I finally took the plunge and bought a DSLR at the weekend. With my upcoming holiday I decided I'd like some great pictures to remember it by. While I've never been overly serious about it, I've never really been happy with the results I've gotten from my IXUS500. I spent my formative years using my dad's Pentax SLR that he got in the 70's. Looking back I remember excitement of sending the film off, waiting a couple weeks and then getting the photo's back to see how well I'd done. I managed to work on my skills over several years and I even got to the point where I started doing GCSE Photography whilst in the 6th Form, although due to my A-Level workload I ended up never finishing it, which was a shame.

So I got a Nikon D80 with a Sigma 15-200 lens for a good price and I've spent the last couple of days shooting my muse (the cat) amongst other things and I've been pretty pleased with what I've achieved so far. The problem has now come that I keep looking at all the accessories I can get. I've already forked out for knock-off battery grip, taking portrait photos is a pain, literally. I've also been playing with long exposure stuff so I've got a remote shutter release winging its way over from HK. I've also caught myself looking at Speedlights, macro and prime lenses, tripods and the like. I fear a serious habit may be forming.....

Don't forget to get a Flash Diffuser by Gary Fong.

Welcome to the habit.

Now, RELAX!

Go on your holiday with the one lens you already have, and enjoy things. But as you shoot away in the USA, note where you'd really liked to have done something different -- faster exposure, different perspective, etc.. -- and keep that in mind for later.

Once you're back from the trip, write a little script to snarf the EXIF data from your photos, and look to see how often you used various focal lengths from the lens you have.

If a significant number of photos were at the limits of the lens (long or short end), then this tells you that you might appreciate a wider or longer lens to extend the range. Your own shooting habits will determine this.

If most photos were between the extremes, then you could consider getting a higher quality lens to cover the midrange, perhaps one with a wider aperature to allow more artsy shots and/or faster shutter speeds (less blur).

If your shoulder/neck are sore for weeks after the trip, then perhaps instead you should just sell it all and get a better compact all-in-one to avoid that on the next trip!

Cheers

Obviously, the next step is a fantastic laptop whereon you can store, view, manipulate, and share your photos while still on holiday.

Note: Something like an EeePC is great for that sort of thing, supplemented by an external 2.5" USB harddrive.

I'm leaving the Macbook Pro at home and taking the trusty old iBook instead. It's smaller and lighter.

I think a good quality flash unit is a must. My photos took a leap forward when I got mine, it takes a while to get used to it but the results can be worth it. Now I have a set up to get it off the camera it's even better. It is not money wasted, they seem expensive but it is worth it.

I would defiantly get at least one other lens. I like Mark's suggestion about looking at what focal lengths you are using etc... but I bought a very cheap 50mm f1.8 lens and it really opened up what was possible with the camera. I am sure Nikon do a similar model for £50ish. There is no point in having a DSLR unless you have some very good lenses for it. I would go as far as saying the body itself should be the cheapest part of the set up. I have a f2.8 24-70mm for my 40D and it was worth every penny. But the 50mm prime is a good way to start and as a prime lens will force you into framing things properly. It's a good start on the right road. I took this shot the other week on a 180mm prime lens...



A recent purchase for me is a monopod. I have had a really good tri pod for a while, but I find a mono pod really really useful. A small and light weight one that can hook onto your camera bag would be very useful. Of course I went and got a great whopping Manfrotto 685B but it is pretty fantastic. Shots like this need to be pin sharp and without the monopod my hand just isn't steady enough...



Anyway, you have already made the most difficult decision in digital photography. The old Spectrum or Commodore argument of Canon and Nikon. You have chosen to be a knuckle dragging Nikon user ( ) I would say that as I use Canon. The very next thing I would do is to set yourself some photography assignments gets some books, download some online tutorials and learn how to use it before you go on holiday.

Cheers

Cris

I do think a flash unit will probably be my next purchase. Probably something like a SB-600 Speedlight which I see can be had for approx. £110 on ebay.

As for the camera, I chose something that felt comfortable in my hand and was well laid out. I also had two Canon owners tell me to get a Nikon!

I think just about all the Canon owners I know (including me) would give you the same advice. Canon are so behind the curve on their low/mid range bodies now.

A few years ago, it was Nikon who was behind Canon. Both are really doing quite well. Personally, I'd give a modest nod to Nikon, mainly because they've got a better UI (the cheaper Canon's have a very small grip that doesn't feel very comfortable). In terms of lens quality, it's a toss-up. Some Canon lenses are better than their Nikon equivalents, others are worse. Nikon arguably has a better flash system, but if you're serious about multi-flash coordination, you're probably using third-party gear.

I'd take Nikon or Canon over any of the other D-SLR vendors, mainly due to the wide availability of used gear, rental gear, etc.

Check the power out put, I have a 580EX and it's just about right for all my portable flash needs, I would have wasted my money on the 430EX. I am sure Nikon's are the same, get the very best you can afford.



I did the same thing to be honest, to me the Canon at the time had a better feel. I haven't picked up anything Nikon has done that is better enough for me to make the swap.

I think it also depends heavily on what other people you know use. Everyone I know uses a Canon, and it has proved very useful as I can borrow or swap lenses and try new things without buying myself. The prime 180mm I talked about above wasn't mine, but after trying it out for a few hours it soon will be

One thing you will need is lots of flash cards. I find I need at least 2 4Gb cards these days. I end up only keeping a few but I really hate deleting from the cameras screen, just a habit I guess.

You will of course need all the cleaning stuff, and I find a polarising filter very useful, I never use UV filters myself. And if you haven't already got one, a good lens hood.

Cheers

Cris.

As a "starter" bag, I'd say that one should have the basic body, perhaps one step up from the basic zoom lens (i.e., skip the 18-55 starter lens and get something like the 16-85), and a 50mm prime lens (dirt cheap and spectacularly bright). Toss in a flash (the Nikon SB-600 is just fine, although the new SB-900 looks sweet).

In terms of ancillary equipment, I put a UV filter on all my lenses. It's job is to take one on the chin rather than my expensive lens. I also have a cheap aluminum tripod (probably 30 years old) with a brand-new Really Right Stuff quick-release head on it and a matching L-bracket so I can mount my camera quickly on the tripod. (The new see-in-the-dark abilities of a Nikon D3 or D700 remove some, but not all, of the need for a tripod.)

About the only other gizmo that I'd say really matters is having a good camera bag. I have a fairly compact LowePro bag that has enough room for one camera body, one lens attached, one flash, and one or two spare lenses. Easy to open and get the camera out while on the move. I own much more gear than could possibly fit, so I tend to repack based on my needs for the day. This sometimes means I'm at a loss ("damn! I wish I had my macro lens!"), but I can at least carry the thing around without throwing my back out. I'm about to upgrade from my lightweight D70 to a much heavier D700 and correspondingly heavier lenses. It will be an interesting challenge to sort out how I can keep the weight down.

I've recently purchased the Lowepro Slingshot 100 and it works very well for me. It is a single strap backpack that slides from your back and around to your front. From there you can readily access the main camera compartment without dropping your spare lenses etc.
It also has numerous compartments for spare batteries and flash cards etc. plus velcro adjustable compartments for two spare lenses.

I got a Crumpler Pretty Boy for free which is quite well proportioned. The camera and lense fit nicely and it should be able to hold a speedlight and another lense without much trouble. There's also plenty of pockets for remotes and filters and the like.

Which brings me to another question, is it worth spending 50-odd quid on a Hoya or Sigma polarising filter from Jessops, or are the cheaper ones from far east on ebay worth a punt?

I have a Kenko PRO1 Digital. Got it from eBay it was pretty cheap and does the job really well.

I would get something like a 77mm and then a set of set down rings for the lenses you have, that way you only have to splash out on one really good quality filter rather than lots of rubbish ones. Check what the biggest size Nikon uses and get that size.

I wouldn't buy filters from Jessops. In fact unless they have a really good deal on or will price match I wouldn't buy anything for your camera from Jessops.

Cheers

Cris.

Someone linked me to the Black Rapid camera strap recently. I thought it was pretty cool, even though I'm not a photographer.

I can't find any data on a Sigma 15-200mm lens but I'm guessing it's 62mm diameter. £20.99 incl. shipping for a Hoya one from One Stop digital in HK.

I've found over the years that no one makes a better bag than Crumpler at any price. Getting one for free only makes it sweeter.

I'm using a 5 Million Dollar Home for my D300 which isn't too dissimilar from the Pretty Boy series (the former seem to be North American designs while the latter only are only available in Europe - odd for an Australian company).

I actually have a LowePro Slingshot 200 I want to get rid of. It's constructed reasonably well and holds enough gear, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Take a look at Tom Hogan's site for some useful information on all sorts of Nikon and general photography topics. Stay away from the forums at DPReview.com - 95% of everything there is noise.

I second the high marks for the RRS (Really Right Stuff) ball heads, clamps and brackets. Can't recommend tripods from Induro - I snapped the top tube on mine during vacation in Portugal. Luckily no damage to the camera. At the high end of the spectrum (and unfortunately price), Gitzo makes arguably the best tripods and monopods in the business. Manfrotto stuff is also very nice (they're owned by the same parent company now), but uses lever clamps instead of twist-style.

A new (shoulder) strap is high on my recommendations list. Something with quick release capability and clips that can be rotated freely without twisting up the strap. The Domke gripper is a no-nonsense simple strap that does what it's supposed to do. Added bonus is that you're not advertising to the world (including would-be thieves) that you're using a Nikon camera.

The R Strap is super cool, but requires you to use your threaded tripod socket. That means either the one on larger lenses or the one on the camera. This means it has to be removed before use on a tripod and can interfere or be unusable with some quick release systems (especially if they lack a pass-through thread).

I'd definitely consider using one when going out without any type of tripod though.

As of a year ago, I'm thoroughly convinced the best camera bag on the market was the Tamrac Velocity 9x. I never thought much of Tamrac, but I spent hours hauling my gear to stores, packing them up and trying them on in preparation for two weeks in the Galapagos.

The Tamrac slides perfectly around, so that it hangs in front of you for loading and unloading, and slides back behind you for walking. It holds a huge amount, I easily pack in a 70-200mm f2.8, a body, a 10-22mm, a 17-85 and a speedlight. The best part is that I can have the body on any of the lenses and still put it in the bag. In just about every other bag configuration, the lens has to be on the 70-200.

Yeah, it's not a Crumpler in build quality or looks (and I checked out all of their bags at the time), but the design in simply better than anything else out there.

Matthew

Many firms offer UV filters. Generally speaking, you want one that's "multi-coated", meaning less reflections and higher contrast. Nikon-branded filters are great. Also, B+W makes great (and similarly pricey) filters.

It's this one and it's a 72mm thread. Will give One Stop a look, thanks!

Use a UV/haze filter when you are shooting late in the day and want to cut UV/Haze. Other than that, it's just another layer of glass to distort your photos and adversely affect image quality.

To protect the front element of the lens, install a (flower-)petal style lens hood, and leave it there. No need for a lens cap with that on, while mounted to the camera at least, and the hood will improve image-quality with no downside.

I use UV/haze filters as protective elements only in two cases: the front element of my ultra-wide 10-22mm lens is bulbous and rather exposed, and the hood is too big round to leave on in the bag -- so there often is a filter attached to that lens.

The second scenario is my very expensive f2.8 70-200mm-IS lens, which again won't fit into the bag with hood attached. The front element of that beast is (I believe) synthetic flourite, and very VERY expensive to replace.

For any modestly priced lens, I wouldn't bother.

Most modern plastic zooms let a ton of dust/dirt in through the zoom mechanism, so adding a filter to the end won't help significantly with that, either.

Cheers

I suggest a cheap ($300 as opposed to $700+!) tripod and ball head.

I got a Benro KS-2 head and a Benro A-228 tripod.

Very nice.
I don't carry it or the tripod when out walking so weight wasn't a big issue.
It moves smoothly, supports the camera with a big lens and doesn't droop.

I also have started down that slope. I picked up the Rebel XSi with the 18-55 kit lens. Been taking lots of pictures with it, and now I'm wanting to buy lenses. I guess I can kiss my disposable income goodbye now.

Link to my Flickr in case anyone wants to see my pictures.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bkonosky/