Buying a Camera

So, I recently decided that I am ready to buy my first DSLR camera, so I’ve been researching almost nonstop on the internet, reading articles, checking prices, camera types, lense types, bundles, used, new, different brands, how the interfaces work, the different features available, and everything else there is to learn about a camera before you actually buy it.

I decided that I don’t want to buy a D3300, which is the model I am using now, because I want something new that I haven’t used before to expand myself and my work. However, I only have access to Nikon lenses, and my school has a nice collection of Nikon lenses that I put to use-from the 18-55mm lens that came with the camera, to an 18mm prime lens, a 180mm prime lens and a few other lenses that were donated to the school.

Because of the nice collection of Nikon lenses that are available for me to use, I believe that I want to stick with a Nikon camera.

I’m not too worried about the megapixel count of the camera, because, honestly, even with a ten megapixel camera, I can still produce good pictures. At this point in time, it would be hard to buy a bad camera even if you tried, as many other online blogs and websites I’ve read have said.

The only camera I actually own is a Nikon Coolpix B500, which is a point-and-shoot camera with many of the functions of a DSLR camera, but without the interchangeable lens system or the ability to view your images through a viewfinder while shooting them-instead, you see you pictures exclusively on the LCD screen while shooting.

I like using that camera, but I want to move up to an actual DSLR camera, because I love shooting with the D3300 my teacher owns that I use all the time. I have much more fun composing my images on a DSLR, and because of that, I’ve found that my photos usually turn out better. The way I see it, the more you enjoy doing something, the better you usually will be at it. (that’s just my opinion, though.)

Right now, I am looking at a Nikon D5500 DX-format Digital SLR w/ 18-55mm VR II Kit (Red), with a retail price of about $696.95.

But I still have to also focus on the price of any camera that I want to buy, because I don’t exactly have a lot of money. The D5500 is just a little outside of my price range, which at the moment is around $550 to $600 at the most.