New camera

[veriitas]

Hello!

I'm new to the reflex camera scene.
I was just wondering, is the Nikon D5000 an easy way to start taking pictures?
Or would it be too hard to handle..
I saw a great deal and I allmost bought it, but I wasn't sure..
It looks kinda hard..

I hope to hear from you guys soon,

Thank in advance!

[Clactonian]

Hi Veritas (first name?)
The D5000 is a great camera and will serve you well.
The problem with all technology today is that it inevitably has more features than you will ever need, but don't forget that all but the professional cameras will have an 'auto' setting to get you started. From there you can build your confidence and learn the other settings.
I would take the plunge and start taking photos. Read as much as you can about the skills involved. You may be assured of a long lasting and rewarding hobby ahead.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi there 'veriitas' (is that your name?),

I have a D5000 and it, like 99% of DSLRs has; Scene modes (like a P&S), Auto and Program modes, plus Shutter and Aperture priority semi-auto modes and manual.

Additionally, it has an enhanced help system over many cameras.

So I would say it makes an excellent starter camera.

I almost forgot my manners; so I'll sign off with a "welcome to the CiC forums from ...."

[mikiort]

I think it depends on which kind of pictures you are going to take and where.
(portraits, landscapes, wildlife...?)
Depending on that you'll have to choose a lens.
Remember that the most important part is not a camera, it is a lens.

[veriitas]

Hey!

To start off, my real name isn't veriitas haha.
It's Ozkan..
Thanks for your quick reply and for welcoming me!
It's actually a gift for my girlfriend (ofcourse I will be using it too, maybe more then her haha!).
She would likely take pictures of me playing basketball, us two on vacation and scenery.
Basicly everything.

So you are telling me the D5000 is a perfect way to start off?

[mikiort]

All these entry level SLR cameras have standard preset automatic modes, so using it would be as simple as a usual digital compact camera.
But here is a question, why do you need SLR in this case?

[Dave Humphries]

So you are telling me the D5000 is a perfect way to start off?

Hi Ozkan,

"Perfect" is a relative term, most DSLRs would be good enough, I think the D5000 is better than many in terms of features offered, but it is not without some shortcomings, the main one being the lack of an internal focus motor, which restricts your choice of lenses to the newer, faster focusing ones So is that a limitation?

Cheers,

[veriitas]

Hi Ozkan,

"Perfect" is a relative term, most DSLRs would be good enough, I think the D5000 is better than many in terms of features offered, but it is not without some shortcomings, the main one being the lack of an internal focus motor, which restricts your choice of lenses to the newer, faster focusing ones So is that a limitation?

Cheers,

What does an internal focus motor do?

But here is a question, why do you need SLR in this case?

Because all of the features it has? I would love to know how such a camera works, I mean shouldn't it make much more prettier than a standard camera?

BTW the one I wanted to buy is: Nikon D5000 Kit + 18-55 mm VR

[mikiort]

?... the main one being the lack of an internal focus motor, which restricts your choice of lenses to the newer, faster focusing ones So is that a limitation?
,

Yes, newer, faster focusing and by far more expensive ones ;

[Dave Humphries]

Yes, newer, faster focusing and by far more expensive ones ;

Well there is that, but I'm getting used to it

[Dave Humphries]

But as a camera to learn on, it's darn good

[Dave Humphries]

What does an internal focus motor do?

On the camera body, it means an electric motor drives the lens' focus mechanism (to auto-focus) via a slotted screwdriver like coupling. As such, it can be less precise and slower than the newer types of lenses with the focus motor built into the lens barrel.

This isn't what I meant, but I'll explain it anyway;

On a lens the phrase "internal focusing" usually means;
a) the lens doesn't expand and contract when focusing occurs,
b) also; the front element doesn't rotate when focusing*
c) it is of the faster UltraSonic Motor type (USM)

* so you can set a circular polarising filter to the correct angle for your shot (to darken a blue sky or kill a reflection, then focus without it upsetting the angle you just set.

Cheers,

[Shadowman]

She'll definitely be impressed with your choice.

[veriitas]

It usually means;
a) the lens doesn't expand and contract when focusing occurs,
b) also; the front element doesn't rotate when focusing*

* so you can set a circular polarising filter to the correct angle for your shot (to darken a blue sky or kill a reflection, then focus without it upsetting the angle you just set.

Cheers,

Oh wow, thanks for explaining!
Lots too learn I see.
Is it easy to work without an internal focus motor then?

So I should just go ahead and buy the camera?
Is there some kind of tutorial on the internet for this camera?
Or would the instruction manual be enough, that is delivered with the camera.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ozkan,

Do see the update on my post, I have clarified what I meant better - I initially answered the wrong question

I can't help feeling you're rushing into this.
Please have a read of the tutorials here to learn some basics.

But yes, the manual will be a good starter.
Start on Scene modes, then progress to Auto, then Program, then Aperture or Shutter priority as your (and girlfriend's) experience grows.

How familiar are you with digital post processing?
I ask because that is a whole big area on its own.

[veriitas]

Hey Dave,

I actually am rushing a bit.
Since it's a great deal. 350 euro, I think it's around ~290 pounds.
I know absolutely 0% about digital post processing.

[inkista]

If one of your main subjects is going to be basketball (presumably indoors), I'd actually recommend staying away from the D5000, because of the focus motor issue. If you do decide to go with a Nikon body, I'd say get at least a D90, which does have a focus motor in the body.

...or go with a Canon entry-level body instead. Canon, back in '80s, completely overhauled their mount for autofocus and redesigned it from the ground up. Unlike Nikon's staying backwards compatible and using focus motors in both or either the lens or the body, with Canons, all the lenses have focus motors, and the bodies do not.

There's one lens on the Canon side that's become so commonly recommended on the dpreview boards for people who want to shoot basketball in a gym on a budget, that it's been nicknamed "Mr. Basketball". That's the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (about US$400). It's small, light, and very fast and zippy on the autofocus because it has a USM (ultrasonic) focus motor.

The Nikon equivalent 85mm f/1.8 is an AF lens (i.e., has no focus motor) and will not autofocus on a D5000. It will autofocus on a D90 or above body. Otherwise, you'd have to look at the AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, which is about four times as expensive, or an AF-S 70-200 f/2.8 VR (ditto on the pricetag) to get something suitable for basketball in a gym without a flash.

Pentax and Sony dSLRs don't have the focus motor issue, either. But they also lack same-cost equivalents to the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM.

[veriitas]

Is it impossible to shoot nice sport pictures with the D5000?
It seems so, if I read what inkista posted.

[inkista]

No, of course it's not impossible to take good sports shots with the D5000. But the lens is a key consideration here, as well as the camera body. The lens is the other half of your camera.

Sports photography, and particularly indoors sports photography, is demanding on glass.

To "freeze" the action, you need a high shutter speed. This cuts down your light. So, you typically also need a high iso setting, and a wide aperture (how large the shutter opening is set to be in the lens). The general wisdom is that a lens should be at least an f/2.8 or larger for indoors "available light" shooting. (Note: f-numbers are ratios. So the smaller the f-number, the larger the maximum aperture of the lens is. Just as 1/8 is smaller than 1/2, f/8 is smaller than f/2. With zoom lenses, you often see two max. apertures: one for each end of the zoom range, so a 70-300 f/3.5-f/5.6 lens is f/3.5 at the 70mm end, f/5.6 at the 300mm end).

And, worse, with sports shooting, you also tend to need telephoto reach (something longer than 50mm).

That's why the most typical lens folks will recommend for this kind of shooting is a 70-200 f/2.8. Both the Nikon and Canon version of this type of lens are in the $1000+ price range. Sigma and Tamron make versions in the $700-$800 price range. A lot of folks can't afford this kind of glass--particularly if they've just shelled out for a camera body. So a fast prime (a lens that doesn't zoom) is a compromise they'll make. Ideally, you'd want zoom, too, to get the shot. But having a clear shot free of motion blur that you can crop is better than having a smeary close-enough shot you can't unsmear.

Obviously, if you're shooting outside in the daytime and have more light, then a smaller max aperture can get you by, and a consumer 70-300 f/3.5-5.6 might work, although the optical and AF performance isn't going to be as nice as with a 70-200/2.8.

[veriitas]

Thank you for the information!
It really helped.
All of you btw, thanks!