70-200 VRI or a Lot of Gear...? Which to buy!

[D-B-J]

I'm sure you all know I've recently become addicted to landscape photography. I love it. I've been wanting to upgrade my 80-200 2.8D for years... and when I graduate in a month I was planning to. However, for the same price I can get the following:

Lee 105mm circular polarizer
Lee 105mm adapter (for the polarizer)
Lee 0.9 ND
Hi Tech 0.6 Reverse GND hard
Nikon SB700
Pocketwizard tt5
Another flash stand/umbrella/reflector setup.
Nikon 50mm 1.8G

BUT, the conundrum is this. I currently have a few portrait shoots coming up, and am shooting an indoor reception in the fall. I think I'd use the 70-200 for these, but is that so? Would I actually? I feel like I might be more apt to use my 50mm and 85mm and 17-50 2.8OS indoors... and my 85mm 1.8G for the portrait sessions. Really, I've fallen in love with landscape photography, and have been wanting to get a few more filters, upgrade my 50, and grab another flash...


Thoughts?

Jake


P.S., Currently, my 80-200 2.8D has sat in my bag for months.... I just think buying all those smaller things would get SO much more use than upgrading my 80-200 2.8 right now.

 

[wyogirl]

Personally I'd buy all the other stuff first. It sounds to me like you have enough glass in your collection that you could wait on that 70-200. That's just my opinion.

 

[sm4him]

I would absolutely upgrade that 80-200 first. Because then you could sell it to ME, for a *really* deep discount. :lmao:

Sadly, I guess I'd really have to agree with wyogirl. It sounds like you already know it, too, that you'd likely get more "bang for your buck" by adding some of the other things, like an additional speed light and filters, to your bag.

But if anyone manages to talk you into upgrading that lens, let me know what you want for the OLD, worn out, nearly useless 80-200 you've got…

 

[D-B-J]

I would absolutely upgrade that 80-200 first. Because then you could sell it to ME, for a *really* deep discount. :lmao:

Sadly, I guess I'd really have to agree with wyogirl. It sounds like you already know it, too, that you'd likely get more "bang for your buck" by adding some of the other things, like an additional speed light and filters, to your bag.

But if anyone manages to talk you into upgrading that lens, let me know what you want for the OLD, worn out, nearly useless 80-200 you've got…

Hahaha, I'll let you know if and when I ever sell it.

Thanks,
Jake


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[D-B-J]

Personally I'd buy all the other stuff first. It sounds to me like you have enough glass in your collection that you could wait on that 70-200. That's just my opinion.

I know. I'm slowly realizing it's so much more logical to spend my money on all those "little" things...
But I want a 70-200!! Haha

Jake


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[Derrel]

A $300 105mm square circular polarizer sounds like a PITA to me.

 

[D-B-J]

A $300 105mm square circular polarizer sounds like a PITA to me.

Nono, it's the circular one. It fits on the front of the lee holder system with the adapter. I could really use one for long exposures with water, to add contrast and allow me to see more of what's beneath the water.

Jake


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[robbins.photo]

Well I for one get a ton of use out of my 70-200 mm. It's pretty much my bread and butter lens, on my camera the vast majority of the time really. Of course I always do a completely different style of photography so.. umm, ya - most likely you wouldn't get quite as much use out of it as I do but then again it is a pretty hand thing to have in the kit.

One thing I would look at would be the money on hand aspect. For example, I will be purchasing a second D5200 myself here tomorrow. There are a few other things I could probably add to my kit, indeed a couple of things on my wishlist that would prove very useful and a lot cheaper. However it is for that reason that I am putting off buying the smaller stuff and getting the camera body now, because I have the money on hand to get the camera body at the moment. I can pick up a lot of the smaller items pretty much at will or when a good deal comes along on them and not have to worry about putting some money aside first.

So yup, I'll get the second camera body now and then look at adding maybe a 35 mm 1.8 G or something along those lines later, because I know I can take enough out of one check to cover that and not miss it much - whereas $500 is kind of pushing that limit more than a bit and it's something I will generally need at least a couple if not more paychecks of setting money aside before I can cover it.

Not sure if that will change your personal equation or not, it's all pretty much a "whatever you think you will do you the most good" sort of affair really, but hopefully that will help.

 

[D-B-J]

A $300 105mm square circular polarizer sounds like a PITA to me.

But maybe it's a moot point... I completely forgot about the banding issue when using a polarizer on a wide angle lens... so maybe I won't bother getting one.

Hmmmm.... decisions decisions decisions...

 

[D-B-J]

Well I for one get a ton of use out of my 70-200 mm. It's pretty much my bread and butter lens, on my camera the vast majority of the time really. Of course I always do a completely different style of photography so.. umm, ya - most likely you wouldn't get quite as much use out of it as I do but then again it is a pretty hand thing to have in the kit.

One thing I would look at would be the money on hand aspect. For example, I will be purchasing a second D5200 myself here tomorrow. There are a few other things I could probably add to my kit, indeed a couple of things on my wishlist that would prove very useful and a lot cheaper. However it is for that reason that I am putting off buying the smaller stuff and getting the camera body now, because I have the money on hand to get the camera body at the moment. I can pick up a lot of the smaller items pretty much at will or when a good deal comes along on them and not have to worry about putting some money aside first.

So yup, I'll get the second camera body now and then look at adding maybe a 35 mm 1.8 G or something along those lines later, because I know I can take enough out of one check to cover that and not miss it much - whereas $500 is kind of pushing that limit more than a bit and it's something I will generally need at least a couple if not more paychecks of setting money aside before I can cover it.

Not sure if that will change your personal equation or not, it's all pretty much a "whatever you think you will do you the most good" sort of affair really, but hopefully that will help.

That's the issue. I know I'd use it... but I may just use all those other pieces more...

 

[sm4him]

robbins makes a good point though. When is the next time you're likely to have this much in a lump sum to spend on upgrading to a 70-200? It might just make sense to go ahead with that purchase NOW while you have those funds.

Then decide which of the other things are top on the priority list and start acquiring them one by one, as you can save up for them.

 

[D-B-J]

robbins makes a good point though. When is the next time you're likely to have this much in a lump sum to spend on upgrading to a 70-200? It might just make sense to go ahead with that purchase NOW while you have those funds.

Then decide which of the other things are top on the priority list and start acquiring them one by one, as you can save up for them.

I know.. It is a very good point... Hmmmmm


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[bc_steve]

The 70-200 can be useful for landscape shots as well, especially if you want to make something like the sun or the moon look big. I use mine more for landcapes than I expected that I would.

I was going to say 70-200 all the way, but you already have the 80-200? Never used that lens but how much of an upgrade is the 70-200? Maybe you would get better bang for your buck spending elsewhere...

 

[jaomul]

I don't really see much benefit for landscape that a 70-200 will give over the 80-200. I'd nearly say the f2.8 isn't necessary either for landscape. It's a big spend so be sure it's not just a want but a non requirement

 

[Mike_E]

If you already have the range and it sits in your bag what's the point?

Why not take your bag and spend the money on going somewhere that's a great place to shoot and make some memories?

The 'real world' after all is sometimes a harsh mistress, it may be some time before you can get the chance to break away again.