Nikon D300

HB 4X4,

• So what's your glass collection now?
• And what else do you have?

I shoot with 50mm 1.4 & 70-200mm 2.8

Currently I have a 18-200mm VR, 12-24mm f/4, and a 50mm f/1.4. I am planning on purchasing the new 70-200mm f/2.8 next.

Nikon has rebates now for certain lenses and body combinations.

I am new at photography and I am wanting to get a good quality DSLR camera, and want to keep it for a while. At first I was sold on the Canon EOS XSi the 12.2 MP camera. But as I was doing more and more research I am hearing better and better things on the Nikon D300 (with the 18-200mm lens). So now Im debating to save up a little bit longer and get a D300. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance

Try to avoid as much as you can the 18-200mm. Put your money in a fast lens (i.e. 24 - 70mm 2.8). And if you can, instead of a D300 (DX camera) try to get a FX camera (i.e. D700 or better)

The D300 is a semi-pro (consumer grade pro) body. If you have the money to blow, then it's an amazing camera, but it's a bit overkill for the beginning photographer. I started with a D60 first. You might want to see if you can snag a leftover D90, or look into it's replacement (D3000 I think).

The D300 relies heavily on the photographers ability to shoot manually. It doesn't have a fully automatic mode, so you must know how to adjust your aperture, shutter speed, etc. I also think shooting with a DSLR absolutely requires the ability to shoot in RAW, and a program that you can process the RAW files on (Lightroom, Aperture (Mac), CS$, etc).

What do you want to achieve? What will you be photographing? Do you want to take snap shots, or try to get into the creative aspect of photography? I recommend buying Scott Kelby's series if you haven't already read them. GREAT read for starting photography and learning the basics.

I disagree. You don't want to use the 18-200 for professional shots, but it is a great walk-around lens with great optics. It's great for vacations where you don't want to damage/lose/lug around $5k in lenses. There is a time and place for fast glass, but portability is not one of them, and I don't see any point in spending thousands of dollars on glass when you are just beginning since you will have no knowledge of how to use it to it's full potential. Many pro's use the 18-200 for their vacationing lens.

He is a beginner photographer, he has no need for $10K in equipment...

Hey, you don't need to spend too much money to get a fast lens, you can get a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 for less than $400. Of course, you don't have the zoom on it, but it makes you to think in your composition.

I carry my camera every day (vacations, work, etc) with the 50mm and i get really nice pics.

The nifty-fifty is a great lens, with amazing DOF (Depth of field) but it is very limiting. In some cases it will make you re-think the shot, but in others it will make it impossible to get. Luckily the 1.8 is very cheap, so it's a good lens to have in your arsenal. However, I would strongly advise against this being your only lens or you will be sorely disappointed.

I would just get a kit lens until you have outgrown it's potential, then start saving up for the pro-grade glass.

Ok thanks a lot....Ill defiantly have to check that book out and see what would be right for me.

It's a 3 book series. You can get them on amazon for $44 if you buy the bundle, or they are about $16.XX each.

I would consider the D90, D300 or D300s. Avoid the D3000 and D5000 because those lack the AF motor on the body. So for lenses without the built in AF motor, you'll have to manually focus the lens (such as the nifty fifty that HB 4x4 mentioned) on the entry level Nikon D-SLRs.

One good lens for the money is the 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX. It goes for $200. It is a DX (crop sensor) specific lens, but at $200 I don't mind. It's about equivalent to a 52-53mm, which works better for an everyday prime and indoor lens.

I'm a Canon man

Which body replaced the D90? The D90 had the motor in the body I believe, so I would have assumed it's replacement would as well.

Personally I like that my D300 can shoot at 8fps (frames per second). Great for wildlife photography.