What Equipment Next?

[BoxPhotographer]

I own a Nikon D80, Sb-600, 18-200 Nikkor lens, Stroboframe camera flip. I am shooting portrait, lots of stuff in the dark (dancing, assemblies etc.), mostly indoors. Which do I need first? A better flash or a new lens?

 

[IgsEMT]

both?
You camera is fine, sure technology has changed since and b/n d90 and d300s (your SD cards) you can get about 1-2 extra stop, nonetheless the camera is fine. Your lens is a bit soft thus see if you can boost up the sharpness, it'll do the trick. Your flash - I use my sb600 for anything I'd need w/i 15-20feet of my livingroom. I'll also use it as a backlight, with umbrella for portraits and anything that I need to accent. My on-camera light is Sb800 (totally in love with it).
Which First - since you can't find relatively cheap sb800 now adays, you're left with sb900 (darn $500 piece of equipment with mixed reviews). Out of 6ppl who I know personally, one of them is a hobbiest and likes his sb900, other 5 are wedding photographers and hate the units thus stick with sb800.
So you're b/n a rock and a hardplace - $500 on a flash or $2000 on 70-200 2.8 nikon glass (great for portraits, various social functions, dancing IF you're in the audience). Perhaps if you can be a bit specific what you're looking for - which lens, which flash, etc, I can be more helpful
good luck

 

[gsgary]

If you don't know what you need, you don't need it

 

[TJ K]

Fast glass is nice to have. Especially if you're doing dances and things like that generally flash isn't permitted indoors so I nice 2.8 zoom or 1.8 prime would be good to have for those low light situations. So i would say glass now lighting later. GL!
tj

 

[KmH]

I own a Nikon D80, Sb-600, 18-200 Nikkor lens, Stroboframe camera flip. I am shooting portrait, lots of stuff in the dark (dancing, assemblies etc.), mostly indoors. Which do I need first? A better flash or a new lens?

IMO, you have a horrible lens for doing portraits. It has the worst distortion of any Nikon lens made today.

From DP Reviews studio tests:
Distortion is a problem at almost all focal lengths. The 18mm setting displays an extremely high level of barrel distortion (2.8%), which changes rapidly to pincushion by 24mm, and becomes extreme from 35mm to 70mm (peaking at 50mm and 2.3%), before diminishing again towards the telephoto end.

The distortion shown by this lens in our studio tests was so marked that we felt it merited illustration with some real-world shots. Barrel distortion at wideangle isn't unusual on zooms, but this lens is worse than most, and it has a complex 'wave' pattern with recorrection towards the corners, making software correction relatively tricky. It's also rare that we find pincushion distortion so pronounced as to be visually disturbing, but that can be the case between 35mm and 70mm; the good news is that the pattern is simpler, and can be readily corrected in software if desired.

Plus, it's a variable aperture zoom that has a very limited maximum aperture (f/3.5 to f/5.6) for indoor shooting.

I'd get a better lens/lenses first. One with a constant aperture that can open to at least f/2.8. You can sell the 18-200 to help fund getting glass better suited to the genre of photography you are doing.

 

[BoxPhotographer]

Which portrait lens do you guys recommend?

 

[Wolverinepwnes]

a new lens, save up for a fast f/2.8 lens!

 

[NateWagner]

that or pick up a nice prime... I don't know a lot about nikon, but I believe the 85 1.4 is pretty amazing.

 

[Atlas77]

As said, get yourself a new lens thats better for portraits and your other needs. After you get yourself a lens you can look at a new "up to date" body later on.

I agree with nate, get yourself a nice prime and another lens. And sell that 18-200.

 

[astrostu]

Glass.

 

[fiveoboy01]

What is your budget, since no one has asked yet...

 

[KmH]

Well, the 18-200 will be easy to sell, so say the budget is about $700 to start. That puts the OP in line for something like a used AF 24-85mm f/2.8-4D (it has a 1:2 macro capability from 35 mm to 85mm too). An AF-S 35 mm f/1.8G ($200) and an AF 50 mm f/1.8D ($125) together are only $325 new.

 

[BoxPhotographer]

Budget-under 1000 for sure better off if under 500. CAN dollars btw.

 

[ANDS!]

If you're shooting portraits in variable distance settings, I would look into the 85MM F/1.8.

 

[BoxPhotographer]

Well to clear things up, this is what I'll be mainly doing:

Taking photo's in low light conditions, usually from 5-10 feet, sometimes much more. I will have a flash but the light doesn't always travel far enough. If I can, I will do some sports photo's (I'm on the sidelines, possibly 3-10 feet away from the players). I'll rarely be outdoors, but if I am, its usually more portraits. I'm mostly an event photographer, but an all round kind of lens is always good.

And maybe macro photography, but that is not as important to me right now.