Finally bought a DSLR

[John McIntire]

Well I decided it was time to step up and buy a DSLR. I'm new to it, so I went with the Nikon D5000. I got the 18-55 and the 55-200 lens with it and have been playing around a bit. There is so much to learn!
I know there are a lot of photographers on here, both pro and hobbyist and if you have any insight you'd like to share or any sites that you can point me to I'd appreciate it!
Look for some photos soon!

[Nessumsar]

You should really like that body, and good choice on the lenses. I have an 18-55 and a 70-300 lens, and really wish I had something in between. I'm thinking about picking up a 55-200 and a lens multiplier.

[sebtarta]

nice, welcome to the DSLR world. If you can and have time, try going to nikon for some online courses.

They are very helpful and open the doors to any camera you have.

[John McIntire]

Thanks for the replies guys. Been messing around with it today and it's just amazing how well it takes pictures!

Jon, not to sound dumb, but whats a lens multiplier?(without me doing a search first!)

Sebtarta, I bought the camera from a local camera shop that matched the price of the big chain stores. I got a lot more than I would have gotten at the big store as far as demonstration and tips and just a friendly experience. The guy also threw in a DVD and a ticket to a Nikon School seminar that they have in the fall, can't wait!

[Nessumsar]

A lens multiplier is an additional lens that goes inbetween the body and your normal lens. They come in different strengths and let you adjustably magnify your regular lens. For example, it could turn your 55-200 into a 55-400.

[yellowrallys]

I have the same kit. I've added a few more lenses, and I use a free photo editing program called Photoscape as well as Photoshop Elements 8.
I like flickr for hosting, easy to use and millions of photos and a lot of info. Here's a link to my page.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemoore19/

[wmhjr]

A lens multiplier is an additional lens that goes inbetween the body and your normal lens. They come in different strengths and let you adjustably magnify your regular lens. For example, it could turn your 55-200 into a 55-400.

Actually it turns a 55-200 into a 110-400. But more importantly, lens multipliers typically reduce the quality of the image and require more light. They'll turn an F2.8 lens into an F4 or more and can add a bunch of artifacts. If you have some really nice lenses you'll see them when you start playing with the images. They really do reduce the image quality quite a bit. And if you're using a VR lens and trying to take some fast action shots, good luck.

dpreviews is a good place to get info. Steves-digicams can be helpful. There are a bunch of places.

You have a great start. I love my D3000, and it can make for some wonderful shots.

[Rhino]

Another downfall of some multipliers is that you lose the electronic link between the lens and body. The lens info won't be in your EXIF data, and possibly lose auto focus.

I'm a Canon guy, so I'm not sure of what glass Nikon offers. The lens I use the most is a 28-135. It's a great "walk around" range.

You'll be tempted to buy cheaper lenses, but don't do it. It is the absolute most important item in image quality. A good lens will be noticeably sharper, and include ultrasonic motors which auto focus in a fraction of the time. There's been plenty of shots I would have missed had it not been for a good auto focus.

[yellowrallys]

An 18-105mm 3.5 stays on my d5000 most of the time. Good for all-around shooting.