I DID IT! (Had to start new thread) - bought the Nikon D5000 & more...

[TinysMom]

OK - I decided to use Amazon since I'm most familiar with them. Here is what I bought:

The Nikon D5000 w/ one lens (18-55mm VR lens)
Nikon D5000 starter kit with case and dvd
Premium clear LCD Protector - cause I know I'm a klutz...
Light Scoop - just dawned on me - I think I have to buy a flash ??? ARG! - warm version
Professional filter kit

I'm really really happy. I paid extra to get the camera and starter kit on Wednesday instead of waiting till Friday. (Is it Wednesday yet??).


I'm really excited - this "package" that I put together is basically my gift for my 31st wedding anniversary and 50th birthday - in August and September.

Did I do a good job?

I considered adding another battery and I forget what else...but the truth was - I knew I could get that later and I wanted the filter kit more than an extra battery. (Plus I can check Walmart for the battery locally).

 

[irishbunny]

I shall be expecting a lot of lovely bunny pictures now

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003APPG56/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20just dawned on me - I think I have to buy a flash ???
Professional filter kit

Congratulations!

You don't really need to buy a flash. The D5000's got a built-in flash, so I'd hold off getting an external flash until you're used to the camera and see if you feel the need. There are advantages and disadvantages to external flash, which have been discussed in this Camera Corner thread. Personally, I don't use one, but I know Stan loves his.

The filter kit looks good - you should put the UV filter on the lens right away and leave it there all the time (except when you're using the polarizer - don't stack filters, you'll get dark corners (vignetting) at the shorter focal lengths). The polarizer's a useful filter to have when you're taking pictures in sunlight. It will reduce reflections and darken the blue of the sky while leaving clouds white - you have to turn the filter to watch the effect, as it depends on what angle the filter's at relative to the light. The FL filter's not of much use, as the auto white balance in the D5000 will do an acceptable job of compensating for fluorescent light color shifts.

 

[kirbyultra]

Congrats! Hope you take tons and tons of pics when you get it!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

congrats on your camera!!!!!!

 

[TinysMom]

Just a quick note -my camera came yesterday and I'm totally out of my league with it. While I've been very very careful with it - I almost feel like throwing it against the wall - I am just so discouraged.

It isn't the camera - its me. The camera is great - I just feel so stupid trying to use it.

I explained it to Art this way...I feel like a little girl who climbed up into her daddy's seat ins the car and has her hands on the wheels thinking she can drive...when she can't even see over the dashboard!

I tried watching the video - I watched a bit of it - and got discouraged. Art went online and found my links and stuff to free photo tips and classes...but still yet - I feel like I don't even have the prerequisite basic knowledge.

With that said - there's been a lot in my life going on that has been depressing - so it isn't exactly like I've been at my "best" for working with it.

I may take the manual to bed with me and page through it and read a bit as I start to relax. Sounds crazy - but sometimes I learn better that way.

I remember feeling this way with my first Nikon - but I kept with it - and grew to love it.

 

[kirbyultra]

:hug: Out of the box, the thing is intimidating. From the very moment you take the pristine lens out of its casing to the moment you turn it on and realize you have no idea how to actually take a picture in focus... it's overwhelming. I wasn't totally in love with the camera when I first bought it either because it was just so over my head. The manual, in many ways, made it worse.

I'm not sure how the pros feel about this, but I learned to love my D5000 by gaining the feel of it, and learning the basic lay of the controls in full Auto mode. Just shoot. I was up to 400 pictures in like two days, and it was all garbage but it helped me understand it a little, let the my hands familiarize with weight of the camera in it, etc.

Then I went out and bought the D5000 for Dummies book. I read it side by side with the instruction manual and it's helped to some degree. I am not using it to its full potential these days, no, not by far, but at least I'm getting my Point-and-shoot to DSLR "bump's" worth.

 

[TinysMom]

I just ordered the Dummies book and a book by Jeff Revel which looks good...I read about his book here:

http://www.revellphotography.com/blog/2009/08/nikon-d5000-from-snapshots-to-great-shots/

Its been hard for me to get used to the back screen how it swivels, etc. Now - I do like it - particularly after lifting the camera up high to get a few shots of rabbits in top cages.

But I'm used to see images in the image-finder - not what ISO I'm using, etc. etc. (I'm probably not explaining it right).

With that said - I'm hoping on Saturday to go out with a fresh card (I really don't want to overwrite this one to get it for their system) - and take pictures of Lake Amistad and out near the dam. We've been having a lot of rainfall and in order to help the lake not overflow - they've been releasing it through the dam.

Unfortunately - that is causing flooding between here and Eagle Pass (a town I normally cover for work) - so a 55 mile drive is going to be 130 or more miles because I have to go over to another down and then down to Eagle Pass.

So I'm thinking I'd like to get photos of the water level out by the dam.

Art & his friend Dale think I ought to do a calendar for Del Rio (no one else does this) - maybe a short run of 100 copies or so - and then sell them at the feed store. (Even 50 copies would be nice).

Its nice that they believe in me even if I don't believe in myself right now...

But I'm making a list of places to get photos of - like our winery...maybe a look down Main Street (they used to make western movies here years ago if I remember right)...

It is something to consider I guess....

 

[kirbyultra]

Yeah that's the live mode difficulty I mentioned in your other thread... It threw me in a tizzy when the screen showed picture info rather than the picture itself. Sigh. Live mode, allowing you to see what picture you're taking through the LCD screen, is a blessing and a curse. You may eventually come to the same realization as I did - live mode is slow. Shooting with the view finder is much, much faster to focus.

 

[TinysMom]

Oh - I already figured that out - I now find I'm shooting with the viewfinder and not paying attention to the LCD screen.

 

[MikeScone]

TinysMom wrote:

Oh - I already figured that out - I now find I'm shooting with the viewfinder and not paying attention to the LCD screen.

That's a good start - you've got a DSLR now, so don't get into the old point-and-shoot habits.

The D5000 has a lot of beginner features to make the transition easier (believe it or not). Start with full-auto mode and get comfortable with the camera before you start worrying about ISO, f/stops and shutter speeds.

Start with something simple - how you hold a DSLR. It's different than a point-and-shoot, and doing it right will make a huge difference in the sharpness of your photos. With a point and shoot, you tend to hold the camera by the edges and hold it at arms' length. That's guaranteed to get fuzzy pictures with lots of camera movement if you try it with a DSLR. Instead, support all of the weight of the camera with your left hand - the camera should rest on the palm of your hand, and the fingers support the lens and work the zoom control (and focus, if you're doing that manually). You have to reverse your left hand from what feels natural at first, but don't worry, after a little while it will feel just so. Pull your elbows in against your body, and press the camera against your face - presto, you now have a tripod (two arms and a nose). Then, your right hand is free to operate the trigger - but because it's only doing that and not holding the camera up, there won't be any camera movement when you push (and don't ***, squeeze slowly).

It looks like this (ignore the man behind the camera):

Now, go take lots of pictures, they're free.

Then, when you are more comfortable with the camera, as camera, pick something that confuses you and post the question to the Camera Corner. That's what it's here for - there are no stupid questions, just people further back on the learning curve.

 

[TinysMom]

Mike - that tip alone is priceless...it really is.

Once I get some coffee in me - I'm going to go out and shoot some photos just to see how I can do outside.

 

[mistyjr]

:camera:camera:camera

 

[JadeIcing]

Told you give it time you are a bright woman who will figure it out and take off with flying colors. Just don't rush it.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Congratualtions Peg on your new camera.

I had a chuckle on what you wrote when you first got it. OMG then I read what Mike wrote, that was like Greek to me. lol I can't even figure out all the things on my "Little Sony Cyber Shot" camera.

It sounds like you are getting hang of it Peg. I can hardly wait to see all your pictures.

And Mike who's the "Handsome Dude" behind tha camera?

Susan

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

OMG getting use to looking through the eye thing took a while for me, i was so use to pointing and shooting, i would get cramps in my other eye from keeping it shut to take pics,lol

 

[TinysMom]

I just went outside to take some photos of Zeus with it. WOW - is that thing FAST. I took something like 370 photos in maybe 10-15 minutes?

I decided to use the speed setting for sports since I was hoping to get binkies.

I'll try to upload some photos in a bit. I LOVE the color in the photos though - the green grass - how white Zeus looks, etc.

 

[TinysMom]

This is uncropped...

 

[TinysMom]

I didn't follow him around cause the grass was still quite wet....here is another one - much smaller - that I cropped.

 

[MikeScone]

SOOOSKA wrote:

And Mike who's the "Handsome Dude" behind tha camera?

Beats me. I was too busy taking the picture to identify whoever was in the bathroom mirror...