Nikon D90 body
Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens
8GB class 10 memory card
Lowepro sling DSLR bag
I think I made smart decisions. I'm glad Sejin made me wait so long to make the purchase, because over the last month and a half, I changed my mind many times about what to get. I was going to go with a D5000 body. I changed my mind several times about lenses. I settled on the 35mm after thinking hard about my needs and shooting conditions. Most likely, I will be taking lot of pictures of Grace, possibly indoors. This lens is supposed to be fast and performs great in low light. I am not too worried about feeling limited by the lack of zoom right now. First I'm going to focus on getting to know the camera. I will probably purchase another lens next year. I still have my heart set on that Tamron 17-50 with VC, but that's nearly double the price of the 35mm.
Another good thing about waiting is that I've had a chance to fool around with some photoediting. I've learned a lot just by using Adobe Photoshop Elements 8. Someday I will learn Photoshop proper, but I'm afraid my time is too limited right now. Photoshop Elements is very new-photographer friendly and still has great results.
One thing I've been doing is practicing using some old photos. It's amazing what some bump in saturation, contrast, sharpness, and a bit of retouching can do!
5 comments:
Congratulatons!
Nice choice regarding the camera. I have the Nikon D70 (about two generations older) and have had few complaints with it. Regarding the lens: recognize its limitations (fully open, that lens lets in a LOT of light, but the depth of field is tiny). You should have an action setting on the knob that 'follow-focuses' - automatically refocusing whenever the subject moves. I guarantee Grace will move :)
Next lens? Consider an 18-105, something with some range. I have an extra 28-70 lens I could sell you on the cheap if you're interested (just e-mail). Best of luck :)
Thanks!
Yes, it's a bright lens, but I'm looking forward to grappling with it! I have so many photos of Grace with a full-blown flash in her face and black background. Most people say this lens needs to be stopped down to at least f2. Excited to learn!
I may just contact you soon about that 28-70!
On the flip side, I shoot on 1.8 most of the time and almost never use my zoom lens. It really depends on what you're shooting and your style. I love, love, love shallow DOF.
Amanda....I love it too, but so far, when shooting at 1.8, my focus is off...I'm assuming this is due to toddler than doesn't top moving. I put it up to 2.8 or above and I can get sharper pictures of the little devil.
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