New to photographer and looking for a camera w/kit

Wilko121

Hi everyone,

hoping I can ask a couple of quick questions!

Im looking at buying my first dslr(I was originally looking at olypus omd em1/em10) , with a view to have a new hobby. A friend says if I can pick it up fairly quickly he might be able to get me some paid gigs.

So I have decided to increase my budget slightly.

Im looking at the Nikkon D5500 with a 18-140 VR lens.
Do you think this is a good camera to start with a maybe last a while that if I did pick up some paid gigs it would stand up?

I know it depends on what I plan on shooting but is the lens ok for general use? Should I also pick up a 18/35 or even a fixed 35 because of the lower aperture of 1.8?

Thanks in advance

magicbastarder

Wilko121 wrote: »

A friend says if I can pick it up fairly quickly he might be able to get me some paid gigs.

good luck with that!

flyingsnail

Pretty much every current entry level DSLR will take great pictures and should last a while and 18-140 is a nice range to start off with. Will it stand up to paid gigs, sure but you don’t say what, indoors in poor light with a max aperture of 5.6 you might really struggle.

At this stage I would worry less about the paid gigs and more about learning the fundamentals of photography.

Wilko121

Thanks, Yea im not thinking overly about the gigs, just would like a good setup is suppose.

Not sure on len's, 18-140 has good reviews. for low light maybe I could get a lens that has 1.8f too, maybe a 35mm fixed?

Would anyone recommend an online store? Amazon.co.uk seems to have good prices, possible pitfalls buying from UK amazon shops? Maybe Amazon Prime?

Thanks again

flyingsnail

Amazon is fine, just try and buy things that are sold by Amazon not a third party seller. Prime is no use to Irish buyers so just ignore it. A 35 or 50 F1.8 are nice low light options but I am not familiar with the Nikon line-up so hopefully somebody will be able to help you there.

adox

A 35mm 1.8 on a Nikon cropped sensor body is a great little lens, sharp as anything and a steal at a couple of hundred euro.

Whether a prime lens is ideal for gigs is another matter.

Wilko121

ok thanks, can anyone recommend some good online shops?

adox

Wilko121 wrote: »

ok thanks, can anyone recommend some good online shops?

Amazon are good, great customer service in my experience. You could look at Far East online stores for more expensive purchases but run the risk of customs.

You can always support your local bricks and mortar shop. The 35mm 1.8 will be more or less the same price in a shop as online so Id buy locally.

Wilko121

Having trouble finding anything on through amazon direct,

https://www.calphoto.co.uk

reputable?

georgefalls

You'd be better off buying second hand, for now. You might not like being a photographer, or you might even be crap at it. It's not the case where an expensive camera makes a good photographer.

Jofspring

Saw a few good deals over on adverts for second hand entry level DSLR's with nice lens included at a reasonable price. Probably the best place to start to be honest.

Bacchus

I'd echo what others have said and forget about paid gigs for now.

If your plan is to maybe take a hobby into something more, invest in good glass now instead of a (relatively) expensive body. The inexpensive 35mm and/or the even cheaper 50mm plus a second hand (or reasonably priced new) body would get you off to a good start and if you really take to it, you can always upgrade the body to get better low light performance, faster autofocus, buffer speeds, etc.