In reply to:
Should I be concerned about the D50 being "only" 6.0 megapixels?
No….. unless you're planning on making big, honkin' 16x20s!
The megapixel race is coming to end. There really is sufficient resolution in a six megapixel camera for almost anyone short of pros or advanced amateurs.
In reply to:
Should I even consider lenses by companies like Sigma or Tamron?
Definitely. Add Tokina to the list as well. In my opinion, the lenses made by the camera manufacturers are really only best suited for professionals and a few advanced amateurs. The better lenses from the independent manufacturers (there are often a few "lines" within a manufacturers' line) typically offer 95-100% of the quality of the camera manufacturer's lenses at 50% of the price. Economies of scale; Sigma and Tokina can sell cross-platform while the Canons and Nikons cannot, offering them 2~4X the total sales per lens design.
In reply to:
How zoomy do I need to be? There is a kit at Abe's of Maine that has the D50, and 18-55mm and 55-200mm Nikkor lenses for about $750. Will that much lens get me - for instance - a person filling a frame from about 75 feet? Or do I need one of those too expensive howitzer lens things that Dennis Rodman kicks on TV?
If Rodman even did that to one of my lenses, I'd rip one of his piercings out. Then I'd run like hell, crying like a little girl.
I would be looking for a lens such as this
Sigma. It'll do well for you at 75'. One of the major benefits of buying a more expensive lens (within a manufacturer's line) is getting a 'faster' lens. This primarily means the lens lets more light through it, so you can get the proper exposure with a faster shutter speed. The faster lens also makes for easier focusing in low-light. But, a faster lens is generally much larger and heavier in addition to being more expensive. Really, it's a matter of weighing your needs.
I wouldn't
recommend Abe's…. I've been reading of troubles with them for 25 years. Instead, I'd
recommend B&H for excellent reliability AND prices!
Newegg is worth checking out for some of the stuff, too.
In reply to:
I guess I need many massive memory modules, too. And probably an extra battery. And filters. Is Abe's the sort of place I should be shopping? Where else?
Memory is getting cheap when you keep your eye out for sales. Another battery for the Canon will cost about $30; not sure about the Nikons. I'd hold off on filters for now.
