Should I get a nikon camera?

Question

I'm not anywhere near a professional photographer, but I think going somewhere with it would be awesome.

I'm thinking of getting a nikon camera around my birthday or Christmas, (no idea of what model) but I was just wondering if you have to be really great at photography to use one.

I wouldn't be getting one anymore than $800.

Answer 1

Do you really have to be great at photography to use one?  No, but a good camera will help you get better faster.

Here's what a small town was able to do when they were handed a D40 and given a quick tutoring session.  Consider them to be mostly beginners.

http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown...

For $800 you can get a D40 with both an 18-55mm, a 55-200mm lens, and a Nikon flash.  You'll have the beginnings of a nice system to grow with your skills and interests.

Here's some photos to show what a D40 is capable of doing.  Type in different subjects in the "search" window to match your interests, or click on different subjects in the "now showing" window.  Also check the reviews of users on the right.

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/nikon/d40/

I hope you find this helpful.

Answer 2

Save the $800, check out your local professional camera store and rent a top-of-the-line Nikon for $50 per day.  If you live in L.A. that photo store is probably samy's camera.

Good luck!

Answer 3

well, since you don't seem like you're going to persue photography immmediately, you should keep some of that money, and just get a nikon d40, with an 18-55mm lens, for four hundred and seventy dollars.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-5...

this is a nice starter digital SLR, it has alot of nice features, and the images are very beautiful. This is a really nice camera, you don't pay this much for a cheap camera, this is a quality camera.

with your three hundred left, you can get a 55-200mm VR lens, and a few SD cards to record your images, you don't need to start with an 800$ camera, start small, and get bigger

Answer 4

You can buy a Nikon D40 with 18-55 mm lens for under $470 on Amazon and with the remaining money, you can buy a 55-200 mm lens ... that and a couple of 2GB cards (under $20 for a pair on sale)