update:
i finally just went and bought the D40 kit i have been wanting for a while now and these are the first few shots i have ever taken with a dslr so be easy. it was on m mode so i did all of it. looking now for a little help on what i could do to make these better.

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just a question, but why do you "like the nikons"?

And looking at that link - the only things worth while in that auction are the body and the lens. Those "wide angle" and 2x telephoto adaptors are absolute crap.

Don't pay all that money for crap you don't need.

 

not really sure i guess. i have just read more about them then i have about the canons. i looked at the poll on here and the split between owners of the canons and the nikons are pretty even. i know both are very reputable brands.

thats the kind of info i needed. i know some about the type of epuipment needed, but not so much on the quality of the items. thats good to know about the other items in the auction. what are your preferences for a starter kit? or would it be better to buy just a body and then find a lens?

all help is apreciated!

 

I'll give you the textbook answer.

Everyone is going to be loyal to their brand and push that brand at you.
Go to www.dpreview.com and start reading.

Go to a REAL photography store, not a big box electronic store. Handle the different brands. Navigate the menus.

I personally have a Sony, but it suited me the best. I'm sure when I was starting out, I could have gone with any brand and be happy.

Ergonomics is a key factor in buying a camera. If you don't enjoy using it, then you won't take any pictures.

 

I recently purchased the Nikon D60 from Best buy and love it. I purchased the 18-55 and the 55-200 kit lenses when I bought the camera and wished I didn't. Dont get me wrong, they are nice lenses but it's a pain switching back and forth between the two and you miss shots because of it.

My suggestion would be to find a D60 body(don't bother with the black and gold version)and buy a decent lens seperately. The D5000 is just a D60 with the ability to take video.

A good all around walking lens would be the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED (11.1x) lens, it's the best of both worlds and should be comparable to the D60 with kit lens package.

A cheaper way to go is get one of the Quantaray 18-200 OS lens($429), it's not a Nikon lens and the auto focus is a bit slower, but I think it's a great starter lens until you get the nerve to spend the big dollars for a great lens.

Quantaray lens

Just a quick note, if you do decide to buy the 18-200 nikon lens, DO NOT BUY IT OR ATTEMPT TO BUY IT FROM ANYWHERE THAT STATES THEY SELL IT FOR AROUND THE $400 MARK, IT'S A SCAM!! The going price for this lens is around $700-$800 ranges.

Google Ritz Camera and check to see if there are any closing around you, they have great deals on all of their cameras and lenses. I paid $182 for their Quantaray 18-200 Optical Stabilization lens that normally goes for $450.

These were taken with the Ritz Quantaray 18-200 OS lens:

 

thats alot of help! thank you for your input.

this may be a stupid question, but what about this third party advertisement that always comes up on here. swoopo? this a scam? seems too good to be true.

any other input?

 

^ you see ads on here



FF with adblocker FTW!

 

I never saw a ad for swoopo here, actually I had no clue what the hell swoopo was. i checked out their "auction" site and got a good laugh, why would someone want to spend $.75 to place a bid on something??

 

ha ha yeah i havent gotten my membership yet. its not all bad tho i have found several good companies with it.

here is the link to the swoopo thing. what do you guys think?

http://www.swoopo.com/brw/photograph...orders_51.html

 

all the countless losers finance the winner's bid.