total novice advice please?

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thekwango

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hi all,

first of i hope this is in the correct section...apologies if it isn't

well i'm completely new to the photography lark, though i have been fascinated in photography for some time and some of the stunning pics i see people taking and posting up round the net have finally got me hooked.

anyway, i'm heading off on my honeymoon travelling round the SW of france for a few weeks in august this year and just want some pointers for a decent and relatively simple to use dslr so i can take a few, hopefully half decect, pics of the scenery

i can pick up a D3100 with a 18-55 lens for about 400 notes, would this be a decent starting point? i could push the budget out to maybe £500 if this helps.

in the longer term i like to try and take some shots of the night sky, so with this all in mind i'm hoping you good folks here can point me in the right direction

many thanks in advance
 
The D3100 is a nice little camera. If you're stretching your budget out though, spend the extra money on a decent tripod, a circular polariser, and an infra-red remote (you can get ones one eBay for about £4 that'll work just as well as the £15 Nikon one).

Tripod + remote means both of you in the picture. This is a good thing. These will also come in handy for your night sky shots later on.
 
It's a great camera and a nice sharp lens. You'll not go with that.
 
cheers folks for all the replies, i take it that about 400 quid is a decent enough price to pay for the camera?

The only thing is....
HMansfield said:
Tripod + remote means both of you in the picture. This is a good thing.
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not sure how good a thing that is, gonne be stuck looking at her for the rest of my life....dunno how many pictures i want to see of her aswel!! lol
 
thekwango said:
The only thing is....

not sure how good a thing that is, gonne be stuck looking at her for the rest of my life....dunno how many pictures i want to see of her aswel!! lol
Click to expand...

:lol::lol:
Your better half obviously doesn't read this.... or you are a very brave person!

These days, most of what you buy used in that price bracket will be capable of good quality. As others have said, that kit lens is really nice for a budget item. Go for it, then have a play before you go so you get time to get used to the settings. Post some results here and you'll get great advice from friendly people on how to improve. It's all a learning curve, so the more time you have practising, the better you'll be in France.
 
thekwango said:
cheers folks for all the replies, i take it that about 400 quid is a decent enough price to pay for the camera?

The only thing is....

not sure how good a thing that is, gonne be stuck looking at her for the rest of my life....dunno how many pictures i want to see of her aswel!! lol
Click to expand...

In 40 years you will need them to remember what she used to look like :D
 
I Don't think the D3100 has an IR receiver so you might need some sort of RF contrivance to get the same effect, have a look on ebay for cheap ones.
 
By jove, I think you're right. Fancy them taking that function away. I suppose it helps them justify the existance of the D5000.

Oh well, self timer it is.
 
I got a wire shutter trigger for my d3100, just not had time to use it yet
Sounds on the high side of ok at £400, I paid £450 for mine, but got a bag, kit lens, 70-300 sigma, sb400 flash, lens filters and a few bits n bobs, now added a 35mm f1.8 and a tripod and find it's a brilliant camera to learn with
hope that helps a bit, but the camera and kit lens are both excellent for the price IMO
 
Again, many many thanks for all the help and replies folks. To be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting so many replies and help. Thanks again.

Think I'll get the camera ordered this evening, actually away in France next week sorting out a few bits and bobs for the the wedding, so my new toy will be waiting for me when I get home :-)

BruceMo, any chance of pointing me in the direction of where you got your kit at that price? ( I hope asking is ok)
 
I love my wee D3100. Definately a good starting point. I got a remote release from ebay for about a fiver and the tripod was about £70 at Calumet at Boucher Road in Belfast. They were doing a deal on a better Tripod and Monopod for £100, but I already had my Monopod.

I really enjoy using the Nikon D3100. It's got all that I need from my Photography.
 
Bilko said:
I got a remote release from ebay for about a fiver and the tripod was about £70 at Calumet at Boucher Road in Belfast. They were doing a deal on a better Tripod and Monopod for £100, but I already had my Monopod.
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hi mate, lived and worked in belfast for about 6-7 years so know it quite well, but where abouts exactly is Calumet on the Boucher Road, say in comparison to the large B&Q store(assuming it's still there, I'm out of the city about 6 years) Wouldn't mind having somewhere to go to get a hands on look and play with stuff later on once i've got the basics sorted.
 
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thekwango said:
Again, many many thanks for all the help and replies folks. To be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting so many replies and help. Thanks again.

Think I'll get the camera ordered this evening, actually away in France next week sorting out a few bits and bobs for the the wedding, so my new toy will be waiting for me when I get home :-)

BruceMo, any chance of pointing me in the direction of where you got your kit at that price? ( I hope asking is ok)
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Sorry mate, I bought used from gumtree, I thought you were talking second hand at that price, but thinking about it now, I was just being silly, sorry :bonk:

I looked at new, but liked the extras second hand came with, waited a while for the right one, then drove 90 miles to get it, but couldnt be happier with it, dive in, you'll love it :thumbs:
 
BruceMo said:
Sorry mate, I bought used from gumtree, I thought you were talking second hand at that price, but thinking about it now, I was just being silly, sorry :bonk:

I looked at new, but liked the extras second hand came with, waited a while for the right one, then drove 90 miles to get it, but couldnt be happier with it, dive in, you'll love it :thumbs:
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ahhh, explains it. i did quite a bit of googling and couldn't find anything remotely close to the kind of deal and price you were talking about!!

was really only asking as in truth i don't know what's good value in the photography market and what's not. just didn't want to get my pants pulled down over the price of my first camera.

all the reviews seem to be top notch, but's always nice to get the views of someone who actual has the camera...

anyway, good price or not it's too late as the photo noob has just bit the bullet and purchased his first camera!!!

folks, i've already said it and don't want to sound repetitive but genuine thanks for all the input and advice

just hope i wont disappoint you all too much when i start to post pics!!!
 
Excellent, you made a good move
Don't know if you done it yet, but set up a flickr account and upload your shots, it all adds to the fun, it'd be fun watching you develop
I'm Bruce Mo on flickr if you want to add me ( if you get it) I'm brand new to the camera world since mid January, but really happy with my progress sofar
You're welcome to have a look what a noob and a d3100 can get up to
Enjoy it
 
milster said:
Yeah, that's a good price for it, you won't get it any cheaper than that new.

I always check this site http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/index.html although I tend to buy most things from my local shop (mifsuds)
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cheers mate, that's set my mind at ease

BruceMo said:
Excellent, you made a good move
Don't know if you done it yet, but set up a flickr account and upload your shots, it all adds to the fun, it'd be fun watching you develop
I'm Bruce Mo on flickr if you want to add me ( if you get it) I'm brand new to the camera world since mid January, but really happy with my progress sofar
You're welcome to have a look what a noob and a d3100 can get up to
Enjoy it
Click to expand...

gonna set up an account right now and add you (once i figure out how!!) wont be any pics from me for about a couple of weeks. tho i might post up a couple of my pics from the iphone of an ampitheatre in Saintes, then later post up some (hopefully) better versions once the dslr has had a rip at it!

folks if any of you are ever in Northern Ireland, please please please let me know. there's drinks it for all of you for all the help and advice....

so excited, i wants my precious and i wants i now!! lol
 
@ Bruce Mo are you the guy with pic 18 called 'glen view'?? only asking cause i dont wanna end up adding the wrong person

if it is you then all i can say is wooooaaaaaaah. if i can get near that kind of pic i'll be a very happy chappy

I'm using the same user name on flickr by the way
 
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thekwango said:
hi mate, lived and worked in belfast for about 6-7 years so know it quite well, but where abouts exactly is Calumet on the Boucher Road, say in comparison to the large B&Q store(assuming it's still there, I'm out of the city about 6 years) Wouldn't mind having somewhere to go to get a hands on look and play with stuff later on once i've got the basics sorted.
Click to expand...


If you go down Tates Avenue off the Lisburn Road and take the left at the mini roundabout onto Boucher Road, there's a wee car park on the left with about 2 to 3 shops. One of them is Calumet.

It's ok I suppose, but beofre buying a tripod, I wanted to get a feel of one first instead of guessing what it would be like. Of course there's Jessops in town on High Street and Black & Lizars. They had a Giottos tripod I was going to buy, but it was broke.

Anyway, good luck and always come back to this forum, becuase there's some really good photographers here with experience that are very helpful.
 
Bilko said:
If you go down Tates Avenue off the Lisburn Road and take the left at the mini roundabout onto Boucher Road, there's a wee car park on the left with about 2 to 3 shops. One of them is Calumet.

It's ok I suppose, but beofre buying a tripod, I wanted to get a feel of one first instead of guessing what it would be like. Of course there's Jessops in town on High Street and Black & Lizars. They had a Giottos tripod I was going to buy, but it was broke.

Anyway, good luck and always come back to this forum, becuase there's some really good photographers here with experience that are very helpful.
Click to expand...

cheers Bilko, i know exactly(or pretty much so) where you are talking about
 
I think it's called Boucher Plaza. But I would definately going round Jessops and Lizars too. The only thing I find about Jessops in Belfast is they're a bit snobby (To me anyway!)
 
Bilko said:
The only thing I find about Jessops in Belfast is they're a bit snobby (To me anyway!)
Click to expand...

i hear you on that. couple of months ago when i was first starting to think about getting into getting a decent camera i went in and asked for a bit of advise.....i was asked for my budget, i said 'about 400 notes but i could stretch further if needed' and the feeling i got from the chap in the shop was that he couldn't be arsed, and i felt like i was kinda wasting his time.

put me off big time!!
 
Bilko said:
I think it's called Boucher Plaza. But I would definately going round Jessops and Lizars too. The only thing I find about Jessops in Belfast is they're a bit snobby (To me anyway!)
Click to expand...

I bought my 35mm f1.8 out of jessops recently, couldn't be happier with the service (in Dundee) and the salesman even went online as a computer sale and handed me it over the counter, at internet price, had a fine chat with the lad about general tog stuff and came away delighted
Its a shame its not company wide by the sound of things
So, if you're visiting, check em out :thumbs:
 
Ok so my first proper camera should be with me by the 10th April, would be sooner but their out of stock at the minute.

One question tho, I could pick up the D5100 for a couple of hundred more than the D3100. Is it worth it, or should I just stick to the D3100??

Christ it looks like I've got the 'bug' already!! Lol
 
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