My First Time... with Nikon

So my family and I took a trip to Best Buy so that I could check out the Dslr camera's. I've always wanted to take better, more professional looking pictures, but I assumed the disability was in my picture taking abilities, and not in the high end, very expensive compact digital cameras I've always bought. So I went into Best Buy knowing full well that I was going to purchase the Canon Rebel T2i. I had researched until 3:00a.m the night before and had discovered that the Rebel T3 was the lower end of the entry level dslr cameras. The T3i and the T2i are very comparable, though the reviews are a bit worse for the T3i when compared to the T2i. I found this interesting, but I still wanted the upper end of the entry level camera's... just in case I get good.

I had also taken the time to read reviews about the Nikon D3100. This camera is on sale right now and comes with two lenses (which you'll hear my opinion on that later) in a handy dandy bundle! I had read a previous article that led me to toward Canon because these cameras are able to use 3rd party lenses, but Nikon really only works with Nikon lenses. That's as far as I researched that. None the less, I had my mind made up and was going to buy a Canon Rebel.

I don't really like going into the Best Buy in our town because the employees are rude, arrogant, and usually don't have the patience for people like me. I question everything, especially when I don't understand fully what I'm getting into. My family and I walked to the digital camera section and there stood the woman who changed photography as I know it. Her name was Jennifer. Nice name. It was a sign, this was a good sign. I told her that I was completely new to the digital slr camera market, but that I wanted a camera that I could upgrade easily if I got good at taking photographs. She told me she had a personal preference for Nikon cameras, but that really depending on what I wanted, one could be just as good as the other. She took the next 20 minutes to show me how to use the Nikon D5100. This is a camera that I didn't research at all. She taught me how to remove the lenses and then had me do it. She showed me how to use AF and then she made me do it. She showed me a couple different types of lenses and then she made me try them out. For the first time ever I took a decent photograph of my daughter... deliberately! I mean I have good pictures, but they were usually by pure accident. She was the BEST Best Buy team member I've ever met!

After almost 2 hours in Best Buy, with a customer service rep. with a fantastic name, my entire mind had changed. Forget the Rebel T2i, T3i, or the Nikon D3100, I was buying the Nikon D5100 which came with the standard lens as well as a 35mm lens for taking portraits. I have found that the lenses are expensive, but that seems to be true for all dslr cameras. I guess now I have something to ask for at Christmas time! Strangely enough, without a bundle of things I bought, the cost was about the same. I looked up reviews of this camera, and it seems the D5100 is quite a bit better than the two Rebels I was considering. If I had purchased the D3100 bundle I could have saved some money (because it already included a 2nd telephoto lens), but in my opinion, the companies must have to offer a 2nd lens to make up for the crappy camera (hence the Nikon D3100 and Rebel T3), which both received 'okay' reviews. My husband would say "Good not Great".

Upon opening the box, i could barely contain myself. Unfortunately the battery had to charge for an hour and a half. I made dinner and folded laundry which helped the time pass... And then the golden light on the battery charger was solid! It was time! I carefully unwrapped the camera, attached the lens and instantly began taking shots in the house. It's amazing how I could find nothing to take a shot of when I want to take a shot of something! So... poor Buket the dog got chased around the house, my dear husband was sitting on the toilet, and my daughter was sleeping in her bed. None of that stopped me. i found items to take pictures of. There were still some bad and blurry pictures, but I had many nice shots.

In the short, the Nikon D5100 is very easy to use, feels very nice in my hands, and was super easy to navigate. I'm sure I will find things that I don't like about this camera, but for now I'm euphoric about the performance. More importantly, my ability to actually take a picture has shown itself.

I am excited to learn to be a photographer. This is a hobby I've wanted to try, and I'm sure it will be a process. I'm excited to share my next adventure, and more importantly, more photographs! Could it be that I really can take nice shots, I just had the wrong tools? I guess we'll find out.