Hello all! My wife and I are in the market for a DSLR camera, but neither one of us has any experience or knowledge (or equipment!). I've been researching all corners of the internet, and the more I read, the more confused I get! I've been enjoying reading your posts over the past couple of months, so I knew this was the place to go for help.
First: our goal. We want to get great pictures of our kids (7, 5, and due in August) - and some seashore shots for kicks. There will be stills, and there will be action shots (all manner of sports).
Second: my research. Through my research, it seems that the market is 50/50 on Canon/Nikon. It seems the best camera for us (based on quality and price) is the Nikon d3200. I'm good with that (unless you feel strongly otherwise). I'm hoping to get everything we need for $700 or less. And "everything" seems to be (1) camera (2) 18-55mm VR (3) zoom lens??? (4) UV filter (5) memory card (6) bag (7) tripod (8) top mount flash???
The confusion comes with the lenses. All cameras seem to come with an 18-55mm lens. But we feel it will be important to have the ability to zoom to the kids from afar. So I've read up on Nikon's 55-200 VR, 55-300 VR, and 70-300 VR And I've noticed some others such as Sigma. They all have pros and cons - and I've gotten to the point that I don't know what to do! I could really use your expert advice on finding an appropriate zoom lens.
Sorry for the long post, but I figured the background would help. Thank you in advance for all of your wonderful guidance.
PS My wife and I will take some classes once we get going. I'd love to post some pictures on here when the time comes to see what your opinions will be!