Nikon D3000 Upgrade and lens advice for travelling

[steve_w]

Hi guys

Im hoping someome can provide some advice I currently have a D3000 and its been a great camera to learn the basics on but I'm looking to upgrade to something a bit sturdier with better low light performance.

The reason for this is I may be going travelling next may for a year and im planning on visiting most of Asia, Australia, NZ and America. So I want something that can take a bit of abuse. I was thinking of just going for a D5000 but it seems silly to upgrade just one level. Big downside is funds are limited so I'm on a budget (and would be looking at a second hand unit).

Also for the travellers out there what lenses have people taken away with them on extended trips? I currently own the kit lens 18-55 a 55-200 and a 35 prime. I was thinking of going for the 18-200 VR for general shooting and the 35 prime for low light as I want to carry the bare minimum. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated I'm going to be given the chance of a lifetime so dont want to squander it with the wrong kit!

Cheers

Oh and sorry if this is in the wrong place wasnt really sure where to ask

 

[badboy1984]

Get D7000 or D300s. But it seems like D7000 will be better in my preference.

 

[combat wombat]

The D5k has fairly good low light performance but probably not enough to warrant the costs in upgrading (although you can get a second hand one for around £250). If you want really good low light performance you'll need something like a D7k but you wont get any change out of £700 for one of those.

The other option is a D90 which I think goes for around £350 second hand - an excellent camera all round and with a nice sensor, probably your best bet (they are quite robust as well so would be fine for travelling with). It also has a built in AF motor so you can use non AFS lenses with it (such as the 85mm prime which is a lovely lens).

On lenses, the 18-200 is nice, obviously being a super zoom its IQ isn't perfect throughout all focal lengths but nothing you'll notice unless you're a pixel peeper It provides a great range in a smallish package. If you want better performance the 70-300 VR is a fantastic lens but you'd need to take your 18-55 with you to cover the wider angles so probably not an option.

Have a good trip!

 

[steve_w]

Thanks for the input guys I'll have a look at the D90 I think the D7000 may end up pushing it a little and as its going to be dragged all over the shop may be an idea to take the cheaper option.

I'll have a look at the 70-300 but i'm just thinking bulk and I would like to be carrying the bare minimum hence the just the two lenses.

On the note of travelling anyone got any advice on essentials worth taking / not worth taking?

 

[combat wombat]

Rocket blower, spare battery, plenty of spare memory cards (if you spread your photos across many cards, if you lose your camera you'll only lose some photos rather than all).

If you love low light photography you might want to invest in a travel tripod but depends on what sort of photography you'll be doing.

Invest in a good strap as well - the D90 and 18-200 together won't be nearly as light as your D3k so you might want to look at a Blackrapid or the Talkphotography ones available on here.

 

[pmhn]

If you have a cheap netbook with some storage, bring that too. I found it very useful for backing up photos. Basically, you can have 2 copies at all time, and you can leave the netbook in the hotel or so, if it seems safe. You can also use it for internet browsing, etc, when needed. I've always liked the concept of specialized photo backup storage, but they are expensive. Now netbooks are cheap and lighter than normal laptop, so I just converted one for this purpose.

 

[NorthernNikon]

Also for the travellers out there what lenses have people taken away with them on extended trips? I currently own the kit lens 18-55 a 55-200 and a 35 prime. I was thinking of going for the 18-200 VR for general shooting and the 35 prime for low light as I want to carry the bare minimum. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated I'm going to be given the chance of a lifetime so dont want to squander it with the wrong kit!

If I were travelling again, body wise I'd choose the D7000 over the D300s simply because it has better video. You might not be interested in video much, but believe me, you'll see & experience some things that can only be truly captured in motion. It also gives you the option of recording a video diary. The D300 has a more resilient/weatherproof body, but the D7000 isn't going to fall apart unless you're really reckless with it.

When I went travelling it was in the days of film, before digital files and superzooms. I upgraded my kit when I was in Australia to a Nikon F80 body with 28-105mm & 70-300mm lenses.

That would equate to a 18-200mm lens on a Nikon DX body these days and I found that I had all the range of focal lengths I needed. Having it in a single lens would have been a godsend however, so the 18-200mm type superzoom would be my first choice today.

You've also picked the 35mm, which was the other lens I was going to recommend. Having this with faster max aperture will give you a lot more creative freedom than the superzoom alone.

I wish digital had been more accessible when I travelled. I had the concern of film being affected by airport x-ray machines, limited number of rolls I could carry & the cost of processing once we got home.

Concerns for digital users can be summarised as 1) File storage, 2) Power supply 3) Maintaining a clean sensor.

1) There are numerous options for backing up while you're away, and you could run a thread on them in their own right. If you get a camera with dual card slots you could always shoot copies on the 2nd card and either keep them in an alternative place or periodically send them home. External drives might be a cheaper alternative, but their size means that you'll be more at risk of keeping it in a bag which is more likely to get stolen. Another alternative is to use cloud storage. You can get 2GB free with DropBox (You'd get 250MB extra if you register via that link, and so will I. ) You could either arrange for someone to transfer files out once you've uploaded them to free up space for the next time, or simply pay for more storage. We were never unable to access the internet for any more than 2 weeks when I went travelling and that was ten years ago, and that two weeks was spent in the Gobi desert so there wasn't any connectivity to anything there, never mind internet!

2) As per the last line in the above para, we were fine with power supply, so as long as you take a spare battery and multi adaptor. You can minimise drain on your batteries by not chimping, not using LiveView and minimising filming video.

3) As someone mentioned above, a Rocket Blower will be essential. Apart from that I would be too concerned about any sensor cleaning kits. Take a few freezer bags large enough to put your kit in just incase you get caught in monsoon driven rain storms, and also watch out for condensation in humid climates when coming in to an air conditioned room.

The only other thing I'd say is don't let photography get in the way of travelling. Use it as a means of recording your experiences not as the main focus of your trip. That way you'll get far more out of your time.

Edit: One more thing, I carried my kit in a LowePro Orion AW which I hung off the straps of my rucksack. That way it was always to hand, even if I was getting on of buses/trains or hiking. My backpack had D-rings on the straps and I fashioned two short adjustable straps with clips on either end to clip onto these D-rings and those on my camera bag. It was a nicely balanced set up, and I could also keep documents and other essentials close to hand too. The small rucksack that came with the Orion was handy when I could leave my main backpack in my room (always secured with a Pacsafe, something I really recommend.)