Position:Home>Visual Arts> Beginner photographer, what do i need?

I would say the Nikon D40 Its an entry level DSLR!. A digital SLR will give you a much larger sensor than any point and shoot camera!. Larger sensor = more light to each pixel = clearer, crisper photo with better color saturation!. DSLR will also let you grow and take more control as you learn more and you can change lenses when you have a need to!. The sensor on the olympus is a good bit smaller than on Nikon or Canon

I am a nikon person and have had nikons since the 70's I personally think the nikon D40 give you more for the dollar than any DSLR today!. There are some that do more but you pay a good bit more!. Do not let the lower megapixels concern you if you do not do very very large prints you will never notice the lower DSLR!. My brother recently needs a DSLR for a class and I recommended the D40 to him So I would also say get the D40 not the D40X!. The Nikon D40 does not have limited functions compared with other entry DSLR!. Yes it has fewer funtioncas than a 1500 dollar camera body would!. It is not a a cut down version its equal or above most any entry level DSLR!.


There is a great article in this months Digital Photopro Magazine that is titled "Megapixels how much is enough" EVERYONE looking at buying a new digital camera can profit by reading this article!. Its here
http://www!.digitalphotopro!.com/studio/me!.!.!.

I have a d300 and a d40 and when I am shooting for fun I grab the d40!. Its weightless, a joy to use and gives good results

Since you have a bit more money the D60 give you a number of things you want!. It has newer firmware and image processors, designed for the 10 mp sensor!. It has an "Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control "!. Nikon not putting a system on the D40 to deal with dust is one of the biggest drawbacks I see to the D40 ( though I think its still a great camera for the money) If you change lenses dust will get in and the camera needs a system to deal with it!. With the D60 you get a VR lens!. That will help with low light situations ( they may offer that now with the D40 but originally it was not) !. The D60 has Adaptive Dynamic Range!. Nikon calls it "Active D-Lighting," it lets you save some highlights that my otherwise be lost!. It has a newer better metering system than the D40!. So you can get the D40 not the D40 x and spend the other money on lenses or a flash



Some people will want to make a big issue out of the fact that there are some nikon lenses that will not autofocus on these cameras!. Right now there are "only" about 39 lenses that autofocus on these cameras!. They cover the range of focal lengths!. I doubt any photographer would be seriously limited with "only" this many lenses to choose from!. If you want to manually focus you can more than double this and do so at a low cost!. Manual focusing is easy and how we did things for decades before the advent of autofocus!.

Cannon and Nikon chose to put the vibration reduction in the lens rather than the body!. Somefolks put it in the camera and make of that!. Yes that means you get stabilization only on lenses with that feature built in!. In the body in theory it would work on every lens!. But in fact image stbilization in the lens has proved to work faster and smoother with a lower impact on focus times than image stabilization in the body/ One problem with in body stabilization comes from the fact that the sensor would have to move different amounts for different focal lengths!. A canon white paper says an in body system would have to move the sensor 1/4 inch to account for movement on a 300 mm lens!.

Now a comment on liveview!. Have you ever tried to hold several pounds of digital camera and lens steady at arms length while you look at an LCD screen!. It not at all the same as holding a few ounces of point and shoot camera steady in the same position!. One of the things we preach to new photogrpahers is to learn to hold the camera properly so the body mechanics give you a steady shot!. You can't really do that looking at the LCD!. So liveview is really something that will have very limited applications in a DSLR!. Usually only when its on a tripod!. I have liveview on my D300 and have never used it!. This is how a DSLR should be held
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=sFQRy4Rr7!.!.!.

Nikon also has great service!. I was just reading the other day on eyefetch in the Nikon forum where someone posted that they had dropped thier lens and broken it!. It was not a fault of the company they messed up!. The sent it to Nikon and Nikon could not fix it!. Nikon offered them a brand new identical lens at half the price!. They did not have to

In closing all major camera manufactures make good cameras get out and compare the features and how they feel in your hand!. Go to places like kenRockwell!.com and DPreview!.com to compare them!. Nikon and Canon have the largest market share and I personally think there is a very good reason they do!. Not bashing other brands but photographers tend to be very demanding folks and they then tend to be loyal to what has worked for them well and consistently

now as far as accessories when you can get an 18-200 VR lens, a good flash like an SB600 or SB800 and a good tripod!. Don't skimp on the tripod, you don't want a thousand dollars of combined lens and camera on a 30 dollar tripod!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

Go hold the lowest end DSLR's of both Nikon and Canon and choose the one that feels right in your hands!. Purchasing one of these brands will allow you to build a collection of decent lenses that will one day slip onto a higher end camera of the same make!. Buy a polarizing filter and a 4 gig memory card and get shooting!.

Eventually you'll want to add an external flash, camera bag, extra batteries, more memory cards and a tripod, but not yet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

you need a camera and a tripod!.
The camera you can decide, you have many choices!. If you are starting out go for a DSLR, or if you are really crunch for cash get a bridge (fuji s9600 etc) But a basic DSLR the kind where you can change the lens starts at about 500$ with a cheapo lens set, like a nikon D40!. Its a good way to start, it has all the basics you need!. get a tripod and memory card!. both for 100$ and there you go!. Just start taking photos, get a book from your public library and it will have all the info you need about how to 'take' photos!. Just start taking!. Go out with a friend, let her play model for the day and just take 1300 photos!. Just take one, change a setting etc!. load it up to your pc and look at what worked and what didnt!. just do it over and over and if you enjoy it, within a month you will be takin great photos!.

Decent choices are Nikon D40, Cannon EOS!. I suggest those, but if you like the lesser brands, Sony, Fuji, all others have em, but the first two are the best!. And everything else, lenses etc, wait and find out if you want to expand and keep growing!. as you get more into the hobby you will start buying more and more lenses!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---