The D7000 is a bit advanced if this is going to be your first DSLR. Not nearly as beginner friendly as the D3100, D3200 or D5100. I'd recommend one of those three as your first DSLR.
I have a Nikon D3000, which is the most basic one (and the cheapest too), I think and it's enough for me since I'm just a beginner. The only problem I find with it is that pictures are very noisy in high ISO, but it's ok. I'll change it for a better one when I became better at the subject.
I started with a Nikon D3000 which has now been replaced by the D3100 and D3200. Its an awesome camera for an entry level. I just upgraded to the D7000 last month and its definitely more advanced. I would go with a lower priced one and get an extra lens like the 50mm.
@nataliestrawberry The D3100 has a much better sensor than the D3000. I can take images at ISO 1600 without any noticeable noise, and images even look really good at ISO 3200. The D3200 and D3100 have even better sensors.
@nataliestrawberry@lkshfjahf Glad to help. The D5100 uses the same exact sensor as the D7000 but is less than half the price of the D7000. The brand new D3200 sensor is even better and it will have a street price lower than the D5100 after it has been out for a while.
I think the 7000 is too advanced for a beginner - it would be a waste of money and frustrating for the user. My wife has it and its a great camera, but she has been shoting for years. I use the 5100 and love it but am ready for much more advanced. I think a beginner is better off with 3100 or if ambitious the 5100.
I have the D7000 and my suggestion would be that if you are serious about photography and are very sure you are going to stick to it then you could grow into your camera so to speak. I started in photography with a very basic digital and found I kept upgrading. I had a D200 but after 6 years there are a lot of things going wrong with it. When I spoke to the tech people at Nikon they suggested the D7000 as there are a few things with the D300s that were defects in the D200 and they were not modified. I spent a lot of time searching and looking at cameras before I purchased the D7000. At the same time I purchased a AW100. I use that for my macro shots rather than spending the additional money for just a macro lens. That gives me rough and tough camera that is waterproof too. It takes great macro shots...
All in all you need to make a list of everything you want to do with your camera and then search for the cameras that will do that. Then do a side by side comparison of them. This site here does a pretty good job of the side by side reviews...
http://www.dpreview.com/
@michaelelliott Agree 1000%. I bought my first DSLR a year ago - a D3100. I have been shooting almost every day with it since then and I am far from outgrowing it. In fact, I learn more about the Nikon and its capabilities all the time!
I think it partly depends on what you want to do with the camera and photography in general. For many such an advanced camera can be overwhelming and frustrating, while a more basic camera can be easier to learn on. Not as many settings to accidentally set wrong like on the D7000.
But if you are really into learning photography and will take the time to really learn how the camera works and how to make the most of it, then the 7000 could be the right choice. Any modern dSLR camera has a basic mode where the camera makes the majority (or all) of the decisions. I can give my husband, who knows almost nothing about cameras and photography, my camera and he'll happily snap away at what catches his eye and his pictures are usually very good, sometimes better than I what I managed with all the thought and knowledge I might put into the same scene. But then he has me to run to when things go wrong.
In today's world, cameras are pretty disposable, so buying a less expensive, basic camera now with the idea of replacing it in a couple of years with something like the D7000's replacement isn't such a bad way to go.
I started with a D3000 and upgraded to a D7000. I would certainly recommend something more along the lines of the D3100. I still use both cameras, and while I like the ability to quickly adjust settings on the D7000, I love the size and LESS features of the D3000. The D7000 has so many features and buttons I haven't taken the time to learn about. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a fancier camera produces better photos. I've seen many photos taken from a D3000 that far outshine those from a D7000.
I agree with @cmc1200 in that many fall into the trap of thinking better camera equates to better photos... which is not the case.
However, I own the D7000, it was my first SLR and I absolutely adore it. I also very seriously considered the D5100 which is excellent, but I did not want to buy something that I thought I would grow out of quickly.
It really depends on what you expect your learning curve to be like - personally, I learn very quickly and get frustrated by limitations. One of the reasons I love the D7000 is that most of the settings are easily accessible via buttons - rather than menu based which can be quite tiresome.
The 5100 does have the flip out screen which is FANTASTIC - I wish the 7000 had one of those :)
The other factor is of course budget. Both the 5100 and the 7000 are excellent cameras, however if the 7000 is a bit of a stretch, then it may be worth getting the cheaper 5100 and investing in some good quality lenses. Also check which kit lenses are available with both bodies & read up on them (kenrockwell.com is an excellent resource) - because some of the kit lenses are a bit crappy, and you can often negotiate a better lens to be included in the bundle instead.
last comment on this topic - go into a camera shop, and actually have a play with both of them. get a feel for what they are like in your hands and see what you personally prefer.... not just what the specs say - or what other people think. It's gonna be your baby, so it's gotta be the one that feels right for you :)
I have a D7000 and in the process of buying a D800. The D7000 is NOT a great idea for a first DSLR ( I was film photographer before digital.)...have a look at the Nikon D90 ( I know it's older...but it's a great camera to start on.)...forget megapixels...you don't need lots of pixels if you are going to keep to the 8x10 photo's. If you have any questions...just ask. :)
@grizzlysghost Why do you say that? I love the colors in a Nikon; the Canon software seems better to me, but the colors in a Nikon feel truer. I'm curious why you think what you do, though.
@grizzlysghost Ah, I see. I'm fairly new to the DSLR world; I'm familiar with the mid/upper-level digicams and researched/bought them for an artistic dept. at MIT a while back. But I'm pretty broke and have seriously economized on my DSLR. I bought a Nikon D70 from ebay last year, finally (my Nikon SLR was stolen in 1991 from a boyfriend's room, and he never did anything to help replace it). I had been longing for one for years but could never swing it.
The D70 was cheap because it had a broken flash (but still over $200 for a 7-year-old camera body). I fixed the built-in flash, though I never use it, preferring the $50 external flash with a firing angle. The camera also came with an 18-100 Nikkor lens with a zoom that broke about nine months later, just before I was due to enter a photography competition. I was able to salvage some photos and won second prize with one of them.
Now I have two lenses, my favorite being an 18-200 VR that I bought used on Craigslist for $300. My photography skills are getting better, and I feel like this is a good setup to relearn on (all my college photography courses were waaay too long ago to be remembered). Sometimes I find the camera body a bit limiting, but that's probably partly my own fault.
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All in all you need to make a list of everything you want to do with your camera and then search for the cameras that will do that. Then do a side by side comparison of them. This site here does a pretty good job of the side by side reviews...
http://www.dpreview.com/
Good luck and happy shopping!
But if you are really into learning photography and will take the time to really learn how the camera works and how to make the most of it, then the 7000 could be the right choice. Any modern dSLR camera has a basic mode where the camera makes the majority (or all) of the decisions. I can give my husband, who knows almost nothing about cameras and photography, my camera and he'll happily snap away at what catches his eye and his pictures are usually very good, sometimes better than I what I managed with all the thought and knowledge I might put into the same scene. But then he has me to run to when things go wrong.
In today's world, cameras are pretty disposable, so buying a less expensive, basic camera now with the idea of replacing it in a couple of years with something like the D7000's replacement isn't such a bad way to go.
However, I own the D7000, it was my first SLR and I absolutely adore it. I also very seriously considered the D5100 which is excellent, but I did not want to buy something that I thought I would grow out of quickly.
It really depends on what you expect your learning curve to be like - personally, I learn very quickly and get frustrated by limitations. One of the reasons I love the D7000 is that most of the settings are easily accessible via buttons - rather than menu based which can be quite tiresome.
The 5100 does have the flip out screen which is FANTASTIC - I wish the 7000 had one of those :)
The other factor is of course budget. Both the 5100 and the 7000 are excellent cameras, however if the 7000 is a bit of a stretch, then it may be worth getting the cheaper 5100 and investing in some good quality lenses. Also check which kit lenses are available with both bodies & read up on them (kenrockwell.com is an excellent resource) - because some of the kit lenses are a bit crappy, and you can often negotiate a better lens to be included in the bundle instead.
last comment on this topic - go into a camera shop, and actually have a play with both of them. get a feel for what they are like in your hands and see what you personally prefer.... not just what the specs say - or what other people think. It's gonna be your baby, so it's gotta be the one that feels right for you :)
Thanks guys for all of your help and i think i am going to go for the Nikon D5100 because the nikon D3000 doesn't have video. Thanks all for help and i will take you all for your advice!
you can buy it online too. I thought the price was good..
The D70 was cheap because it had a broken flash (but still over $200 for a 7-year-old camera body). I fixed the built-in flash, though I never use it, preferring the $50 external flash with a firing angle. The camera also came with an 18-100 Nikkor lens with a zoom that broke about nine months later, just before I was due to enter a photography competition. I was able to salvage some photos and won second prize with one of them.
Now I have two lenses, my favorite being an 18-200 VR that I bought used on Craigslist for $300. My photography skills are getting better, and I feel like this is a good setup to relearn on (all my college photography courses were waaay too long ago to be remembered). Sometimes I find the camera body a bit limiting, but that's probably partly my own fault.