Am I going mad?

[Mr_T]

Hello, all I have been thinking about this for some months now and was wondering what I should get as my next piece of glass. At the moment I have: Nikon 18-70 3.5-4.5, Nikon 60mm 2.8 AF D and a Nikon 50mm 1.8 (as well as some lower quality lenses from when I was using film). Because it came with the camera I have been using the kit lens quite a bit and I have to say that for me it's a damn nice piece of kit. I do however wonder how different the results would be using some better glass. At the moment I have a D200 and although I know it's a little outdated as I am permanently stuck on ISO 100 image quality to me at any rate is fantastic. I accept that in the distant future in all probability I will be upgrading to an FX format body instead of my current DX one. With this in mind I want to get the highest quality glass I can bit by bit.

These are the lenses I have been lusting after (I can't afford them but that's not the point really):

*Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED or Nikon AF 14mm f/2.8D ED
*AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED
*AF-s 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF

The real problem I can't get my head around is wastage. At the moment I feel that as I already have the kit lens covering 18-17mm there wouldn't be much point in getting another covering a similar range even though it is a much better quality lens. This in probability will lead me to the 80-200mm lens which would be really nice to have (it would expand the range of what I can take considerably). However if I did get this really nice and expensive lens I fear it would make all of my other gear look worthless (even though I have been using it fine). I'm worried I would end up with completely 'unbalanced' gear. Eventually I would like to have all the above gear but I don't want it to ruin my fun. Then again I also don't want to be buying something that only works on the DX format seems a waste to me because of the potential future upgrade to FX.

Does anyone have any advice on this subject? Sorry if this post doesn't read well I have a suspicion it has come out as a completely incoherent rant.

 

[PeteStewardson]

The kit lens you have is a really nice lens. It's really nice and sharp and very well regarded. Don't discount it just because it's a kit lens.

If I was you I'd go for the 80-200. If you're in no rush see if you can get an AFS version, you'll only see them second hand, and very rarely, but it's a corker

Pete

 

[Wail]

Well, you sure have listed some really great lenses there.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with lusting for better glass, this is what we all do.

As for overlapping, keep in mind that the pro. grade lenses are a lot - A LOT - heavier than "kit" lenses; as such, you will start to feel the strain of carrying pro. grade lenses after a while. It's because of this that I would suggest you keep the kit lens you have, too.

As for which of the three to go for first, unless you have a huge deposit in your bank account which you want to let go, then I suggest you take them one lens at a time. Choose the one you want to try out most. Seeing that you have a kit lens (by the way the 18-70 is, by any measure an OUTSTANDING lens) .. I'd say go with the tele-zoom. Once you've mastered that, then go for one of the standard-zooms you've listed. Keep in mind that the 14-24 AF-S is supposed to be one of the very best lenses Nikon has ever released

 

[Mr_T]

Well, at least I have found the right lenses to get. I just need the funds to acquire these now! Before I buy anything I will hire the lens in question from LensesForHire just to make sure I have made the right choice. It really would be something to have that set eventually though.