Nikon d7100 is currently selling cheap for a refurbished body at b&h photo or adorama. if you have Nikon lenses you are willing to share with him, that will save a lot of cost. whatever you purchase, buy quality FX lenses. they will work as well on a dx camera as they will on a full frame camera and if you stay with FX lenses then you will not need to reinvest in lenses if you ever decide to upgrade to a full frame camera. the d3200 and d5300 are good cameras also, but you will soon get tired of searching through the menus to make settings that are much simpler on a d7100 or d7200. happy shooting.
In that case try the d750
unless you are going to shoot action and need the larger buffer of the d7200, the d7100 is just as good a camera and is much cheaper. as to a time to buy, wait until the d500 is released and the prices on both the d7200 and the d7100 should drop. also consider places like Nikon, b&h photo, adorama, and look for refurbished bodies. they come with the same warranty as a new camera and are usually a little less expensive.
if you can live with it, the 50mm f/1.8 is rather inexpensive. also if you stay with the f/1.8, not the f/1.4, the 35mm is not too expensive.
A is for aperture, not automatic. Automatic lets the camera decide the settings for all of the exposure triangle. most new photographers start in A mode, then try the P mode where you may control the ISO and let the camera set the aperture and shutter speed. once you are comfortable with ISO settings, you may want to play with the A, aperture, mode where you set the aperture and let the camera set the ISO and shutter speeds. you tube has many videos that will help you experiment with the various settings.
you may want to consider the d750 also, controls are very similar to the d7200 and reviews rate it higher that the d810. as for the lens, always save a little more and purchase full frame lenses (FX). they may cost a little more to purchase, but if you ever decide to change to a full frame camera, you will not need to reinvest in lenses. FX lenses will work with DX cameras, but DX lenses will not work as FX lenses on a full frame camera. that said, the d7200 will work really well with landscape photography, you just need to calculate before purchasing a lens, example, if you want 35mm, buy a 24mm or 28mm lens. 24mm will give you about a 36mm result, 25mm lens will give you about a 42mm result.
the quality of your lenses should always come before the price, save up and buy the best you can buy in the focal range you desire. you may change camera bodies many times, but your lenses will be your most costly expense and should be purchased with care. they will transfer to any upgrade to the camera body in the future. nothing wrong with used lenses, they can be purchased on ebay, b&h photo, or adorama with confidence. if you are shooting with a dx camera body, still purchase fx lenses, they will work on a dx body, but if you ever change to a full frame body, you will not need to reinvest in lenses.
both raw and jpeg have their places, and when you edit your raw photos and save the edited photo, it will be in jpeg, or some form other than raw. when shooting a family gathering or some other situation where you are not going to display or print photos, jpeg is a great format to be able to post or email the photos instantly without any post processing. most cameras will allow you to save both jpeg and raw photos on the sd card, try that setting for a while to see which you prefer. if you are shooting wildlife, landscape, portraits, or some other photos that you want to post process and possibly print or sell, then raw is the best format for post processing and to allow your artistic values to grow.
it is better to ask a "stupid" question than make a stupid mistake. as to a d7200 or a d750, choose the d750 if it is in your budget, if you get serious about photography, you will eventually want to upgrade to a full frame camera. that said, if you choose the d7200, save your money and only buy fx lenses, then when you decide to upgrade to a full frame camera, you will not need to reinvest in lenses, as lenses will be a greater investment than camera bodies.
but, there is always that one photo
you might also consider tamron 150-600, it does not require a usb dock
check to see if there is a reputable place to rent a lens when you get to your location. usually not that expensive to rent and will save you the hassle of transporting an extra lens.
I own both d7100 and d7200 and the main reason I purchased the d7200 was for the larger buffer. I sometimes shoot action and the buffer on the d7100 was too slow. as for the low light, both are close to the same, the d7200 is advertised to shoot higher ISO, but I have not found a need to go higher that the d7100 offers.
Red River paper on line, try the photo metallic, great paper. try a sample pack to see other versions of their paper. great service and support on their website.
there are many great lenses to choose from, depending on what you plan to photograph. I would recommend buying fx lenses, as if you ever decide to move to a full frame camera you will not have to reinvest in lenses. that said, I would start with a ??/300 mm lens as it will give you all the coverage you will need for a while. not sure what the lower end is in fx, I think it is 28mm. from there I would get a 50mm f/1.8 for landscapes and closeup portraits. also a great lens for street photography if you are into that. from there, your budget is your guide, your d5500 will take great photos, and your lenses will be your most costly investment. save your money and choose wisely. when in doubt, rent a lens you think you want and test it out first. small investment to save a costly mistake.