1. Nikon D3400
Not half bad for a cheap camera – the D3400 is basic but great. It’s not the most expensive entry-level DSLR, but I think it’s the best investment for a beginner or intemidiate photographer. Moving from a smartphone camera isn’t just about getting more megapixels. It’s all about control.
This camera gives you plenty of control to change your aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance with interchangeable lenses. This is also a very easy camera to live with. It’s Guide Mode is a useful learning tool that gives real-time explanations of important features, whilst it comes standard with an 18-55mm kit lens which is great when you’re on the go.
2. Nikon 18:55 mm f3.5-5.6
AKA the manufacturer’s kit lens, your kit lens is a great lens to get started with. If you’re in a position where you can’t afford to buy another lens, or you simply just don’t know which one to buy, worry not. You’ll be surprised at what you can do with your kit lens once you start playing around.
If you are going to take your photography very serious early on I would advise you to consider the Nikon 70-200 mm lens f2.8, it’s one of the sharpest lenses I own. This telephoto lens is also perfect for portrait length It provides great image quality and performs especially well when recording video. This lens doesn’t come cheap but if you are planning to make money from your photo skills, This is a must have.
Personally I have only 4 lenses I keep in my kit for my Nikon DSLR: 17-55 mm f2.8, 70-200 mm f2.8, 85 mm f1.8 prime and a 50 mm f1.4 which is great for video in low-light environments.
3. Transcend SDXC Class 10 16GB Card
You’re going to need a place to store all your photos, especially when you shooting RAW files (“A raw file is the image as seen by the camera’s sensor. Think of it like unprocessed film.”) which are much larger than any .jpegs you’ve shot before on your cell phone or seen online. Fortunately, flash memory has become very affordable in the past years, so now you can buy, fast memory card for relatively cheap.
4. UV Filter
These are thin, circular pieces of glass that fit over the front of your lens. It can protect from scratches, smudges or cracks to you lens. The reason you want a multi-coated UV filter is because the better filters transmit more light.
5. Neutral Density Filter (ND Filter)
ND filters give your pictures a totally neutral colour, cutting down the amount of light passing through the lens – if you ever shoot landscape photography, a neutral density filter can really come in handy.
6. Cleaning Lens Kit
Cleaning your camera’s lenses should be a regular part of any camera owner’s maintenance. Your lens gets dirty – don’t get in the habit of cleaning it off daily or you’ll do more damage than good.
7. Tripod
Most of the time, you can simply hold the camera in your hand but you’ll get the sharpest photographs by using a tripod. Even if you want the subject blurred, to give a sense of movement, then the background must be sharp.
8. Wireless Remote
Having a tripod also lets you take long exposures without having to worry about the camera with your shaky hands. You can buy a simple IR dongle to trigger your camera from afar.
9. Flash – Nikon SB-700 Speedlight
Some photographers love the feel of soft, natural light, knowing how to utilise artificial light can be of high value in low-light environments. Again If you’re planning to become a serious photographer, you may want to take a look at the SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash. similar to the Canon 430EX, the SB-700 AF is a bit pricey. It’s compact, versatile and compatible with a wide range of Nikon DSLRs.
10. Extra battery
It’s very important to carry an extra battery. You never want to be, at a photoshoot, on vacation or otherwise shooting photos when your battery bar starts blinking red. A charged extra battery is a great solution for this problem. Generic branded batteries are some what cheaper than the Nikon batteries.
TIP: Keep the second battery charged at all times.
I hope this insight has been useful. Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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KeithPhotoBlog 