Update: I have since then upgraded my camera body to a Nikon D7100. It’s considered a good medium-budget SLR but honestly, I do miss my D90. They don’t make camera like that any more.
Actually, this post should rightly be titled how I chose my SLR. I have been getting tons of questions from you guys about my new camera – a Nikon D90
– the type of lens I got, price, where I bought it and most importantly, how I came to the decision.
It was easy, really.
Step 1- Canon vs Nikon
When I started blogging, I bought a very very basic Nikon point and shoot (P&S) camera – the Nikon L10
. It was 5 megapixels and had a 3x optical zoom (although I hear these numbers actually mean nothing), it still gave me good pictures. So my mind went and made itself up thinking “Nikon rocks!”.
Then I became a Canon girl. It wasn’t a conscious decision but I wanted a high-end P&S that will see me through until I saved up for an SLR. I decided on the Canon SX10 IS
. I instantly felt the difference between that and the basic model. The pictures suddenly started looking better and it was great.
But.
I wanted an SLR and I wanted a Nikon one. Somehow it was etched in my mind that Nikon is better than Canon so I was stuck on that decision. That’s the first decision you will need to make. I honestly don’t think one is a better brand than the other, for most of the Nikon models out there, there’s usually a Canon counterpart.
Step 2 – Price
Decide on your budget. You will most likely go over it by a little but have a rough range that you wish to spend on your SLR. This will directly influence the specs of your camera, especially the lens. My budget was about 1800 SGD / ~1400 USD.
Step 3 – Lens
There are a few ways to go about this. You can decide to invest in a cheap body and better lens. Or, you can go for a decent body and decent lens (both mid-range). Going for an expensive body and basic lens is not a good idea when you are starting out, I don’t need to tell you that.
Most SLRs come with a kit lens. The D90 which I got comes with an 18-105mm Nikkor lens
. Its important to understand what the numbers 18-105 mean. It basically stands for the zoom capacity of the lens.
Another whole different topic is prime lens. They are fixed lens, so you can’t zoom with them. However, they are considered superior in terms of clarity. They are also lighter, cheaper, and easier to carry around. Depending on what your primary subject(s) will be (family, kids, food, beach, portraits, etc), you need to pick out the right lens. Along with the D90 kit, I picked up a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens
, especially for low light and food photography. This lens has a large DoF and so creates a wonderfully sharp subject with a blurred background, the ideal situation for food photos and portraits. You can see the first few pics taken with this lens in my Garlic Rolls Recipe page.
I researched a lot before deciding on what to buy. A few things I did (a lot) are:
– write to fellow food bloggers and friends who had a Nikon SLR, particularly a D90. Sig helped a lot with my questions and sent me Amazon links to make it super clear what exactly she was talking about.
– search for particular lens names and camera models on Flickr. You can see example shots taken with the lens you are interested in. This is immensely useful since it gives you an idea of what the lens is capable of. Of course, post-editing and expertise come into the picture too, but its still a useful thing to do. I pored a lot over the Nikkor 50mm night shots search results.
– research online of course. Some useful sites that explain concepts are DP Review and Ken Rockwell. You can also go through Flickr Forums. One conversation I found very useful is whether the 50mm lens does good landscape shots too. The lens are not ideal for landscape so its better not to buy that as the only one with your camera body.
– go to shops, hold the camera, try some test shots, see how it feels in your hands.
This post is getting too long so if there’s any other info you’d like, you can leave a comment on the Facebook page or email me.
And btw, an SLR is totally totally TOTALLY worth the investment. Whatever people say, its just not possible to get the same quality with a P&S. If you are still undecided, I would say, Go.For.It 😉
Disclaimer: I am not an expert in this subject, just wanted to share my experiences during the hunt for the perfect SLR. I am super happy with the D90 so far. Also, I only considered Canon and Nikon as possibilities, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at Sony or Olympus or whatever. I just wasn’t interested, that’s all.
Hey Nags,
Which one is the best to buy a Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor Lens or 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR Lens and what's the difference between these two lens.
the difference is the speed of the lens. the 1.4 is sharper at wider aperture but costs nearly 3-4 times more so i am not sure if that's worth the money. you can take a call on that. also, do a google search to learn more about the difference between Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW Prime Nikkor Lens and 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR Lens to learn more details. i am not an expert 🙂
Dear Nags,
For the past two days I am in your blog 😀 Really! I checked out all the shots and pictures! All the pictures in the Rain series are wonnderful! I get memories of my home town. To me even a normal sight becomes beautiful with rain. I always wished getting a nice camera rather taking pictures with my mobile phone. But after reading through all of your basic food photography series, I decided to try to take some pictures now. What a clarity of explanation this photography series of yours have! Very very very very helpful. Thanks so much Nags. To my surprise you had links to my most loved food blogs… Raks and Dks 🙂 I wanted to try your garlic roll recipe. I will keep visiting your page <>
Thanks Goddess 🙂
thanx a lot for ths ,,last few months i m searching for ths topic ,,
Thank You for this information. The fact is I've always wanted to try with Macro photography of flowers and insects. The need for a DSLR is at hand, but I'll have to start earning for it first. Good write up. And thanks for keeps it interesting.
How I wish I could get an SLR…sigh. Soon, I hope!
As usual, your photography posts are wonderful. I still remember the time when I started blogging and how you were a huge source of inspiration and support. Thanks Nags — for being you! :))
First time here…Nice blog
Ye ye ye I tooo use Nikon D90 …I use 55-200 for few clicks and Used Macro lens for the rest..Yes I'm a new food blogger, but hav the photography knowledge from my Hubby who does street photography…
your info was really nice….Kuddos
Hi Nags… Ur post is super helpful… i recently got a D7000 as a Bday gift from DH…:) I am super excited about it and super super confused… We got a 18-105 mm lens and another is 50-200mm. I was thinking maybe we can give the second one and get a 50mm lens as u said… But I wanted to know what the difference between f/1.8D Af
And the one u got (F/1.4g SIC SW) what does the SIC and SW stand for?? Can u please help me out here? Also how to take macro shoits with a DSLR… I am totally new to using a DSLR… and dont wanna spoil it.. hence asking so many questions
Yes i can definitely vouch for a 50mm prime lens but it has a learning curve for you to get the hang of it. There's a macro setting on the camera which you can use for normal focal lens, just like in a p&s camera.
as for the tech questions, I'm afraid i don't know enough to help you but a google search will give you enough and more help than you need 🙂
Done! 🙂 Thanks Nags! your recipes are interesting 🙂 came out well!! tried aloo paratha over the weekend!!
Your recipes and tips abt food photography are very much interesting… how can i subscribe to your site?? please guide me! 🙂
You can add your email address in the box to the top right hand side of this site. You will get my posts delivered to your inbox 🙂 Let me know if you want me to do it for you, I will need your email id in that case!
Hi Nags…first time here!
U have one lovely and informative blog! Just loved your pictures 😉
Of late, I too have fallen in love with dslr. Actually am still in the learning mode. And yeah, agree with U…investing in a dslr in highly welcomed! 😉
Thanks for the post, very handy. I am a Nikon fan too and planning to upgrade my lens soon. Your flickr search results suggestion was excellent, not sure why I didn't think of it earlier. 🙂
Also,it think you meant 'I pored' instead of 'I poured', 2nd bullet point under the research category. You kinda lost me there 🙂
Thankx a lot for this post..
I too have nikon d90 with the default lens, I guess i need to go for your lens too as I really like your pictures 🙂
I am a Canon girl, and have a Canon SLR. I am never sure whether Canon or Nikon are better than each other, but my first ever camera, many moons ago, was a Canon, and it has just stuck with me.
Nikon rocks!!! I have one too..
Very useful post dear.
Loved this post.
Am still with my point and shoot Nikon Cool Pix P1, 8 megapixels and 3.5 zoom [ repaired once in India!:-)] and have developed an underdog-affection for it.Fiiddling with it has helped me figure out the best shots and it does not do a bad one out of it!
very useful post dear…
Its indeed a useful post….The brand selection was no confusion for me I blindly wanted a Nikon, but then the model yes it got into many confusions, now happy and contented 🙂 Nice info on prime lens too!