nikon digital d3000

nikon d3000 to vr or not to vr.. need help deciding? i'm getting a great deal on the d3000 here http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D3000-USA-Digital-SLR-Camera-Body-4-Lens-KIT-NEW_W0QQitemZ260527880963QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Cameras?hash=item3ca8abfb03#ht_14009wt_1167 but because it doesn't have vr, i don't know if i should get it or not. could someone please help explaining to me if there is a real advantage with getting vr lenses. if so i'll just get it from amazon The package you link to is, in my opinion, a lousy deal. First, any seller who calls a couple of cheap, low quality screw-in attachments "lenses" is scamming you. Second, except for the Remote ML-L3 the rest of the so-called "accessories" are either cheap or actually come with the camera in the box. The tripods are flimsy and I wouldn't trust any camera on one of them. Third, the 55-200mm non-VR lens is nothing special. Fourth, those 3 filters are cheap and one of them is a filter for fluorescent light - needed for a film camera but not a digital camera since the digital camera has white balance settings for different light sources. At B&H ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com ) the D3000 w/18-55mm lens is $549.95. There is a $50.00 "Instant Savings" that expires 01-02-2010 so its really only $499.95 The 55-200mm VR lens is $224.95 and the ML-L3 is $17.95 A Nikon DSLR bag and DVD Guide comes with the camera. So for $742.85 you get the camera, 18-55mm VR lens, 55-200mm VR lens and the Remote. I advise purchasing from B&H.

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Nikon D5000 - 7 Reasons to Consider This Amazing Sub-$800 DSLR

The fact is that you can get a Nikon D5000 for under $720, including the Nikon 18-55mm VR kit lens. This is a great camera for a great price!

Entry level DSLRs became quite popular when both Nikon and Canon released their first sub $1000 DSLR cameras, the D40 and the Rebel 300D respectively. Since then technology has improved tremendously and price has dropped to almost half of the original offering (the Nikon D3000 sells for just over $500).

Let's take a look at what makes the Nikon D5000 such a great camera.

1. It's a DSLR - this means that you can purchase many different lenses for your camera. Thus your shooting options are limited only to your imagination (and maybe your budget, but even then, you can always rent a lens for a short time).
2. 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor - this sensor is the same as the one in the higher level D90, giving excellent image quality, capable of printing wall-sized photos.
3. Vari-angle LCD - 2.5" screen with 230k pixel resolution makes it possible to tilt the screen to view and focus shots in very different positions than what you can with a simple view-finder.
4. 19 Scene Modes - photographers who are moving up from a point and shoot digital compact may be familiar with scene modes which are in-camera settings that take the guesswork out of how to set controls to accomplish various moods of lighting.
5. Live View - new to DSLRs, but quite familiar to digital compact camera owners. This feature allows the photographer to view and compose the shot using the LCD monitor. Live view includes subject tracking, face priority, wide area focus and narrow area focus. It also has a grid line feature that can be activated for composing (ie use the rule of thirds).
6. Active D-Lighting - This is a feature introduced in higher level Nikon DSLRs, the D3 and D300. It is a photographers dream (author's opinion). D-Lighting expands the dynamic range so that highlights are no longer lost while retaining shadow detail. This feature goes a long way in solving the dynamic range problem which has had photographers exposing those high range pictures with several different exposures that are then combined into one photo in post-processing.
7. D-Movie - allows the photographer to shoot about 5 minutes of 1280x720 HD quality video, or, about 20 minutes of 640x424 standard digital video. While this is still not a perfect substitute for a dedicated camcorder, many photographers are drawn to this feature.

The Nikon D5000 is an awesome piece of photographic equipment for a great price. Now is the time... Nikon has the camera.

Of course, as mentioned above, Nikon has two entry level DSLRs. The other is the Nikon D3000, a trimmed down model that does not have the Vari-angle LCD or D-Movie. For more about both these new Nikon models, visit http://www.digital-photographic-resources.com.

About the Author

I love photography and all things related to it. Cameras, camera gear, and image editing software fascinate me, so I am either buying the newest piece of equipment (or software) or researching my next purchase. Be sure to visit the Cameras-N-Stuff Blog.