Nikon D7100

[muteki]

We will be expecting our first little one very soon...and I have been given the OK by the other half to finally get a serious camera to document things. After much going back and forth I believe I have decided on a 7100 with a 35mm prime. Everywhere I read gave it rave reviews and as the primary purpose of the camera will be indoor mid-close range shots I think I am opting to go with it instead of the kit lens. Trying to decide which zoom to get also makes my head hurt, and I won't need one until he is more up and about and we do some traveling (which won't be anytime soon ).

Thoughts on the 7100 paired with the 35mm 1.8? Is it all that it is hyped up to be?

 

[ddbowdoin]

We will be expecting our first little one very soon...and I have been given the OK by the other half to finally get a serious camera to document things. After much going back and forth I believe I have decided on a 7100 with a 35mm prime. Everywhere I read gave it rave reviews and as the primary purpose of the camera will be indoor mid-close range shots I think I am opting to go with it instead of the kit lens. Trying to decide which zoom to get also makes my head hurt, and I won't need one until he is more up and about and we do some traveling (which won't be anytime soon ).

Thoughts on the 7100 paired with the 35mm 1.8? Is it all that it is hyped up to be?

It's just a tool... Doesn't matter how much you spend, it's your knowledge and experience that produces results.

 

[CP_alum08]

We will be expecting our first little one very soon...and I have been given the OK by the other half to finally get a serious camera to document things. After much going back and forth I believe I have decided on a 7100 with a 35mm prime. Everywhere I read gave it rave reviews and as the primary purpose of the camera will be indoor mid-close range shots I think I am opting to go with it instead of the kit lens. Trying to decide which zoom to get also makes my head hurt, and I won't need one until he is more up and about and we do some traveling (which won't be anytime soon ).

Thoughts on the 7100 paired with the 35mm 1.8? Is it all that it is hyped up to be?

It's a nice combination. I have the D90 and the 35mm 1.8 and it's never let me down. You could also check out the Sigma 30mm 1.4 it's a little more $$ but you get an extra stop, a little wider, and it's built like a tank.

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-30mm-Nikon-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0007U0H06/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1374456035&sr=1-4&keywords=sigma 30mm 1.4

 

[NowInc]

We will be expecting our first little one very soon...and I have been given the OK by the other half to finally get a serious camera to document things. After much going back and forth I believe I have decided on a 7100 with a 35mm prime. Everywhere I read gave it rave reviews and as the primary purpose of the camera will be indoor mid-close range shots I think I am opting to go with it instead of the kit lens. Trying to decide which zoom to get also makes my head hurt, and I won't need one until he is more up and about and we do some traveling (which won't be anytime soon ).

Thoughts on the 7100 paired with the 35mm 1.8? Is it all that it is hyped up to be?

I have the D7100 and the 35mm 1.8 and they are a great combo. see below..all of these were taken with that exact pairing:


Magic Kingdom - Cinderella's Castle by DreGGs, on Flickr


Magic Kingdom - Main Street by DreGGs, on Flickr


Palm Beach Zoo - March 30, 2013 by DreGGs, on Flickr

 

[Computer Magic]

I just stumbled on this thread today as I was asking Dave what he thought about this exact camera. I would love to know some of the setting used for these photos. Being a amateur I'm not sure I can get photos to sing like you do.

What kind of pictures can you get w/o an attached lens?

 

[muteki]

It's just a tool... Doesn't matter how much you spend, it's your knowledge and experience that produces results.

Well, that kind of goes without saying...

I have the D7100 and the 35mm 1.8 and they are a great combo. see below..all of these were taken with that exact pairing:

Beautiful pictures! I appreciate the input, my little Canon P&S has served us well for several years but it can only do so much, and an upgrade was long overdue.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Well, that kind of goes without saying...

Beautiful pictures! I appreciate the input, my little Canon P&S has served us well for several years but it can only do so much, and an upgrade was long overdue.

Then why ask?

1600 dollars for a system will not disappoint, and if it does it's a user error.

 

[NowInc]

Well, that kind of goes without saying...

Beautiful pictures! I appreciate the input, my little Canon P&S has served us well for several years but it can only do so much, and an upgrade was long overdue.

Its going to be a HUGE jump from a P&S to the D7100, so don't be discouraged at first. Photography isn't something you can just "get"..it takes practice and more practice....and then more practice. Its smart of you to get the prime lens. I always suggest this to new DSLR people because it forces them to physically move and learn composition without expecting it all to be the camera. The wide open aperture will work great for low light, and will provide very sweet bokeh for you, and if you so choose to bump up to a F11 or so to get SUPER sharp, the low light/ISO performance of the D7100 will come in handy. Eventually you'll instinctively start "learning the light" of your area and how to work with it to get a great shots more often.

The most important thing is...DONT GET DISCOURAGED AND HAVE FUN! Passion for what you do is what makes all the difference..even if this is just for personal archiving, you'll be much happier with your pictures if you actually enjoy yourself while shooting. The D7100 has a lot of functions and may seem intimidating at first...trust me when I say it takes only about 2 weeks of practice to just "know" what each of them do without having to look.

 

[muteki]

Then why ask?

I think "is this a good camera?" is a valid question to ask, yes?

Its going to be a HUGE jump from a P&S to the D7100, so don't be discouraged at first. Photography isn't something you can just "get"..it takes practice and more practice....and then more practice. Its smart of you to get the prime lens. I always suggest this to new DSLR people because it forces them to physically move and learn composition without expecting it all to be the camera. The wide open aperture will work great for low light, and will provide very sweet bokeh for you, and if you so choose to bump up to a F11 or so to get SUPER sharp, the low light/ISO performance of the D7100 will come in handy. Eventually you'll instinctively start "learning the light" of your area and how to work with it to get a great shots more often.

The most important thing is...DONT GET DISCOURAGED AND HAVE FUN! Passion for what you do is what makes all the difference..even if this is just for personal archiving, you'll be much happier with your pictures if you actually enjoy yourself while shooting. The D7100 has a lot of functions and may seem intimidating at first...trust me when I say it takes only about 2 weeks of practice to just "know" what each of them do without having to look.

Definitely looking for something I can spend a lot of time with to improve my skills...I'm not a professional by any stretch of the imagination (nor am I aspiring to be), just an amateur that enjoys taking photos that reached the limit of what I could do with my previous setup. Camera was on the outs anyway, getting really finicky reading the card, and sometimes the lens cover would stick. Performed well outside in good lighting, but inside or in the dark was poor. I fully expect a considerable learning curve, and lots and lots of test shots of the dog as I try things out over the next few weeks.