Buying a Nikon doesn't make you a photographer.
It makes you a Nikon owner.
-Author Unknown-
I started off with a Nikon FM10, a popular beginners camera. It comes with a 35-70mm f/3.5 lens, which was pretty ok, but I didn't like it much. It always seems not fast enough, not sharp enough, too flimsy and a little too bulky.
This setup was later expended with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8, and I now uses it almost exclusively, loving it's speed and exceptionally sharpness. It's still rather flimsy, but that's something I can live with. Despite it's quality, it is remarkably cheap (~SGD$160).
Buying a Nikon doesn't make you a photographer.
It makes you a Nikon owner.
-Author Unknown-
I once read a book by a Korean war photographer, who mentioned that he always carries two camera bodies with him. One loaded with fast film, and the other with slow. This way, he'll be prepared for almost any situation out in the field. Since then, I've been on the look out for a good, cheap camera body, and I found it in the form of a second hand Nikon FM2 in Otaru Japan.
Now I usually carry two camera bodies with me whenever I travel. One with a long strap, and the other short, so they wouldn't knock against each other.
While I started with negatives, I'm using only slides now, prefering their higher contrast. A big part of the reason is also because negatives are pretty much unviewable without prints, while with slides, I usually develop but do not print them. If I see anything worth printing from the film, I'll make large prints for it, suitable for display.
I've designated my FM2 for slow film, and usually load it with Fuji Velvia 50. I'm quite fond of the sharpness and bright saturated colors of Velvia. The FM10 have had more roles than the FM2, but now it's mainly used with Fuji Provia 400F. Except under the brightest condition, the ISO 50 Velvia is too slow to be usable handheld. This is where the Provia 400F comes in, allowing me to shoot reasonably well without the hassle of setting up the tripod.
I hate cameras.
They are so much more sure than I am about everything.
-John Steinbeck-
The most important and most often overlooked component of a camera system. You just can't do any serious photography without a tripod. I've gone through two no-name tripods, before settling on my current Slik Pro 340DX. It's light, easy to setup and well constructed. It's not as tall as I would have liked, but I'll rather have a short and light tripod that I can carry comfortably, than a tall and heavy tripod that I leave at home.
I've used the Slik for about a year with it's original pan-and-tilt head, before replacing the head with a Manfrotto Proball 308RC. Both comes with a quick release, but the Manfrotto is easier to use (the securing latch locks in the open position and automatically snaps in place when the plate is pushed back in).
Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment,
too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.
-Minor White-