general photography, but the macro lenses could be used, just kind of a long focal length for most things. If you want a good general lens you could forget about the extension tubes and flash and go for a used 17-55 2.8 around $800. Probably just decide what you would like to have and see what you can find used or what compromises you want to make. I know all of this can be quite daunting, but it is a cool hobby. I've probably spent a few hundred hours scouring the net for info on what to buy, camera settings, anything you can imagine. It's all worth it once everything clicks and you finally start getting some good shots.

 

[dannylightning]

the D5300 or the D7100 is the way to go if you ask me, image quality should be close, but the 7100 has more feature and it also has a built in focus motor so you can use it with lenses that do not have a focus motor in the lens. i picked up the D5300, at the time i did not realize the 7100 had the built in focus motor or i would have got that.

the D5300 is smaller and lighter and has less buttons, but i think is very easy to change every setting i need pretty quickly and i am quite happy with mine almost every lens i have though about buying has had a focus motor in it so i guess its not a huge deal not to have a focus motor in the camera body its self.

if you do not mind spending the extra money definitely go for the 7100

for macro i would probably want to try out these extension tubes and just use a regular lens and see how it went. if they work out well it will save you some money because you might not need to buy a macro lens with these. if the stink you can probably return them. one of these days i am probably gonna try a set and see how it goes.

Amazon.com : Zeikos ZE-CVAFN Auto Focus Macro Extension Tubes for Nikon : Camera Lens Extension Tubes : Camera & Photo

you would probably be better off with a real macro lens but i hear those ones do pretty darn good ( i saw some good reviews on those ext tubes that i found with a google search) the amazon reviews were pretty good too from what i remember.

 

[CalicoKitties]

Thank you for the info, everybody!! I really appreciate it.

I think I'll probably go for the Nikon D7100 w/ the 105mm lens for macro. I might even just start off with the D7100 & a lens for general photography and wait to get the macro lens until I've explored the camera for awhile.

 

[dannylightning]

That would probably be a good idea, Only having a macro lens would not be that great. You need to figure out what kind of regular lens you want. That should be a choice that you really thing about, there are allot of different zoom ranges on the lenses and there are higher and lower quality lenses. you can usually buy a kit that comes with a lens or just the body.

the kit lenses are usually a 18-55mm some times you can get them with better lens. the 18-55 is good for everyday general shooting as long as you are not trying to shoot objects that are far away from you, if you are just shooting indoors or things outside that are close to you can get away with just one of those kit lenses like that, the standard kit lens does not take bad photos but there are better lenses out there.

 

[Designer]

Oh yeah, another question to ask: what about the Nikon D7100? Just curious as to why nobody mentioned that one; I know it's probably a bit more advanced, but I think I could get the hang of it.

Oh, yeah! If you can afford it, then get that one and don't look back. You can learn and grow into ANY camera, so get one that stretches your budget.

Also; when considering a "package deal", be aware that retailers often throw lots of low-cost items in the deal to make it SEEM like you're getting a lot of stuff for your money.

If you have the temerity to shop for a prime deal, get a D7100 and one choice lens. You can pick up accessories as you need them.

 

[greybeard]

the 105mm is that these are good general use lenses while the 105mm is very focused at macro and I think will make a good portrait lens too but not a good general use lens.
There are third party lenses which are cheaper but I know little about them.

I have the 105mm macro and it is excellent as a fast (f/2.8) medium telephoto as well as dedicated macro. Matched with a Nikon R1 flash system it will do just about anything you will need. I think I would go with a D5300 or D7100 body.

 

[DustinB]

Don't skimp on a lens if you think you will get into photography. Not saying you shouldn't go with a 3rd party lens, but definitely don't go for a kit lens. For a general purpose lens to start with I would recommend the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8, find a newer used one. Nikon lenses, good ones, will command a premium in the used market if you decide to sell it later you could probably get what you paid for it.

There are plenty of ways to go, but if I started over I would wish I did this to begin with instead of losing money on kit lenses.

 

[JacaRanda]

Welcome to TPF Calico

You don't need a specialized camera for your macro work, all you need is a basic DSLR and a macro lens. Google for extension tubes, they are a cheap way to begin macro work if you can't get a proper macro lens for now. Look at this link for some basics.

For a camera, depending on your budget, I'd advise you to get either a D3300/D5200/D5300, saving enough money for that lens of course. I'm sure some of our specialized macro photographers will comment further, you can also send a private message to "orionmystery" for some tips he does a lot of macro work.

He also uses an older model Canon 40D for a number of his amazing macro shots. You may inquire in that regard also, before getting caught up in the sensor or brand wars.



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