After much debate, I went with the D5K

[Hydro556]

Hello guys. New member here. I am as novice a "photographer" as there is on this whole forum, most likely.

I have never owned any D-SLR. I have owned a Canon S5is for the past couple of years, and it has worked well for most purposes. The biggest reason I stepped up to a D-SLR is because my wife has been taking a bunch of pictures recently of our daughters during their horse back riding lessons. The lighting in the indoor arena is poor, additionally the Canon is unable to take pictures in quick succession. At least that is part of the reason. I am also just a bit of a electronics geek.

I dont expect stepping up into the D-SLR realm will magically turn me into a great photographer. I do expect that the Nikon will have a much better flash and the ability to take several pictures a second and give the wife and me a better shot at getting good pictures of the girls and other things in motion.

I was debating between the D-90 and the D-5000. I had basically decided on the D-90 just because it wasnt a ton more money and seemed to have a bunch more features. I usually err on the side of over buying. Buy once cry once.

I went to a local shop and handled both cameras and decided to go with the D5K. I liked the size and feel of it better and ultimately decided that the additional scene modes would be more beneficial to me as I tried to actually learn to use the camera in the manual modes. Also liked the articulating screen, as much for the ability to protect it when stored as anything.

Basically, I just want a camera that will allow us to take bright, vivid pictures in all conditions from great to poor(assuming I can manage to operate it). I plan to try my best to learn all I can about photography and get what I can from the camera. I think it is packed with enough features that I will still have enough camera even if I actually become sufficient with it, LOL.

I bought the following.

New Nikon D5000 kit.
18-55 VR lens
55-200 VR lens
8 gig high speed card
Extra battery
2 UV filters
An external flash
Case
Some additional software he threw in.
Shipped for ~$930

I initially was going to get the SB600 flash. After reading some reviews, I decided the SB400 was sufficient(and really liked the compactness), as I only want it for the extended range and the ability to utilize bounce flash.

I order all my optics from a very trusted friend. When I told him I changed my mind to the SB400, he immediately recommended another brand, that he said was superior to the 400, and half the price. I trust him, so I tried it, even though I really would have preferred to stay with all Nikon. I trust him enough that I took the chance. He has never steered me wrong. I cannot recall the brand or model, but will update once I receive everything later in the week.

Sorry for the wordy post, just the way it ended up.

My question is this. For those of you who have tried them, what books or E-books would you guys recommend for someone who is just getting into photography and D-SLR's? I see a lot of options but would like to hear first hand experience with the various options.

Thanks, and I will post some(inevitably poor) pictures once I get everything.

 

[Lifer]

Congrats on your purchase and welcome. Personally, I would have stuck with a Nikon flash.

This is a very good book that I would recommend to help you learn the D5000:

Nikon D5000: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell

--
Richard R. Price

 

[Ben Seese]

Welcome to the fold, Hydro.

I initially was going to get the SB600 flash. After reading some reviews, I decided the SB400 was sufficient(and really liked the compactness), as I only want it for the extended range and the ability to utilize bounce flash.

I order all my optics from a very trusted friend. When I told him I changed my mind to the SB400, he immediately recommended another brand, that he said was superior to the 400, and half the price. I trust him, so I tried it, even though I really would have preferred to stay with all Nikon. I trust him enough that I took the chance. He has never steered me wrong. I cannot recall the brand or model, but will update once I receive everything later in the week.

I haven't seen any third-party flashes nearly as compact as the SB400 that allow you to bounce off the ceiling. If it's literally half the price ($60), chances are you're going to get a cheaply-built and bulky flash unit. Hope to hear otherwise when it arrives. ;-)

--
http://www.benseese.com

 

[Hydro556]

He mentioned the brand, but I dont remember it.

I really am not worried about it, because if I dont like it he will toss an SB400 in the mail and I will go that route. I just mentioned that I was was changing from the 600 to the 400 and he immediately said that if I was going with the 400 that he had a better option.

Said it had higher output and would do what the 400 would do, and cost half. About $50 actually. Cant really see his angle, I mean it was $50 instead of $100, and he pushed me toward it.

I buy a lot of optics, mostly higher end riflescopes, from this guy and have relly developed a good relationship with them,, they are good folks and havent steered me wrong yet. And like I said, if I end up sot happy with it, I will have them exchange it. He seemed pretty impressed with it so I will give it a shot.

Thanks for the book rec, I will check it out. I have a ton to learn.

 

[Ben Seese]

I really am not worried about it, because if I dont like it he will toss an SB400 in the mail and I will go that route. I just mentioned that I was was changing from the 600 to the 400 and he immediately said that if I was going with the 400 that he had a better option.

Lots of smart folks do have an aversion to the SB-400, because it really is not a great power/dollar ratio. But many of those folks overlook the fact that a full-size flash unit may spend much more time sitting on a shelf at home gathering dust.

Said it had higher output and would do what the 400 would do, and cost half. About $50 actually. Cant really see his angle, I mean it was $50 instead of $100, and he pushed me toward it.

Not implying that this was a factor in his recommendation, but you should be aware that his company's profit margin on a $50 house-brand flash could easily be twice that on the SB-400. They could literally be making only $5 on the SB-400. The store I worked at paid me $10-$15 commissions for selling any of the house-brand flashes, even down to the small $70 models. And $0.00 for any Nikon flash, even the SB-900.

--
http://www.benseese.com

 

[Hydro556]

He originally recommended the SB600, but when I suggested I was going smaller with the 400, he immediately recommended the off brand.

Like I say, I totally trust these guys. Done a ton of business with them and they havent steered me wrong. I dont think he was trying to sell me, but trying to help me get the best value. They always do that. Good guys, and he knows if I dont like it, I will be sending it back for the 400.

 

[Claudia P]

I have had my D5000 for about 3 weeks and love it. I have found Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set very helpful along with the videos at http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/ .

I recommend going into the archives and starting with episode 1 and work your way up to the present. Both the D-Town TV shows and the books along with this and other forums are wonderful ways to become really familiar with all of the terminology and have a lot of really good advice. These aren't the only places or books but they are a great start.

 

[Polyglot92]

I have had my D5000 for about 3 weeks and love it. I have found Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set very helpful along with the videos at http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/ .

I recommend going into the archives and starting with episode 1 and work your way up to the present. Both the D-Town TV shows and the books along with this and other forums are wonderful ways to become really familiar with all of the terminology and have a lot of really good advice. These aren't the only places or books but they are a great start.

Dtowntv episode 1 is here:
http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/category/episodes/page/4/

Some of the tips are quite interesting, I just wished they were a bit more focussed on one subject per episode or segment rather than all over the place across shooting and post production.

 

[Sunshine_boy]

Welcome to the forum, Hydro...

Congrats on your purchase. I am sure the whole family will get a lot of joy out of it.

I have the D60 and I am perfectly happy with it, even though some times I wish I had an articulated screen like you do.

Since I have the SB400 (super little thing) I am intrigued to find out which is the flashgun your friend recommended. Just out of curiosity. I am bookmarking this thread. Please post when you receive it. I also look forward to seeing some of your indoor shots using your flash.

Thanks and happy shooting... )
--
Best Regards
Sunshine

Fuji F30, F31, S6500, OLY C4000Z, Canon Film EOS,
Nikon D60, 18-55VR, 18-105VR, 55-200VR, 35/1.8, SB-400

 

[davidried]

I had the SB-400 and did not like it. I found it to be underpowered so much of the time that I became frustrated quickly with it. Upgrading was a smart choice imho.

 

[Hydro556]

Thanks guys for the comments and advice.

Please dont me wrong. I am not trying to say anything negative about the SB400(I have never used either). In fact, I was all set to get the SB600 until I read (one of many,many,LOL) reviews online. It was Ken Rockwell, if I recall, on the general reviews he did on "best of" covering everything from the camera to accessories.

He actually recommended the D5K as well, and when he got to flash's, he recommended the SB400. Saying it was great for basic pictures, and MUCH smaller than the SB600 etc.. I realized that the only reason I want an external flash is for the extended range, and for learning to bounce flash, because that sounds like a great idea.

After seeing pictures of the SB400 mounted on a D5K, and actually seeing how big the SB600 was in person, I quickly decided the SB400 would do all I need and was definitely impressed by its compactness.

So, I decided on the SB400 right then. When placing my order for the flash, he told me about this other option. I hate I cant remember the name. He didnt bad mouth the Nikon at all, just said that this phantom flash (LOL) had a bit more output, retained all the features I was interested in and cost half as much. He knows my purposes for buying all this stuff and was just trying to save me some money. And, not repeat, but if I get it, and it turns out not be sufficient, I will send it back and get the 400, or maybe even the 600.

Hopefully, when I get it and post details, you guys wont all be like, That is Chinese garbage or something, LOL. These guys have always given me good advice in the past, so I trust them enough to give it a whirl.

I may just give them a call and ask, curiosity is getting the best of me.

 

[Hydro556]

Well here goes. I guess you guys will either tear this apart as being garbage or say it is a good value. I havent even searched for reviews on this site yet.

It is the ProMaster 2500. What say the pros?

 

[Feud]

Hi Hydro,

Congratulations on your purchase. You've bought a great value camera that borrows a lot of technology from the Nikon D90 and D300. I hope you'll have happy years shooting with it.

Like others I would have stuck with the SB400 flash, which is an excellent unit well suited to the small DX cameras, my D40 included. But I'm sure the gun you've bought will be fine.

More important than your equipment, you've got the right attitude to your photography. You're right, a DSLR will turn out better technical images and give you more options, but it's merely a tool which must be used to its full potential to yield better photographs.

I would also recommend Jeff Revell's excellent book -- I've got a copy and it's both knowledgeable and entertaining - Jeff has a nice way with him - a nice sense of humour allied with excellent knowledge. He's also written an excellent book on the Canon 50D which a friend of mine has, and it's improved his photography. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D5000-Snapshots-Great-Shots/dp/0321659430

I look forward to seeing your work.

Best of luck!

 

[larrytusaz]

Good purchase. The D90 would've been a fine one as well, but the D5000 is actually a good choice as well. I find it a good "upper-entry-level" camera as it were. It may not have all that the D90 has, but it has more than the D60 or D3000, even if those had the same 12mp CMOS sensor (they don't).

Speaking of which, someone like you actually would've probably done just fine with a D3000, or a D60 bought (say) at Cameta on eBay. As it stands, I still like the choice.

I have the D5000 myself, I actually have used SLRs for years, as a hobbyist-enthusiast (I'm not a top-grade pro, even "amateurs" can often-times take better photos than me), and find the D5000 is a capable camera for an enthusiast. As a beginner, it's certainly way more than enough.

A few tips:

(1) I'd pass on the scene modes, unless you REALLY feel (as a beginner) you don't feel comfortable any other way. I'd put the camera in P-mode , other than having to pop up the flash yourself it's still a very automatic mode, and you still have full access to all settings and can "shift the numbers" (f-stop/shutter speed combination) using the thumb-wheel.

(2) Remember the "green dot reset"--this will reset all the "non-menu" options (the ones you see when the camera is showing its "status panel") back to their defaults. It's a great way to return the camera to a "known state" if you change a non-menu setting and all goes bonkers on you. You engage the green-dot reset by holding down the "-i-" button (back-left near screen) and the "info" button (near shutter release) for 2 seconds. (The menu options, if you need to reset them, are reset under the "pencil" tab.)

(3) I'd turn on "auto ISO". Under the menu, select the "camera" tab, then "ISO sensitivity settings," then turn "auto control" on, then I'd set "sensitivity" to 800 or 1600, and "shutter speed" to 1/125 or so. Later-on, when you understand what ISO sensitivity is all about, you can disengage this and change ISO values shot-to-shot.

I'd set the "pencil" settings as follows:

(4) "d3" to ON (so that ISO settings are shown in the viewfinder)

(5) "d2" to ON, the viewfinder gridlines are really helpful

(6) "f2" to "AF Lock Only." This will allow the "AE-L-AF-L" button (near the thumbwheel) to work as a "force-fire" button in spontaneous situations. However, once you've changed this setting, in general, I still would only use the "AE-L/AF-L" button in spontaneous situations where you wish for the camera to take the photo immediately no matter what. That's because doing this can lead to more out-of-focus shots, because what this does is bypass autofocusing before taking the photo. Use with care .

That said, I think it's nice to have as an option (as long as you understand the risk of a possible out-of-focus shot) in split-second moments. Once set-up it's used by holding down this button first while pressing the shutter release (like a SHIFT key on a keyboard), the shutter will fire immediately no matter what. Again, for most shots, I would just take the picture without using this button. (It's not a matter of what you set "f2" to, but whether or not you hold down the AE-L/AF-L button before taking a shot. I hope I haven't confused you.)

For the "status panel" settings:

(6) The "green dot reset" settings are fine, other than I'd change "QUAL" to "Fine, L" instead of "Norm, L". Then again, unless you aspire to 16x20s from your shots, you may fine "Norm, L" is plenty--and saves space, too. (I myself shoot Raw + Basic/Small JPEG, but I won't go into detail on that one.) I know I've made 11x14 prints from a 6mp D40 shot in "Normal, Large" rather than "Fine, Large" and they looked good. I'd bet you could get 13x19 prints this way from the 12mp D5000 with ease. (But if you want the maximum the camera can do, go for "Fine, Large.")

(7) Remember not to move the "A/M" switch on the lens barrel (it belongs on "A"). I don't think you're ready for manual-focusing yet.

---
LRH
http://www.pbase.com/larrytucaz
{ http://larrytxeast.smugmug.com/ (inactive) }

 

[Hydro556]

Thanks all for the advice.

Larry, I really appreciate the in-depth response. A lot of valuable info there for someone like myself. I appreciate it.

 

[puttin]

He originally recommended the SB600, but when I suggested I was going smaller with the 400, he immediately recommended the off brand.

Like I say, I totally trust these guys. Done a ton of business with them and they havent steered me wrong. I dont think he was trying to sell me, but trying to help me get the best value. They always do that. Good guys, and he knows if I dont like it, I will be sending it back for the 400.

If it was the Sunpak RD2000 you cant go wrong and under $75. I have 2, Nikon and Canon mount.

 

[Ben Seese]

Well here goes. I guess you guys will either tear this apart as being garbage or say it is a good value. I havent even searched for reviews on this site yet.

It is the ProMaster 2500. What say the pros?

It's certainly a good value. And yes, it is from China. 'Garbage' isn't the right word, but don't expect to be handing it down to your grandkids.

Promaster is actually the 'house brand' I was referring to above. But this model didn't exist when I stopped selling them last year.

Feature-wise, I agree with your buddy -- this does do everything the SB-400 does, and more (AF Illuminator), for half the price. Overall dimensions are definitely larger than the SB-400, but not nearly as large as I was expecting to see. That it's oriented vertically makes it a bit more 'conspicuous' than the SB-400 (and the Sunpak RD2000N mentioned above). As far as the power output -- it's an absolute wash. Its rated guide number is one meter less than the SB-400, but these numbers are just ballpark figures. Your buddy was either mislead or less-than-100% honest when he said it puts out more light.

And the part that you'll have to determine for yourself, since I don't see any good info online anywhere -- how fast does it actually recycle? Specs say as long as 10 seconds. Hopefully that's with non-optimal batteries like Lithium. Throw in a pair of new standard Alkaline AAs, lock your ISO at 200, and aim the light at a high ceiling. If it can recharge itself between shots in around 3-4 seconds (like the SB-400 can), then you're good to go. If you're waiting 10 seconds, that's a bummer.

Hope this little write-up helps clear up your decision.

--
http://www.benseese.com

 

[Hydro556]

Thanks for the review of the ProMaster Ben. I may have misquoted my buddy when I said he said it actually put out more light than the SB400. He did say something along the lines of it does everything the SB400 does for less money.

At least at this point, I think all I am needing from an external flash is simply more light, and the ability to bounce the light. From what he told me, under those criteria, the ProMaster is a better buy. I do hope it recharges quickly, though.

I am glad you brought up the subject of batteries. I have been meaning to get your guys' opinion on them.

I certainly have not done any in-depth comparisons, but the best batteries I have come across, hands down, have been the Sanyo Eneloop's. You guys may know of something superior, but to me, these things are simply amazing. I think the ones I have are 2,000 mAh. They come already charged and are claimed to hold like 90% of their charge after a year. I have been using them in my other digital camera and they just seem to last forever.

Are these considered good batteries to use for the flash, or are their better options?

Again, thanks.

 

[Ben Seese]

I certainly have not done any in-depth comparisons, but the best batteries I have come across, hands down, have been the Sanyo Eneloop's. You guys may know of something superior, but to me, these things are simply amazing. I think the ones I have are 2,000 mAh. They come already charged and are claimed to hold like 90% of their charge after a year. I have been using them in my other digital camera and they just seem to last forever.

Eneloops are perfect. A few new "pre-charged" batteries out there claim to have a few more mAh, but it's nothing to lose sleep over.

Since this flash takes only two at a time (and you probably own at least four), label each matched pair with a marker (like A A B B). You need to use and charge them consistently as a pair . Mixing an A with a B is a recipe for short life, and eventually leaky batteries.

--
http://www.benseese.com

 

[Hydro556]

I did not know that. I actually have 4 here and ordered 4 more and another charger. I will mark them and run them as pairs.

I am not normally one to get excited about batteries, but when I first got those Eneloops, I was simply amazed. They just keep going, like the energizer bunny, LOL