After comparing, my decision is Nikon D200 w/18-200 lens, your thoughts before I click BUY button?

Here is my order..any other MUST HAVE items you would add to list right now?

Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

SanDisk SDCFX3-2048-901 2 GB Extreme III CompactFlash Card

Nikon MB-D200 Multi-Power Battery Pack for the D200 Digital Camera

Nikon EN-EL3e Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery for D200 Digital SLR Camera

Nikon Digital & Film SLR System Case Gadget Bag for D200

Hoya 72mm DMC PRO1 Digital Multi-Coated UV (Ultra Violet) Filter

Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System

Nikon Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth

Introduction to the Nikon D200 DVD

Nikon D200 Digital Field Guide

Total price with shipping: $ 2643.06 from Amazon.com

Answer by Alan M
This is the exact camera and lens that I use probably 80-90% of the time. I think Amazon has bumped up the “kit” with a few things that they get practically for free to cover the real expense of finding and selling the lens, which has been going for about $ 200 over retail. As long as you can accept the fact that you probably can’t get it any other way, I say go for it.

Now… You can probably do without the multi-battery pack, the lens cleaning stuff, the field guide, the DVD and the gadget bag. If you could only FIND the D200 and 18-200 lens at “retail” price, you could save about $ 500. The fact of the matter is simply that you can’t find it, though. So I say buy what makes you happy. If you buy anything less, you will always look back and regret your decision. Who knows when the 18-200 will become widely available again?

Okay, it’s not the world’s PERFECT lens, but it is not too shabby. As I said, unless I am doing something really critical, it is my choice for a casual “walk-around” lens. Go here and read Rockwell’s review:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200.htm

Go here and look at the sample images. Click on them to view them full screen. If you click at least once in the white space, your cursor will turn into a magnifier when you scroll it back over the image. Click again over the image and it will zoom to 100% size so you can really examine the image.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200/examples/index.htm

“Optically, this lens is the best superzoom we've seen, though it's not compatible with Nikon teleconverters, extension rings, or coupled macro bellows. It also costs about $ 300 more than third-party digital-only glass. But are extremely rugged construction, unusually well-controlled distortion, and four extra handholdable speeds worth the extra bucks? That, and more.”

http://www.popphoto.com/cameralenses/2763/lens-test-nikon-18-200mm-f35-56g-dx-vr-af-s.html

Answer by TomTom
go to adorama.com
and shopzilla.com
for better prices

Answer by KrautRocket
also check in with http://www.bhphotovideo.com

I’ve bought several cameras from them and I will continue to do so in future purchases.

Answer by r_yapeter
Alan M really great with camera. Always bump to his answer and he’s on spot.

There’s only 2 things I would like to add. UV is filter that you will put on the camera all the time for protection purpose. However you will need a Circular Polarizer it’s one most important filter you will use most of the time. If you want to save money by buying only 1 CPL for few lenses then I would recommend you to get a 77mm and a 72-77 step up ring. Most of the best lens and Wide Angle are using 77mm so in the end you’re saving some fortune.

Second Rather then using cloth (which you have to once in a while) it would be better if you use blower. Blower will not touch the surface of your lens (and coating) so it will stay in prime condition for longer time.

That’s all for me. It’s a good choice and have fun with the new gear

What do you think? Answer below!

Day One Hundred Seventy One


Image by Dustin Diaz
171/365. Never, never gonna give you up ~ Barry White
have a dance

Despite avoiding "Crazy Mike" (a drunkard passer-byer who wouldn’t leave us alone), we managed to grab a shot for the night. Erin bought this new under dress thingy (that’s the technical term) from Betsey Johnson (same place where the wedding dress was purchased), and it makes for pretty awesome twirling!

But of course it was freezing and windy outside so this had to be done quick…. so this is one of four shots we got out of the series.

Alright… and on with some Q & A from emails…

Q: "The distances, flash power settings, aperture, and ISO settings don’t match Guide Number (G.N.) of your flashes in your diagrams… help me understand?"

A: Anyone curious enough to break down my shots from the strobist info set may often scratch their head around the numbers.

If you’ve tried to duplicate these setups, take special note that there are other things that contribute to altering light such as light modifiers themselves. This includes the umbrellas, softboxes, and gels. Not to mention in other cases you have to account for feathering, whereby when a light is not directly pointed at a subject, but simply feathered off in another direction.

Q: "What font is that in your photos?"

A: Although answered a dozen times, it’s Trajan Pro. It’s a very pretty serif font. I recommend "if" you’re going to use it in your photos, you should at least buy it (I did). There are a million other fonts out there, try some of those.

And finally, for the strobaholics, read on…

setup, camera, strobist info: see here

I have been using a Canon Powershot sx0is with 20x zoom and 10 mega pixels, and love it, but am ready to move on to SLR photography. However, my budget is VERY tight so I haven’t really even considered the possibility of buying any time soon. However, my friend just upgraded from the Nikon D60 and offered to sell it to me at 1/2 the price of what she paid for it 2 years ago. It is in good shape and she will let me use her book by David Busch that is a comprehensive guide to SLR photography with the D60. Seems like a no-brainer to me, except that I have been using it on a trial basis for the last week and have noticed that my pictures are not as good as those taken with the point and shoot. Is this because I just don’t yet know how to use a DSLR? Should I wait to buy a better DSLR, or would I be better off getting the used camera plus a new flash and better prime lens (I wouldn’t be able to afford extra lenses if I buy a more expensive and new camera).
Thanks!

Answer by Dr. Iblis
the D60 is an excellent camera and will yeild much better results than your Canon if and only if you know how to use it correctly and if it is not damaged.

the secret lies in the sensor. for your camera the sensor is pretty tiny, about the size of half your pinkie’s fingernail… well mine, cut where the finger ends. a DSLR camera is 15x that size

Answer by Kevin Y
A Nikon D60 is a very nice camera. It’s also supposed to be a user-friendly, entry-level DSLR as well! Are you forgetting any of these things?

1. Is the lens clean?
2. Is the sensor clean? With DSLR cameras, the sensor must be cleaned, this is done by removing the lens and putting it in sensor cleaning mode in one of the menus.
3. With most DSLR cameras, there is no autofocus motor, meaning that you have to focus your images manually. There should be two rings on the lens you can turn: one is wider, and it’s for zooming. The other is thinner, it’s for adjusting the focus.
4. Check your settings. If you’re taking pictures in low light without a high ISO, you’ll get bad images. If you’re taking pictures indoors with a very small F-stop, you’ll need to widen it, maybe to F2.8 or so.

Try using these tips, and keep trying. A DSLR should give you an image which is much better than a point and shoot, as long as you know how to use one well.

Answer by Skix
I say go for it. Another answerer mentioned the sensor size. It matters a lot! The bigger sensor in the D60 compared to the SX-series camera is HUGE in terms of picture quality/integrity.

P.S. If you’re only doing FaceBook, only website picture uploading, and/or if you’re a rock climber, then please disregard my opening lines. A D60 is no “better.” If you need to print your pictures for any reason, then re-read my opening lines. Thanks for asking.

Answer by keerok
When given lots of light, even if you don’t know anything with dSLRs, you should get better results with just full Auto mode. You might be overthinking it or the D60 may have developed some problems already.

Answer by mister-damus
Unless there is something wrong with the camera, the D60 is better than your powershot because the D60 is an SLR camera (which are better than compact cameras such as your powershot).

If you are happy with the pictures you are getting from the powershot, then there really is no need to upgrade.

If your D60 pictures are not coming out, it could be either that you don’t know how to use an SLR and/or you know your powershot so well that you are able to take better than average pictures with it. After all, the fanciest camera in the world will give crappy pictures if the photographer does not know what they are doing. (and that’s why it’s so important to be familiar with your camera, the way you are with your powershot).

Waiting for a new SLR model will not make your pictures come out better (if you can’t get good pics from a D60, then the camera is not the problem, unless it’s broken). Learning about SLR photography and reading the camera manual will, however.

Flash photography is easy. Good flash photography is not (so if you buy a flash, you’ll have a steep learning curve ahead of you. practice practice practice). Don’t be surprised if a good flash costs as much as the price of the used D60.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Heather from Abt Electronics explains the basics when it comes to choosing the right memory card for your camera or camcorder.
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