Great first steps towards sanity!

Thanks!

Yes . . . I see the wisdom in that. Well said Obi-wan!

Circling back to all those that provided me their insights on moving beyond the Nikon D40 . . . . I finally settled on the D7200. The body came with Nikon AF-S 18-55 and 18-70 lenses, a Quantaray 2x teleconverter, a Neewer Macro Ring Lite, and a Neewer battery grip. A lot more than what I was looking for but the sale was an all or nothing. My existing inventory of Nikon-mount lenses include the Sigma AF 28-70mm f:2.8, Tamron 80-210mm f1.3.8-1:4, and a Tamron AF 18-270mm f:3.5-6.3.

Now all that being said, I am not the photo pro that many of you are . . . and would query those of you who have ended up with more lenses than necessary. My "think", as a start, is to get rid of the non-AF lenses. I would also consider adding a lens or two if given the right justification.

Thank you for your support!

OK . . . I’ll be standing by to “talk” whenever you get back.

I am looking to buy a Nikon D7200 . . . USA (no gray market) only. Lenses may be considered.

And this comment was at Page 5 of 7 . . . and I’m still paging my way through some great input!

“Pretty good advise”? I’d say you all have hit it out of the ballpark! I love the variety of comments and especially views that I had not considered. But I guess that is to be expected from a community of photo aficionados! You’re the best!!

Although I am leaning towards the D7200 at this point, I’ve received some very attractive offers from those offering to sell their real pro-level Nikons. I’ll let you all know how this journey goes. Thanks “muchly”!!

Thanks to all who have contributed their thoughts here. My “thunk” on this is to sell my D40 and the few Nikon-mount lenses I’ve accumulated over the years (Nikon 50mm f:1.8, Sigma 28-70mm f:2.8, Tamron 80-210mm f1.3.8-1:4, and a Tamron 18-270mm f:3.5-6.3) and move on. Don’t know what I can get for that gear, but whatever would assist toward my budget of $800-1200. Having used Nikon for years doesn’t anchor me to that brand . . . but I do lean in that direction. My desire for my new camera is still hobby, the government has sent me around the world so travel is still a strong desire . . . Maybe I’ll post a few of my photos here to see if there is any appreciation of an old salt’s pics.

I started shooting back in the ‘70s with an Olympus OM-1 . . . great little camera. I graduated from that to Nikons (F2 and FM2) and spent years shooting those. I still have a couple boxes of slides/transparencies that I have yet to digitize.

Then in ‘06 I made the jump to digital with a real basic Nikon D40. I started using it, then work interfered with photography until last year when I “retired” and started looking for sanity. Photography seemed right but the D40 was just not doing it for me.

So the question I should have asked up front - What is a good next step for me. I am very comfortable shooting manual, but I realize from my use of the D40 that there is a whole new level of digital out there waiting for me.

Thanks “muchly”!

Diverse and motley . . . . My kind of crew! :-)

Yup, just finished my first cup of coffee and ready to get at this . . . I started shooting photos (landscapes/scenics) about 42 years ago (yeah, I’m that old) when I first started my aviation career in Montana and wanted to record the beauty I saw. My first camera was an Olympus OM-1 (loved that little manual camera) and I tried to carry it wherever I flew. Back then film and processing were a major concern, so shooting off more than 4-6 frames of a specific subject rarely happened. That was then . . . . I have now retired and am trying to get back in the groove and with the advances in technology I find myself sucking wind trying to catch up with the digital world. So I purchased a “beginner” DSLR a while back . . . a Nikon D40 with the intention of easing myself into the digital world. I still have an FM2 that I can’t bear to part with and a few lenses that I used back then.

A question to this esteemed community . . . I find I am still comfortable shooting in manual mode, but would like to become more proficient in the use of flash units, and have an opportunity of purchasing a Nikon SB-24 for $45. Since I am beginning this journey, I really don’t won’t to through down big bucks right away and am wondering if this is good fit for where I am in this process. I have read the TTL is not possible if this is attached to the camera, but is that a deal breaker? Is there a better option?