Well, my old Nikon D50 has taken its last picture.......

[CaliforniaPeggy]

I am now the proud owner of a Nikon 3200.

It seems easy enough to use, and is much faster and brighter than my old one.

The really nice features: A very large viewing screen on the back, PLUS the ability to use my Nikon and Tamron lenses.

We're going to Italy next month (!) and I really need reliability!

[Celebration]

1. Neato!

Enjoy, and hope you have a great trip.

Don't forget-- a lot of us here like vacation photos.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thanks!

There will be LOTS of wonderful (I hope, lol) pictures for sharing...

[hrmjustin]

2. I love Italy. Got family over there. Have a great time.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. This is our first trip there...

I am really looking forward to seeing it.

[justiceischeap]

5. Make sure to get one or two extra batteries

It doesn't take long using the screen on the back to eat up the batteries. Of course, my experience has been with 10-20 second exposures too but it's better to be prepared than to get stuck.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I already did that, but thanks for the reminder!

I always have one in the charger, ready to go, and one in the camera.

These charged up very quickly too.....I was surprised.

But then, this is a lot newer technology. I bought the D50 in 2005!

I'm really glad the old camera didn't fail on the trip...

[alfredo]

8. And extra memory cards.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. They persuaded me to buy 2 memory cards......

[alfredo]

11. Good.

[justiceischeap]

19. Yeah, it didn't take me long after I bought my D5100

to get a second battery. I'm actually contemplating a third now for both my cameras. I shoot in a lot of dark places, and my battery runs down pretty quickly.

[sir pball]

32. Extra batteries, in a battery grip, are the way to go

This holds two batteries and pipes the juice into the camera, as well as making the handling much much better for vertical/portrait shooting. Totally worth the $50.

[justiceischeap]

36. Will that work with the D5100?

It states on the page that it's for the 3100/3200.

[sir pball]

38. That one doesn't but you can get them for a 5100

I'm hoping for one from The Future Mrs. Pball for Xmas but if not I'm snagging one in January.

[justiceischeap]

40. Thanks for the tip.

I'll have to look into that because when I'm shooting long exposures, my battery tends to go pretty quick.

[alfredo]

7. Good for you. Get a lot of practice on that camera before you go.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. I've been doing that.......just came inside to upload them!

I really want to test this baby out, and to make sure I know how to use it.

It's fun, besides!

[alfredo]

12. Make sure you have adaptors for plugging in your recharger.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. This recharger plugs directly into the outlet...

It took me a minute to find the plug; it's part of the recharger. It folds flat into the recharger.

Oh, you mean for European plugs! Ah yes. I believe we do...but I will check. A lot of hotels now use our style electricity.

Thanks for reminding me!

So many things to keep track of...

[alfredo]

14. As soon as you pull onto the freeway, You will wonder if you turned off the AC,

or locked the back door.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. LOL, nope!

We set the house alarm!

We are pretty experienced travelers now!

[alfredo]

16. That's good.

[Solly Mack]

17. Have fun! Take lots of photos!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. You know I will, my dear Solly Mack!

[ohheckyeah]

20. How do you like

the Nikon D3200? I'm thinking of getting one.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. I really REALLY like it, my dear ohheckyeah!

The viewing screen on the back is great to check out what you just took.

The two Nikon/Nikkor lenses both work on this camera body. That was very important.

But the feature I love the most?

It has a setting that I call "auto no flash." You set the dial on that, and it will take pictures in very dim lighting. I think the camera just opens up the lens very wide and this allows a lot of the ambient light in. I tested it at home before we went to Italy, and by gawd, it works.

I took many pictures in Italy in places where they either don't want you to use the flash, or just where it was too dim. I got pictures I never would have been able to get before.

I probably use it 90% of the time!

Now, maybe many (or even all) new cameras have this. I don't know. But I was thrilled to have it.

I recommend the camera highly.

[ohheckyeah]

22. I appreciate your quick response and

the information.

The kit I'm looking at only has the one lens...the 18-55mm zoom lens. Is that adequate to get me started?

I'm thinking of asking for this for my birthday.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. Hey when that tab lights up yellow, I'm on it!

The camera store made me buy the lens and then they bought it back from me! Since I had my own.

I expect that lens would be fine to start with. It's not a big enough zoom for me. Mine is 18-250 mm, which is wonderful.

Maybe the store would let you trade it in?

[ohheckyeah]

24. Is that a Nikkor or a Tamron lens? n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. It's a Tamron lens.

I also have a Nikkor 50 mm fixed focal length lens that opens way up for portraits and the like. I use it much less often, but it's a very good piece of glass.

The Tamron is the lens that's on the camera 99% of the time.

[ohheckyeah]

26. Thanks, California

Peggy. I'm not buying it in a store but over the Internet so I'll have to look for an extra lens. The one you have is very expensive. Any other options you would recommend.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

27. I'm sorry, but I don't have any other suggestions...

Perhaps someone here could help.

Happy Hunting!

[ohheckyeah]

28. Thanks....

I appreciate the info you gave me. I'll do some more research.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. Glad I could help, even a little! Enjoy your research! n/t

[ManiacJoe]

30. Super zooms like the 18-250mm will run around $600 give or take.

Since the 18-55mm normally comes with the camera, if you are willing to swap lenses when needed, a matching 55-xxx lens will be noticeably cheaper.
Nikon makes a matching 55-200mm and 55-300mm, but I prefer the more expensive 70-300mm VR lens.

[rdking647]

31. is you dont mine used a tamron 18-270 is about 300

from keh.com (ive bought used from them before and recommend them. their website is pretty mediocre but they are reputable

[ohheckyeah]

33. Thanks...

I'll check it out.

I'm still doing research on the cameras. I'm looking at the D3200 and the D5200. I'll have to see what kind of packages are available.

[ohheckyeah]

35. They don't have any at this time.

I'll keep checking.

I think I'll go with the D3200 and buy the Tamron lens in a couple of months.

[rdking647]

37. b&h phoot or adorama in new york may also have it used

they are both also reputable. those 3 and amazon are the only places i would buy camera equipment online

[ohheckyeah]

34. I might go that way and

get the the 55-200mm lens. When I had a Nikon SLR I used the 18-55mm lens as much as the zoom lens.

[sir pball]

47. If you like shooting with ambient light, or need to, I HIGHLY suggest spending $200 on the

Nikkor 35/1.8 DX lens. It was designed for DX digital SLRs, and wound up being one of the best lenses on the market (I have an array of 70's Nikon glass that's among the best ever made and this is right up there)...it's always bright and tack-sharp but more importantly, the superfast f/1.8 maximum aperture on top of the very, very good ISO6400 setting on the 3200 means you can literally shoot handheld in a dark bar. I've done it. The prime design means you have to move around, instead of zooming to frame, and the depth of field (zone that's in focus) is about a nanometer, but all that just makes you a better photographer. If you'd like example shots I'd be happy to share, some of my best work ever has come out of that lens.

[alfredo]

39. Get a lot of practice before you go. Post the best here.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

41. My dear alfredo!

We already went! I will post the best of the pics......eventually.

There might be one in a contest coming up.

[alfredo]

42. That's what happens when I don't pay attention. I haven't been online much lately.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

43. I understand...

If you don't want to wait for me to get off the dime, you can check out my Journal. I did put several threads about my vacation in there...

They are back in June and July.

[alfredo]

44. Ok, I just noticed the OP was in May.

[BuddhaGirl]

45. I checked out some of your trip pics in your journal

they are wonderful!! Looks like it was a fabulous trip, Peggy, that's awesome

[CaliforniaPeggy]

46. Aw, thanks!

It was a great trip, but exhausting! We walked endlessly...

I really had fun getting the pictures. We were in a rose garden somewhere, and I heard one of the people on our tour say "There goes Peggy in her element, hunting for the perfect rose!"