my first step into digital photography

msi1337

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
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after years of using cheap point and shoot cameras I finally decided to start trying to get more into photography. Seeing a lot of the shots on this sub-forum really helped to motivate me, as I really want to do nature photography. Ended up picking up the following from Best buy for $599. "Nikon - D5500 DSLR Camera with AF-P DX 18-55mm and AF-P DX 70-300mm Lenses"

First couple shots have been with the 18-55mm and I am so impressed with the image quality. Sub $100 point and shoot and cell phone cameras don't do justice to the beauty in even basic pictures.

now to do some research on how to get better at using the camera and photography in general.

**update - traded d5500 for a6000*
 
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Syborg1211

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2000
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Nice... have fun! Youtube is a pretty great resource. Check out TheCameraStoreTV and Adorama, and then search for anything else on there. DigitalRev TV was fun before they died. Good websites are DPReview and some people say Ken Rockwell. Rockwell's site is great for beginners, but as you learn more you realize he says a lot of BS that is the equivalent of a parent who has to answer questions their kids ask that they don't really know the answer to. So they make up some reason for why something is a certain way.

Also, this forum has some knowledgeable as well so feel free to ask any questions here!

Bonus tip: If you find yourself taking blurry photos indoors or at night, the reason is your lenses don't have a big enough aperture to let in enough light for the sensor at night. First option is to look into raising your ISO, but this results in noisier/grainier photos. Second option is to get a lens with a large aperture. The first lens all Nikon DX users should buy after the kit lens is the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens since it's cheap and oh so sharp and good for the money.
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
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I'm going to offer you what may be uncomfortable advice, but it comes from my own experience with Nikon cameras.

I suggest returning your D5500 and lenses and picking up a D7000 on CraigsList. Here's why I say that:

My first camera was a D5100. I really liked it, but quickly realized that I needed better access to the image controls than it offered me, and MORE IMPORTANTLY the D5100 lacked an in-body focus motor that will enable it to drive the autofocus on Nikon's older AF and AF-D lines of autofocus lenses. I quickly returned it and ponied up some extra dough for the D7000, and I do not regret it at all.

The D5500 features Nikon's new AF-P phase detect focus technology -- and it is very good -- but you will need to buy specifically AF-P class lenses to work with it. Those lenses are expensive. In fact, Nikon's D40, D50, D60, D3XXX and D5XXX models of camera bodies require at LEAST AF-S lenses or in some cases AF-P lenses to autofocus, because they do not have focus motors built-in to the camera body to drive the AF and AF-D lenses.

As an amateur, I found it much cheaper and easier to get into some professional quality lenses if I was able to go with AF and AF-D lenses instead of the newer AF-S lenses. Yes, AF-S and AF-P technologies are superior. They are faster and quieter than AF and AF-D lenses. They are also much more costly. The AF-D lenses are optically equal to current AF-S and AF-P lenses (generally speaking, that is. Some are a little better and some are a little worse in each class, on a case-by-case basis). You can get just as high quality images with the older lenses, they will just cost you less if your camera can autofocus with them.

Also, cameras like the D7XXX that have the in-body focus motor are still compatible with AF-S and AF-P lenses, so this is about backward-compatibility. There's not future compatibility issues at present. As far as I understand, AF-P and certainly AF-S lenses will work with all Nikon camera bodies from the D40 and up. The AF-P just won't be able to leverage the phase-detect focusing if the camera body does not support it. (I could be wrong about AF-P. It may not work UNLESS the camera body supports it. I'm not certain)

Finally, this really says nothing about the actual QUALITY of your camera, however. The D5500 is a fine camera, and it is particularly well-suited to shooting video. If that's your bag, then it will work excellently. Plenty of people buy the D5500 and are quite happy with it. Just be aware of what the future holds for you when you start to shop for better lenses.
 
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Syborg1211

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2000
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I also started out on a D5100 and transitioned to a D7000 after that, but my main reason was for access to a second programmable dial. The D5xxx series only has one dial on the front of the grip where the index finger goes. This allows you to program it to quickly access one of shutter speed, aperture, or ISO.

If you want to ever shoot in fully manual mode where you control aperture, shutter, speed, and ISO yourself, then going up to the D7xxx for two dials is a worthwhile consideration.

Anyways, there's always reasons to upgrade so you might not want to listen to us if you're not that type of person. I went D5100 -> D7000 -> D600 -> D800E -> D810 -> Leica so I can give you every excuse you need to upgrade if you ask.
 
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msi1337

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
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well, I went a different route than suggested.. after using the D5500 for a couple days and doing some more research I decided I really wanted to start in mirrorless instead. Mainly due to travel and having something more portable that still takes amazing pictures. So I ended up getting the Sony A6000 with the 16-50 and 55-210 lenses for $700 new
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,943
541
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For nature photography, the Nikon 105 macro is really nice.
There's two copies of the Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4 AF-D currently listed on my local CraigsList right now for pretty attractive prices -- one very much so. It's everything I can do to keep my money in my wallet.