Nanaclz wrote:
I am our family's designated historian. I now finally have the time to pursue my love for photography. I would like recommendations , please of a good camera to purchase. Had Nikon D300s in the past, currently have Sony a77. I take a lot of pictures of family. Love close up showing expressions. Love nature, clouds and old buildings. Don't feel I have what I need to so what I want. Have been researching and my head is spinning, literally.
This may sound crazy, but I need my "forever camera" one I can keep forever and buy good lens to do what I need. I would like to get at least semi-pro or above. Glad to be a part of this forum. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. Hope you all are having a wonderful day. Jody C. Or known to my grand-children as Nanaclz !
I am our family's designated historian. I now fina... (
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Welcome aboard.
The following ideas are merely my opinions, and not the authoritative last word on anything.
Stick with Nikon since you are familiar with it (and liked it, I presume.)
I am assuming that you want to go with a DSLR and interchangeable lenses. You will probably want a 100mm lens, possibly a Macro, for nature close ups. My Canon 100mm Macro works well for portraits as well, and the Nikon users here can recommend the best choice there. I also use a 50mm for general work and a 28mm mostly for landscapes. I am not a fan of zooms, thinking that I get more bang for the buck with prime non-zoom) lens.
Some folks here are taking great nature shots, especially of birds, with the new Tamron zoom (150-600mm I think it is) and I understand that a Nikon version is planned (or it may be out by now.)
Then the choices come down to full frame or crop frame, and you can search here for the various discussions comparing those two options, and whether you want to go new or used. In any case, Nikon users here can make good recommendations.
Looking for a "forever" camera sounds good to me, and not crazy.
Some more thoughts:
Don't be intimidated by the tech talk and the wide array of cameras touting a gazillion features. The camera makers want to sell cameras and often throw way more information at us then we need all geared to get us to impulse buy their product.
There is no ultimate "best" or right way to go. What is important is what is right for you.
Don't hesitate to use UHH and ask as many questions as you need to ask. There are a couple of people who enjoy giving snarky answers. Ignore them. Everyone else here will be very helpful and supportive.
I think it is important to get the camera in your hands before you buy it and see how it feels for you.
I hope this is helpful, and again, welcome!
Mike