(Getting new Camera) Updated! Got a Nikon D50!

[sameerrao]

I haven't used it for panning so can't say. I am pretty sure that both lenses will be good though. The 18-70 gives you greater reach - so you can perhaps take pictures from the opposite side of the road if need be.

But panning is probably the easiest test that you can put to a lens. This is because you use slow shutter speeds - like 1/50, 1/100 or 1/200 max and as a result can use small apertures like F6-9 depending on the light and lens sweet spot. Good panning shots are the result of lot of practice and good hand holding technique. You dont really need IS/VR (though it can help with very slow shutter speeds). You dont need expensive glass either.

Faster glass makes itself more useful when the cars are lot faster like say F1 cars and the ambient light is poor.

Go for the 18-70 if you can or else buy a 18-55 and get shooting ....

[TopGearNL]

/\/\Will do, Ill keep this topic updated!!

Thanks for all your help guys

[ae86_16v]

Originally Posted by MartijnGizmo Originally Posted by TopGearNL Wae86_16v said that (ken rockwell) the 18-55 is a better lens then the 18-70, http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1855.htm and you (martijngizmo) say the opposite?? Who is right? Because this is an important decision Uh, yeah, either believe Ken Rockwell or look at real tests..... 18-55: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...3556/index.htm 18-70: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...3545/index.htm

FYI, I have the 18-70mm mounted on my D50 .

[RC45]

OK - time to buy RC45 a couple decent lenses for a D70S.

You have to choose 3 reasonably priced but good lenses.

Have at it.

Lense, use, reason and price.

[ae86_16v]

Originally Posted by MartijnGizmo Originally Posted by TopGearNL Wae86_16v said that (ken rockwell) the 18-55 is a better lens then the 18-70, http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1855.htm and you (martijngizmo) say the opposite?? Who is right? Because this is an important decision Uh, yeah, either believe Ken Rockwell or look at real tests..... 18-55: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...3556/index.htm 18-70: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...3545/index.htm

From Photozone:

Originally Posted by Photozone However, the optical quality of the lens is not all that bad. The resolution figures are actually very good and not much worse compared to much higher priced models. The contrast level at large apertures leaves something to be desired though (dull colors). The distortion characteristic is about average whereas the vignetting is surprisingly well controlled for a DX-type lens (APS-C image circle). Chromatic aberrations are quite high and can be field relevant in some situations. Naturally this has all to be seen in the context of the extremely low price tag so all-in-all it is almost surprising what the lens is capable to deliver.

And a couple of more links:

http://www.bythom.com/1855lens.htm
http://www.bythom.com/1870lens.htm


So in the end, I don't think you'll be short changing yourself if you get the 18-55mm. Although the 18-70mm is superior, the 18-55mm is still a very good kit lens. If you are on a budget, I would go 18-55mm and 70-300mm.

[sameerrao]

Originally Posted by RC45 OK - time to buy RC45 a couple decent lenses for a D70S. You have to choose 3 reasonably priced but good lenses. Have at it. Lense, use, reason and price.

I am not sure how you define reasonable but here are my suggestions ...

A) Lens for exterior and interior shots of the car + use as holiday/travel lens ...
#1 pick... Nikkor 18-200VR - Price $750-1000 depending on website
#2 pick... Nikkor 18-70DX - Price $270 from adorama.com
The 18-200 is perhaps the best all-purpose lens in the world. All the zoom you want and with decent sharpness and small size with vibration reduction feature that reduces the possibility of poor pictures die to lens shake. However, finding this lens is as difficult as finding hen's teeth. The second pick is a great lens with good glass and cheap price. Both lenses have adequate wide angle to take those shots where you have 8 cars parked for a comparo

I would recommend you save the $500 by buying the second lens and use the surplus cash in the following item below ...

B) Lens for action shots, sports photography + great bokeh (a function of depth of field that highlights the object in focus and blurs the background)
#1 pick ... Nikkor 70-200mmVR F2.8 - Price about $1700
#2 pick ... Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 - Price about $700-800
#3 pick ... Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 - Price about $900-1000

The Nikkor 70-200mm VR is perhaps the best quality zoom lens that nikkor makes and it is up there with the best prime lenses that Nikon has ever made. It has lightening fast autofocus, decent zoom range and VR that enables you to handhold it without causing shaky images. Particularly important as the lens is pretty heavy - ~3lb. I have this lens and I absolutely love it.

The Sigma and Nikkor 80-200mm are close to each other in second place - the Nikon lens has the same glass as the 70-200 (without the latest autofocus mechanism or the vibration reduction feature). The Sigma fights back with decent picture quality, lighter weight and marginally faster autofocus.

No question that if you can afford it for the nikkor 70-200VR. Additionally, this lens has the added benefit that you can attach Nikon teleconverter lenses (1.4X, 1.7X and 2.0X) that gives you more reach with minimal loss of quality ... the 1.4X is supposed to be very, very good. I am not sure about the 1.7X though

3) Get the Nikon 1.4X teleconverter for the 70-200VR - $400 new or $300 or so used.

There are other lenses that would suit different tasks but let me know if there is a need that isn't met by these lenses and I can think up another for you

[RC45]

Thanks mate.

You think I could get it all sourced by Saturday?

D70S Body local and maybe the Nikkor 18-200VR and the Nikkor 18-70DX .

We of course will also need a Sigma 70-200mm for action shots.

What do you think?

[sameerrao]

Originally Posted by RC45 Thanks mate. You think I could get it all sourced by Saturday? D70S Body local and maybe the Nikkor 18-200VR and the Nikkor 18-70DX . We of course will also need a Sigma 70-200mm for action shots. What do you think?

Go to the Houston Camera Exchange at Richmond/Fountainview. Caveat: Their prices are on the higher side compared to buying it on the net plus you pay the nasty taxes to Uncle Sam .

I am sure it is a typo but just to be sure you need to buy the 18-200VR or the 18-70DX and not both. Get the Nikon 70-200 in addition if it fits inside the budget.

Alternatively, you can borrow my gear for the weekend and try it out. in the meantime place the order on the net - you get a better price and no taxes. I am available on Saturday for a photoshoot as I mentioned on the voice mail. You can keep it till then if you like.

[MartijnGizmo]

Just noticed a huge disadvantage of the 18-55 for car photography: the front element rotates, and that makes it horrible to use with a polarizer.

[TopGearNL]

BIG BIG PROBLEM!!

Ive visited loads of different camerashops and none! none of them has the Nikon D50 or the chance of getting one. They all say that the importer in Holland stopped with them because in a couple of months the Nikon D50i is going to replace the D50. That new camera will cost about 800-900 euro's. I am still searching for my camera but no luck :cry:

Any thoughts...?

[RC45]

eBay

[MartijnGizmo]

Originally Posted by TopGearNL BIG BIG PROBLEM!! Ive visited loads of different camerashops and none! none of them has the Nikon D50 or the chance of getting one. They all say that the importer in Holland stopped with them because in a couple of months the Nikon D50i is going to replace the D50. That new camera will cost about 800-900 euro's. I am still searching for my camera but no luck :cry: Any thoughts...?

Well the importer, Inca, totally stopped importing Nikon. Their crappy customer service finally got someone at Nikon thinking, so after the summer Nikon is gonna do their own importing.

Oh, and btw, a D50s sounds more reasonable to me.

I'd check out www.marktplaats.nl or www.fotoapparatuur.nl

[sameerrao]

^^ D70s correct?

I wonder what is new with the D50i?

[TopGearNL]

Originally Posted by MartijnGizmo Originally Posted by TopGearNL BIG BIG PROBLEM!! Ive visited loads of different camerashops and none! none of them has the Nikon D50 or the chance of getting one. They all say that the importer in Holland stopped with them because in a couple of months the Nikon D50i is going to replace the D50. That new camera will cost about 800-900 euro's. I am still searching for my camera but no luck :cry: Any thoughts...? Well the importer, Inca, totally stopped importing Nikon. Their crappy customer service finally got someone at Nikon thinking, so after the summer Nikon is gonna do their own importing. Oh, and btw, a D50s sounds more reasonable to me. I'd check out www.marktplaats.nl or www.fotoapparatuur.nl

Sounded more reasonable to me to a S version, but thats what the guy said.

Looks to me that the normal D50 isn't and won't be supplied anymore to make room for the D50s.

Thanks for that second link Martijn!! Ill keep looking!

[ae86_16v]

Originally Posted by TopGearNL BIG BIG PROBLEM!! Ive visited loads of different camerashops and none! none of them has the Nikon D50 or the chance of getting one. They all say that the importer in Holland stopped with them because in a couple of months the Nikon D50i is going to replace the D50. That new camera will cost about 800-900 euro's. I am still searching for my camera but no luck :cry: Any thoughts...?

Originally Posted by sameerrao ^^ D70s correct? I wonder what is new with the D50i?

Like I posted in my first post: Photokina will be arriving in a few months, at the end of September. This convention happens every two years.

Nikon will replace the D70s w/ either the D80 or D90 for sure. Probably megapixel jump up to 8 or 10mps.

The D50 will be replaced w/ the D50s. It will be similar to the D50 w/ upgrades in speed and such. I suspect the D50s will continue to use the same sensor. Nice thing about Nikons is that they will probably release a new firmware to patch the old D50 up to speed w/ the new D50s much like they did with the original D70 to D70s.