About to buy a D90. Which lenses, software, etc?

[Sailbikeski]

I think I'm there. D90. Or will it get an upgrade at big show in Feb 2010? Rumors...
I've long wanted to get good at photography but never gave self time to learn. So now between jobs, gonna take classes. Also need to upgrade gear from Nikon F-601 film to digital SLR.

Can I use the existing Nikkor 100-300 AF lens I have without losing any capabilities with new Nikon D90 features?

Regardless, when/if I get D90 should I get it with the Nikkor 18-105mm lens or should I get a standard 50mm and some other variations? I ask this only from a picture quality perpsective. I anticipate doing nature shots, wilderness, sports, landscapes, kids and family. I also have some learning to do so can't take on too much at once coz I'll confuse self... Age... So I'm thinking 2 lenses with range from 18mm to 300mm total should be pretty flexible. But what am I giving up?

Also, which software to use? I have a Mac, so is iPhoto sufficient at this time?

Thanks!

 

[IgsEMT]

D90 - great camera.
Your lens should be useful Nikon Reviews (though his word isn't G-D, still a nice table). It'll just be cropped to about 150-450
18-105 is a good enough walk around basic lens. IF going into more serious photography, the lens is slow (both af and f/stop).
I hear aperture is very popular in mac users. Also, LR, PS another big hitters. CaptureNX (Nikon's editing software not sure if it is available on Mac) I find it VERY useful for RAW files; it sux for batch work, that is where I LOVE LR.
Hope that helps, if you got any other Qs, don't hesitate to ask and PM if want to...

 

[rocdoc]

Regarding the software: if you are going to shoot raw (which is a great thing and gives you as much or more control over the picture after shooting as a dark room for film), I am very happy with Nikon's dedicated raw processing engine, Capture NX (now in version 2 I believe). iPhoto is good for sorting etc., but I gave up on it pretty quickly, it's kind of simple and too basic.
The lenses question is a lot more complex. Are you comfortable with primes? If so you certainly get higher quality from a couple of good primes. In wilderness and with kids though (not that the two are similar, although some times I wonder... ) it may limit you and a good zoom could come in handy. But there are so many factors, a lot of them strictly personal, that it won't be easy to answer. I have the D90, and since it is my first self-cleaning dSLR I swap lenses with some impunity on it, using a 35 mm Tokina prime, the old Nikon 50 mm f/1.8 (great bargain at a little over 100 bucks), and a Tamron 28-75 2.8 zoom for whenever I expect action needing adjustments of focal length. Next on the list is a longer zoom, and maybe a higher quality manual focus prime.

 

[rocdoc]

CaptureNX (Nikon's editing software not sure if it is available on Mac)

It's available and works great. In fact, it was one of the big reasons for my switch to mac, as my PC kept freezing on it...

 

[KmH]

I think I'm there. D90. Or will it get an upgrade at big show in Feb 2010? Rumors...
......So I'm thinking 2 lenses with range from 18mm to 300mm total should be pretty flexible. But what am I giving up?

Thanks!

If Nikon does change the D90, it will be out of cycle....... What they have been doing is changing their entery level model designations and getting the lower tier examples in the entry level category more competitive with Canon's entry level offerings. They haven't yet discontinued either the D40 nor the D60. But, the only sure way to find out, is wait till after Feb 2010 to buy.

18-300 is a lot of reach to cover with just 2 quality lenses. If top shelf lens quality isn't a goal, why worry about any upgrade to the D90 in a few months. Glass is always way more important than the body for good image quality.

 

[TJ K]

18-300 ay?

18-200mm
and
300mm 2.8


That's too big of range really for good glass. How about you go to 200mm and get
14-24 24-70 70-200 What's your price range?

 

[Sailbikeski]

Thanks all for the great support. I'm really appreciative!!! Great forum. Hope to become active contributing member soon myself. For example, had not thought about "speed" of lense.

Question for rocdoc: by prime, do you mean a non-zoom lense?

TJ K: 2 lenses. One going from 18-105mm and another from 100-300mm.

I'll likely buy from local high end photo outfit in Dallas and pay the extra for support. Take some classes and "invest" in D90 For Dummies at the outset. I'll start seperate post on classes.
Thanks again!!!

 

[rocdoc]

Hey,
Yes, prime means non-zoom. It was a leap when starting out, and after buying my first prime I only want to shoot those. I switch back and forth depending on circumstances and if I need convenience and speed of operation a zoom is good. When you can control your environment a bit though, the quality is superior for the price. As you can imagine, it is much easier to build a fixed focal length lens than having to build in the zooming mechanism and extra elements, so the quality is typically higher. If you have doubts, start out with something cheap - the old 50 mm f/1.8, or the new 35 mm f/1.8, both excellent lenses at bargain prices.