New to Dslr so need advice about camera etc

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bantyhen

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george
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Hi all
As the title says I’m a complete beginner when it comes to DSLR so thanks in advance for any help you can give,
I’ve enjoyed taking photos for years but all my cameras have been point and shoot except for my recent camera which is a Panasonic FZ20 but even that is set permanently on the idiot mode but now I am finally making the move to DSLR (my wife got feed up with me talking about it for years and as a surprise bought me a D300s for my 50th birthday), Unfortunately this turned out to be a grey import and was sent back for a refund,
While waiting for the refund I did some research on the D300s and the Canon 7d, I finally decided to buy the 7d and went into a local Currys store to check out the 7d while there the sales rep asked me some Questions

Q: Am I a professional photographer?
A: No
Q: Do I make money from my cameras?(would like to)
A: No
Q: Do I take a lot of sports or action photography?
A: No
Q: Do I have existing lenses or loads of money to spend on good lenses?
A: No

He then asked me what sort of photography do I enjoy and as I am a complete beginner would I not be better spending less on the camera body and more on the lenses which would allow me to get out and enjoy learning and take better photos with better lenses, Good questions

This is where YOU come in, this is where I really need some advice and guidance:
The types of photography I enjoy Nature wildlife, birds plants etc, Travel people and places, Landscape especially sunrises and dawns, Old buildings churches etc both inside and out, Family occasions weddings children etc, as you can see a bit of everything,

My budget at present is £1500-£2000 to cover camera, lenses and accessories etc, so where I really need your advice is as follows:-

A: Do I go with the d300s and the Sigma 18-200 DC OS (my wife bought this when she got the d300s and it hasn’t been sent back yet) and save up for better lenses?

B: Do I go with the Canon 7d kit with 18-135 lens and save up for better lenses?

C: Do I go for maybe a Nikon d90 and the/or some of the following lenses
Wildlife- Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 GED IF (cost approx £350) or other?
Portrait – Nikon 50mm f1.8 or f1.4 ( cost approx £90, £200) or other?
Landscape - Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X Pro DX AF (cost approx £400) or other?
Walkround – other than the sigma please suggest?

D: Do I go for a D90 keep the Sigma lens and buy a wildlife lens?

Sorry my first post is so long I don’t normally ramble on this much but I want to get this right from the start so I can not just learn but also really enjoy my future photography,

Once again thanks in advance

Bantyhen
 
Hi and welcome.

Sounds like some sensible questions and advice from currys.

it is better to spend more on the glass than the body. You tend to keep good lenses a long time whereas the body will in all likelihood get changed after a year or 2 or 3.

Best suggestion is for you to go handle all the bodies and see which you prefer best then buy that.
 
when i first bought a proper Dslr, i went with a D300 and a 18-200.
Everyone will always say buy decent glass and its is true.
But the lenses you have listed in your option C are probably more than decent enough.
Are you going to be turning pro within the next year printing A2 for fussy clients?
I would say if you are a beginner in dslr then having kit that can take pics is better than not having kit, and there is no point in lugging round £1000 lenses cos you wont enjoy the weight or the risk of damage.

I would say your option C would make a excellent choice.
The 18-200 would be an excellent walkaround, but saying that so would the 50mm prime.
Have you budgeted a flash gun or a tripod?

To your last question, the 18-200 nikon is an excellent lens for walkaround. very good quality.
 
I'm for option C too. The difference between the D300s and the D90 is insignificant compared to the extra you'll get out of your photography with the better lenses that you've listed.

As the others said though, going in and fondling the cameras is definitely worth doing first though.
 
Hi & Welcome :wave:

Personally, I'd go for option C, don't forget about Canon range as well, the 40 / 50D are fantastic cameras and well worth a look :thumbs:

Good luck with your search, :thumbs:
 
if you want to shoot birds you probably want a 400mm lens or longer so I would go with your option C) the lesser body & spend more on the glass.
 
I'd say get the D90 keep the 18-200 and use this combination until you've got a good understanding of the camera. Practice, practice, practice. Look back on what you shoot in the first coupla months. Lens choice will become more obvious and defined. You may find you need a flashgun and tripod before more glass.
 
Thanks guys for the welcome and advice so far,

First let me say I love some of the names people on this forum go by,

Thanks PsiFox, Rellik666 and Lazlo Woodbine for the advice but you nearly got me in trouble when I combined your suggestions and told the wife I was going out to fondle some bodies,

Hi Munchycarrot
when you said the Nikon 18-200mm would be an excellent walk around lens did you mean the Sigma 18-200mm i,d mentioned or are you suggesting a different lens?
Also would you suggest a zoom portrait lens as opposed to one of the 50mms (which 50 would you prefer 1.8 0r 1.4?) and if so which one?

Thanks again
 
I meant the Nikon Version, There is one for sale on here second hand.
It is much much better than the Sigma.
But saying that, a walk around lens is very much a compromise lens. Which sort of goes against the whole point of buying into DSLR.
Do you really need a walk around lens at this stage?
If you had a wide angle, a 50 and the 70-300 its not much kit to carry around. I would happily carry around those 3 instead of an 18-200.

The nikon 70-300 is one of the best lenses around in the consumer market.
I wouldnt suggest buying a 18-200 and a 70-300.

The 70-300 makes a great portrait lens too. The 50 for when you need low light indoor portraits.
I wouldnt suggest a zoom for portraits unless you can afford the 70-200 or 24-70mm 2.8s, or better, 85mm prime, 200mm prime etc
The 50mm prime is a handy lens to keep in your bag.
As an intro the 1.8 version would be great, and cheapest, you could buy a sb600 virtually with the price difference. It would be better than an extra stop to get an off cam flash.

I would go with your choice C, and return the sigma 18-200.
You wouldnt miss much with that combo.
If you dont like changing lenses and really want a walk around lens then look at the nikon 18-200, but I wouldnt put it on priority.

All the lenses you state in option C would be great, Debate could be made over the tokina vs sigma wide angles, but both very good.
 
If you're remotely serious about wildlife photography, go for a 70-300mm lens - 200mm is not enough. I currently use a Canon 55-250mm lens for most of my wildlife stuff but if I had to restock my lens collection I would replace it with a 70-300mm lens.
 
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