The Nikon D90

It wasn't an easy choice.  Ok, let me take a step back.  Nothing is an easy choice for me.  I am as indecisive as they come.  On top of that, as I have mentioned, I am just an amateur with this foreign object that is the basis of my blog.  So, trying to decide which camera was right for me was a lengthy task.  Unfortunately, there is always the issue of a budget. Budget was set at $1,200. Then there was the question of Canon or Nikon.  I quickly learned that Nikons are designed by photographers, where as Canons are designed by engineers.  It is personal preference, and I knew I was more of a right-side-of-the-brain person.  Nikon it was.
The bulk of my material will be traveling, people (adults more than children), and cats; specifically Venus (see next blog).  In order to cover the bases, I chose the Nikon 18-105mm VR Lens (zoom lens) and the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens (prime lens). This zoom lens is high performance but cost efficient, and is useful in a broad range of shooting settings. The wide zoom range allows me to shoot buildings and scenery while the telephoto zoom range is ideal for portraits.  It has a focal length between 18 and 105 mm, with a focal length equivalent to 27 to 157.5 mm in 35 mm. (The format is designed to be used with my D90.)  The high-performance allows me to create high resolution and high contrast photos. And did I mention the shutter speed on this lens is the equivalent of a shutter speed three stops faster than standard lenses!  Next there is the prime lens.  Prime lenses used to be the only type of lens available.  They are much cheaper because duh, they don't zoom. But, they are sharper than a tack and great for people like me who are just learning about photography.  And thank you to B&H for a great deal on all of this.

Ok, so my camera knows a lot more than I do, but hopefully not for long.....