Choose one camera and ones lens...what would it be?

[tevo]

Nikon D3X
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8













(;

 

[MrsLittle]

Just grab a 50mm f1.8G and have fun. Grab the 85mm f1.8af-d too if you want. You'll be under budget and have enough $$ to grab that flash you'll want by next week!

The more time you spend trying to figure out what lens you want, the less time you'll be researching and learning photography. Most importantly, just get out there and take some photographs!

This might be a dumb question...If I'm going to be picking up two fixed lenses, shouldn't I just pick up the 50mm 1.4g? I honestly don't know the huge difference, which is why I'm a beginner. I look forward to learning more from you more established photographers.

 

[dots]

Why so afraid of the good third party lenses? There are A LOT of us here shooting with them and they are excellent pieces of equipment. Yes, there are some junk ones, but that's why you ask and research before you buy them.

It's not clearcut...that's the rub. And that's the tip of an iceberg. In a similar way, oodles of great, manual-focus glass is waved-away (although the DSLR focus-screen issue is an understandable factor..but where there's a will, there is a way!). Victorian, brass lenses even -- that's a whole other scene of image qualities.

2 cents.

 

[thereyougo!14 2]

Thanks! I have already planned on purchasing the 50mm f/1.8g, can't beat the price for its sharpness. Unfortunately the 24-70 and 70-200mm is out of my price range. I do want to stick with a Nikon lens and not any other brand. WIth my luck, they would break the same day.

If you plan on avoiding third party lenses, you will either become very poor or have very few lenses. So be poor or restrict your photography? I'd say neither. I can't get many third party for my Pentax 645D as Sigma don't do medium format. If they did, they would be firmly on my shopping list. For my Canon 5D mkII I have the Sigma 85 f/1.4, the Sigma 10 - 20 DC for crop , replaced that with the original Sigma DG 12-24, and I have looked at several others but I have L glass for 16-35, 24-70 70 - 200 and a 28 - 300L lens. Is SIgma as good as my L glass? Of course not, but I have looked at the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and it is an excellent lens. I would never buy the Nikon 18-200 over it or the Canon equivalent. Good glass is good glass, no matter what label is on it. Sigma's quality is fantastic and their guarantees are better than Canon's.

I'm primarily a landscape person, but I still use tele's on occasion and sometime I do take portraits. You will sometimes find yourself needing something a bit wider, and 24mm on a crop isn't THAT wide for it to be not useable for some portraits. In fact it could be a life saver in large groups in an awkward space.
If you were to buy the Sigma for now and then trade to the Nikon 24-70, you would most likely get a fair deal on the Sigma glass as it is highly rated. That constant 2.8 aperture really comes in useful. They are hardy lenses, and mine have been around the world and handled occasionally not as they should when I have been forced to check in a bag on a tiny plane.

 

[thereyougo!14 2]

Just grab a 50mm f1.8G and have fun. Grab the 85mm f1.8af-d too if you want. You'll be under budget and have enough $$ to grab that flash you'll want by next week!

The more time you spend trying to figure out what lens you want, the less time you'll be researching and learning photography. Most importantly, just get out there and take some photographs!

This might be a dumb question...If I'm going to be picking up two fixed lenses, shouldn't I just pick up the 50mm 1.4g? I honestly don't know the huge difference, which is why I'm a beginner. I look forward to learning more from you more established photographers.

You're not being dumb, I think that you're just looking at it from the wrong angle. I would rather have a 1.8 nifty fifty and a 85 than a Great 50 that is only 1 stop faster and no 85. That is such an easy trade off. I'm not a nikon shooter but I know the 1.4 is a great lens, but I wouldn't restrict my photography by it. You can always part ex the 1.8 as you continue and save up. Personally I would still go the Sigma route and get the 1.8 50 if you have enough left over. Oh and the Sigma 85 is a very nice lens indeed. Nice bokeh and very sharp. I bought one in toronto earlier in the year, I forgot that I had already bought the Canon EF 85 f/1.8. Both great lenses. Which is better - generally about a draw.

 

[MrsLittle]

Thanks! I have already planned on purchasing the 50mm f/1.8g, can't beat the price for its sharpness. Unfortunately the 24-70 and 70-200mm is out of my price range. I do want to stick with a Nikon lens and not any other brand. WIth my luck, they would break the same day.

If you plan on avoiding third party lenses, you will either become very poor or have very few lenses. So be poor or restrict your photography? I'd say neither. I can't get many third party for my Pentax 645D as Sigma don't do medium format. If they did, they would be firmly on my shopping list. For my Canon 5D mkII I have the Sigma 85 f/1.4, the Sigma 10 - 20 DC for crop , replaced that with the original Sigma DG 12-24, and I have looked at several others but I have L glass for 16-35, 24-70 70 - 200 and a 28 - 300L lens. Is SIgma as good as my L glass? Of course not, but I have looked at the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and it is an excellent lens. I would never buy the Nikon 18-200 over it or the Canon equivalent. Good glass is good glass, no matter what label is on it. Sigma's quality is fantastic and their guarantees are better than Canon's.
If you were to buy the Sigma for now and then trade to the Nikon 24-70, you would most likely get a fair deal on the Sigma glass as it is highly rated. That constant 2.8 aperture really comes in useful. They are hardy lenses, and mine have been around the world and handled occasionally not as they should when I have been forced to check in a bag on a tiny plane.

So you are suggesting that I choose the Sigma 24-70mm over the 85mm 1.8? I'm fairly certain I will be going with the 85mm as my portrait lens.

 

[thereyougo!14 2]

Thanks! I have already planned on purchasing the 50mm f/1.8g, can't beat the price for its sharpness. Unfortunately the 24-70 and 70-200mm is out of my price range. I do want to stick with a Nikon lens and not any other brand. WIth my luck, they would break the same day.

If you plan on avoiding third party lenses, you will either become very poor or have very few lenses. So be poor or restrict your photography? I'd say neither. I can't get many third party for my Pentax 645D as Sigma don't do medium format. If they did, they would be firmly on my shopping list. For my Canon 5D mkII I have the Sigma 85 f/1.4, the Sigma 10 - 20 DC for crop , replaced that with the original Sigma DG 12-24, and I have looked at several others but I have L glass for 16-35, 24-70 70 - 200 and a 28 - 300L lens. Is SIgma as good as my L glass? Of course not, but I have looked at the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and it is an excellent lens. I would never buy the Nikon 18-200 over it or the Canon equivalent. Good glass is good glass, no matter what label is on it. Sigma's quality is fantastic and their guarantees are better than Canon's.
If you were to buy the Sigma for now and then trade to the Nikon 24-70, you would most likely get a fair deal on the Sigma glass as it is highly rated. That constant 2.8 aperture really comes in useful. They are hardy lenses, and mine have been around the world and handled occasionally not as they should when I have been forced to check in a bag on a tiny plane.

So you are suggesting that I choose the Sigma 24-70mm over the 85mm 1.8? I'm fairly certain I will be going with the 85mm as my portrait lens.

Not necessarily. What I'm saying is don't limit yourself. If the weather is not so great and you are left shooting indoors an effective cropped FOV of 127mm will be pretty limiting. You could get a good third party 85 and a 50 most likely within your budget. In the UK the prices tend to be higher than in US. Don't be scared of third party. You can usually get a fast lens for the price of a standard speed Nikon. I certainly wouldn't limit yourself with just one focal length. the suggestion of the 24 - 85 is a good one, perhaps better than mine. But Sigma etc do provide often cheaper occasionally better options which have good resale values. My real advice is not to discount these from your thoughts particularly not the Sigma 85 which is a great lens for the money. It might also be worth looking at good quality used.

 

[Derrel]

D7000 and Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. Should be good for a $2,000, one-lens setup. I cannot agree with a 24-85mm zoom: I have the Nikkor 24-85 AF-S model, and it's too long, at 24mm, on 1.5x. You will WANT the wide-angle end of 17 or 18mm on a D7000.