I'm finally doing it...I'm joining the ranks of dslr users! Just this past March, I bought the Kodak z812is. It's a great camera and allows for total manual control, but I really wanted to be able to use interchangeable lenses. So I've been saving and doing research for what seems like months....and I finally pushed the order button on a Nikon d60 last night!
The camera I'm getting comes with an 18-55mm lens and also has a little package that includes an extra battery and a Nikon bag. I ordered it from Cameta Camera via Amazon and I think I got a pretty good deal!Of course, I wanted to be able to explore some other lenses and stuff, so I decided to add a Sigma lens package. The lenses I'll be getting are an 18-50 and 70-300mm. I could have spent a little more now and gotten a Nikon 55-200, or waited until I saved enough to get a longer Nikon lens (and I still can) but the reviews I've seen on the Sigmas seem pretty positive, and for under $200 for both lenses, it's worth a gamble to me.
Hopefully my new toys will be here early next week. I'm going to have to make some time to play with them and I'll be sure to post some results!
16 comments:
Congrats on your new toys!! How fun!! Can't wait to see some photos!! :)
That's awesome - congrats!
Shawna (shawkrem)
Congratulations, Amy! You've got such a great eye; can't wait to see what you do with the new baby.
congrats! Can't wait to see what you can do with it.
So exciting!! Enjoy your new toy and I can't wait to see some pics!
Hi Amy!
Hi Dan!
You have chosen wisely. :-)
The longest lense is klunky to use without a tripod. I used it years ago in the countryside at night to make
"star trails".
You go to a dark place in the country, set up the tripod system, aim to the heavens, and leave the lense open for a few hours.
The stars move like snails across the expanses and leave bright "light" marks in the form of concentric rings.
They are awesome to develop and see.
(I had a dark room in days of yore.)
Ironically, it is just the opposite on camcorders.
For movies, the then, VCR was a dinosaur in size.
I would position the camera on my shoulder and put a bandaid over the blinking red "on" light. The light intimidated people from talking as themselves.
The hidden red dot made for freewheeling discussion with both young and oldsters. I love all of my videos and the camera was easily supported by my shoulder.
Newer camcorders are incredibly small. Kinda like your cell phone.
The problem?
It is incredibly difficult to hold that camera in your palm and hold it steady over time. Your movies are swaying as you watch later.
Early camcorders were $1,000 (battery extra at $67. I miss mine.
We went to Hershey Park and there is a "dollar grabber" with pictures of "football players" painted on a wall. (A football sized hole is drilled for the catch when you toss). For a buck, you get a football, toss it into the hole as a "catch" and get an enormous stuffed animal.
I successfully filmed
my then, young daughter, Kellie, as she tossed away.
Kellie, said "Hey Dad!
You toss a football and I will record YOU!".
Ahhhh, hubris.
Paid a buck; aimed for the perfect spot; missed.
"Try again Dad!", said Kellie wanting a good movie.
This time I concentrated to get a stuffed animal for the girls and save my self esteem.
With incredible precision, I aimed and fired.
I still recall it in slow motion memory. The ball missed the hole, hit the bankboard, and spun wildly back toward us.
Just then, Kellie's career as a camera woman ended and she casually set down the $1,000 camcorder on the counter.
She was through filming and onto new excitements.
As the slo-motion was watched in excruciating detail, I could see the trajectory of wobbly football headed precisely where Kellie had set the camcorder. I was too far away for an interception.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo" was heard by everyone.
I ran for all I was worth and got a close up view as the football, in spinning formation, smashed into the camera, which next left the counter fully intact.
I stopped a second in relief that the ball/camera got along that way.
But as the camera collided full force with cement, pieces of plastic, rubber, glass, and guts flew by the hundreds in a spray throughout the entire area.
Kellie had yet to turn around and witness the disappearance forever of that camera...R.I.P.
I could not blame her, she wanted a movie of dad in that big day. I just never expected her to stop filming.
The new, palm held version is a piece of wobbly crap.
It is difficult to hold still, as man was not designed to hold his palm flat out in front of him.
Go with small for camera lens.
Go with large for camcorder.
Go without kids to Hershey Park.
Keep shooting Amy, and thanks for sharing the results.
Best regards,
Danny Lucas
ps. a wide angle les is a good investment.
I love my Nikon! Yea and Congrats!
OMG I am so excited for you!!!! You are so ready for this camera, and you so deserve it.
Omgosh...i'm so excited for you! What an awesome aquisition!
You'll LOVE using a dSLR - you'll never look back!
WOOHOO! I am SO excited for you! That is AWESOME!!!
Hip, hip, hooray! From one Nikon user/lover to a new Nikon user--you're gonna love it! Can't wait to hear what you think of it.
Congratulations! You're going to love it! My D40 just had it's first birthday last week!
You are going to have so much fun, Amy! Congrats on the new toys. Now you just need to stalk the man in brown until you have it in your eager hands.
Congratulations. on your new buy ive also bought from cameta camera and was very pleased with their stuff and they arrive pretty quickly
So what has your impression been of these sigma lenses?
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