guttaperk

<p>Having read everything you've written, it sounds like primes might be a good way to go. Just an alternative thought!</p>

<p>(1) You'd save weight. The D300s is already heavier than his old gear, so saving weight is good. Besides, weight-saving is important for folk who go on hikes.<br>

(2) Simplicity. The D300s will already have plenty of new arenas for him to explore.<br>

(3) Price.<br>

(4) Quality. Buying primes allows you to get faster glass than is currently possible with zooms.</p>

<p>You can get a 35 f/1.8, a 50 f/1.8, and an 85 f/1.8 for just a few hundred dollars, and his preferences in using this triad would inform any follow-up purposes later, whether wide-angle zoom, normal zoom, short-telephoto, or longer-telephoto. Candidates would include 10-20, 18-55/2.8, 50-150/2.8, 70-200/2.8, 70-300, 100-300/4. Choices abound, so I'm not sure buying (relatively) blind is a good idea. I get your point about not giving him money or taking him shopping, and I guess I think that testing the waters with primes might be a decent alternative.</p>

<p>I say go for the D300 kit. People here don't seem to be listening to your reasoning.<br>

Only thing is, don't get a Nikon bag. Get something decent from Domke, Lowepro, or ThinkTank instead!</p>

<p>Yes.</p>

<p>The ISO should be kept as low as possible, but *not* so low that the histogram peak is leftwards.<br>

That just results in underexposure-associated increases in noise.</p>

<p>DX is NOT digital cropping.<br>

Digital cropping involves cropping/loss of image data taken by the sensor; DX does NOT.</p>

<p>Too many superior (for me) alternatives. My order of preference:<br>

(1) Aperture<br>

(2) Lightroom<br>

(3) Picasa<br>

(4) iPhoto</p>