Camera and Accesories Ordered!

ImageX Photography

Not sure if this is the right place to post but.... I ordered my D300S and all my accessories. I am a total rookie(despite the lame forum name my gf picked out) with all this stuff so I thought I'd run my list by ya's and see what ya's thought. I did quite a bit of research and think I did good.

In the past 2 days I have ordered.....

Nikon D300S
Nikon 18-200 VRII
Nikon 35 1.8DX
Nikon SB 600 flash
Sto-fen diffuser
Hoya DMC Pro1 52mm
Hoya UV multi coated filter 72mm
Zeikos Battery Grip
Lowepro Slingshot 202AW
Cotton Carrier single camera system
16g SDHC + 32g CF
Optech ProLoop strap
Lots of precharged NiMHAA batteries for flash and grip

It all came in under $3K. What do ya's think? Good order? This is my entry into the world of DSLR photography and I can't wait until it all shows up! I did over night the D300S and 18-200 though. :wink Tomorrow the shooting begins!

Art Scott

over all it should be a real nice kit




All good but I would have saved my money on the filters........Are they Alum. or brass ?? I know they are painted black but the base metal is very important.
Alum. filters will get stuck on the lens after a bit of time and will hard as hell to remove and if you happen to drop camera with lens pointed down can do
severe damage to the front lens element (speaking from experience here and also reason I do not use filters for protection).....I use special effects filters,
ND, CPL, star, haze, fog.......have not used a protection filter in over 30 yrs........never had a lens get hurt from cleaning dust off it......also remeber that filter
is not dust proof so it has to come off to clean the lens also........lens hoods yes good protection, well trhey used to be when they were made of a semi rigid
rubber that actually acted as a shock absorber if the camera and lens were dropped..........
I have a MBD10 for my D300 and have quit using it.........my D300 will shoot faster than it can dump from cache to the card anyway 90% of the time and so
I got rid of a few ounces by taking it off the camera......just shot a wedding no battery grip and still had no problem shooting pro and recessional.

Which rechargeable batts did you get?? did you get a conditioning charger?? When trying batteries it is a good idea to buy no more than 2 sets to see how they will work for you,
then go back and get more if you really like them.


Good Luck.

ziggy53

Your system, as ordered, has tremendous potential.

If you leverage the system into a useful tool-set for your purposes, and if it meets your needs, that's all that matters. Good luck with the new stuff and remember us when you have questions, but especially remember us when you have some wonderful images to share.

ImageX Photography

Art Scott wrote: »

over all it should be a real nice kit




All good but I would have saved my money on the filters........Are they Alum. or brass ?? I know they are painted black but the base metal is very important.
Alum. filters will get stuck on the lens after a bit of time and will hard as hell to remove and if you happen to drop camera with lens pointed down can do
severe damage to the front lens element (speaking from experience here and also reason I do not use filters for protection).....I use special effects filters,
ND, CPL, star, haze, fog.......have not used a protection filter in over 30 yrs........never had a lens get hurt from cleaning dust off it......also remeber that filter
is not dust proof so it has to come off to clean the lens also........lens hoods yes good protection, well trhey used to be when they were made of a semi rigid
rubber that actually acted as a shock absorber if the camera and lens were dropped..........
I have a MBD10 for my D300 and have quit using it.........my D300 will shoot faster than it can dump from cache to the card anyway 90% of the time and so
I got rid of a few ounces by taking it off the camera......just shot a wedding no battery grip and still had no problem shooting pro and recessional.

Which rechargeable batts did you get?? did you get a conditioning charger?? When trying batteries it is a good idea to buy no more than 2 sets to see how they will work for you,
then go back and get more if you really like them.


Good Luck.

My inexperience is what made me get the higher end filter. I have had a few people tell me that they use them sometimes BUT they take them off all the time for critical shots. So, I may or may not send them back! I'll probably just go ahead and keep them so that I have more stuff for my camera bag. haha! j/k I think they are aluminum and painted black.

I picked up some eneloops. They seem to be the best thing going these days. I do have a decent charger already that monitors the charge and not some silly harmful timed charger. I plan on running the camera off of AA's and I'll probably get an extra Nikon battery too for back up. For now though... I have 32 AA's for the camera and flash. I also already have about 8 of the Rayovac hybrids in a drawer somewhere. Good to hear that the grip isn't required for longer shoots. I may have went a little overboard!

Anyway, thanks for the good info, Art!

ImageX Photography

ziggy53 wrote: »

Your system, as ordered, has tremendous potential.

If you leverage the system into a useful tool-set for your purposes, and if it meets your needs, that's all that matters. Good luck with the new stuff and remember us when you have questions, but especially remember us when you have some wonderful images to share.

Thanks, Ziggy. I'm glad I found this forum. I always post pics on my facebook page and everyone ALWAYS loves them. They don't know any better though and you guy's here can critique them much better so I can learn more. So, I'll be posting some soon! Thanks!

InsuredDisaster

Great sounding kit. I switch back and forth between grip and no grip myself. Yes, battery life is so long on these batteries that I almost would never have to swap batteries at an inconvenient moment, so it is not needed for that. I'm also not really concerned with 8fps vs 6fps, so I can't see the grip being very useful for the added shooting rate. Also, the grip makes the camera bigger and everyone notices it. HOWEVER, I find with the grip the whole camera just fits my hand better and more securely.

Qarik

it's a great starter kit. I don't particularly like the 18-200mm but it's decent. I am glad you got the flash off the bat and a fast prime.

ImageX Photography

Just wanted to give an update! I am REALLY enjoying my equipment. I have been learning a TON!!! One of the best accessories I have bought was the Cotton Carrier system. I absolutely love mine!!!! It's a MUST have for me and anyone who does a lot of walking through crowds, hiking, or is just mobile with their camera. It's ingenious! For example..... I was at the fair in St. Louis last night and had to walk walk walk walk through crowds of people and across a bridge over the Mississippi. Without the Cotton Carrier system.... my camera would have been swaying and swinging with each step. I didn't have to worry about having to hold the camera from swinging with one hand as I navigated the crowds. That allowed me an extra free hand for whatever. The Cotton Carrier holds the camera tight against your body with NO movement. I highly recommend this harness!!!!!

Insured, I am blown away by how long the D300S goes on one set(8AA) of batteries!!! I carry 32 charged batteries at all times in my pack and have never had to dip in there to get them. I use AA's because I get the added shooting speed and I'm not forced to spend a ton of money to get the Nikon ELN4 or whatever they are called.

Qarik, I love my 18-200!!! It's a great starter/all around lens and takes beautiful pictures in good light. It's hard to beat having a wide angle and a a zoom like this. I use it more than anything but I do love my 35mm 1.8 prime too. I need to use it more though I think!! My next lens will surely be a 70-200 2.8 though.

Anyway, thanks, Ziggy, Art and everyone! I am really enjoying photography a lot.... and so are my family and friends. Looking forward to learning from you guys... and gals on the site!

Happy 4th everyone!


PS I know it's ever so slightly off level. I'll fix it later! haha

Wil Davis

Nice kit!

Here's a tip about the filters: In the days when I used filters, I'd run a 2B lead pencil around the threads occasionally just to stop them from sticking; graphite is a superb dry lubricant!



- Wil

ImageX Photography

Wil Davis wrote: »

Nice kit!

Here's a tip about the filters: In the days when I used filters, I'd run a 2B lead pencil around the threads occasionally just to stop them from sticking; graphite is a superb dry lubricant!



- Wil

Looking for a pencil now. Thanks for the tip!!

Stella7d

Congrats on all the new gear!! I'm sure you'll be able to keep yourself plenty busy with your nice setup! I went shooting with a nikon friend yesterday and he uses the 15-200 VR lens and the images are amazing! For travel its his favorite lens!

Great shot of the fireworks!

Aw yes, the tip shared about using a pencil on the lens treads is a great one! I used to carry a pecil in my bag back when i used film.....think i might go toss one in my bag now, cuz ya just never know when you might need it.

I have never heard of this cotton system you are referring to, so I'm off to check it out!

Enjoy all your new gear!! :-)

ImageX Photography

Stella7d wrote: »

Congrats on all the new gear!! I'm sure you'll be able to keep yourself plenty busy with your nice setup! I went shooting with a nikon friend yesterday and he uses the 15-200 VR lens and the images are amazing! For travel its his favorite lens!

Great shot of the fireworks!

Aw yes, the tip shared about using a pencil on the lens treads is a great one! I used to carry a pecil in my bag back when i used film.....think i might go toss one in my bag now, cuz ya just never know when you might need it.

I have never heard of this cotton system you are referring to, so I'm off to check it out!

Enjoy all your new gear!! :-)

Thanks! I like the pencil tip myself and have since used it on my filters.

I love the Cotten Carrier!! It's WAY WAY better than a neckstrap IMO. The way it's shaped.... it should work well for a woman too I would think. They are a little pricey but so worth it. It's nice having your camera tucked tight against your body with no movement. Plus, your neck won't hurt at the end of a long shoot!

VayCayMom

I haven't had the time to digest all of your posts here but I can FEEL your excitement !! Have fun, and I look forwards to looking at your photos! Thanks for sharing this info, I am always wanting to see what others are buying and what they think about it!

ImageX Photography

VayCayMom wrote: »

I haven't had the time to digest all of your posts here but I can FEEL your excitement !! Have fun, and I look forwards to looking at your photos! Thanks for sharing this info, I am always wanting to see what others are buying and what they think about it!

Thanks for posting! It is exciting to get so much new gear at once.... and get started in an awesome hobby. One of the best assets I have gotten so far was a membership to this forum. So many pros and other great photographers here to learn from. Now, I feel like I have your support and that helps motivate me that much more. The excitement has died down just a little bit but it's still here! Today for example.... I got my first remote shutter release and have taken about 30 boring pics of my living room. I do have to say that I don't regret a single item I have purchased so far..... except for a cheap Sunpak circular polarizer that is getting returned shortly. I knew I probably wouldn't keep it but was anxious to try one out. Other than that.... I love ALL my gear! I do really really like my Cotton Carrier so I recommend it as much as I can. They should pay me! haha I even found a pretty big error on their website and they were quite grateful that I noticed. Didn't hook me up with anything though. :cry Anyway, thanks for posting! I look forward to your pics/posts as well.

imagesofhim

ImageX Photography wrote: »

Thanks for posting! It is exciting to get so much new gear at once.... and get started in an awesome hobby. One of the best assets I have gotten so far was a membership to this forum. So many pros and other great photographers here to learn from. Now, I feel like I have your support and that helps motivate me that much more. The excitement has died down just a little bit but it's still here! Today for example.... I got my first remote shutter release and have taken about 30 boring pics of my living room. I do have to say that I don't regret a single item I have purchased so far..... except for a cheap Sunpak circular polarizer that is getting returned shortly. I knew I probably wouldn't keep it but was anxious to try one out. Other than that.... I love ALL my gear! I do really really like my Cotton Carrier so I recommend it as much as I can. They should pay me! haha I even found a pretty big error on their website and they were quite grateful that I noticed. Didn't hook me up with anything though. :cry Anyway, thanks for posting! I look forward to your pics/posts as well.

I "feel" your excitement with your new gear (I just got my new 7d--see my post on getting "camera-sick" under the "CAMERAS" section). The next thing you should invest in is a SmugMug account! After one year of the minimum, I recently upgraded my account to a Pro account. I can't tell you the amount of relief I have in knowing I can download original sized jpegs if necessary. Granted, it's not the RAW format, but God-forbid I should need them, they're there!!!!

I hope you enjoy your new hobby and please continue to share!!!!