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Creibold

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 27, 2006
186
7
Ok, so I'm new to digital photography, and am on the cusp of making a purchase of a brand new Nikon D-40 (the budget is short these days - to many apple toys) and I would like to know what accessories you all would recommend.

I am leaving the first 2 weeks or so of august on a round trip vacation to Niagara falls, perhaps New York, and on the way back Chicago too. Obviously the budget is limited, so I'm only going to be able squeeze by with the Camera, kit lens, and whatever case/accessories are recommended here.

My reason for asking here, is that, when visiting several camera stores in my area, they don't feel very helpful to me. I feel as if I am simply being recommended what they want to sell to me, and not what I need. I go to one shop and the clerk says one thing, yet the shop 3 blocks down the street says the opposite! :confused: This seems about as newbie friendly an area as hard-core video gaming, but I digress.

Any thoughts, or items that I may find vital to my trip would be very much appreciated. Thank you!:)
 

66217

Guest
Jan 30, 2006
1,604
0
An extra battery is a must. Also, what size of memory card card have you bought?

If you have a laptop it would be ideal to bring it with you. Nonetheless, having an extra memory card is, in my opinion, also a must. Last trip I made (3 days trip) I used 2x4GB cards. Obviously bring a nice backpack or case for your camera. I would guess that backpack is better for trips if you are going to be walking a lot.

Maybe a blower to clean the sensor in case it need it. Tho, do this with precaution, and only if you are in a clean place.

And lastly, maybe it is just me being extra cautious, but having a small external drive for backup would be nice. Even a USB (8 GB) could suffice to at least store the JPEGs.
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,541
1,653
Redondo Beach, California
I don't think you will need an extra battery the D40 gets thousands of exposures per charge. You will have access to AC power so just charge it up at night every couple days.

I doubt you will get dust inside. If you only have one lens why take it off. How would yu know there was dust inside anyways. You'd need a computer and to look at the image way zoomed in to notice any dust.

Get something to store the camera in. You can buy an expensive case but just go to a drug store and buy a $5 insulated nylon lunch sack. The best thing about it is that it does not look like a camera case

Later maybe you'll be shopping for another lens but use the kit lens for a while first.

Take the MBP with you.

You WILL need some memory cards.
 

66217

Guest
Jan 30, 2006
1,604
0
I don't think you will need an extra battery the D40 gets thousands of exposures per charge. You will have access to AC power so just charge it up at night every couple days.

I think thousands is pushing it. Nikon states the D40 battery would last you only 470 shots. Now, if you don't use the flash often you might increase this, but not so much.

I think this is one buy that could be very helpful. It would often happen that you forget to charge the battery because you thought it would last longer, but to your surprise you only had 80-90 shots left. In my D40x the battery life indicator isn't very precise.

Get something to store the camera in. You can buy an expensive case but just go to a drug store and buy a $5 insulated nylon lunch sack. The best thing about it is that it does not look like a camera case

If you go this way just make sure the bag has enough padding to protect the camera of eventual hits. But, I really recommend buying a bag made to have a camera. There are some very cheap ones, that are small and would protect your camera better. You don't want to be risking your recent purchase for just saving $15.
 

Creibold

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 27, 2006
186
7
Indeed these responses are both quick and precise.

Seeing as how I do not trust those who work in the hotel business not to steal such a fashionable and able piece of machine as the MBP is, I beleive I will purchase a backpack so that I may take my laptop and D40 with me.

Two more questions - are the official nikon UV Filters worth the money, or should I settle myself to an off brand? The difference in price alone is staggering. Also, seeing as how I can either get a "standard" (blue) Sandisk SD card at 4GB for around $12 - 15 off of amazon, or an "extreme" or "Ultra" SD card for triple the price of the latter, which one should I buy? Will I actually see the difference in the camera, or just when transferring data to the MBP?
 

hector

macrumors regular
Sep 18, 2006
208
8
Cheltenham, UK
I don't reckon you will need a spare battery, ChrisA is right the D40 takes a ridiculous amount of photos on a single charge in my experience.
Also, I just got a Hoya UV filter for about a tenner off ebay which is fine, and a Lowpro topzoom bag which fits perfectly.

I would also recommend you take your MBP, that way you wont need to buy too many memory cards, and you will be able to review your pics and learn from what you have taken as you go along
 

flinch13

macrumors regular
Jul 4, 2004
129
0
Go for the extra battery. I know, it might seem like you don't need one, but not buying one is definitely tempting fate. You might forget to charge your battery one night and be out of power for the whole day! One of your batteries might just stop working. Believe me, you won't regret having an extra battery.

At least on extra memory card. Sometimes they fail; you should always have a backup.

It would be ideal to bring a tripod with you of some sort. I know, you're traveling light, but you might as well pull out all of the stops for something like Niagara.
 

compuwar

macrumors 601
Oct 5, 2006
4,717
2
Northern/Central VA
A lens cleaning cloth and some sort of rain protection will be helpful at Niagara.

http://fotosharp.com/camera_rain_covers.html

I'd probably go with the 12" one- Fotosharp lets you try before you purchase, so you can always change your mind on the size in the first two weeks.

A good tripod gets you the best possible image quality and lets you shoot long exposures where the scene isn't moving, like night skyline shots- but a good tripod isn't cheap. An extra memory card is a good investment, as is a card reader for your computer.
 

apearlman

macrumors regular
Aug 8, 2007
187
0
Red Hook, NY
Prints.

Limited budget? Don't forget to save some money for PRINTS, and frames.

Other than that, my bare minimum list includes 2 memory cards, 2 batteries, and a lens cloth. Everything else depends on WHAT you're shooting.

Andrew
 
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