D750 body only or kit

Nikon newbie · Mar 14, 2016

Hey nikon D750 lovers, so looking to purchase and I'm not sure if I should buy the body only or kit with the lens .price difference with sale tags would be about $700 , the lens is 24-120 retail price is crazy 1500$ keep in mind I'm Canadian folks, I really don't know if I would use this, I have two prime lenses , and going to purchase a 70-200, thinking body only but I'd like your opinion to secure my thoughts !

Derrel · Mar 15, 2016

Tough call I suppose, but that is a hefty savings on the 24-120 VR lens. it's a lens that gets trash-talked by many people, yet the people who use it manage to make some good photos with it. YES, to a 70-200 lens for much work done on FX Nikon, for sure. The 24-120 has VR, and wide range of focal lengths, but there is also the new 24-85mm VR lens as an option. It's difficult to advise people on lenses like the 24-120...there's a lot of divided opinion about that lens, and also about that "kind of zoom"...

On photo forums there are a lot of people who say they favor prime lenses, or who totally loathe utility zooms, and yet...I see people who like the 24-120 and who make good photos with it because, a lot of the time, the best picture results from having the right lens on the camera RIGHT NOW!

The reason for a lens like a 24-120mm zoom is like this--it is the difference between seeing a shot, and setting the zoom ring to the right focal length and focusing and shooting in two seconds, or needing to futz around, remove a lens, then put on another "better lens", and missing the shot. it's the difference between carrying a 24, a 28, a 35, a 50, and an 85 and a 105mm lens...six different primes that weigh maybe eight pounds, as opposed to one zoom.

jaomul · Mar 15, 2016

Personally I'd advise get the kit. Worst case scenario and you are not delighted with the lens and you could probably sell it for the price you paid extra on the camera by getting a kit.

I won't try to sell you on this lens, but having read ok to great reviews on it I didn't expect much. 2 friends recently bought the d750 and 24-120 kits, both are delighted with the lens. One guy also uses a 300mm f2.8 vr monster, so his standards with gear is pretty high

cgw · Mar 15, 2016

Nikon Canada prices are set to increase April 1 to catch up with the weak loonie, so don't put a decision off for much longer. Check photoprice.ca but also drill down into dealers' sites(Aden, Vistek, Henry's). Don't be shy about price-matching, especially with BestBuy. Nikon Canada is offering deals on FX bodies and lenses that expires soon.

goodguy · Mar 15, 2016

Dont like too much this 24-120mm even though for some its a good lens
Being f4 I just find it limiting.
I say save up a little more and get a 70-200mm 2.8 lens
For about 700$ you can get a used Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 OS or a little more a used Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 VC

Derrel · Mar 15, 2016

goodguy said:
Dont like too much this 24-120mm even though for some its a good lens
Being f4 I just find it limiting.
I say save up a little more and get a 70-200mm 2.8 lens
For about 700$ you can get a used Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 OS or a little more a used Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 VC

A great example of a narrow angle of view tool (a 70-200, an all-telephoto zoom) as opposed to a lens that has wide, semi wide, normal, short telephoto and medium telephoto angles of view. from Nikon's Lens Simulator tool at Nikon | Imaging Products | NIKKOR Lens Simulator

24mm>>80 degrees, 60 minutes
28mm>>75 degrees 20 minutes
35mm>> 63 degrees 20 minutes
43mm>>53 degrees 20 minutes
50mm>>46 degrees 40 minutes
60mm>>39 degrees 40 minutes
70mm>>34 degrees 20 minutes
85mm>>28 degrees 30 minutes
105mm>23 degrees 10 minutes
120mm>20 degrees 20 minutes
*******************************************
70-200mm f/4 lens specs:

135mm>18 degrees 10 minutes
153mm>16 degrees 00 minutes
180mm>13 degrees 40 minutes
200mm>12 degrees 20 minutes
******************************************

24-120mm zoom range is 60 degrees 40 minutes of angle

70-200mm zoom range is 22 degrees 00 minutes of angle

What lens to buy is determined by what kind of a tool you want to buy...an all-on-one, utility zoom with VR, or an all-telephoto zoom lens that is geared toward being used as part of a two-lens 24-70mm + 70-200mm kit, OR being used with four short prime lenses (24,28,35,50mm primes), plus the 70-200 zoom.

robbins.photo · Mar 15, 2016

Nikon newbie said:
Hey nikon D750 lovers, so looking to purchase and I'm not sure if I should buy the body only or kit with the lens .price difference with sale tags would be about $700 , the lens is 24-120 retail price is crazy 1500$ keep in mind I'm Canadian folks, I really don't know if I would use this, I have two prime lenses , and going to purchase a 70-200, thinking body only but I'd like your opinion to secure my thoughts !

A lot would depend on what you shoot, of course, but if you don't think you'd need the lens then I'd probably save the money and go with just the camera body. Nothing against the lens itself of course, I've shot a few of these all around lenses and they have come a long way in image quality in just the past few years. But if it's something you don't see yourself using much, well not much point in buying it just so it will collect dust in your bag.