Photograhers (amatuer like me)

[joelster]

I currently use a point and shoot Olympus Stylus 820. It is an 8.0 mp camera. I went to a local show here and took a lot of pre-judging pics, and ...well...i was less than impressed. Not really the cameras fault though. Once you zoom a point and shoot all the way out (with the digital zoom) you lose all sorts of clarity. The snapshots I took in the lobby are great but the stage shots suck. Thats why pros use 35mm style with the big lenses.

So, I decided to upgrade.

I did a TON of research, and I really didn't want to spend a fortune, but I ended up purchasing a Nikon D40x (digital SLR) with a Nikon 55-200mm AF-S lens. The combo was surprisingly cheap after searching on the web. It is a 10.2 mp camera and now i have a nice OPTICAL zoom instead of the dreaded digital zoom.

Price was as follows:

camera body:299
lens: 164
tax/ship 92bucks (i overnited it cause i'm an impatient bastard, lol)

total: 555bucks

The only thing I may get now is an extra battery, and a bigger storage card, but I will pick those up locally.

I got it at soniccameras.com

[Lisa E]

I was pretty happy with my Rebel. I got it for free a while ago and played around with some nature pictures.

I would like a Macro lens for taking close ups of flowers and such.

I used it recently for the most I have ever used it since I got it. I purchased a middle of the road telephoto which I had to have. I am such an amateur that I got the one with the image stabilizer, which was fool proof.

I set the camera on auto and got absolute fantastic pictures at the Australia and New Zealand Men's Pro shows! (Flexonline.com)

The only thing I forgot about was to purchase a telephoto with wide angle. So I had to go way back in the auditorium just to fit the 5 line ups for the comparison pictures.

I also noticed that it would be nice to get an external light source.

Otherwise, I was very happy with my results. Basic equipment with auto everything going made it right for this amateur.

Also, with so many pictures taken, I was lost when I had over 300 pictures and need to learn more about how to properly catagorize so many of them so that I can easily access them.

[Suzanne]

Where did you get it? I just got the D40 and need a zoom lens

Does that lens have VR (vibration reduction)?

[Lisa E]

I just went to my local Ritz Camera shop. I have 2 of them in my area and both have a great selection. However, first I got a basic idea of what I was looking for on their website. Of course the website is jam packed with plenty to choose from if internet ordering is what you want. For me, I just wanted it right away and got it direct from the store, but the store does not have the inventory like the internet does.

[Lisa E]

The telephoto has 2 setting for image stabilization.

[joelster]

Where did you get it? I just got the D40 and need a zoom lens

Does that lens have VR (vibration reduction)?

The VR series is a little more money, but really worth it when you are talking about a larger zoom. Not really all that necessary when taking closer shots or non-moving shots.

The lens I bought is not a VR series.

[joelster]

Link for my camera:

http://soniccameras.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=64_760_1243&products_id=4445&osCsid=d140e98b72f92b63eac84ac41daeb580

Link for the lens:

http://soniccameras.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=647&products_id=2516&osCsid=d140e98b72f92b63eac84ac41daeb580

Here's the similar VR series lens, just a little bit more $$$$$:

http://soniccameras.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=647&products_id=4888&osCsid=d140e98b72f92b63eac84ac41daeb580

[Suzanne]

I should have gotten kit at costco but we were trying not to spend so much

so we just got body and 18-55mm lens for 499

Could have gotten the above plus the 55-200mmVR for 699

[joelster]

Well, I figured I'd post a little update. It originally came to 555 bucks,........but........it doesn't come with a battery/charger or a memory card and it needs a special high-speed memory card. So, anyways, 300 bucks later, lol, it is now fully equipped. I left the camera on fully auto and took about 350 shots. Some of them came out AMAZING. I'll post up some of the good ones for you guys.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a76/bigjoelster/DSC_0011.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a76/bigjoelster/DSC_0097.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a76/bigjoelster/DSC_0172.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a76/bigjoelster/DSC_0299.jpg