D-SLR Photography In Focus Day 4

Thank you for coming back for Day 4 of our series. I have been working behind the scenes to deliver these posts to you and I can tell you that each guest has put in a huge amount of thought and work into bringing you their incites. Please enjoy another good read from Sue of  Taylor Tattle.

Thank you Lorraine for the opportunity to post today with an overview of the D-SLR's and lenses that I currently own. 

  CAMERA AND LENSES

I recall in vivid detail the purchase of my first D-SLR.  We were on a family outing, which included a boat trip across the Dubai creek, taking us to the myriad of shops that make up the souk.  Here you can purchase items ranging from spices to electronic goods; however we left that day with a Nikon D40x camera (bargaining courtesy of Richard, my BIL!!) as my Christmas present.  I was so excited for Christmas that year!

I have since upgraded to a Nikon D90, adding more lenses along the way, which I would also like to introduce to you today.  I have included current prices taken from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk as a guide.  Prices in Dirhams would be confusing, plus cameras are much more expensive over here (sadly).

Choosing which D-SLR to purchase is not an easy task; there are countless models out there which seem to change with alarming regularity.  If you are considering Nikon, I can suggest a few options.  Firstly, if specs are important, there's a cool feature here that allows you to pick different models and compare the specs of each.  It can even be printed as a handy-dandy reference guide.  Ken Rockwell is also a useful resource, since he tests cameras and writes from personal experience.  Ken also provides downloadable user guides for a nominal (although voluntary) donation of $5, which I highly recommend.

I have been very happy with my purchases, and would like to introduce each of them briefly today.

Nikon D40x

The body retails around £250 ($618).  I have found this to be a fantastic little camera.  The photos are very sharp, it is lightweight and small enough to carry around with ease.    My purchase came with a kit lens (18 - 55 mm), which (according to Ken Rockwell) has a far better performance than many of the more expensive lenses.

Nikon D90

Retailing at £600 ($899), this is obviously going to be a more advanced camera.  In my mind, it is worth the extra money as you can see the difference in the quality of shots.  Continuous shooting is faster, it has more in camera image editing, almost double the shots per battery charge, and live view shooting to name a few.  It also has the added feature of movie capability.  Although I have to be honest, this is not something I have yet tried!

For me, the only downside of this camera is its weight, particularly if you team it with the heavier lenses.  It becomes uncomfortable to lug around if you are thinking of taking it on vacation for example.  However, if you are more of an "at home" photographer, then this would not be an issue.

My choice of lenses has been very much dictated by a number of factors, including the class I was taking, what I wanted to photograph and what came in the kit with the body.

 

AF-S NIKKOR 18 - 55 mm

Current retail price: £80 ($120).  As mentioned before this is a truly great lens, staying sharp even with close up shots.  Highly recommend for everyday shooting.

 

AF-S NIKKOR 18 - 105 mm VR

Current retail price: £238 ($349).  One again, a more costly lens (included as a kit with the D90) that produces really sharp photos, but also has the added advantage that it is great for low light.  A rather bulky lens though, which adds considerably to the overall weight and bulkiness of the camera.

 

AF-S NIKKOR 55 - 200 mm VR

Current retail price: £157 (reduced from £300, wow!); $169 (reduced from $250)

I chose this lens primarily because I wanted an affordable zoom lens to take to Alaska for photographing whales, icebergs and all the wildlife that roams the Tundra.  I love this lens; it takes sharp photos, and creates soft backgrounds effortlessly.  Vibration reduction is also an excellent feature, especially when you are taking shots at these distances. Naturally for closer shots you have to move a distance from your subject, so it can't be considered an all purpose lens.  For the price, I am more than happy to change lenses as I need, rather than paying twice for a longer focal length.

 

AF-S NIKKOR 50mm

Current retail: £439 ($219).  Without a doubt my favourite lens.  Most often considered a portrait lens, however I love it so much for the stunning bokeh effects that can be achieved.  Truly one of the reasons I wanted a D-SLR in the first place!

I hope that I have been able to give you a little insight into some of the choices out there for Nikon D-SLR's, briefly demonstrating what each of the lenses are capable of.  Please feel free to ask questions, and while I am no expert, I will gladly try and answer!

Picture frames were from here

Thank you Sue! I am excited about the links you gave as I think they will be very helpful and I enjoyed seeing first hand what your lenses can do.  What lovely pictures.

Sue is willing to answer questions so now it is over to all of you and don’t forget to join us tomorrow for Day 5 with  Valerie from Pie For Breakfast...An Approach Toward Life.