DonnaG said:
I am a complete newbie to Digital SLR photography and am looking to buy my first camera.

I would go with an used D300s or D7000 and the new 85mm f/1.8G

The new 85mm 1.8G is about the best portrait lens with a reasonable price tag. Very good for bands, sports and travel as well.

At some point you are going to need wide as well. Go for the new 28mm 1.8G.

That´s about all you need for the subjects you mentioned 80% of the time. I would add a cheap 8mm Samyang/Rokinon/Bower AE fisheye for creativity as well and you have got a setup that will last you a very long time.

NSXType-R said:
Hey mods, can someone make this thread a sticky?

A lot of new threads have popped up asking for advice on cameras, there's only so many combinations of cameras that can be discussed or recommended.

So, what is a sticky?

As to the camera... one question is about after shooting the photos... How do you want to handle the photos DonnaG? If you load them into your computer, process them in a software program, then order prints or whatever you like, then you will learn a lot more than if you just take the camera to the drug store and have them print the photos.

Ahh... more problems.... but it is something to consider...

SkinBrit makes a good point. The question I am asked most, after what do you think of this camera, is how do you shoot in low light. Sometimes I think we all take for granted the knowledge that we have accumulated and talk over people. Not on purpose mind you. A nice cheap low light prime is a great thing to learn on. If money is a problem I find myself recommending the 50mm 1.8 often. Its a great lens at a low price. As a added plus the person has the chance to learn more about the camera without trying to zoom all the time in and out.

Good luck DonnaG and if you have questions feel free to pm me. I may not have as much experience as some of the people on here, but I help where I can.

Look for a refurbished body. I think the D5000 is going for around $350 and the D5100 for $550. I would probably spend the extra money and get the D5100 just to stay current for a little while at least. The lens suggestions were pretty good. Until you shoot for a while and know what you want, you probably don't want to buy too many lenses. Once you figure out what lenses do and what an F1.8 compared to an F4 does and what you like then the mentioned lenses will give you a good place to start.

If you don't like the 35 then I might suggest either the 40 F2.8 micro or the 50 F1.8 which are all about the same price give or take $40.

jonnyapple said:
Welcome, DonnaG. I think Spraynpray's suggestions are great. If you can afford it, the D5100 has a better sensor.

I agree. Spraynpray's suggestions are excellent for someone in your position. Did you understand his comment about the 35 1.8 and low light? These things can seem obvious to people who have been shooting for some time, but confusing to those who haven't.

Cool. Thanks jonnyapple! I'll certainly look into it. Can't wait to get started :-)

Cheers for your help guys!

Hey mods, can someone make this thread a sticky?

A lot of new threads have popped up asking for advice on cameras, there's only so many combinations of cameras that can be discussed or recommended.

Welcome, DonnaG. I think Spraynpray's suggestions are great. If you can afford it, the D5100 has a better sensor.

Hi Spraynpray!

Thanks ever so much for taking the time to reply. I have checked prices for your suggestions and they are exactly within my budget :-) so I will make a start with those!!

Thanks again :-)

Hi Donna, welcome to NR.

You don't say what your budget is, but as it is your first camera you should think about something which you can use straight out of the box with a lot of automatic functions. Then when you have learned how to get decent results and want to learn more, you can switch it to one of the modes where you have more control of the results. Your wish list for lenses is going to be where the money is though with such diverse needs. I would suggest:

Camera: D5000 (good used), Lenses: 18-105mm zoom for general use (you will use this more than any other I suspect), 35mm f1.8G for low light and 70-300VR for sport.

Start with the camera and 18-105 and see how it goes because you may decide that is where it ends. Be advised that unless you have special permission nowadays, you are going to be asked to leave your DSLR camera with the security people at reception at live music shows, so if that is important to you you ought to consider a smaller camera as they are very capable and more acceptable to the authorities. Stoopid but true.

Hi everyone!

I am a complete newbie to Digital SLR photography and am looking to buy my first camera. I am actually going to buy a used Nikon camera for now and would be very grateful if you could recommend a camera and lenses I should be getting. I am looking to do portrait, children at play, live bands, travel photography and sport photography also. A lot I know!!

Any help you could give me would be really appreciated!!!

:-)