What new glass to buy?

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 3, 2009

Yay! I've been making some money and can add to my arsenal! I will be doing 2 weddings in the fall. Any suggestions of what else to add to my list below? An 85mm 1.4? a Quantum flash with diffuser and a bracket? Any other cool stuff I might be missing out on? Boy I love techy stuff!!

Sam · July 3, 2009

Some thoughts.................................first please think about a more viewer friendly water mark. I will normally leave a web site with a watermark like this. I would be concerned your cients might do the same.

I want my clients to be able to get a good idea of what the print will look like, yet provide some level of protection.

Second take your wedding and look at them in bridge under filters...focal length. You then can see the most used focal length and if it's inside or outside. Then maybe you could look at some fast glass at that focal length.

Since you have more than one body you can have that prime ready to go with the second camera using say a zoom.

Sam

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 3, 2009

Hi Sam, thanks for the reply. I am not sure what watermark you are taking about? I thought mine was quite unobtrusive. It is very light colored with soft font? One of my weddings did have the big smug mug proof mark over it but that was a year ago before I made the new one? Is the new one still too big of a problem? I am thinking the 85mm might work for me....will check out what you suggested....

jeffreaux2 · July 3, 2009

I don't see a Macro lens in that pile of yours....and what about a nice rolling case to wheel it all around in?

There's nothing quite like buying new toys...huh?:D

Art Scott · July 3, 2009

wingsoflove wrote:

my money well spent

Nikon D70, D200, D300 & a new D3!

Nikkor 70-200 2.8 vr

Nikkor 24-70 2.8, Nikkor 17-55

Nikkor 18-200 vr, Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Nikon SB800,SB600,Gary Fong Flash Diffuser,

Larson 3x4 and 10x36 softboxes with White lightning strobes. Sekonic meter

now here is what I would do: Consider another body....probably another D3 or X or D700(this one due to cost....but then I really prefer all bodies to be an exact match)....or 2 bodies if I could really afford it and have one IR'ed.........
Since I have have shot so many years in the film world, I still want to get to having nothing but FF cams.....so I ould be jockeying my lenses to all that are usable on FF cams.

also I would look at my arsenal of studio strobes....how many do I have.....when I stopped shooting for a short period I was at 5 white lightnings (from Paul Buff but earlier models than AB's)......if you're using AB 400 or 800's consider selling them and moving upto the top of the line AB1600.....my reasoning is this.....if you have very powerful lights you can always dial them back.....but when you hit a job where you need more light ....you cannot just dial it in on the lower powered lights.......I have had to turn down jobs cause i knew I didnot have the lighting to do the job.......it hurts to send that work away, also if all of you lighting equipment is the same brand and model it is much easier for the photog to use effortlessly.....
As for the Quantums.....move up in the Nikon's to the SB900...it is made for your cams and you could buy at least 2 for the price of 1 quantum flash......................

I thnk that is it for me........
Good Luck

thumb

EDIT.....WAY to go Jeff....I forgot about nice roller case & Macro lenses ( irecommend something in the 105-180mm to give you a good working distance)......look at Pelican, Storm (now owned by pelican but still sorta separate0 and WaterHorse.....all great case companies.

zoomer · July 4, 2009

Buy 2ea 16gb Sandisk Extreme IV cards for your D3 so you never have to change cards during a wedding.
You have plenty of lenses.
Sell your D200 D70 D300 and buy a D700 for your backup.
I find I use the d700 more for portraits cause I use the Nikon CLS off camera flash for those and it has a built in flash.
I use an on camera flash on a bracket on the D3 for weddings.

Ed911 · July 4, 2009

zoomer wrote:

Buy 2ea 16gb Sandisk Extreme IV cards for your D3 so you never have to change cards during a wedding.
You have plenty of lenses.
Sell your D200 D70 D300 and buy a D700 for your backup.
I find I use the d700 more for portraits cause I use the Nikon CLS off camera flash for those and it has a built in flash.
I use an on camera flash on a bracket on the D3 for weddings.

I like Zoomer's idea...about selling your other camera bodies and getting a D700 body for backup...

I use CLS for portraits...off camera...

I would recommend one item that isn't available for Nikons yet...and that's Pocket Wizards Control TL...out now for Canon shooters and out soon (later this year) for Nikon shooters. The Canon flashes are a bit noisy and have presented problems for the Control TL...but as far as I've read, Nikon Flashes are much less noisy and will work just fine at longer distances...Control TL is my next upgrade.

Control TL allows the camera and flash to communicate iTTL instructions over a much longer distance. Check out the Pocket Wizard website and look at the videos as they are being used by Canon shooters. You will now be able to fire flashes that are hidden behind walls, etc. Example: Set up your flash in a room where the bride is dressing, then shoot from outside of the room.

It might not be where you're going, but it's my next upgrade.

holzphoto · July 4, 2009

i would dump:

Nikon D200
Nikkor 17-55
Nikkor 18-200 vr

and buy:

nikkor 14-24 2.8 - i dont even shoot nikon, but i own this lens

nikkor 85 1.4
nikkor 35 f/whatever their highend 35 is.

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I don't see a Macro lens in that pile of yours....and what about a nice rolling case to wheel it all around in?

There's nothing quite like buying new toys...huh?:D

Thanks Jeff and NOOO there is nothing like buying new toys!! I have been thinking of a 105mm macro lens but wasn't sure how much I would use it in portraits and weddings. I would have liked it for when I was doing spring flowers and such...... and the rolling case? boy I need one of those...I have a backpack now and can barely carry it

do you have one? Is there a particular brand I would be looking for?

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

Art Scott wrote:

now here is what I would do: Consider another body....probably another D3 or X or D700(this one due to cost....but then I really prefer all bodies to be an exact match)....or 2 bodies if I could really afford it and have one IR'ed.........
Since I have have shot so many years in the film world, I still want to get to having nothing but FF cams.....so I ould be jockeying my lenses to all that are usable on FF cams.

also I would look at my arsenal of studio strobes....how many do I have.....when I stopped shooting for a short period I was at 5 white lightnings (from Paul Buff but earlier models than AB's)......if you're using AB 400 or 800's consider selling them and moving upto the top of the line AB1600.....my reasoning is this.....if you have very powerful lights you can always dial them back.....but when you hit a job where you need more light ....you cannot just dial it in on the lower powered lights.......I have had to turn down jobs cause i knew I didnot have the lighting to do the job.......it hurts to send that work away, also if all of you lighting equipment is the same brand and model it is much easier for the photog to use effortlessly.....
As for the Quantums.....move up in the Nikon's to the SB900...it is made for your cams and you could buy at least 2 for the price of 1 quantum flash......................

I thnk that is it for me........
Good Luckthumb

EDIT.....WAY to go Jeff....I forgot about nice roller case & Macro lenses ( irecommend something in the 105-180mm to give you a good working distance)......look at Pelican, Storm (now owned by pelican but still sorta separate0 and WaterHorse.....all great case companies.

Thanks for the advice Art... I will look into the sb900...I had the 800 (before I dropped it and it broke) and didn't use many of the features....But as I am learning it might be an option. I only use AB's 400 for my background lights...I have 2 white lightning x1600s I use in my softboxes so I think I am set for that.... I wish I could buy another D3 but that is a little more than I wanted to spend.... maybe soon! Enjoy your Sunday....

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

zoomer wrote:

Buy 2ea 16gb Sandisk Extreme IV cards for your D3 so you never have to change cards during a wedding.
You have plenty of lenses.
Sell your D200 D70 D300 and buy a D700 for your backup.
I find I use the d700 more for portraits cause I use the Nikon CLS off camera flash for those and it has a built in flash.
I use an on camera flash on a bracket on the D3 for weddings.

Hey Zoomer....I haven't seen 16G flash cards in stores locally. I just picked up a bunch of 8G though.

I am definately considering buying the D 700 and selling the others. The only problem is my husband threw away the boxes they came in ( I really wanted to kill him for that!) Do you think I can sell without their boxes?

I think I would keep the D70....good point and shoot for my family with the digivari option but I could part with the 200 and 300. Do you have any idea how much they go for?

Does the 700 benefit me even though I have pocket wizards to trigger my flashes?

Are you using the on camera flash with a diffuser on the bracket and is that for the portraits you do or only the candids? Can I ask which bracket?

Thanks for your continued support

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

Ed911 wrote:

I like Zoomer's idea...about selling your other camera bodies and getting a D700 body for backup...

I use CLS for portraits...off camera...

I would recommend one item that isn't available for Nikons yet...and that's Pocket Wizards Control TL...out now for Canon shooters and out soon (later this year) for Nikon shooters. The Canon flashes are a bit noisy and have presented problems for the Control TL...but as far as I've read, Nikon Flashes are much less noisy and will work just fine at longer distances...Control TL is my next upgrade.

Control TL allows the camera and flash to communicate iTTL instructions over a much longer distance. Check out the Pocket Wizard website and look at the videos as they are being used by Canon shooters. You will now be able to fire flashes that are hidden behind walls, etc. Example: Set up your flash in a room where the bride is dressing, then shoot from outside of the room.

It might not be where you're going, but it's my next upgrade.

Hi Ed...thanks! Are these pocket wizards that much better than the ones I have? I think pocket wizards II?

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

holzphoto wrote:

i would dump:

Nikon D200
Nikkor 17-55
Nikkor 18-200 vr

and buy:

nikkor 14-24 2.8 - i dont even shoot nikon, but i own this lens
nikkor 85 1.4
nikkor 35 f/whatever their highend 35 is.

Thanks Holz...I am seriously thinking the 85 1.4..... as I do more portraits than anything. I think the wide angle I wouldn't use too much at this point...

Sam · July 5, 2009

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Hi Sam, thanks for the reply. I am not sure what watermark you are taking about? I thought mine was quite unobtrusive. It is very light colored with soft font? One of my weddings did have the big smug mug proof mark over it but that was a year ago before I made the new one? Is the new one still too big of a problem? I am thinking the 85mm might work for me....will check out what you suggested....

Sorry...................

One wedding has no watermark, one has your new waterrmark, and one has the hugh PROOF .

Sam

zoomer · July 5, 2009

Get them on line B&H very reputable company, no worries.
No boxes, no problem.
d70 is lighter and less hassle to use on camera flash commander. That d3 gets substantial after you put the flash on it to control your other flashes.

I use the d700 for all portraits, always with an off camera softbox, lately I have started also using a hand held bare flash for a back light. I use the d3 for general wedding photography.
Yes indoors I use a diffuser, The Demb diffuser works great. I put it on the front of the flash and point the flash straight up most of the time.

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Hey Zoomer....I haven't seen 16G flash cards in stores locally. I just picked up a bunch of 8G though.

I am definately considering buying the D 700 and selling the others. The only problem is my husband threw away the boxes they came in ( I really wanted to kill him for that!) Do you think I can sell without their boxes?

I think I would keep the D70....good point and shoot for my family with the digivari option but I could part with the 200 and 300. Do you have any idea how much they go for?

Does the 700 benefit me even though I have pocket wizards to trigger my flashes?

Are you using the on camera flash with a diffuser on the bracket and is that for the portraits you do or only the candids? Can I ask which bracket?

Thanks for your continued support

Matthew Saville · July 5, 2009

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Thanks Holz...I am seriously thinking the 85 1.4..... as I do more portraits than anything. I think the wide angle I wouldn't use too much at this point...

Especially on full-frame, RENT BEFORE YOU BUY!!!!

Numerous tests put the 85 1.4 far below the 85 1.8, when it comes to corner sharpness, on full-frame.

The SLR Gear website has the reviews with the cool 3-D graph, and also the most scathing of the 85 1.4 tests. Results might not always be THIS bad, but I would sure think twice before buying... (That and the fact that the 85 1.4 seems to be the safe bet for which lens Nikon will update next, like the new AFS G 50 1.4!)

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/12

True, it's not like we're shooting landscape with these lenses, so the extreme corners don't matter, but with the 85 1.4 unless you are framing your subjects' faces dead center, you'll be getting quite a loss of sharpness. It isn't as bad when shooting close up, like for details or a headshot or something, but once you start trying to do a full-body portrait with the bride slightly off-center, you'll notice that everything goes fuzzy if it is not dead-center.

Sure, there might be super-sharp copies of the lens out there, but my point is just to test before you buy. The best thing to do is to buy the lens in-store, where you can test the actual copy you're going to buy before you buy it. Frame a person's face as far off-center as you think you'll ever go, and see what you get. Then try the same with the 85 1.8... Don't forget to shoot multiple shots and re-focus each time, and check for plain 'ol back/front-focusing.

Here's a recent image with the 85 1.4 that shows just how close to the edge I like to get with faces... HOWEVER, I shoot with it on a D300 for extra "reach", so I really have little problem shooting towards the edges. This might NOT look as good on FX!

=Matt=

WingsOfLovePhoto · July 5, 2009

Matthew Saville wrote:

Especially on full-frame, RENT BEFORE YOU BUY!!!!

Numerous tests put the 85 1.4 far below the 85 1.8, when it comes to corner sharpness, on full-frame.

The SLR Gear website has the reviews with the cool 3-D graph, and also the most scathing of the 85 1.4 tests. Results might not always be THIS bad, but I would sure think twice before buying... (That and the fact that the 85 1.4 seems to be the safe bet for which lens Nikon will update next, like the new AFS G 50 1.4!)

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/12

True, it's not like we're shooting landscape with these lenses, so the extreme corners don't matter, but with the 85 1.4 unless you are framing your subjects' faces dead center, you'll be getting quite a loss of sharpness. It isn't as bad when shooting close up, like for details or a headshot or something, but once you start trying to do a full-body portrait with the bride slightly off-center, you'll notice that everything goes fuzzy if it is not dead-center.

Sure, there might be super-sharp copies of the lens out there, but my point is just to test before you buy. The best thing to do is to buy the lens in-store, where you can test the actual copy you're going to buy before you buy it. Frame a person's face as far off-center as you think you'll ever go, and see what you get. Then try the same with the 85 1.8... Don't forget to shoot multiple shots and re-focus each time, and check for plain 'ol back/front-focusing.

Here's a recent image with the 85 1.4 that shows just how close to the edge I like to get with faces... HOWEVER, I shoot with it on a D300 for extra "reach", so I really have little problem shooting towards the edges. This might NOT look as good on FX!

=Matt=

Thanks Matt for the advice. So you are saying that the 1.8 is a better bet than the 1.4? I don't think that the Aperature difference would be a big deal to me. And both are compatible on FF so there is no crop factor right? Gorgeous picture by the way! Thanks for the visual that always helps!

Matthew Saville · July 5, 2009

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Thanks Matt for the advice. So you are saying that the 1.8 is a better bet than the 1.4? I don't think that the Aperature difference would be a big deal to me. And both are compatible on FF so there is no crop factor right? Gorgeous picture by the way! Thanks for the visual that always helps!

I can't say for CERTAIN that every copy of the 1.8 is incredibly sharp and that every copy of the 1.4 has horrible, horrible corners like the one in the SLRGear review, but I definitely want to at least caution you and convince you to test out the lens before you buy it.

And yeah, on FX you're getting such amazing images already, as far as ISO performance and shallow DOF, so I don't think anybody is seriously counting the 2/3 stop between 1.4 and 1.8 as a huge deciding factor. Heck, 1.8 on FX has got to be at least twice as good as 1.4 on DX, for both DOF and ISO performance, and I'm still doing just fine with my D300!

But yeah, if you like to give your subjects a litle distance, as I do, then you're likely to LOVE an 85mm f/1.X lens. ...Until they make a 135 f/1.8 like Sony has! So jealous!

(And lastly, like I said, if you're the kinda person who gets bummed out / pissed when you buy something and then a new version comes out a few months later, then the 85 is a lens to stay away from. It is one of the next-in-line to get an update, or at least that's what most educated guessers are saying...)

=Matt=

jeffreaux2 · July 5, 2009

I still haven't bought my roller yet, but this one is on my list...

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtScrty.php

Ed911 · July 5, 2009

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Hi Ed...thanks! Are these pocket wizards that much better than the ones I have? I think pocket wizards II?

These are different...just out...and utilize the camera's iTTL capability with your SB800 or SB900 flashes when they are off camera. You put the sending unit in the cameras hot shoe and then mount the flash to the receiver unit. This is the new technology that is finding it's way into the photography market place.

Now the flash can be placed off camera in a corner...left or right of the intended subject...and still use the flash as if it were mounted to the camera body in iTTL mode...one of the best features that Nikon ever implemented, making the taking of flash images so much easier. No manual metering, just set your flash to iTTL mode and shoot as if it were on the camera...it's called their, "slide and shoot technology."

Your old PW2's can't do this...they can only fire the flash in manual mode.

http://www.pocketwizard.com/inspirations/profiles/

Try the above link...it will answer a lot of your questions...view the videos...

Hope this helps...

What new glass to buy?

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