whatdat Loc: Del Valle, Tx.

Boy, do I have questions. I have a Nikon Coolpix L 820.

1. Am thinking about getting a second camera; maybe a 3100, 5000, or 5100. Thoughts? Price figures into equation.
2. Have two old Nikons from the early 80's that used Series E lenses Have quite of few of these lenses. Will they work on any of the above current digital Nikons without complications.
3. Looking at basic photoshop; will it work well with the Nikon View NX2 software that came with the L820.
4. On the 3100 listed above, you can get a bundle of the body, 18mm-55mm, and a 55mm-200MM. How would these lenses work compared to a 3100 and a single Tamron lens 18mm-270mm?
Advice very much appreciated. Thanks,

busted_shutter

First question is how much you do you have to work with? The 3100 is fine for an entry - level camera, but you will soon outgrow it.

whatdat Loc: Del Valle, Tx.

about $500 at upper end. Can get the 3100 with the two bundled lenses for about $469 at local camera shop.

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

None of those cameras listed will use the older lenses. You need to get the D7100.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Re(2)
Answers to Nikon Lens/Camera compatibility can be found at the following web site:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#pro

Re(3)
What do you mean by "basic" Photoshop? You can use ViewNX2 to download and organize images and do light editing, but you can also use Adobe LR or Photoshop Elements or a variety of other softwares, to do the same things. Most all of them will allow you to edit images with external editors. Most software support a lot of different formats, still not all software will open all formats. For example if you were to open an image and edit it using Adobe software and then save it in adobe .psd format, it might not open in another software. Check the software descriptions for supported file formats for details.

whatdat Loc: Del Valle, Tx.

Thanks. Will ck out 7100 (probably out of my price range).
What about the bundle with the 3100, and comparison to 5000 and 5100?

whatdat Loc: Del Valle, Tx.

Thanks

sandheinrichc Loc: Illinois

I started the with the 3100 and loved it, it is a great camera.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

IMHO, start with what you can afford, and take pictures and have fun, and learn and go from there. Did I mention having fun?

buffmaloney Loc: Indiana

Look for a good used D200. It will use the Series E lenses and you can fine one for a couple hundred. It's a very fine camera.

ggttc Loc: TN

Take a look at refurbished Nikons from a reputable dealer

amehta Loc: Boston

I think the D3100 kit with the two lenses is a nice package and an excellent value. Better cameras and lenses will have better image quality and more efficient controls, but you have to move up a bit to see significant improvement, like the D7x00 series, as has been mentioned. The difference between the D3100 and D5100 is not huge, unless it's something which you specifically care about. But for most people who want to go from taking "snapshots" to making "photographs", the D3100 is adequate. In particular, it lets you control the basics of the image:
* composition (framing, focal length)
* exposure (ISO, aperture, shutter speed)
* focus
The rest of getting a good to great photograph is your vision, creativity, and artistry.

The Tamron 18-270mm is more convenient as a single lens, but larger and heavier than either of the lenses in the package. Also, both lenses in the package are slightly older and do not have VR, which is a little unfortunate. But the VR equivalents for those two would be $450, about the price of the D3100 package. That's also the price of the Tamron.

I wouldn't let the old lenses be a factor in this decision. If they were "pro-level" lenses, it would be different, but they aren't.

You can continue to use Nikon View NX2 with the images from the D3100.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

The D3100/D3200 and D5100 are entry level cameras and very good for the occasional vacation or weekend but not very robust. I would certainly look at the D7100 or an older D300 instead for any serious shooting, including as a second camera. If you already have Nikon lenses, and a Nikon first camera, your lenses will all work on the D7100. They may struggle on the D3100/3200 or D5100 as these require G lenses to be fully automatic. Having said that, the 3100/3200 are good entry level cameras, I just worry about how the camera will hold up as I have seen a few fail in normal use.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

:thumbup:

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You'd have to get a D90, D7000, or up, for auto focus lenses to auto focus. Older Nikon lenses will work on Nikon SLRs, DSLRs, but they will probably not auto focus.

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d3000/compatibility.htm

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm