Lens choices - dream with my reality!
So say you upgrade to a D3 -- this is primarily for spots photography which is either closer and indoor or outside and needing some good zoom abilities. You also do some indoor architectural work, some portraits as well as your own 'fun' artistic work (lensbaby, macros, other silliness). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Assuming budget is NOT an issue (ignoring the $4000 lenses…), what lenses would you pick up or use from your collection?<o:p></o:p>
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At this point, I have too many lenses to list or justify existence on. I know of at least one that I'll be selling off since it's redundant, but I still plan on using my older D50 and a few of the good DX lenses (my Sigma 10-20 is too awesome to let go!) will stay with that. I do enough hiking and mt. biking to need a lighter set up to take with me, plus I suspect I'll be using a secondary camera at some of the bigger horse shows this summer. The whole 'do I REALLY need a second tripod?' question is one I refuse to face right now without a headache. Ow. :confused <o:p></o:p>
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So, dream on with my reality. What would you suggest??
<o:p> </o:p>
Assuming budget is NOT an issue (ignoring the $4000 lenses…), what lenses would you pick up or use from your collection?<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
At this point, I have too many lenses to list or justify existence on. I know of at least one that I'll be selling off since it's redundant, but I still plan on using my older D50 and a few of the good DX lenses (my Sigma 10-20 is too awesome to let go!) will stay with that. I do enough hiking and mt. biking to need a lighter set up to take with me, plus I suspect I'll be using a secondary camera at some of the bigger horse shows this summer. The whole 'do I REALLY need a second tripod?' question is one I refuse to face right now without a headache. Ow. :confused <o:p></o:p>
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So, dream on with my reality. What would you suggest??
//Leah
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For the Nikon D3 and sports the lenses I would suggest should be fairly high on your list would be:
Nikkor 24-70mm, f2.8G AF-S ED, good standard zoom on the D3.
Nikkor 17-35mm, f2.8D AF-S IF-ED, for the "Trophy" shots and other interior work and architectural work.
Nikkor 70-200mm, f2.8G AF-S VR IF-ED, the zoom you probably need for arena and outdoor venues.
Nikkor 300mm, f2.8G AF-S IF-ED, for outdoors when you need a bit more intimacy with the subject(s) but at a safe distance.
Maybe add a Nikkor 85mm, f/1.8D for the darker sites.
I would also want the Nikkor 50mm, f1.4D, or f1.8D. just for other things like family event stuff. I just like the lens.
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I've the 70-200 and the 80-400 on order -- I think that'll cover the 300mm need? Both should arrive today. The 80-400 is slower, but I figure it'll be 100% outside/daylight work so the speed wasn't going to be as big of a deal. And borrowlenses.com had used ones on sale
I was debating the 17-35 and 24-70 combination .... I've fixed lenses of 20, 50 (the new 50mm 1.4G on order, in any day now...) and 60 (micro). I wasn't sure if I was going to make myself redundant with the 17-35 and 24-70s or not. Where do fixed lenses fit into such a consideration? Hrm.
Oh, and yeah I got a 85mm 1.8 just 'cause.
yay! glad we are mostly on the same plane here. I think it's the lower ends and fixed questions that I'm mulling over. I love my 17-200 on the D50 since it's so versatile, but it IS slower and not suited to indoor work at all. Unless you like artistic blurs on the legs of all the horses. pttph.
2009 Nikor 105mm VR micro lens and 50mm f1.8 prime nikor lens
2010 24-70 f2.8 nikor
2011 70-200mm f2.8 nikor
2012 14-24mm f2.8 nikor
this is my long term plan, if money comes sooner then i will buy them quicker but that is about 7500.00 worth of lenses.
Way down the road, maybe a 200-400mm f4 nikor lens, more like in 2020 lol, my wife is going to kill me.
this is what i would do if money was no object right now.
A perfect start.
To round out your list, add the Bigma, the Nikkor 24mm PC-E F3.5, the Nikkor 14-24MM F2.8, and maybe the Nikkor 14mm F2.8 (this one is on my wish list).
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You see a need for the 14mm when you have a 14-24 as well?
I'm still figuring out the lower end. the 10-20 and 17-200 has covered my needs so well, but both won't work with what I have now so... yeah. hrm. I've got the 20mm fixed, Sigma 8mm fisheye, and 24-70, so there's some decent coverage but ...... yeah.
replace the 105mm micro with a 60mm micro (which I *adore*), remove the 14-24 and replace it with a 20mm fixed and that's what I got.
well, and the 50mm is the f1.4G instead. I've the 1.8 too but saving it for hiking/mt biking/etc (with the D50).
Some reason I'm just balking at the 14-24. I think I need to borrow/rent one and see if it does or does not fix into what I 'need'.
There is something about a nice prime. I have a handful of glass that starts or ends at 50mm, yet have two 50mm primes. As I do more different types of photography, the need (or want) for more glass comes into play.
The nice part of having a pair of D3's is the ability to keep a wide lens on one camera and a long lens on the other.
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I understand you said money is no option but it seems spending an extra few thousand dollars on a body which will probably perform beyond 99% of our skill levels seems odd when there are bodies which will produce excellent if not near identical results for much less. The best part is with that difference of change in your pocket you could go out and blow it on some real fine glass?
My opinion of course and take it for what it's worth, but with the rate that bodies are being developed and released on the market these days you're best putting the money into some nice lenses.
For instance think what you could get a D2x for now compared to when they were released not too long ago, and compare that to most pro lenses out there over the same period.
The only thing that is two years old that is still selling for anywhere near what the original price was is lenses.
All this and people are still hung up chasing new bodies (myself included) despite everyone telling you spend your money on lenses... strange.
Well, I didn't go for the D3x
ps. there wasn't a camera recommendation thread. there was me asking Marc 'if I upgraded, what should I go for?' at Moab and getting 'D3' in response. I researched extensively after that and agreed (I'm not following blindly here).