advice on what to get next

[DanBMX]

i currently have a nikon d3000, and am struggling to prioritise what i would like next.
i will mainly be shooting, mounntain bikes and bmx.

i am unsure whether to buy a 35mm af nikon lense and a sb600 flash, or a 10.5mm fisheye?

these are my two options and im not sure which id benefit most from.

if i was to buy the 35mm and sb600 what would i need so i could use the flash off camera as well as on, as i have no idea what triggers, recievers i would need etc.

Thanks
Dan

 

[tirediron]

With the whole range of equipment available, why are these two your only options? I can think of a number of other lenses that would be more useful for your stated purpose. How about giving us a list of your current kit and budget. Right off the bat though, I would say that a 17-50 f2.8 would be something you might want to consider.

The fisheye effect from the 10.5 is neat. The first few times and then the novely wears off. Quickly. A 35mm prime is a useful lens for a lot of things, but I don't see it being as wide as you would need for closer-in action shots. An SB-600 is a useful addition to any gadget bag, but again, not sure that it would be as beneficial as a fast, wide zoom.

 

[Geaux]

Tirediron hit the nail on the head, as usual.

I love my 35 1.8, wouldn't trade it for anything, especially for its price. I also feel the same about my sb600. For you to use the sb600 off camera, you'd need some triggers. Look into CowboyStudio NPT-04's ... cheap (20 bucks) and they get the job done. You can also get some cheap flash stands from same company. Got mine with bracket to attach flash + umbrella for 30 bucks or so. Good enough for a beginner.

If you're really set on fisheye, look into Rokinon, Bower, Samyang, etc. it's an 8mm MF fisheye that is relatively cheap (can be found for 250-300 bucks) -- Bower 8 mm NIKON Digital SLR Camera Fish-Eye Lens | Overstock.com

I have the same camera along with the 35mm, sb600, and newly aquired Sigma 10-20 Ultra Wide. Feel free to shoot me any questions or if you want examples of each.

 

[DanBMX]

d3000
18-55mm f3.5-5.6
55-200mm f4-5.6
tripod

they were just two options i had considered, i thought a fisheye would be a good addition but i did also think that its probably a lense that would be used so infrequently.

i would like something that would be good for fast action shots, and thought a flash would help when in the woods as it can often be quite dark.

all this help is greatly appreciated, anything you can let me know is going to help, so keep it coming please

Dan

 

[Fender5388]

haha bmx thats awesome! im a bmx photographer too. so ill tell you what i think/ use.
i dont know how long youve been shooting, but a fisheye especially the nikon you will only use 1 percent of the time. its nicd for some shots but it gets old fast. also if you are real new to photography stay away from off camera flash for awhile when it comes to bmx, its better to get good at natural lit photos first. IMO. but if you want to go the flash route i would invest in two vivitar 285HVs with aleinbee cybersync tranmitters and recievers. they are cheaper then pocket wizards and will work just as well with what your doing. and the vivitar 285 are about 80 dollars new and are amazing, but they are manual flashes and dont work with ttl on your camera.

as far as the lens if you dont have one get a 50mm 1.8 lens, its really cheap and the lens i use for 99 percent of my bmx shots, the other 1 percent being my fisheye. a 35mm is to wide really for bmx, unless im using my fisheye, i want to be back away from the action to get the whole scene of whats going on, i do however have a 28mm that i use for alot of street photography and landscapes.

hope this helps

 

[Fender5388]

two vivitar 285HVs and the 50mm 1.8 lens i mentioned

just the 50mm

the 2 flashes again and the above mentioned Rokinon 8mm fisheye

 

[ajkramer87]

Depends on your budget. Id stay away from the 50mm with that body unless you want to manual focus it. Nikon makes a 50 1.4 that will auto focus on that body but cost a little more than the 1.8 version. Ive never shoot bmx but Id think having auto focus would be a big help.

 

[DanBMX]

i had considered the 50mm 1.8 but felt the manual focus would make it alot harder with bmx/mtb shots.

so it seems a 50mm1.4 is a good option? avoid flashes for a while, and wait it out for a fisheye as they are a lense that is used sparingly.

what other lenses would people reccomend?

Dan

 

[Fender5388]

i had considered the 50mm 1.8 but felt the manual focus would make it alot harder with bmx/mtb shots.

so it seems a 50mm1.4 is a good option? avoid flashes for a while, and wait it out for a fisheye as they are a lense that is used sparingly.

what other lenses would people reccomend?

Dan

honestly i used an old nikon series e 50mm for the longest time with my D40 and the manual focus was a pain but not a deal breaker.
but i might suggest something with a longer reach if thats what you want

 

[DanBMX]

i have a 55-200mm, i was looking for a prime lense really, maybe two, depending on how rich i feel haah.

Dan

 

[Fender5388]

i have a 55-200mm, i was looking for a prime lense really, maybe two, depending on how rich i feel haah.

Dan

personally i would really like to get the nikon 85mm prime lens

 

[DanBMX]

hmm, i went out shooting today in the woods, and found it was too dark, and that i had to compensate with a longer exposure making my subject blurry.

so im set on a prime lense, with a low f-stop? is that the best way to describe it?

now jsut to work out which one

Dan