Hi, I've been given a Nikon D3200 18-55 VR kit. I've only ever used my phone for pictures and was looking at getting an actual camera at some point.
It comes with a wide lens and a speedlite flash.
Is this perfect for a first camera as it's quite old?
Any help or tips to improve it would be helpful.
Thanks
It comes with a wide lens and a speedlite flash.
Is this perfect for a first camera as it's quite old?
Any help or tips to improve it would be helpful.
Thanks
In reply to Post #1
It's a very good camera even though it's old and absolutely capable of very good images.
If this is your very first proper camera then it will be a long time before you find any reason to upgrade it, and in all likelihood you'll find that lenses are the better upgrade.
It's probably got buckets of modes and settings, but in daylight I almost always shoot in Aperture Priority, at the lowest ISO that gives a high enough shutter speed and if it's a self takes, manual focus. For fish pics, I usually choose a focal length between 30mm and 70mm
It'll help to understand:
Exposure (the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, and how ISO fits in)
Hard light and soft light
Depth of field (and how it's affected by aperture and focal length)
Motion blur (and how it's affected by shutter speed)
Three very useful things you'll soon want;
Tripod and remote if you're doing self takes.
Circular polarising filter for your lens
Folding reflector (really cheap and really useful)
The speedlite is a great tool, but a bit complicated and will need learning. It's got as many modes as the camera and to be honest, learning how to use artificial light is more complicated than learning to use the camera.
Fish are pretty challenging things to photograph really well. A circular polariser filter will help with reflections and so will soft light and/or indirect light.
I'll stop to keep the reply short, but you're very welcome to pm me.
It's a very good camera even though it's old and absolutely capable of very good images.
If this is your very first proper camera then it will be a long time before you find any reason to upgrade it, and in all likelihood you'll find that lenses are the better upgrade.
It's probably got buckets of modes and settings, but in daylight I almost always shoot in Aperture Priority, at the lowest ISO that gives a high enough shutter speed and if it's a self takes, manual focus. For fish pics, I usually choose a focal length between 30mm and 70mm
It'll help to understand:
Exposure (the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, and how ISO fits in)
Hard light and soft light
Depth of field (and how it's affected by aperture and focal length)
Motion blur (and how it's affected by shutter speed)
Three very useful things you'll soon want;
Tripod and remote if you're doing self takes.
Circular polarising filter for your lens
Folding reflector (really cheap and really useful)
The speedlite is a great tool, but a bit complicated and will need learning. It's got as many modes as the camera and to be honest, learning how to use artificial light is more complicated than learning to use the camera.
Fish are pretty challenging things to photograph really well. A circular polariser filter will help with reflections and so will soft light and/or indirect light.
I'll stop to keep the reply short, but you're very welcome to pm me.
In reply to Post #1
The best thing you can do for this is buy the cheap Nikon AFS-DX 35mm F1.8 lens for around £120-140 new or less than £90 second hand.
It is very very light and superb quality for the price range.. I struggle to notice any real differance between this and the Sigma Art 1.4 35mm lens at nealy £550 + ( I use both amongst others with a Nikon D5600).
Daytime - stick to Aperture priority mode and shoot around F2 to F2.8 with iso at 100, stick to centre weighted metering with spot focus.. A cheap intervalometer works really really well off the likes of Amazon for self takes for around £20-25 to automate your shots.
Dawn, dusk and night time you will have to start bumping the ISO up to keep the shutter speed up to reduce/stop movment blur as with any photography.
If yopu want any sample images of captures with both lenses, give me a shout !
Hope this helps
The best thing you can do for this is buy the cheap Nikon AFS-DX 35mm F1.8 lens for around £120-140 new or less than £90 second hand.
It is very very light and superb quality for the price range.. I struggle to notice any real differance between this and the Sigma Art 1.4 35mm lens at nealy £550 + ( I use both amongst others with a Nikon D5600).
Daytime - stick to Aperture priority mode and shoot around F2 to F2.8 with iso at 100, stick to centre weighted metering with spot focus.. A cheap intervalometer works really really well off the likes of Amazon for self takes for around £20-25 to automate your shots.
Dawn, dusk and night time you will have to start bumping the ISO up to keep the shutter speed up to reduce/stop movment blur as with any photography.
If yopu want any sample images of captures with both lenses, give me a shout !
Hope this helps
In reply to Post #3
Yep, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is an absolutely cracking lens too, and there's a f1.4 which is even better and also affordable used.
I haven't bought any or even looked for over a decade, but I imagine now Nikon have stopped making new DSLRs the price of used lenses is going to come down.
Yep, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is an absolutely cracking lens too, and there's a f1.4 which is even better and also affordable used.
I haven't bought any or even looked for over a decade, but I imagine now Nikon have stopped making new DSLRs the price of used lenses is going to come down.
In reply to Post #1
It's the perfect first camera imo
100% Echo what freespoola says. Get yourself a 35mm f1.8 and it will transform your shots. I used one for years and it really was fantastic. Hold the fish close to your body and stick to f2.8/f3.2 to make sure both you and the fish are in focus
The d3200 is a crop sensor so the 50mm would give the angle of view of a 75mm which is a bit long for most trophy shots.
It's the perfect first camera imo
100% Echo what freespoola says. Get yourself a 35mm f1.8 and it will transform your shots. I used one for years and it really was fantastic. Hold the fish close to your body and stick to f2.8/f3.2 to make sure both you and the fish are in focus
The d3200 is a crop sensor so the 50mm would give the angle of view of a 75mm which is a bit long for most trophy shots.
Thankyou. All the below is the help I was looking for, certainly won't be purchasing on when I've got one that is perfect to use. If used correctly! Will Pm if need extra help. Thanks