Oh, It's Just A Starter Camera - With Nikon

We hear a phrase everyday in the shop - and I have heard it at camera clubs, and exhibitions, and out in the field. It is spoken by amateur and professionals alike. It is:

" Oh it is just a starter camera - with a kit lens..."

We hear this as an apology or a dismissal or a put-down. And when we hear it, we are hearing rubbish.

I've got he proof positive on my studio computer right now. I did a beach wedding for a Maori couple last Saturday in bright sunlight - see a previous post re. the Sb 700 flash as a fill-in. While I shot away with my standard D300/SB700/Press-T rig, my assistant got to work with his new Nikon camera as well.

My assistant, Igor, normally operates a separate speed light/softbox for shoots and helps to haul equipment and clean up the laboratory. He is learning to shoot more as he goes and to further this bought a Nikon D3200 with an 18-55 lens. I got him to clip on a second Sb 700 on Saturday and told him to circle the wedding and shoot the stragglers. We're talking ISO 100 and P mode.

I took the hundred or so images he shot of the beach part and the reception and slotted them into the rest of the coverage - obviously he got to see the bridal couple and the guests from a different angle than I.

And guess what, Folks. The images look as good as the ones I took. Maybe he needs to frame better and use the light better, but in one case the shot he got is way better than mine and has saved one scene. The "kit lens" and the "starter body" did as good a job as you could ask for. And it did at a fraction of the weight that I was carrying.

Do not rush into the shop and try to change your Nikon D4 for a D3200 - the men in white coats will take an interest in you - but do not feel too restricted or ashamed to take out one of these little cameras and really get into it. In particular, if you are travelling and want flexibility and results consider these as a very good choice.

I've photographed two of these choices here in the shop - the D3200 with a 35mm f:1.8 lens and a D5200 with an 18-55mm F:3.5-5.6 zoom. Either would be ideal travel or family cameras and as the weekend's event showed, can really do the business when there is business to be done.

Please note that the Canon fanciers can also achieve the same degree of success with the smaller Canon cameras - think 1100D, or 600D, or 650D should do nicely.

One final note - the D5200 you see here is in gorgeous candy-apple red. It just needs the addition of some pinstriping or flames to make it the hot-rod camera of the year. You know you want to do it - and if you go to the next hot-rod show you can.