>> I pulled the trigger on the D7000, Amazon was out of stock as was Samy's camera so I had to violate my own rule and purchase it from Worst Buy. Atleast they gave me the kit at the same price as amazon. Also I'm hoping my coaching stipend comes in so I can buy her the SB600 flash next month for her birthday.

Congrats, I hope you and your wife will both be happy with it. I find it a joy to use, and after several months it still surprises me with wonderful things it'll do.

Regarding the SB600, if Best Buy has one, you might want to get it now... it's been replaced by the SB700... they are already out of 600's at our local Best Buy (a friend of mine bought the last one, a floor model, last week). I think they may disappear quickly (though it's not a disaster, the sB700 is a nice flash, just more money).

Hi thank for helping am little confused about Christmas gift. but i appropriate all ideas discuss above.

I have a 400, 600, and (just got a) sb900. I probably use the SB600 the most since I like throwing it off to the side and remote bounce light all over hell even with friends. It's also small enough to carry. The 400 is good also for family stuff. 900 is a big bugger for sure but a great flash. Good prices on the 600 right now. If you are just starting out that would be a good starter flash if you think you will use it.

Although I own several SB900s for wireless CLS work, I actually only ever cary an SB400 when I'm walking about. I'd recommend one of these for opportune moments, and the new 700 for situations where you know in advance you are going to need one. There is nothing wrong with a 900, but they are big buggers, so not very portable. I may have missed where you said what lens you got with her 7000, but assuming it is one of the standard wide - medium telephoto's, I'd recommend the reasonably priced 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR ED. Whilst being the slowest lens I own, for outdoor or well lit indoor work, it's the one I often call upon.

Yea no kidding her Birthday is next week so it looks like I'm breaking down for a flash, then a bigger lens any suggestions?

Nice to hear the end of the story for a change. So often posters ask for advise, and then we never hear the outcome of it. I'm pleased she liked it, welcome to the Nikon owners club! It's about now that you'll find that the expenditure doesn't stop here :-)

I'm glad to hear it, greeper. Let her use it, too.

FYI she loves the camera as do I, I'll post up some stuff within the next week or so.. Thanks again everyone.

lol !! Well done! hoping to see some of her(your) photos posted soon !! :-) congrats!

As long as you don't come back on to post that your wife left you because actually she wanted a diamond bracelet not some digital camera ?...Only joking, I'm sure she'll love it.

Thanks again for all the input so I can by my wife (me) a new kick ass camera.. Although it's over budget I pulled the trigger on the D7000, Amazon was out of stock as was Samy's camera so I had to violate my own rule and purchase it from Worst Buy. Atleast they gave me the kit at the same price as amazon. Also I'm hoping my coaching stipend comes in so I can buy her the SB600 flash next month for her birthday.. Thanks again I'm sure she's (I'm) going to be very happy for a long long time.

I need to revise my recommendation, greeper. The D7000 sounds like exactly what she's looking for. Not only is the high ISO usable to about an extra stop compared to the D90 (your mileage may vary), but the AF system is much better than the D90's. The 3D tracking AF will almost blow your mind with how smart it is. The D90 has the 3D tracking, too, but with the D300-like AF sensor, much better metering sensor, and better processing chipset of the D7000 it's more useful.

Again, if you can find some way to scrape enough together to get the D7000 kit and an SB-600 that will give you a very usable indoor machine if you learn to use bounce flash well. Even without the flash the kit is usable if you crank the ISO (pictures will be fine for web/small prints to ISO 6400, probably).

jonnyapple said:
almost, huh? ;-)

almost only because this is a Nikon forum ;-)

spraynpray said:
Buy her what you want.

Sorry, that doesn't read right - buy her WHAT YOU WANT!

What? WHAT! (Heh-heh).

LOL hehe.. Was thinking the same thing .. but didnt want to say.. Heh!

Buy her what you want.

Sorry, that doesn't read right - buy her WHAT YOU WANT!

What? WHAT! (Heh-heh).

you guys are awesome thanks, right now I'm torn/confused between the D90 and pulling the trigger on the D7000. Money is somewhat of an issue but I'm also thinking I might as well get the nicer camera and a decent lens. This way I can get her a nicer lens for her birthday and maybe a nice flash. She takes a ton of pix of the kids soccer, football, soccer, volleyball and basketball. Everyone ask her to be the picture lady.. Thanks again from a soon to be photonerd.

jonnyapple said:
I must be blind.

LOL me too! hehe! .. go tcole!

tcole1983 said:
Huh? Check it out again... ; )

I must be blind.

Everyone is soo concerned with camera bodies.

Kids in action and indoor. It's the glass! Any kit lens gets too slow too fast. You can always crop in and get great 5x7s. You need shutter speed to freeze action. That with ISO will give you great photos.

Options -
Any of the bodies
35mm 1.8 G $200ish
50mm 1.4 G $500ish

Bodies with AF drive
35mm 1.8 G $200ish
50mm 1.8 D $150ish
50mm 1.4 G $500ish
85mm 1.8 D $500ish

D90 would be a great camera for her and give good options or additional lenses since it has a focus motor for older lenses. (So does the D7000) The 18-105 is a good lens for beginners as well.

I agree with all of tcole1983's posts as well. (not that anyone else's is bad, just on the same page.)

greeper said:
takes a ton of photos of the family and especially our kids sporting events. had trouble getting good quality pix of the kids in action and poor shots when indoors with low light.

jonnyapple

But there wasn't any mention of sports in the original post. It sounds like she would use it for one of the things I like to use my camera for—indoor shots of my kids just being kids. For that, the focal lengths I mentioned are good ones, and a bounce flash is more useful (and less expensive) than the fast telephoto lenses. There's always going to be time when the kids grow up to dip into their education fund to buy the 70-200 2.8 for their sports. ;-)

Huh? Check it out again... ; )
I was also recommending the sigma or tamron 70-200...I know the Nikon is in a different league as far as price. Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and D3100 or D5000 = D7000 + kit lens. Or for a little more money get the Sigma lens, D90 and say the cheap 35mm and 50mm primes.

noxin said:
(I would almost go as far to say if you got a new Sony it would be a huge improvement.)

almost, huh? ;-)

tcole1983 said:
...I am thinking like a soccer or football game outside...perfect for the 70-200 f2.8. Or inside a volleyball or basketball game...all could use a longer faster lens. Of course the primes would work well for say indoor family/people pictures, but wouldn't help that much for any sports pictures if she is any distance away from the action..ie in bleachers or stands. I don't feel like a flash would help that much in those situations....

But there wasn't any mention of sports in the original post. It sounds like she would use it for one of the things I like to use my camera for—indoor shots of my kids just being kids. For that, the focal lengths I mentioned are good ones, and a bounce flash is more useful (and less expensive) than the fast telephoto lenses. There's always going to be time when the kids grow up to dip into their education fund to buy the 70-200 2.8 for their sports. ;-)

I would go for d90, much cheaper than d7000 and pretty much the same IQ as from d7000 (at least if she is amateur and not a prosumer/serious amateur), spend the difference on glass - it will improve her keepers rate

The A100 has a high ISO of 1600. Any new DSLR will be a huge improvement for low light captures compared to the A100. (I would almost go as far to say if you got a new Sony it would be a huge improvement.) If you are starting over with a new set up I would go with a zoom lens over a prime to get more flexibility out of one lens.

Maybe I am looking at it different jonny. I am thinking like a soccer or football game outside...perfect for the 70-200 f2.8. Or inside a volleyball or basketball game...all could use a longer faster lens. Of course the primes would work well for say indoor family/people pictures, but wouldn't help that much for any sports pictures if she is any distance away from the action..ie in bleachers or stands. I don't feel like a flash would help that much in those situations. Even the 70-200 isn't really long enough in some cases. Just my $.02 though and might be worth about half that :)

? If she does not like the A100 I don't think the D7000/D90 is going to be her cup of tea. I would suggest the D5000 or D3100 instead. Saw some pictures from a D5000 recently.. and its performance was really quite remarkable compared to the results from a bunch of other cameras (Office "Kids party") (assorted P&S plus canon and sony DSLR) the metering and fill flash was really outstanding compared to the others. I would think that the D3100 would probably perform even better than the D5000 (but I am not sure as that D5000/D90/D300 sensor sure is remarkable!)

Well after all that ramblin I think I am suggesting a D5000 plus 18-105 kit plus 35mm 1.8. :-)

GL with your choosing!

PS : Oh and a nikon flash, SB 600 or SB 700 would be best for that set up. (seriously .. people switch brands solely due to the nikon flash system. Its that good !)