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Digital SLR Bag - Tamrac 5766 Velocity 6x

Author Thomas | 16.06.2008 | Category Accessories

Purchasing and using a Digital SLR camera is a lot of fun; however, most standard bags that “come with” your purchase tend to be too large to sling over your shoulder and use while out in the field.

Holsters and sling bags have become quite popular as a means to carry your SLR camera with just the bare necessities.

As I searched for a bag, I wanted to find one that would protect my camera. There are a lot of very small bags out there that don’t offer a lot of padding and protection. I decided to go with the Tamrac 5766 Velocity 6x Compact Sling Pack.

The bag is small enough to be comfortable to wear. and easy to take with you to sporting events, on a hike, or to family events. The camera I use is the Nikon D60 which is more compact than other DSLR cameras, so check how your camera compares to the D60 in size. If the body of your camera is ridiculously big, it might not fit in the bag very well. The D60 I have had room to spare in the bag.

The bag can be slung across your chest and worn at the side of your hip or cinched up as sling/backpack.

The Tamrac bag is well designed and a great fit if you’re looking for a small bag that will hold your SLR.

Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera Review

Author Thomas | 20.05.2008 | Category Electronics

The Nikon D60 is a great camera. It fits into the palm of your hand very well and takes great pictures. Sold in many different lens kit combinations, one of the most popular is with the 18-55mm lens and the 55-200mm lens both offering vibration reduction (more on that later).

Easy to use Presets - This is a camera for beginners, but pack enough punch for the pros. What’s great about the Nikon D60 is that it has presets for taking different types of pictures. Portraits, sports pictures, pictures of children (who won’t stay still very long for example), vistas, night shots, auto select, and more. You’ll learn about aperture and shutter speed and many more photo terms in time, but until then you can make use of the quick setting dial to select what type of photo situation you’re in.

If you want a camera that is easy to use from the get go (compared to other DSLRS, this is it). However, the camera has enough power behind it that a professional photographer could use it and still tweak the settings. So this is a camera that will grow with you so-to-speak.

Solid Construction - The camera feels like it’s heavy duty. It’s got a solid construction and doesn’t feel at all like the look-alike cameras made all of plastic.

Lenses - The 18-55mm lens is great for taking everyday pictures. The 55-200 lens is fantastic for zooming in on a subject; however, the lens is heavier and thus it’s harder to hold the camera still. You might want to look into a tripod or monopod to help hold the camera steady when using larger lenses or using slower shutter speeds.

I went to an NBA playoff game and sat 3rd row from the very top in the arena. Using a 200mm lens that came as part of the kit, I was able to zoom in and take some great photos (when my pictures are not so amateurish, perhaps I’ll post some).

Using the 55-200mm lens we snapped a picture of the moon. The black sky is cropped from the original, but you can see lots of detail on the moon.

Fuzzy Backgrounds - By far, the best thing I enjoy about using this camera is the ability to take a picture / portrait of someone and have the background be fuzzy thus creating a sharpness around the subject. Now you can do so with other less expensive cameras, but wanting to take great photos, I wanted a great, not just a good, camera.

Vibration Reduction - The D60 kit has Vibration Reduction (VR) built into the lenses and not into the camera body itself. From the Nikon material I read, this is supposed to be better than having the VR in the camera body.

SD Memory Card Types - I tried a slow speed SD Memory and a Class 6, 8 Gigabyte SDHC Memory card and it appeared that both took the ~3 pictures per second at the same rate. From what I’ve read, the D60 has a buffer that will capture the pictures and then transfer them to the card.

So you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest SD memory card, however, when you transfer pictures from the card to your computer, the fast the card, the faster the transfer will be. I did notice that transferring pictures to my computer was A LOT faster using the SDHC Class 6 card.

The Kit - I’m glad I got the D60 with the two lenses. The 18-55mm lens is great, but if I really need to zoom in, the 55-200mm does the job very well. Add a bag to your purchase. You don’t want to get a great camera only to go cheap on a bag that won’t protect your investment. Standard with each D60 is a neck strap. Use it so you don’t drop your camera. With all the peripherals, set a budget for yourself.

Accessories - Once you purchase your camera, you’ll find yourself headed back to purchase additional accessories that make using the camera even more fun. You can find the accessories online for very good prices.

One accessory that fits many Nikon SLR cameras (and yes, it does work for the D60) is the Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control. The remote lets you operate the shutter release without touching the camera. This is a great tool if you are taking pictures with a slow shutter speed or are taking a picture of a group, and you’re in the group. You don’t have to set the timer, run back to the group, have the picture taken, then go back and do it again because no one was looking. You can just hit the button on the remote and the shutter will release.

Where - The D60 is for sale on Amazon (with training DVD’s) at the following link: Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor Lens with 2 Nikon School DVD