[Nugget]

I'm looking to get my first DSLR so that I can can do photographic justice to my beautiful kids.

I'm looking for something that takes great portrait photos in low light without flashes and that can snap away quickly at speedy moving toddlers. Toddlers, it appears, are crap at staying still for photos. It would be nice to have a little bit of movie footage as well.

My uncle, who I am pretty sure knows what he is talking about, has suggested the Nikon D90 with a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S lens. I suppose my only thing was that I baulked at the price of the lens, although I am willing to go to that price range if it is really going to fit my needs well.

Your thoughts would be very welcome. Cheers.

[Dookie]

I am sure many on here will tell you the same. There is no clear cut BEST DSLR package. It all depends on what your needs are. If you are getting a DSLR for your kids and want to stick with the Nikon brand then I can see why your uncle recommended the D90 as it has nice video capture feature as well. That way you don't need a camera for good quality stills and still can get very good quality videos (some say very very good quality video) with the D90. 24-70 is not a huge range in my opinion, but then again you are talking about a f2.8 AFS lens so that in itself is pretty impressive. If you are willing to back off on the f2.8 I would suggest getting the 18-200 which to me gives you more flexibility at the price of your aperture. I have test shot a D90 before for a very short period of time and I personally prefer my D300 instead. If you can afford it I suggest the new D300S which will give you high quality video as well. I am not a video guy so I love my D300. Best wishes to you.

[Markulous]

A personal thing, but I always prefer a prime for portraits (for quality and speed of lens) and zooms for activity shots and press photocalls (where flexibility is more important). I prefer the distance my 105mm f/2.8 or 300mm f/4 give but the 50mm f/1.8 is another exellent portrait lens

Camera-wise, Nikon still appears to have the edge for low light performance and video-wise I haven't a clue as I'm no cameraman (but by all accounts the D90 is OK! )

[Des Gardner]

The lens that you choose is very important too, but most standard kit lenses will do the job, the advise that you already have been given is good if its a DSLR you want then stick with the known and trusted brands Nikon Canon Pentax Olympus and not in this order, you need to hold one first and then pick the camera you feel comfortable with!

[Nugget]

Well, the D300s + 18-200 VR VII is pretty much the same price as the D90 + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S lens, so maybe the first option is the go given it has a greater range?

[VinnyP]

You said you wanted to use the camera in low light with no flash on children; then the 18-200 is a non starter as it's a very slow aperture and VR doesn't help with a moving subject. You also said you wanted to take great portraits, the 18-200 is good maybe great lens for versatility in one lens but it's results are not great compared to the lens you mention.

For the budget you are talking about and your needs can I recommend the D90, a 17-55 2.8 and 85mm 1.8 all or any can be obtained very easily second hand to save money.

The 17-55 is a very versatile lens which is ideal for all the fast moving stuff and is perfect for groups up to half body shots and still pretty good for head and shoulders. It will also throw backgrounds out of focus much better than the 18-200. The D90 is a good camera that produces results every bit as good as the D300 and is a much easier first time digital SLR. The 85 1.8 will take amazing portraits and will allow you to do that in even lower light than the 2.8 lenses.

The 24-70 is a good choice and great quality but on it's own with a D90 you might wish you could go a bit wider or a bit further in.

[Dookie]

Good points vinny...I must have skipped over the part about low light in the original post.

Yup an 85mm f1.8 will do wonders and the 17-55 is very good. The D90 is a great camera, but I just personally prefer the feel of the D300, each person is different.

[VinnyP]

I also much prefer the feel and many other things about the D300. But there are some things on the D90 that might be useful for someone starting out that are not on the D300.

[santacruz]

I would recommend the Nikon D90 with 16-85 in this case. You can adjust ISO in the low light situation without paying high budget on the 24-70mm lens.

[Dookie]

Just a quick question Nugget. Are you new to DSLR or are you new to shooting with a SLR altogether?
Low light and fast moving objects is a bit of a challenge I think, or can be a challenge, for almost any camera and lens - it all depends on the setup. If you are just starting out you might want to look for a lens that can give you good low light shooting but as well as versitility for other type of shooting, but if you know what you want is low light for sure then Yeah f2.8 or wider is best.
Cheers

[Nugget]

Wow. So many helpful posts. Thanks guys. Dookie, I am new to DSLR. I have an old school SLR, but can't say that I ever got very technical with it. I suppose the range that I'm looking for in a lens is the low light portrait (but the kids are never still for the photo) and then the other likely scenario is that we spend a lot of time at the beach, but I think I might be asking too much from a lens to cover both scenarios. And anyway my point and shot digital camera does an okay job of those kind of outdoor snaps. So, in that respect I am beginning to err on the side of a good low light portrait lens.

I remain a little confused, but better educated.

[Dabhand16]

I think Vinny has nailed it. 17-55 f2.8 used at abot £500 and the 85mm f1.8 £285 new or less used will do the job.

[Dutchie]

I totally agree with Vinny. Plus the 24-70 lens is I would imagine very heavy on the D90. The 17-55 is a bit more balanced and very good too. By all means, the 24-70 is a brilliant lens, but hook it up to a D300 sounds better.

Plus you don't want to run after toddlers with a heavy camera with lens. I've got 3 of them running around, and most certainly the primes have given me a lot better results as they are quick in focussing.

[dan_fmx]

Ever thought of a 50mm f1.8. These bright plastic beauties are one of nikons best lenses and is probably the cheapest. Then get a camera on what suits your photography expereince. If you have little go a d40,60,80,90 and if you are more advanced go d200 or 300

[muscle750]

Well heres my eldest daughter a D300 and a 17 55


If thats any help

And before anyone tells me the wb is a mile off thats exactly the colour the background was