Thread: New DSLR

well Steve I would sugest that a D7000 would be a good camera because I have recently bough the D7100 after having a friend (dmdigital) say "just have a look at one" as I was considering buying a full frame second hand camera.

I had the D80 for the last 6/7 years and I'm stoked with the D7100 which is just a small upgrade I believe from the 7000...but a big jump from my D80 in what it is capable of.

I dont think she could go wrong with this camera. When I got the D80 it was considered a good entry level amature photographer body and I think the D7000 still continues along the same lines and still commands that sort of review.

there are a few other cameras around in your budget such as the pentax etc so ultimately it will come down to how she likes the ergonomics of the body.
Your partner sounds like she might be on a similar photography level to myself...only difference being I did know my way around my camera, but having to now understand MORE about my camera due to the advancements and new features that are now available to me with my newer body, so I can again get the best of it.

I have a D7000 and love it.
Others here have the D5100 and love it.

Don't dismiss Pentax. They are very much like the Land Rover of the camera world. They might not be the name on everyone's lips, but they have a lot going for them.

More info here:

Pentax Cameras - DSLR Reviews and Comparisons

I can't comment on the camera body, other than to say I gave my girlfriend a Canon DSLR and it's been great. No idea on the one you've suggested. Getting to know each brand is half the challenge from what I've seen, so if she's gone through the effort to learn that brand, then it would be nice to stick to it.

Lenses however, I can recommend getting a really wide angle lens for landscape, scenery and people. I bought a twin lens kit with 18-55 and 55-250mm. With the 18-55 wound out, for a big scenery shot, it still feels like a zoom lens. 50mm for a scenery shot would be useless. It seems to be one of those things, that no matter how wide angle the lens is, it appears to be just a snippet of what's in front of you, so my advice is get a REALLY wide lens if landscape and scenery shots are a regular.

I'd be interested to know what others think of a wide angle lens recommendation?

I have have Tokina 12-24mm F4 its a great wide lense

Thanks for the replies so far.
She seems pretty happy with the D7000, and definitely prefers it to our older (smaller) Olympus E-510. As Judo suggested, getting to know a particular brand seems to be half the battle. It seems to be pretty well sealed as far as dust etc goes which is a good thing in the County

The lens on our daughter's one that she has been using is a Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3.

Out of interest, I just went through about 50 photos from our recent Hay River and Simpson trip. The majority were taken at focal lengths between 18 and 70mm, and any zoomed shots were at the full 200mm. I didn't find any that were between 70 and 200. Definitely something to consider...

I think you're right Judo - a lot of the landscape photos would have been taken at wider angle if it was available.

Having a quick look online, a bare D7000 body can be had for around $750.
In the kits, a body + 18-55VR +55-200VR is under $1000.
At that price I'm thinking that kit would be a good starting point, and she could work upwards from there. Both those lenses seem to have reasonable reviews too.

Steve.

Originally Posted by steveG

.... ....
As Judo suggested, getting to know a particular brand seems to be half the battle. It seems to be pretty well sealed as far as dust etc goes which is a good thing in the County

Steve.

If you are carrying it in a County, then the following Pentax feature might be important.

The body is fully weather sealed, cold and dust proof as is the optional grip, and all K-3 camera/lens kits marketed by Pentax come with weather sealed lenses to complement the body as it should be.

Read more at: Pentax K-3 Review - Introduction - PentaxForums.com

This reviewer seems pretty impresses with the new K-3.

Targeted mainly at advanced photographers and enthusiasts, the K-3's improved key specifications are now on par with (or better than) those of the Nikon D7100, its closest competitor within the DSLR realm.

Read more at: Pentax K-3 Review - Introduction - PentaxForums.com

However there is a lot to be said for using a setup that you have become accustomed to. The one you learn on seems right and any other way of doing things seems strange. A bit like converting from Windows to Linux.

Get the camera you feel most comfortable with using. I doubt there is a 'bad' dSLR body on the market today, some will do things better than others, but ALL will be capable of very good pics, if used correctly.

Me - I have a Pentax K5, (the land rover of the camera world )


Martyn