First I have to make two statements:
a) I am result orientated! Let me give you a practical example what that means. I own one handbag. In that I have spare batteries, a tape measurer, emergency tools, emergency nail varnish, wipes, money, plaster, lynx deodorant, I have teenagers, magic medicine, as in Haribos, safety pins is standard equipment for mums, so I won’t go any further down that route, short,the lot. To repack that every time would take much too much effort. It is much easier to colour coordinate my wardrobe to make that one handbag fit all. Result! It’s exactly the same with my camera. I’m not a gadget person. I’d like to have one camera that does it all. Basta.
b) I’m a woman. I do not get terrible excited about technical details, so that kind of woman I am! A car needs to have 4wheels and be preferably in an easy recognisable colour, my stereo needs to be capable of playing music and I’d like to make phone calls with my mobile. And that’s where the problem starts. Recently in a camera shop, because I need a new camera, after years it’s time to part, so in that camera shop that lovely man, very proud of his job, started to suggest cameras to me. He really tried hard, but it just doesn’t work with me. After third D-suchandsuch is better because soandso I had a shutdown. A complete shutdown.
I shoot with a Nikon D60. I bought it 3 years ago to get me back into photography. Years and years ago or in the olden days, as my charming children like refer to, I used to do the lot ant uni when we were still on film. I did develop my own films and prints. Somehow life got in the way and I never made the transition to digital. When Morgensternchen got me into blogging I needed however pictures. I bought the Nikon D60, because I’m a Nikon person and because the D60 was on sale.
The D60 is what I call a sunshine camera. She does what she is supposed to do in good weather or generally in good conditions. If all you want is to take a snapshot here or a snapshot there she is all right. Question though is why would you want a DSLR in the first place if for that? If that’s all you want why not go for a Panasonic DMC range!? I personally don’t own one, but what I see on flickr are fantastic results (reminder ... point a) I made earlier, results). Leaves the D90 as a minimum starter camera. However I would personally recommend the Nikon D7000. It is a little more expensive, but and this is a big but, you get so much more out of it. In photography you get what you pay for. To name a few the D7000 is weather sealed, very handy at the rugby pitch, great image quality and the higher ISO is good for indoors.
To cut this long story short I pre ordered the D800. I had my eye originally on the D700, however after long collaboration and because the D800 has a movie function and less noise at higher ISO, something very important when you can’t use flashlights or any other lights I decided to go big. I’m doing a lot of sports, rugby and judo mainly, portraits and abstract landscapes and street and younameitIdoit photography. So I need a clever all-rounder. I don’t think it is a starter camera though and I’m convinced it is far to advanced for me, but I’m a quick learner, determined and competitive. I feel at the moment I pushed old Donna (that’s what my D60 is called) too much in too many directions, you name it, she had to endure it. She needs a break from me.
I shall report back my findings of the D800. Haven’t got a name yet. That will be the most difficult bit.
In the meantime one thing I can recommend is the lens. If it fits on your camera get it: the AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 VR. The stabiliser is amazing. There is a more light sensitive version, but also a lot more expensive. I’m almost so far to say I’m not only a one handbag woman, but also a one lens woman One way or the other if I had to choose three things to take on a lonely island with me: this lens would probably the first thing I’d pack!
Have a lovely weekend, my friend!
Yours
The one M
