1st Neighborhood Walkabout - Bunnies!

I received the new camera yesterday, so I thought I'd do a quick walkabout through the neighborhood this morning. I wasn't really looking to shoot anything in particular; I just wanted to play with the settings and try out the lenses a bit.

Nearly home, I ran into these rascals in someone's front yard.

The Three Amigos

Cheese it!!!!!

All shot with the Nikon D5200 w/ Nikkor AF-S 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 G

The camera order is placed!

With my latest Craigslist transaction, my many months long savings spree is complete. Putting the CL gains together with a little birthday gift money, I've pulled the trigger and ordered a camera.

I decided to get a Nikon, mostly because a couple friends at work have them and seem happy. We can share info and gear as we learn together.  Even the guy at Tempe Camera told me the Cannon / Nikon debate is like a Ford / Chevy or Budweiser / Miller rivalry. They're all good cameras, each with some features better than the other. Just make a choice and go for it. Both my friends have last year's models, the 14.2 megapixel  D3100 and  16.2 MP D5100. Both are still easily available. For a couple bucks more I pushed into the newer D5200 which was released early this year.

My D3100 friend just picked up a 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom and really liked it. Plus the reviews I read ranked it higher than the 55-200mm, so I pushed budget a little further and got the bundle that included it. With nothing to start with, I got as much stuff as I could in my initial purchase to maximize the bundle pricing.

Here's the bundle I ordered:

Nikon D5200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) with 55-300mm VR Lens + 32GB Card + Battery + Case + Filters + Telephoto & Wide-Angle Lenses + Tripod + Accessory Kit

It includes:

1. Nikon D5200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR Zoom Lens (Black)
2. Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Zoom-Nikkor Lens
3. Nikon Deluxe Digital SLR Camera Case
4. Transcend 32GB SecureDigital (SDHC) 300x UHS-1 Class 10 Memory Card
5. Spare EN-EL14 Battery for Nikon
6. Vivitar 52mm UV Filter
7. Vivitar 58mm UV Filter
8. Vivitar ML-L3 Wireless Shutter Release Remote
9. PD-58PVTR 58" Photo/Video Tripod with Case
10. PD 2.5x Telephoto & .45x Wide-Angle Digital Lenses (49mm/52mm/55mm/58mm)
11. PD USB 2.0 SecureDigital (SDHC) Card Reader
12. PD HB-45 Lens Hood for Nikon 18-55mm VR
13. PD 6-Piece Camera & Lens Cleaning Kit
14. PD Memory Card Storage Wallet
15. LCD Monitor Screen Protectors

The camera itself is in the middle of Nikon's current entry level, 24 megapixel cropped sensor line which runs (with current Amazon pricing):  D3200 ($546 with 18-55 mm lens), D5200 ($796.95 with 18-55 mm), and D7100 ($1,196.95 body only!)

I already have a taker for the Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP .

Getting Started, again

I'm really close to purchasing a new camera.

Our old Cannon point and shoot-super zoom has aged beyond reasonable usefulness. It's an old Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom. It was serviceable for its time, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth now.

I started out in 35mm film, but took a few years off...

I've been using the  Samsung Galaxy S III cell phone as the workhorse for family photography and for my DIY renovation blog AZ DIY Guy's Projects. It's a sweet cameraphone, great for what it is, but I'm ready for the next level. I'm going to stick my toe in the pool of digital SLR's


I've been tucking money away for quite a while now. Craigslist has been a big part of the financial plan since a camera purchase isn't at all part of the family budget. I've met some lovely people, some may have been extras in the Star Wars Mos Eisley cantina ("a wretched hive of sum and villainy").

I really don't know what I'm doing, but I do have an artistic eye. I thought I'd start this mini-blog to share the journey. Let's see where it takes us.