Help with what's next..

[lyndajean]

I bought my Nikon D5000 w/ kit lens (18-55mmVR) last April. it was my first DSLR and I absolutely LOVE it. I take it with me almost everywhere and take pictures as often as I can. I'm ready to start investing in new equipment and start practicing and learning more "real" photography. So since I'm so new to all of this, I'm stuck on what I should get next... should I get a flash of some kind first? Is a new lens better? Is my D5000 going to suffice or should I consider upgrading?

I guess you'll probably need to know what I'm looking to do.. so I guess I've read a lot that the best lens for portraits is a 70mm lens - I've heard that the 18-200VR is awesome... would that cover my bases for portraits or is the 70mm something I definitley want to get my hands on?

Flashes - where do I start? Being my first "real" camera I've never had to worry about flashes. I have found though, that in some indoor conditions I get really bad shadows that other people dont even seem to notice but being the one who took it - I notice, and I feel like it ruins the picture.

Thanks everyone

~Lynda

[phaither]

i can't answer your questions, but i'm sure someone will... just a question- how often do you use the tilt on the LCD screen? i'm trying to decide what camera to get and would like to know.
thanks,
faith

[lyndajean]

Originally Posted by phaither

i can't answer your questions, but i'm sure someone will... just a question- how often do you use the tilt on the LCD screen? i'm trying to decide what camera to get and would like to know.
thanks,
faith

To be honest - I thought it was really cool, but I haven't come into many situations where I've needed to use it. I don't really use the "live view" all too much, maybe thats why. I did find it helpful the couple times I took videos though. What is your other choice compared to the D5000?

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by lyndajean

I bought my Nikon D5000 w/ kit lens (18-55mmVR) last April. it was my first DSLR and I absolutely LOVE it. I take it with me almost everywhere and take pictures as often as I can. I'm ready to start investing in new equipment and start practicing and learning more "real" photography. So since I'm so new to all of this, I'm stuck on what I should get next... should I get a flash of some kind first? Is a new lens better? Is my D5000 going to suffice or should I consider upgrading?

Your body is still very new: consider upgrading your lenses first. Lenses area always going to be a bigger and better investment than bodies.

Originally Posted by lyndajean

I guess you'll probably need to know what I'm looking to do.. so I guess I've read a lot that the best lens for portraits is a 70mm lens - I've heard that the 18-200VR is awesome... would that cover my bases for portraits or is the 70mm something I definitley want to get my hands on?

I'm going to assume the "70 something" lens youre referring to is a 70-200 f/2.8. The key here is the f/2.8 (not necessarily the range). Your 55-200 actually covers the same range, but at 200mm it has a maximum aperture of f/5.6, where as the 70-200 f/2.8 is a full 2-stops faster at the same focal length.

While a 70-200 f/2.8 is a fantastic investment, it's quite the investment: you're likely looking at $1800 as a minimum (for a Nikon example) just for the lens. Instead, look for a large-aperture prime. The downside? Most of them haven't been updated to the AF-S motor yet, so they won't autofocus on your D5000.

Originally Posted by lyndajean

Flashes - where do I start? Being my first "real" camera I've never had to worry about flashes. I have found though, that in some indoor conditions I get really bad shadows that other people dont even seem to notice but being the one who took it - I notice, and I feel like it ruins the picture.

Thanks everyone

~Lynda

For a flash, see if you cant find an Sb-600 lying around for cheap. Its got more power than your onboard flash, but more importantly it has the ability to tilt and turn, which allows you to bounce the light off the ceiling (which will eliminate the shadows)

[phaither]

Originally Posted by lyndajean

What is your other choice compared to the D5000?

i was looking at the D3100, and i'm leaning more towards it each day. the tilt screen is the only thing making me think twice. but i may not need it as much as i once thought...

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Os pretty much answered most of your questions, but regarding a new lens: are you looking for something that's very much portrait-oriented?

Many recommend a prime lens to really help improve composition (it's been said on DPS newsletter on more than one occasion), and it's something I absolutely have to agree with. I bought the 35mm f/1.8 in the fall of 2009 and since you can't zoom with a prime lens, you have to think about composition a lot more. (If you read any thread from the last several months where someone is asking about the 35mm, you'll see immediately that I just LOVE that lens.)

That said, if you're looking to do more portrait work, the 35mm is too short a lens for portraits. Especially if you want to do headshots because at the requisite working distances, you'll get way too much distortion. If portraits are your thing, you might want to check out the 50mm f/1.4. It'll run about 400USD, which isn't all too much for a lens, but might be more than what you can afford (especially when you compare its price to the price of a D5000).

Just my two cents.

[Thunder_o_b]

I'm a Canon user, but the answers would be the same.

1. Prime lens for portraits. On a crop sensor, 50mm to 85mm max. Try to get an f1.4.
Sigma makes a 50mm f1.4 that is the leader of the pack right now. It has the newest tech but is pricey. Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Lens Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

2. Get the best, most powerful flash that you can get your hands on. You will thank me later
As has been said, the ability to bounce and use umbrellas and cards with power is very important in portraits, you will rarely if ever take them straight on. No one ever complains that a flash has too much power.

Best of luck.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Originally Posted by Thunder_o_b

Sigma makes a 50mm f1.4 that is the leader of the pack right now. It has the newest tech but is pricey.

Tough to say definitively, really. The Nikon and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lenses are pretty much the same, both in terms of price and performance. From what I read before settling on the Nikon myself, the Sigma is better in the center and much faster in auto-focussing, but the Nikkor is better in the corners and auto-focusses much more accurately.

Also, the Sigma's massive compared to the Nikon. Almost twice as heavy and ~3/4 of an inch longer, but with a 'more standard' filter size of 77mm (instead of the Nikon's 58mm).

EDIT: The Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G not the old f/1.4D that won't autofocus on the OP's D5000.

[LoveDSLR]

I think the Sigma is at its best @ f/1.4.

[Thunder_o_b]

Originally Posted by Almond.Butterscotch

Tough to say definitively, really. The Nikon and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lenses are pretty much the same, both in terms of price and performance. From what I read before settling on the Nikon myself, the Sigma is better in the center and much faster in auto-focussing, but the Nikkor is better in the corners and auto-focusses much more accurately.

Also, the Sigma's massive compared to the Nikon. Almost twice as heavy and ~3/4 of an inch longer, but with a 'more standard' filter size of 77mm (instead of the Nikon's 58mm).

EDIT: The Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G not the old f/1.4D that won't autofocus on the OP's D5000.

A valid point, but for the intent the OP mentioned, the center sharp I believe would be more useful. And for portrait he would be manually focusing, esp with a 1.4 lens, or so I would think

This is not to say the Nikon is not a fine lens, it is. I just don't consider the brand (I only have one Canon lens)

I plan to pick up this Sigma in the near future (if I can find the money) I'll post the results.

In the end, there is really not much of a difference that can't be made up with proper cropping and PP work. Aren't computers grand?