Now that the Sigma 17-70 will come with the focus motor, I would recommend that...
K1000Photographer wrote:.
Now that the Sigma 17-70 will come with the focus motor, I wouldrecommend that..
Let's hold off on a $500 lens for the $600 body. I can always upgrade later, assuming I get hooked/obsessed..
Actually, now that I look into it, $500 might be the older non-HFS version (can't use the url... it's the Sigma SIGMA 17-70MM DC 2.8-4.5) at Henry's. If they just announced the new Sigma I assume availability might be a little ways off?.
Am I going to be disappointed with any of the kit lenses? My cousin does a lot of great work with a D70 and most of the stock lenses, so I guess my main question is which lens is going to be decent for most situations, or should I grab one of the multi-lens kits?..
Would the 18-135 be a good all-around lens, or would I be better offspending the extra $70 and getting the 55-200 combo with vibrationreduction? Is VR even that big a deal? I'd love to hear your opinions!.
Firstly, I'm assuming that the 18-200mm VR is off the table for price reasons. If I was going to buy a D40, that'd be my #1 lens to look at. A friend at work loves his..
Secondly, the 18-135 is a good lens, from all I've read..
Thridly, VR can be a big deal, especially in a slow-aperture telephoto lens like the 55-200..
I personally would go for the 18-55 / 55-200VR combo over the 18-135. The 18-135 would be handy when you're in walk-around tourist mode, when you're never sure what focal length you need to take a photo of the unexpected thing in front of you. For a lot of other things, you know in advance which focal lengths you're likely to need ahead of time, so having to change lenses occasionally isn't a big problem..
Disclaimer: I'm a Canon DSLR guy. My opinions on Nikons may or may not be uninformed .
Chris..
I bought the 17-70 for my Pentax for $317. That was cheap enough for a lens of that quality. I did not know the Nikon mount was at a premium...
When I was starting out, I liked having a lens with a lot of range. I started with a Tamron 28-300. I'm not saying to get that lens, just that when I was starting I didn't know exactly what I wanted to shoot, or how I wanted to shoot it. I enjoyed having the ability to try a lot with the single lens..
Now that I have more experience, I want more quality and a faster lens and faster focus, so I got better lenses. I still think I did it right for me at least. Once I figured out what I wanted to shoot, and how I had a better idea of what my next lenses would be..
Good luck and enjoy..
...Gary.
Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
Is VR even that big a deal? I'd love to hear youropinions!.
In my opinion / experience yes, yes it is. I can't believe how well it works and how useful it is, even in non-extreme circumstances..
I call my 18-200 VR the "Viagra lens" because it lets me hand hold at shutter speeds I haven't been able to manage in 30 years .
Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..
Unless you are absolutely sure that you will get a lot of use out of 135-200 I would go with the 18-135. For a kit lens it has amazing reach and quality..
The 18-55 alone is too limiting. That also means the 18-55 plus 55-200 is too limiting - too much lens changing to cover the 18-70 range..
Your realistic options are thre two lens package inc VR or the 18-135 alone. The VR almost makes the inconvenience of lots of changing lenses acceptable..
Only you can decide according to your likely use patterns but the one lesn seems to fit best with your likely use patterns.
I think I would go for the 18-135 alone and add the 70-300 VR later IF I need it's reach. You can always crop a little to replicate most of the reach of the 55-200..
Chris Elliott.
*Nikon* D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile.
Http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/..
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
After a great deal of research, I've settled on the Nikon D40 for myforay into the world of DSLR. I think in the past I've gotten themost use out of my old S400 ELPH at autoshows and weddings (lots ofportraits and close-ups) and vacations (where I could really haveused better zoom capabilities).
OK....
Now the choices... local dealer here has a variety of lenses andprice points and I'm trying to figure out if I should be able to makedo with just one, but of course I'll save a bit more if I buy it allup front, right?.
Not necessarily. There's special offers now and then and a lively second hand market..
D40 w/Nikon 18-55 II - $650.
Nothing wrong with it..
W/18-55 II & 55-200DX - $850.
Nice combo.
W/18-135 - $880.
May be best for you. It's a lot of range in a single lens..
W/18-55 II and 55-200 VR DX - $950.
Very tempting combination..
Price really isn't a concern (not a big one anyway), I just wanted toinclude them in case someone wants to shout "What a deal!!!" All inCDN$ btw..
Would the 18-135 be a good all-around lens, or would I be better offspending the extra $70 and getting the 55-200 combo with vibrationreduction? Is VR even that big a deal? I'd love to hear youropinions!.
VR is a big deal if you want to use the lens in low light situations. What it means is that focal length = shutter speed goes out of the window. So instead of being forced to shoot at 1/250 when you're zoomed to 200mm you can shoot at 1//125 or even slower..
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..
Leaning towards the 55-200 I strongly recommend you go for the VR version...
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
D40 w/Nikon 18-55 II - $650.
Dave, just an fyi...right now Best Buy has the D40 kit for C$650 and there is a $50 rebate if you buy over $500 online... so you can et the kit for $599. I just got Black's to price match it for me since I didn't want to pay and wait for shipping. They did it with little issue. Note, that this promo ends tomorrow or Friday (can't remember)...
Ggweci wrote:.
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
D40 w/Nikon 18-55 II - $650.
Dave, just an fyi...right now Best Buy has the D40 kit for C$650 andthere is a $50 rebate if you buy over $500 online... so you can etthe kit for $599. I just got Black's to price match it for me sinceI didn't want to pay and wait for shipping. They did it with littleissue. Note, that this promo ends tomorrow or Friday (can'tremember)..
Thanks, I saw the same thing, but have so little faith in dealing with Lest-Buy any more after issues with their PITA "Extended Warranty" program with a laptop I bought years ago. I refuse to buy big-ticket items from them, no matter what the savings. I'll definitely look into the price matching though. Thanks for the heads-up!..
Haven't pulled out the wallet yet, but I think for now I'm going to pick-up the basic kit with the 18-55 and play with it. Have some fun, and see what I want/need later on. That 18-200 VR might happen in the future, but for now I'm going to keep it simple..
Thanks for all the opinions, most appreciated!..
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
Haven't pulled out the wallet yet, but I think for now I'm going topick-up the basic kit with the 18-55 and play with it. Have somefun, and see what I want/need later on. That 18-200 VR might happenin the future, but for now I'm going to keep it simple..
Thanks for all the opinions, most appreciated!.
That's what I'm doing... just gonna play with the kit lens and then go from there. See what my needs/preferences are done the road...
Hey just wanted to let you know I bought the D40 w/ 18-135 with a free 2gig card for just a *little* over $700 from a store on Ebay (*store*, not auction)... if you want me to find you the company information send me an email at and I'll find the info..
Oh and btw, I love the whole kit. The D40 is perfect for my noob needs, and I refuse to switch lenses, and I haven't found any problems with the 18-135 lens. My next lens will be the 18-200 (not anytime soon since I think the last time I checked it costs more than I paid for my whole original kit LOL).
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
After a great deal of research, I've settled on the Nikon D40 for myforay into the world of DSLR. I think in the past I've gotten themost use out of my old S400 ELPH at autoshows and weddings (lots ofportraits and close-ups) and vacations (where I could really haveused better zoom capabilities).
Now the choices... local dealer here has a variety of lenses andprice points and I'm trying to figure out if I should be able to makedo with just one, but of course I'll save a bit more if I buy it allup front, right?.
D40 w/Nikon 18-55 II - $650w/18-55 II & 55-200DX - $850w/18-135 - $880w/18-55 II and 55-200 VR DX - $950.
Price really isn't a concern (not a big one anyway), I just wanted toinclude them in case someone wants to shout "What a deal!!!" All inCDN$ btw..
Would the 18-135 be a good all-around lens, or would I be better offspending the extra $70 and getting the 55-200 combo with vibrationreduction? Is VR even that big a deal? I'd love to hear youropinions!.
Dave the DSLR noob..
Arrowman wrote:.
Davidandrewcolegmailcom wrote:.
Is VR even that big a deal? I'd love to hear youropinions!.
In my opinion / experience yes, yes it is. I can't believe how wellit works and how useful it is, even in non-extreme circumstances..
I call my 18-200 VR the "Viagra lens" because it lets me hand hold atshutter speeds I haven't been able to manage in 30 years .
Well I finally found the time to hit the camera store yesterday, deciding to stick to the economical side of things... Picked up the D40 with 18-55 kit lens, a 2gig card and a UV filter to protect the lens..
Played with it last night... Oh, how I played with it! I started to remember how with my old P&S Canon how much I loved to play around with low-light shots without flash. Long story made short - I put in an order today for the Nikon 18-200 VR. I've been a good boy - I deserve it. ..