[shajufx]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

....Don't jump into a collection - figure out what you'll need. Order one by one. With 3rd party lenses, make sure the guy rcving it can verify the quality lest there be QC issues.

Good tips that are very practical. A 50mm 1.8 is all what one needs to start with. Find out whats more interesting and satisfying and then decide if one needs a 10-20mm (for landscapes/architecture etc) or a 70-200mm (action, portrait, bit of wild life etc) or a 200-500 or more (pure birding). Sigma produces equal quality lenses for half the cost that can match any day to the Nikons or Canons. So, dont underestimate the so called 'cheap' alternative.

Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar

Even I ended up buying Canon 55-250 mm which is not suitable for bird photography.

You will need atleast 400mm to even think about decent birding. You can do birding even with a 50mm, but should know how to entice birds around you. I am not lucky at that .

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

Thanks. From where did you order the adapter. To your Nikon or do you have a Pentax body?
I had gotten a 200/3.5 Vivitar lens. Hope to put this into use because after that I got a AF 80-200/2.8 which probably will used more than this 200/3.5

I have Canon so ordered M42 to EF-S from e-bay seller called big-Is for my Takumar.
eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Vivitar 200/3.5 Good where you purchased this one ?

[thalavoy]

Originally Posted by amitk26

I have Canon so ordered M42 to EF-S from e-bay seller called big-Is for my Takumar.
eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Vivitar 200/3.5 Good where you purchased this one ?

Got the Vivitar (Komine made) from a user in Pentax Forums.
I too ordered one from a vendor based out of China. When did you order and how long did it take to reach you (has it reached yet?)

[phamilyman]

@rajat saab - Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Please don't buy the D5000. WAIT!!

Buy the D3100 or the D7000 (if your budget allows). Nikon has come up with pathbreaking category leading cameras and you're stuck in the old generation - no way. stop NOW!

[alter.e.go]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

@rajat saab - Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Please don't buy the D5000. WAIT!!

Buy the D3100 or the D7000 (if your budget allows). Nikon has come up with pathbreaking category leading cameras and you're stuck in the old generation - no way. stop NOW!

Is the D3100 available , if so where. Last I heard it was were "going to be launched"

[rajatsingh78]

Reason?

D5000 has almost the same goodies as the D90, including the same CMOS sensor

Whats the price for D3100 & D7000 (Indian Rupees)

Lets not forget...D3100 is an improvement over D3000 which cannot be phenomenally better that a D5000 (which is a different series altogether), similarly D7000 will definitely be better than D5000 but then it will be costly too

I need a few reasons...please

Originally Posted by phamilyman

@rajat saab - Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Please don't buy the D5000. WAIT!!

Buy the D3100 or the D7000 (if your budget allows). Nikon has come up with pathbreaking category leading cameras and you're stuck in the old generation - no way. stop NOW!

[rajatsingh78]

Mods - posting again since editing was locked

Final lenses :
Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS (Optical Stabilizer) Zoom Lens
OR
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Zoom

For outdoors and decent zoom; And the following -
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor - For normal shooting, macros, potraits, low light conditions

Does this choice looks ok now?

[a_mukherji]

Originally Posted by rajatsingh78

Mods - posting again since editing was locked

Final lenses :
Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS (Optical Stabilizer) Zoom Lens
OR
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Zoom

For outdoors and decent zoom; And the following -
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor - For normal shooting, macros, potraits, low light conditions

Does this choice looks ok now?

Lenses you are writing are all slow lenses. Get a Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D Prime Lens, it is very suitable for low light photography, excellent for portraits.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

17-50 f2.8 for what alot of people shoot 90% of the time. You have a toddler na? It'll be THE affordable fast lens for indoor shots

Does Nikon have a similar lens? I checkout their site, the closest one (DX format, fine for me, as I have D90) is priced at INR86K.

AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED - 86K

Other is
AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED - 105K

Yes, I know 'affordable' is a subjective word, but still it helps to have a clearer picture. Thanks in advance.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

Got the Vivitar (Komine made) from a user in Pentax Forums.
I too ordered one from a vendor based out of China. When did you order and how long did it take to reach you (has it reached yet?)

You need to wait 15-20 days. The adapter is yet to arrive but the other order arrived , Ordered it on 9th and reached here on 20th Sept.
I purchased 49mm lens cap + Canon rear cap got them but packet contained 1 extra body cap and 2 big Lens Hoods (Canon EW-78 and EW-83) as well

I don't have any lenses that can use them so thinking what to do with them.

[rajatsingh78]

I got a PM that read as follows (sharing here for more thoughts on the fellow members here) -

D3100 should be in your budget.

i'd honestly say ki agar ruk sako, buy a D3100 or a D90 used, or a D300 used.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/Nikond3100/ matches them on features!

plus with D7000, both D300 used and D90 used will fall like rocks - you will get a SUPER deal.

The ergonomics of using a semipro DSLR is way better - zilch menus - all buttons ot use, completely intuitive, better features etc.

thoda dekh lo boss. esp since D90 will get AF on older lenses plus it'll utilize flashes best (wireless flashes ka dekh lo) as a capability.

Now my take on this -
First and foremost, my second hand electronic item purchase limit is Rs.10,000 this means I never invest in a second hand electronics item if it is more than 10,000 bucks, why? had too many bad experiences, so used D90 or D300 is completely out of question and in any case I can never find one for less than 10K (may be I will have to wait for a couple of years when something much more advance comes up),

After you put this D90 bug into my head I read and researched a lot on how D5000 is as compared to D90, why D3000 is out of frame I will discuss later in this post, D5000 shares almost all the D90 traits, somethings it lacks is a AF motor within the camera body, so like you said older lens will have to be focused manually, but am I buying older lens..no..so that feature is of not much use. D90 uses a glass prism as compared to a mirror prism in D5000, no difference in clarity but makes D5000 considerably lighter. D90 has many features like ISO settings, etc accessible by buttons and dials for quick access and change, each single feature is available in D5000 accessible via menu, this is onething that I might use in the future once I have grown up from my amateur level, btw both can shoot in 720p HD mode,
So definitely D90 has an edge over D5000 but again my immediate budget is 45000 including lens, bag etc.so will have to look into that,

Now Nikon D3000, I am wondering why you are recommending this to me, its just 2 MP over D5000 and shoots in 1020p HD, but do we buy SLRs for video, atleast I am not, I already have a Sony Handycam MiniDV (not in HD, but does the job pretty well), it has a bigger screen (.3 inch extra to be precise), technically on paper its overall specs are not impressive as compared to D5000,

So final contendars - D5000 or D90, if I buy a D90 Body (INR 43,450/-Price on Nikon India website) then I will be right on the edge of my budget with just Rs.1550 for the lens

Lenses you are writing are all slow lenses. Get a Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4D Prime Lens, it is very suitable for low light photography, excellent for portraits.

Nikon 50mm f/1.4D is for $330 which turns out to be Rs. 15,000 if bought from US and Rs. 16,720/ if bought in India, but then this will be the only lens for me for a while.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by amitk26

You need to wait 15-20 days. The adapter is yet to arrive but the other order arrived , Ordered it on 9th and reached here on 20th Sept.
I purchased 49mm lens cap + Canon rear cap got them but packet contained 1 extra body cap and 2 big Lens Hoods (Canon EW-78 and EW-83) as well

I don't have any lenses that can use them so thinking what to do with them.

Maybe you got mine. I had ordered a canon lens hood and still waiting for the same

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by rajatsingh78

Now my take on this -
First and foremost, my second hand electronic item purchase limit is Rs.10,000 this means I never invest in a second hand electronics item if it is more than 10,000 bucks, why? had too many bad experiences, so used D90 or D300 is completely out of question and in any case I can never find one for less than 10K (may be I will have to wait for a couple of years when something much more advance comes up),

Now don't include 2nd hand Camera bodies under your run of the mill electronics items ,Since you can purchase from USA I would suggest you to check the "refurbished " items from Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic from Adorama Camera.

As you know in USA anyone can return any item with in 30 days to most stores no questions asked and once box is open stores can not resell as new so item is sent to manufacturer where they retest and if it is found as good as new then it is sold as refurbished item. These refurbished cameras come with a some amount of manufacturer warranty ( 90 Days in Case of Canon USA don't know about Nikon)

Of-course there are some crooks on web and ebay who sell really used items as refurbished but Adorama is too reputed to do that kind of stuff.

Think about it , Here in India almost every DSLR body is out of shrink wrap package and used as demo item by the shopkeeper still we pay full price happily where as in in US they are forced to discount them as someone may sue.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Maybe you got mine. I had ordered a canon lens hood and still waiting for the same

Well I ordered EW-60C , I am not sure the EW-78 and EW-83 are in-lieu of that EW-60C or not.

[rajatsingh78]

I know what you are suggesting however I have to buy the camera body from India for a peace of mind on warranty,

Will Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX work on D90 ?

How to check this ?

Originally Posted by amitk26

Now don't include 2nd hand Camera bodies under your run of the mill electronics items ,Since you can purchase from USA I would suggest you to check the "refurbished " items from Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic from Adorama Camera.

As you know in USA anyone can return any item with in 30 days to most stores no questions asked and once box is open stores can not resell as new so item is sent to manufacturer where they retest and if it is found as good as new then it is sold as refurbished item. These refurbished cameras come with a some amount of manufacturer warranty ( 90 Days in Case of Canon USA don't know about Nikon)

Of-course there are some crooks on web and ebay who sell really used items as refurbished but Adorama is too reputed to do that kind of stuff.

Think about it , Here in India almost every DSLR body is out of shrink wrap package and used as demo item by the shopkeeper still we pay full price happily where as in in US they are forced to discount them as someone may sue.



Well I ordered EW-60C , I am not sure the EW-78 and EW-83 are in-lieu of that EW-60C or not.

[akbaree]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

If I were to decide between a D7000 and a full frame, I would definitely put my money on a full frame considering the pricing of the D7000.

Originally Posted by shajufx

Couldnt agree more, if there is any potential to make some bucks through selling some of my crappy pictures, I would put my money on a full frame anyday .

D7000 is priced at 1200 USD and the first full frame D700 is at 2400 USD. I am not sure if they are so close in price range as to consider one for another.