The OP originally asked about the d5500, a camera that sells used for 3 to 4 hundred dollars. The d500 is $1,100 to 1,300 used. Makes me wonder if it Is realistic or is something in the $500 range including a lens more what is being asked for?
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The OP originally asked about the d5500, a camera that sells used for 3 to 4 hundred dollars. The d500 is $1,100 to 1,300 used. Makes me wonder if it Is realistic or is something in the $500 range including a lens more what is being asked for?
In his original post he said his total budget was up to about $1,500 USD. I'm not sure he could get a D500 and a capable lens for wildlife for a total of $1500 but it could end up being pretty close if buying used.The OP originally asked about the d5500, a camera that sells used for 3 to 4 hundred dollars. The d500 is $1,100 to 1,300 used. Makes me wonder if it Is realistic or is something in the $500 range including a lens more what is being asked for?
I don’t see the lens market crashing as hard with the transition to mirrorless as it did with other transitions simply because adapters exist that allow them to be used on mirrorless bodies, but there is no question the DSLR lens market has more and more lenses becoming available as people transition to mirrorless.Hello everyone - sorry that I didn't give a budget to help you all make realistic recommendations. I was really just seeing that particular D5500 camera for beginners (along with the D3500, D5300, & so on...) suggested on several different YouTube channels and read articles about it, and was trying to get into the camera body for the least amount of $$ I could. My thought being if I enjoyed it as I expect I will, in the future I could get better lenses and upgrade to a better camera body. However, taking into consideration how much the D500 has been recommended, and the fact that as several have said, it's great for wildlife and will be a camera I can continue to grow into, I'm really reconsidering my original idea. It's difficult to compare camera bodies; it seems to my amateur mind that there's no such thing as an apples to apples comparison within a brand. Is this just me? I realize that it's possibly because I'm not yet a savvy camera consumer.
So glad I joined your forum and have the input from all of you - much appreciated!
So, I'm looking really hard at the D500 , if I can find an excellent used one and a good-enough zoom lens. As many of you suggested, that might be a better long-run game plan than the D5500.
I've also seriously considered the argument some have made for going to mirrorless, because I see the handwriting on the wall about the future direction of photography. I really don't think mirrorless is the route I should take at this point. Do you think this will lead to a lot of good lenses becoming available in the used market, or will folks keep 'em?
I ordered the recommended Peterson book on Exposure, and will definitely read the AF and other books that Steve has written.
Thank you to all of you for your advice and for taking the time to write! I will hopefully be posting some photos one of these days - sooner!
thank you for sharing this - good to take into consideration.I don’t see the lens market crashing as hard with the transition to mirrorless as it did with other transitions simply because adapters exist that allow them to be used on mirrorless bodies, but there is no question the DSLR lens market has more and more lenses becoming available as people transition to mirrorless.
In his original post he said his total budget was up to about $1,500 USD. I'm not sure he could get a D500 and a capable lens for wildlife for a total of $1500 but it could end up being pretty close if buying used.
Hello everyone - sorry that I didn't give a budget to help you all make realistic recommendations. I was really just seeing that particular D5500 camera for beginners (along with the D3500, D5300, & so on...) suggested on several different YouTube channels and read articles about it, and was trying to get into the camera body for the least amount of $$ I could. My thought being if I enjoyed it as I expect I will, in the future I could get better lenses and upgrade to a better camera body. However, taking into consideration how much the D500 has been recommended, and the fact that as several have said, it's great for wildlife and will be a camera I can continue to grow into, I'm really reconsidering my original idea. It's difficult to compare camera bodies; it seems to my amateur mind that there's no such thing as an apples to apples comparison within a brand. Is this just me? I realize that it's possibly because I'm not yet a savvy camera consumer.
So glad I joined your forum and have the input from all of you - much appreciated!
So, I'm looking really hard at the D500 , if I can find an excellent used one and a good-enough zoom lens. As many of you suggested, that might be a better long-run game plan than the D5500.
I've also seriously considered the argument some have made for going to mirrorless, because I see the handwriting on the wall about the future direction of photography. I really don't think mirrorless is the route I should take at this point. Do you think this will lead to a lot of good lenses becoming available in the used market, or will folks keep 'em?
I ordered the recommended Peterson book on Exposure, and will definitely read the AF and other books that Steve has written.
Thank you to all of you for your advice and for taking the time to write! I will hopefully be posting some photos one of these days - sooner!
My bad, I misread it I thought he did. SorryYou made me reread: The OP did not say that.
One of many comparison sites linked below. If you have a total budget including lenses of up to $2k as a used d500 with 2 kit quality lenses would be, consider the benefits of getting into mirrorless from the start. A used z6 would be in the same ballpark, as would a new Canon RP or a used Canon R. Also linked is a good free video series from photography life.
Camera Decision
Compare digital cameras, sort and filter the results, find the best prices. Choose from the latest DSLRs, compacts and Mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and more.cameradecision.com
Photography Basics Video Course
Welcome to “Level 1: Photography Basics” – our complete video course on photography for beginners!photographylife.com
Learn Photography
On this page, you will find everything from basic photography tips for beginners all the way to more advanced techniques and tutorials to help you grow and get the best out of your equipment.photographylife.com
Photography Basics: The Complete Beginner's Guide
Photography isn’t the only way to capture the world, but it certainly is one of the most effective. Look no further than the nearest social media feed, news station, magazine article, or book cover to see it – photographs have power. If you want to harness that power and learn how to take the...photographylife.com
I understand the higher fps = future potential for a good shot or two. Even with my point & shoot, when there's a worthy subject I take hundreds and I'm dissatisfied with the vast majority. It sounds as though a joystick is a huge plus! I'll certainly read Steve's books. In the meantime, thank you for sharing details explaining the advice about the D500.I will try to explain why I and so many recommend a D-500.
In Steve's DSLR books the indicated autofocus setting for birds in flight is GRP. GRP is a autofocus selection that tends to focus on the closest subject in the AF area. When starting out, it is a definite challenge to get a flying bird in the middle of the viewfinder and snap a shot. For that, you gotta have GRP. However, for stationary birds, you need to put the SP (single point) autofocus point on the bird's eye. All Nikon cameras have SP. The problem is how to go between one AF point to another GRP-->SP for example. D-500 users program a button to do that I use Fn1, the button in the front of the D-500 that I can press with my right ring finger with my index finger on the shutter. The camera auto focus is normally set to GRP but when I press Fn1 it reverts to SP. You gotta have this.
Next is a little joystick right where your thumb rests on the back of the D-500. It moves the focus point around so you can compose the shot. If you don't have that little joystick you will need to use the multi selector (much harder) or learn to use BBAF (back button autofocus) where one button focuses, and the shutter simply takes the shot. Many, even most experts use BBAF but it is simpler to simply recompose using the joystick so when you press the shutter the camera focuses AND snaps the picture. You don't gotta have this but if you don't your perfect shot of an in-flight avion will sometimes be ruined because you forgot to push two buttons, one to focus, one to shoot.
Finally, the D500 is a DX camera with 21MP in a DX frame. Given that you are not in the market for a 600f4 lens and a TC you will need that extra reach. (A d850 is a 45MP FX body that has a 20MP DX crop factor. That is cool but more expensive). The D500, with a CF-B card can fire 10 shots per sec for 200 shots. You are gonna need that starting out because more shots mean an occasional good one.
Read Steve's "Secrets of the Nikon Autofocus System" and "Secrets to stunning BIF photography" and you will understand my advice.
Tom
Thank you - I'm taking your glass/set-up advice very seriously!If he could bump up his budget to a little over 2250 he could get the used D500 and 200-500 lens. I looked at it this way.....I knew I'm was going to end up getting one ....so I didn't fight it!!!
By the way...DON"T buy "good enough glass"! Even the best camera ....won't take the image you want. You can't beat the price point and image quality of the 200-500 (unless you want to spend a LOT more!)
Thank you for the feedback. I've had my P900 since they were released in 2015, and the zoom is incredible. I've gotten some photos I'm pretty darn happy with - admittedly I have an untrained eye! - that I wouldn't have been able to get without that zoom. I know the P950 supports RAW, which the P900 doesn't. I've never had a camera that shoots RAW. I looked at the 950 specs when it was released. In the online comparisons I've seen, these have the same sensor size, both 16MP and the same 7fps rating, but neither are good for low-light. I don't know if the P950 would be considered a great step up by more knowledgeable folks than I, but I couldn't justify it in my mind! Another poster also recommended the Sony that you mentioned. The majority have recommended the D500, but its also been made crystal clear by looking at photos on this forum, and by all of you posting recs, that I've got to be ready to spend for great lenses if I eventually want to capture great images. At this point, I'm thinking if I go to the D500, I don't want to spend more than $2,500 initially on a used body plus lenses. Maybe that's unrealistic. I've stepped up from the original spending expectations, and I can see that wildlife and bird photography is an expensive track...but its what I enjoy most. Landscapes are second.Here is a possible progression:
1. Nikon Coolpix 950
2.Cameras with 1 inch sensors and fixed long lenses, like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Digital Camera--24-600mm . Panasonic has models too
3. Nikon D500 with a Nikon 200-500mm lens or Nikon 500mm f5.6 pf + Nikon 1.4x tc.
Not sure about mirrorless bodies.
Havent read all the responses but agree that the D500 DSLR would be the best body choice in the Nikon world. For lenses it will be a tougher decision especially if you want to get images similar to what you see people posting here and other forums. If you want the best performance and above average image quality the glass will be expensive....especially the longer focal lengths. The 150-600 type zooms will probably be a good choice and an older 28-105 nikon kit lens for landscapes and general photography. Your total budget would help pinpointing specifics on the lenses.
I guess I've got to adjust my expectations for zoom - I'm accustomed to that point and shoot autofocus 2000mm equivalent! Assuming I go with the D500, I'd like to keep my initial budget at about $2,500 for a used body & lens(es). Thank you
Thank you for the feedback. I've had my P900 since they were released in 2015, and the zoom is incredible. I've gotten some photos I'm pretty darn happy with - admittedly I have an untrained eye! - that I wouldn't have been able to get without that zoom. I know the P950 supports RAW, which the P900 doesn't. I've never had a camera that shoots RAW. I looked at the 950 specs when it was released. In the online comparisons I've seen, these have the same sensor size, both 16MP and the same 7fps rating, but neither are good for low-light. I don't know if the P950 would be considered a great step up by more knowledgeable folks than I, but I couldn't justify it in my mind! Another poster also recommended the Sony that you mentioned. The majority have recommended the D500, but its also been made crystal clear by looking at photos on this forum, and by all of you posting recs, that I've got to be ready to spend for great lenses if I eventually want to capture great images. At this point, I'm thinking if I go to the D500, I don't want to spend more than $2,500 initially on a used body plus lenses. Maybe that's unrealistic. I've stepped up from the original spending expectations, and I can see that wildlife and bird photography is an expensive track...but its what I enjoy most. Landscapes are second.
In my experience with the P900 and my Canon P & S, I had to do some hiking in order to find alot of the subjects. So of course I'd like to have lightweight lenses.