Replacing stolen equip - some advice pls

jasonstone

Hi all,

Recently had all my camera gear stolen and am looking to replace it with limited insurance money (they're not paying me out for all I lost - it was more than just camera gear)... Thing is I'm a little unsure how to proceed - gut says one thing, head says another. So I thought I'd throw it on here and see if maybe i could get a little sound advice from the group collective...

Background info
Stolen equipment was:

• Nikon D80
• Battery grip
• SB-800
• 18-200 f3.5-5.6 VR
• 50mm f1.8
• 70-200 f2.8 VR

I have to replace the body obviously.
I also need a flash - but will get an SB-900 now
I was initially holding out for the successor to the D700 as ideally I wanted to get FX and make some more money using my camera (had a few gigs so far but nothing that a DX body would not have handled fine)

Lens wise my thinking is....

Option 1: What the head says
You weren't using the 70-200 f2.8 VR all the time so you don't really need it, really you could do with a ultra-wide for the interior shots you're taking at parties and in tighter cramped areas...
Best to get the following:

• 16-85mm VR
• 70-300 VR
• Tokina 11-16mm f2.8

Option 2: What the stupid self says
Man I LOVED my 70-200 f2.8 VR even if it was expensive... damn the ultra-wide you want that big baby back again
The 70-300 is not gonna cut the mustard!

Best to get the following:

• 18-200 f3.5-5.6 VRII
• 70-200 f2.8 VRII

and suffer quietly (err not) whenever I need a faster/better quality wide angle or ultra-wide

Option 3: Go 2nd hand
Get second hand and save some money and upgrade my glass!
Compromise here and there but get:

• 17-55 f2.8 2nd hand
• 70-200 f2.8 VR 2nd hand
• If i can stretch it an ultrawide too - maybe Sigma or Tokina etc. some 10/11-16/20mm

Option 4: What someone else says :wink
Maybe I'm not thinking outside the box enough???

Best to get the following

• lens 1 goes here
• lens 2 goes here
• lens 3 goes here

Now just to throw a spanner in the works - I've worked out that I can't afford to go FX now - it's just not going to happen.... so body wise I'm considering:

• Nikon D7000
• Nikon D300s new
• Nikon D300/D300s 2nd hand

I like the D300 (borrowed a friends) but the new D7000 seems to be just as fast fps wise and maybe better TTL (newer processor). Obviously movie on the D7000 is now H264 which is great as the motion JPG isn't so great....

So probably leaning towards 2nd hand D300 or new D7000

Again open to suggestions....

I guess I'm looking around 3,500chf (which is about same in USD but prices are about 10% more expensive here in CHF - new anyway... 2nd hand is probably much the same)

Thanks for all your suggestions and help - hope it gives me some guidance! :thumb

Cheers,
Jase

moose135

Take it as a sign it's time to move to Canon?

OK, you know someone was going to say it, I just thought we'd get it out of the way up front...

Zanotti

Or option III: Grab a cheap flight to NYC, go to B&H and replace all with new for half the cost of European prices......


I dont know the Nikon world, but Canon does have a 70-200f4 that is 95% as good as the f2.8 for 50% of the cost.....

Z

jasonstone

I moved from Canon 3.5yrs ago to Nikon
Really happy with the NIkon and lots of mates have it too - so easier for me to borrow any equipment I don't have

Slowly thinking 2nd hand D300 for now - although I just wish I knew when the D400 would come out as that's probably really the one i want as it will have 1080p video for sure

BH PHoto - tempting although if I go with webshops I can buy the gear for not much more expensive than the US - certainly cheaper than a flight to NY .... although the NY trip DOES sound appealing to me....

jasonstone

OK another option I'm thinking...

D300 2nd hand
MB-D10 2nd hand
17-55 f2.8 2nd hand
80-200 f2.8 AF-D 2nd hand

would give me a better wide zoom (f2.8 17-55) than I had and a telezoom 80-200 f2.8 that doesn't focus quite as fast as the one I had but hey is still a f2.8 telezoom

would leave me some money for a SB-900 and a ultra-wide and would be same price as

D7000+16-85+70-300+tokina 11-16 f2.8+SB-900+battery grip

so all in all I think I'd be better off going 2nd hand... just got to find the right deal

edit: or even a 70-200 f2.8 VR 2nd hand - seems that they're coming down in price now that folks want the VR II version

ziggy53

jasonstone wrote: »

...

D300 2nd hand
MB-D10 2nd hand
17-55 f2.8 2nd hand
80-200 f2.8 AF-D 2nd hand

...

would leave me some money for a SB-900 and a ultra-wide ... or even a 70-200 f2.8 VR 2nd hand - seems that they're coming down in price now that folks want the VR II version

That seems like the best options you have posted, depending on your needs.

moose135

jasonstone wrote: »

.... although the NY trip DOES sound appealing to me....

If you do come to B&H, I'll be glad to show you around my favorite shooting locations in NY...

ThatCanonGuy

I agree with Ziggy, but that 80-200 is old and probably pretty slow AF. But I'm sure it's fine for most purposes. Whatever you do, I would just take the 18-200 out altogether. It really has no advantage over other lenses in that price range, besides the big zoom range. And to get that big zoom range, you're sacrificing a lot of other things. IQ, AF, and aperture are just a few.
The D7000 has the best low-light capabilities of any DX sensor to date, and that's what I would do. The D300s is a step up, but older. As always, just depends on what you shoot.

Icebear

jasonstone wrote: »

I was initially holding out for the successor to the D700 as ideally I wanted to get FX and make some more money using my camera (had a few gigs so far but nothing that a DX body would not have handled fine)

I've made a lot of money with my D300. I now use it as a 1.5x teleconverter, since it's the backup to my D700, but it's a fine instrument. As far as lenses go, you're on your own. I just buy 'em all, and sell what I end up not using. Buy keepers. And a D300. Unless you REALLY want video. Pfffttt . . .

jasonstone

Thanks for all the advice folks... and the offers to show me around

I think i'm going to keep scanning my local ebay/ebay equivalent and talking to friends and go the 2nd hand route

I feel somewhat relieved to have a little support with my thoughts as I was starting to get analysis paralysis

Cheers

Brett1000

moose135 wrote: »

Take it as a sign it's time to move to Canon?

right, looks like a good opportunity to get serious about photography and make the switch

jasonstone

Brett1000 wrote: »

right, looks like a good opportunity to get serious about photography and make the switch

I already did make the switch!

I moved from Canon 3.5yrs ago to Nikon
Really happy with the NIkon and lots of mates have it too - so easier for me to borrow any equipment I don't have

jasonstone

or would anyone suggest the following???

D700 + MB-D10 battery grip
24-120 f4 VRII
SB-900

ok no really long zoom and no ultra wide (well maybe later)

but a decent allround FX camera that i can grow with ...

only thing I just know when I buy the D400 or D800 will pop up

Qarik

jasonstone wrote: »

or would anyone suggest the following???

D700 + MB-D10 battery grip
24-120 f4 VRII
SB-900

ok no really long zoom and no ultra wide (well maybe later)

but a decent allround FX camera that i can grow with ...

only thing I just know when I buy the D400 or D800 will pop up

I would go with this.

Firehouses of Ohio

Since I own a Tokina 11-16mm it's an automatic purchase.

24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8


Depending on what the insurance is offering you a D700 in a perfect world would be great and those are showing up refurbed at Adorama right around $2,300 new $2,400. You could go with a D300 $1,300 or D200 $650 with battery pack and regarding the flash I would stick with the sb800 used for roughtly $360 is what I'm finding on ebay today.


I would encourage you to call Paul Brown at Adorama he's always been able to me out with some good deals.

jasonstone

I can get a D300 for like 1100 with battery grip and a D700 body only for 2300 new

SB-900 380 new

if i could get a 2nd hand D700 for like 1500 that would be tempting!

HelenOster

Firehouses of Ohio wrote: »

I would encourage you to call Paul Brown at Adorama he's always been able to me out with some good deals.

I wonder if you mean Frank Brown? 212 741 0401 ext 2257 / frankb@adorama.com

jasonstone

honestly i think it would cost me too much in shipping, insurance and import tax in Switzerland to ship from the US - but thanks for the suggestion

Seefutlung

moose135 wrote: »

Take it as a sign it's time to move to Canon?

OK, you know someone was going to say it, I just thought we'd get it out of the way up front...

lol ... I echo the Moose.

Gary

InsuredDisaster

I'd forget the battery grip, and go the D700, used if you can, compared to buying a New 300. Should be able to get it down a bit. For me, I find the 700 can go to around ISO3200 vs the D300's 800ish-1600 before noise starts to be a problem. I've gone up to 6400 on the 700 with ok results, but it doesn't look very good on the 300.

While the SB-900 is certainly a great flash,and I've thought about getting one, I'd still stay with an SB-600 or SB-800. They are a fraction of the price of the 900 (which you can apply to the D700.) but I get buy pretty well.

I'm sure your lens is ok, and 24mm is actually fairly wide on an FX camera. Later you can get an off brand ultrawide, or really save for the Nikon.

I wouldn't worry about what camera comes out next. It will cost a lot more than something used right now, and you won't be able to use it until it comes out! Which is probably months away, even if they announce it the day after you buy what's out now.

jasonstone

have found a 17-55 f2.8 Nikkor for 700 and a SB-800 for 200
so think i'm going to go 2nd hand D300 after all
can sell the gear for more than that if i decide to upgrade in the future too

thanks for all help everyone