DSLR Camera - Is This a Good Kit?

[Mark 1911]

I knew there were threads here about DSLR's and did a search but the ones I saw were about a year old. I figured enough had changed so I wanted some fresh opinions. In those threads, the only names I saw mentioned were Nikon and Canon and there were a few posters who had a D5100 and loved it so I figured I'd go that route. Don't want to get the minimum camera to do what I need but don't want to overkill either.

What kind of lenses should I be looking at that are better quality than the Nikkor 18-55mm and 55-300mm? I'm not opposed to spending more on better glass but don't want to spend double the money for a 5-10% gain either. Is Tamron a good quality lens? On the 18-270mm macro, am I giving something up by being able to get that much zoom with such a short bodied lens?

Tamron is a mid-range lens, its OK but not on the same level as Nikon. Some Nikon lenses are made in Taiwan, some are made in Japan. All of the Nikons are good, but the ones that are made in Japan are higher quality than the ones made in Taiwan. I think you can see the difference in the image quality between the different grades of lenses. Carl Zeiss makes great lenses for a lot of different camera makes.

General rule of thumb, for a given focal length, the lower the f number, the better the glass quality.

 

[hornadylnl]

Yeah, the Zeiss is outta my league.

 

[nipprdog]

I found this kit on ebay that has a Nikon 55-300mm lens with auto focus.
Nikon D5100 SLR Camera 4 Lens 18 55 55 300mm Flash 16GB Kit Much More 18208885138 | eBay

You need to walk away from these cheap ebay kits. 99% of them are rip offs. The accessories are cheap junk, and the memory cards are usually no name brands that will fail. Buy from a REPUTABLE dealer.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Watch for grey market crap on eBay

 

[JollyMon]

Tagged as interested what people think of the nikon. I am also interested in a new camera. My iphone has done its duty for long enough. My wife is pressuring me for a nicer camera due to a rugrat crawling around. Have been looking at the T3i (has some really reviews on amazon) or the 70d (go big or go home). But the nikons are still on my short list.

 

[hornadylnl]

You need to walk away from these cheap ebay kits. 99% of them are rip offs. The accessories are cheap junk, and the memory cards are usually no name brands that will fail. Buy from a REPUTABLE dealer.

The problem I'm seeing is that places like Roberts want more for a D5100, 18-55 Nikkor VR, and 55-200 Nikkor VR than what I can get the D5100, 18-55 Nikkor VR, 55-300 Nikkor VR, and the Chinese goodie that come with it for on Ebay.

 

[Indy-Mike]

But you get a USA warranty at Roberts and great customer service. They know what they are talking about. Most online and ebay dealers selling this kind of kits are selling grey market stuff. Go in and tell them what you want to do and what you want to spend. See what they have to recommend.

Ive been a full time professional photographer for over thirty years and trust their advise. If you want, drop me a pm, maybe I could meet you there.

 

[Indy317]

Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera 4 Lens Kit 18 55mm VR 70 300 mm 32GB Kit 018208254781 | eBay

Going up to the Upper Peninsula this year and planning on several road trips over the next 5 years out east and West. I currently have a point and shoot that does fine but I'd like to get something that I can zoom in a lot closer. IE, I don't want Mount Rushmore to be 1/4th of the frame. I don't want to identify a fly species at 1000 yards but I want to be able to get some good close ups. I'm thinking with 16mp, even if I can't zoom in as far as I want, I have enough quality that I can crop and get what I want.

I'm sure this camera has 10 times the features I'll ever want but I don't want a 5 model year old camera either. Thanks for any advice.

Last year I decided I need a new camera. My point and shoot was from 2007 and had minimal optical zoom, plus it wasn't rugged at all. I looked at SLR cameras, but they are pricy and likely would be at least $500.00 and I don't know if that even included a lens or if so, the zoom of that lens. Plus, I just never liked the idea of having to haul around a camera that big on some hiking trips. I decided that I need would be two point and shoot cameras, one waterproof rugged camera and another with high zoom for good close-ups. I ended up going with Panasonic, the TS5 rugged camera for HD video (instead of the lower end rugged version which doesn't do HD video) and the ZS20 for long distance shots. I just used this cameras in the Niagara region of Canada and both worked well for their intended uses. If you want a camera with good zoom and good HD video, I would suggest the Panasonic Lumix ZS20. That way you aren't paying for all those features that you will never use. Look at the features of the following cameras, you might save some money: Lumix ZS20/ZS19, LZ40(not SLR, but bit bigger than point and shoot), and ZS25. Some differences are only GPS.

The features of modern point and shoots in manual mode seem to make SLRs unneeded unless one is a professional photographer. I used the rugged camera to take HD video (720) and was amazed at the quality on a 50 some inch HD TV at my parents home. Not only that, the Lumix cameras have image stabilization, even on the video side. I paid $173 for the high 20x optical zoom ZS-20 and $272 for the rugged waterproof camera with 4.2 optical zoom. I basically have all my camera and video needs met until they finally come out with a rugged high zoom camera.

 

[Indy317]

Double post

 

[hornadylnl]

Kind of wanting to do the buy once cry once thing here. Don't want to go too low end and decide I want to upgrade later.

Best Buy and Roberts has a d5200 with 18-140 Nikkor lens for $900. Costco has a d5200 with 18-55 Nikkor and 55-300 Nikkor with a few accessories for $950. Right now, I'm leaning more towards the Costco kit.

 

[jkaetz]

Kind of wanting to do the buy once cry once thing here. Don't want to go too low end and decide I want to upgrade later.

Best Buy and Roberts has a d5200 with 18-140 Nikkor lens for $900. Costco has a d5200 with 18-55 Nikkor and 55-300 Nikkor with a few accessories for $950. Right now, I'm leaning more towards the Costco kit.

Does the 55-300 have VR (vibration reduction)? If not you might have a hard time getting good shots at the higher zoom level.

Something to keep in mind, the d5200 and most less expensive SLRs, are DX format cameras. That means that when you pair it with lenses the zoom numbers listed will be effectively multiplied by 1.5 Crop Factor. That's not to say that the actual zoom power is increased, but the field of view will be that of a higher mm. For example, you listed a 70 - 300 mm lense earlier. That would effectively give you a working view of 105mm - 450mm. Indoor shots and wide angle shots would be difficult with only that range. I started myself off with the nikon 16-85 lens and added a 70-300 later for capturing things farther away. With SLR cameras the lenses you choose will be arguably more important than the body. Additionally you can typically use the lenses on future bodies should you ever upgrade. You should probably also stick with ones that are AF and AE (Focus and exposure) for when you just want to point and shoot.

Finally, don't shop Roberts for new gear. See what they have in refurb and lightly used gear. I believe my colleague picked up a Nikon D600 ($1599) for under 1k because it was a refurb from Roberts.

 

[hornadylnl]

The 55-300 is listed as VR.

I can get the same package from Sam's as the costco one except it has the 55-200 for $100 less. Trying to decide if that 100mm is worth the extra $100.

 

[jkaetz]

The 55-300 is listed as VR.

I can get the same package from Sam's as the costco one except it has the 55-200 for $100 less. Trying to decide if that 100mm is worth the extra $100.

You can never have too much zoom.

 

[searpinski]

Check Robert's camera out. They are great and helpful people. The 5100 is a great kit, but it would help if you described a little more about the intended use. It may be that you don't need a big DSLR.

 

[CitiusFortius]

Thanks for any advice.

Hahaha.....Camera's are like guns. Looking up info on what DSLR to get is like googling what's the best pistol. The minute you think you've found the right one is the minute you start reading other reviews that make you doubt yourself.

I can only tell you that I bought a Canon T5i last December with a Tamron 18-200 lens. Love the touch screen and have been delighted with its performance thus far. Also does fantastic video. Good luck!!!!

 

[hornadylnl]

Check Robert's camera out. They are great and helpful people. The 5100 is a great kit, but it would help if you described a little more about the intended use. It may be that you don't need a big DSLR.

Main use will be still photography. This summer I'm headed to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Over the next several years, I plan on taking trips to Rushmore, Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Arches, Needles, Washington DC, etc. I want still shots of all the sites and wildlife as I go along. My main focus won't be wildlife or birding though. Don't plan on a lot of high action photography like sports.

Hahaha.....Camera's are like guns. Looking up info on what DSLR to get is like googling what's the best pistol. The minute you think you've found the right one is the minute you start reading other reviews that make you doubt yourself.

I can only tell you that I bought a Canon T5i last December with a Tamron 18-200 lens. Love the touch screen and have been delighted with its performance thus far. Also does fantastic video. Good luck!!!!

Yes, my head is about to spin. Been looking at tripods for the last half hour. Wanting something very compact and lightweight without breaking the bank. Right now, the 44" Nikon at 14" folded and a pound and a half seems to fit the bill. Don't want something huge or heavy as it will never get taken out and used when I'm on these trips. Not wanting to drag a bunch of crap around. If that tripod doesn't have a quick release, I plan on buying an adapter. Again, if it's to big of a pain to set up, it won't get used.

 

[hornadylnl]

I handled a D5200 at Best Buy today. It seems to feel good in my hands and I like the effects features as well. It will definitely take some practice figuring it all out.

 

[mrjarrell]

Horn, if you buy it at Sam's or Costco do yourself a favour and get either of their extended warranties on the camera. Both sell them cheap (unlike places like Best Buy) and they can be a lifesaver if your camera goes out. Unlike a lot of electronics, cameras move around and get banged on. If something breaks it's nice to have the coverage.

 

[hornadylnl]

LOL, I just did the camera matchmaker survey on cameta.com and it recommended the Nikon D5200 or the D7100.

 

[nipprdog]

Yes, my head is about to spin. Been looking at tripods for the last half hour. Wanting something very compact and lightweight without breaking the bank. Right now, the 44" Nikon at 14" folded and a pound and a half seems to fit the bill. Don't want something huge or heavy as it will never get taken out and used when I'm on these trips. Not wanting to drag a bunch of crap around. If that tripod doesn't have a quick release, I plan on buying an adapter. Again, if it's to big of a pain to set up, it won't get used.

You can't go cheap and get good results. Your 1.5lb tripod is going to shake when the mirror on your DSLR snaps, giving you a blurry photo. A decent tripod will cost you at least $200.