# Camera question



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

So we are finally ready to buy a real camera (yay!!!). Fortunately for us my FIL works for Nikon, so we can get a nice discount on a Nikon camera. Unfortunately, neither one of us know all that much about cameras, lenses, etc. I know there are a few photography people on the forum. Does anyone have any suggestions on what features to look for, any specific model suggestions, likes or dislikes? We basically want good camera to take nice pictures with, neither one of us are amateur or semi pro photographers.


----------



## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

I just received my new Sony DSC50HX yesterday. I was looking for a simple to use camera with Ultra-zoom, continuous shots for capturing action(puppy running), and that could shoot in low light. I didn't want a camera that I had to carry extra lenses for. I wanted a small, easily carried camera so that I could have it with me most of the time. I played with it a bit last night but we'll see. It also has a WiFi feature that will allow pictures to be uploaded to a cloud account. I will comment again in a few days once I have had a chance to use it.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I'm a Canon shooter, and always have been. But Nikon is an excellent brand too. For your purposes, I'd go for the bottom of the line SLR, (I believe the current model is the D3200) which will work well for you in "automatic" mode right out of the box, but will also give you plenty of camera to grow into. You might want to consider getting the body without the bundled "kit" lens, and instead, purchasing the Tamron 18-270 lens. This is a reasonably priced super-tele, and a very capable lens. 

The other option is to go for a fixed lens compact, like the Nikon Coolpix D510. This is a relatively inexpensive, all-in-one camera that is capable of producing excellent images. Even though my "serious" cameras are Canon. I have this little camera, and LOVE it for times when I don't want to tote a lot of gear.


----------



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I got my camera in the mail today, Yay! I'm so excited, I can't wait to figure it out and take some pictures!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. It turns out that Nikon's Canadian (My FIL lives in Canada) employee/family discount actually costs MORE than the retail price here in the states. But we went with Nikon anyway because it's a good camera.

We ended up deciding on the DSLR 5100 because it also shoots video, so that kind of kills two birds with one stone. The lense is whatever was recommended, my hubby ordered them online, it says AF-S DX 18-55/3.5-5.6G VR. I'm so used to using one of those small point-and-shoot cameras, or my smartphone, so this is all new territory. We have been wanting to buy a "big" camera for several years and have finally been able to, so it feels great. I have to wait until John gets home to really tinker with it, since I don't want to get in trouble if I mess anything up. But I'll have to wait my turn since he will be all over it. So far I've looked at a few youtube clips to get a feel for what it does (I get a headache looking at little, fussy manuals) and I've also learned how to put the lens on!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yay!!! Congratulations! The only thing more fun than a new camera is a new puppy!


----------



## Beau's mom (Oct 6, 2011)

I suggest you set it for "auto" or automatic. Then just keep taking pictures!! Get comfortable with it on auto -- and then branch out from there when you get comfortable. If you notice that some of your photos are blurry, think about whether the subject was moving. You will want to "speed up" the shutter speed to take action shots -- running dogs, sports, etc. Look it up in the manual that comes with the camera -- how to set for sports or fast action.

Assuming the camera came with a built-in flash. You will soon get tired of getting red eye on all your flash pictures. Consider getting a flash attachment that you can tilt toward the ceiling when you are indoors. Nothing fancy -- about $130 -- but it will make all the difference in the world.

Just have fun and don't try to get too technical at first. Surprisingly, you can get some great photos before you think you know what you are doing! I'm certainly no expert, but I'd be happy to help if I can.


----------

