Nikon D5100

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panther_87k

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kirsty
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Hi all,
My dad turns 60 next month and has decided he wants a camera for his birthday from my mum. (We always ask him what he wants as he's a pain to buy for). Hes had a nose around the web and through the argos catalogue and the Nikon D5100 expeed2 has taken his fancy, comes with a second lens too.

He's completely new to "proper" photography and although I suggested a bridge camera first he's adament he wants an SLR. Would this be suitable for a complete novice, or would he be better off with something else. Its priced at circa £700 in most places and I don't want my parents spending that sort of money on something he won't be able to get his head around. Maybe a previous model that they can get second hand would be better to begin with?

Hes not too fussed on what make but would prefer to stick with canon or nikon.

Any advice greatly recieved.
 
Its a great camera, even for a complete novice. The user interface on it is very easy to use and get the most out of and it has a built in help function for pretty much everything the camera does. The camera doesn't have a built in motor for lenses, meaning that you can only autofocus with the AF-S range of nikon glass, or the third party lenses that include an internal motor (such as most of the sigma DC range).

The iso performance on it is very good for a crop and it also includes some of the newer tech such as HDR which saves money on extra software. The dynamic range on the sensor is also VERY good, making even a woefully exposed shot easy to bring back to being fully useable.

I'd definitely add the AF-S 35mm F1.8 lens to any shopping list with that body as its the perfect companion for it. You can really take some nice photographs with that combo. The kit lens (18-55) that comes with the camera unless you get body only is also pleasingly sharp, even wide open and most of its focal length and the VR function is a massive bonus if your dad has any sort of hand shake that could potentially blur a shot.
 
If you look around the D5100 can be had for a lot less than £700 with the standard kit lens, I payed nowhere near that with a 18-105 VR when it was first released.
It's not a difficult camera to use by any means and will produce far better results than a bridge, not as likely to outgrow it either as lenses can be upgraded at a reasonable cost if you shop around or go used.
 
thanks both.
i've got to admit i still cant get my head around all the settings stuff, think i need someone to physically show me these things rather than reading loads of blurb.
Anyhoo, I just had a really quick look at ebay and they seem much cheaper on there (found one BNIB for over £100 less within a couple of minutes) so i think i'll make sure when they are ready to buy they let me find it for them as they both arent great with the net.
He can have a bit of shaky hand syndrome as he suffers with carpul tunnel (sp?) but shouldnt be much of a problem. think he wants to use for nature photography when hes up the country park doing his volunteering, so flowers, insects, small animals (dormice, common lizards etc) and birds will probably make up most of what he shoots.
 
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Hi Kirsty! I just recently bought a D5100 too and am loving every moment when using it. Very simple and easy to get to grips with even for a novice such as myself.

I also can add that it is a very light camera so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for your father to hold over periods of time. Also if he intends to shoot nature then that's usually with plenty of light, coupled with a fast shutter speed and VR his images should still come out crispy clear!

I'd advise he gets himself a decent tripod too though!
 
The D5100 is a very good camera, the sensor is actually better than the professional DX nikon bodies (D300/S) so it punches way above its weight, a very good buy, as mentioned above, the 35mm F1.8G is an absolute must!
 
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thanks for all the advice :)
looks like he's chosen well being that he hasn't got a clue haha.
Great to see a few shots taken with one too, looks good!
 
just having a quick look at the link you provided bloater and carmarthen camera centre is on the list, they're only 20 minutes from carmarthen! Think i'll send them down there so he can have a proper look and handle one to see how it sits in his hands!

They could probably do a bit of haggling face to face too
 
panther_87k said:
just having a quick look at the link you provided bloater and carmarthen camera centre is on the list, they're only 20 minutes from carmarthen! Think i'll send them down there so he can have a proper look and handle one to see how it sits in his hands!

They could probably do a bit of haggling face to face too
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:thumbs::thumbs:
 
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