First dslr........

ayjay80

ayjay80

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Ashley
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Hi,

I've been reading through this forum for a while now whilst trying to pick up some ideas for my first dslr & lens which I have a budget of around £1000ish for everything......I'm willing to consider used equipment.

I've made my mind up on a D90 body but not really sure which lens(es) I require. The sort of photos that I'd be taking would be predominantly some nice and sharp landscape/scenery shots, photo's of the family both in and outdoors and i'd really like to get into star trail photography which leads me to the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX.

However, I want a longer lens for motorsport/events & airshows etc. For this purpose and everything inbetween I've been looking at the Nikon 18-200MM F3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR-II DX.

What I'm after is a good starter kit for an amateur but want the photos to look as good as possible (which I know is down to technique as much as the equipment) but I want to learn.

I'd really appreciate some advice.

Thanks
 
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firstly, the D90 is a great body for starting on and i would advise to go second hand so you have more to spend on lenses.
secondly, the 35mm DX is a fantastic lens for all purpose shots from scenery to portraits.
i have had no experience with 18-200 type lenses so i can't comment on them.
 
Ashley,

I agree with Callum that the D90 is a great body, specially for a learner as it will allow you to grow in skills without wanting to upgrade. I'd also second the used market idea :)

The 35mm f/1.8 is a great lens but maybe a bit long for landscapes which would normally require a focal length of less than 20mm on a DX body.

On the other hand I think you'll find the 18-200 too short for motorsport/airplanes even if you can get pretty close to the action. A better lens for that would be the 70-300mm VR - and even that's going to be marginal length-wise in some situations. Adding a teleconverter might also become necessary at some point.

Whatever you decide lens-wise, enjoy the D90 :thumbs:
 
i second steve with the 70-300 lens and the possibility for a teleconverter :)
 
I wouldn't try using a teleconverter on the 70-300. It can work but not very well in my limited experience. I've found the 300mm to be quite adequate at airshows.

For landscape you can't go far wrong with the Nikon 12-24 but if you are trying to get everything at once for £1k, you might consider the Sigma 10-20 as a cheaper alternative.

The Nikon 18-200 is an useful all round lens but there is no need to go for the Mark2 version if you are on a budget.

A useful mid range zoom is the Nikon 28-105 or the rarer, oft overlooked, Tamron 24-135.
 
Yep, 70-300 and a teleconverter isn't a great mix assuming you can get one to actually fit. You'll lost autofocus and even an 1.4x tele converter will have you down to F/8 max aperture at full zoom. The 70-300 on it's own is brilliant though. If you really need something longer and don't want to spend the earth, I'd look for a Sigma 150-500.

I wouldn't particularly recommend the 18-200. It makes a very good effort at trying to be good at everything but you know what they say about Jack of all trades. If you want a 'super zoom' one lens fits all solution, it's probably as good as it gets at the moment but I'd always gravitate towards more specialist gear. A 70-300 VR, a 35mm prime and a wide angle zoom would make a really nice kit that will cover most of the bases.
 
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Thanks for the advice guys......

Taking into account what you've all said, does a Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DXI paired with the 70-300 VR lens sound good as a starter kit?
 
Ashley, I've just really started off in dslr photography. As you can see I went for a Pentax K-5 and I'm very happy, but - and I can say this without any "investment defence" mentality, I think you're bang-on going for the D90. I love using the ones owned by friends.

I've succombed to the kit lens, budget zoom, cheap prime lens collection and to be honest it's a decent enough way to go, but...

If I were to go again, I'd be sorely tempted to buy right, first time. I'd be looking for a faster mid range zoom - dunno what Nikon have or the exact range and spec but something like 16-50 f2.8.
 
i wouldn't go for any other brand other than nikon nikkorr lenses but yes, a prime lens such as a 35mm DX f/1.8G would be good as well as the 70-300 +18-70
 
When I changed to Nikon I went for the sigma 10-20mm and the Nikon 70-300mm vr lens. Both are very good for starters on a dx body. Only problem I have found is the large gap between 20mm to 70mm that I've now filled with a 50mm f1.8D lens. I do sometimes find the sigma sometimes too wide, it's 15mm-30mm equivalent on 35mm so it's quite wide.

I mainly do either wildlife and a little landscape so they met my needs. Don't waste money on a tc until you get a f4 or f2.8 lens. The d90 is a great body, I did consider it due to the auto focus motor that allows you to use the older d lens.
 
+1 for the 70-300mm vr, a great lens for the money especially second hand. Try mpb, mifsuds, etc first over eBay.

The 18-70mm would give good focal range cover for starters, can't say anything else as haven't used the lens.

I can understand the 'buy right first time' advise, I still use use all the lens I've brought since I moved to Nikon, but I wont have brought the Nikon 300m f4 af-s prime as a first lens as it would have blown my budget.
 
Thanks guys,

I've made up my mind on the Nikon AF-S 35mm f.18 prime and the 70-300mm to start me off. Then later on, something to bridge the gap....:thumbs:
 
Got a 50mm 1.8 and an 18-70. Early days for me as I have only just bought my D90 2nd hand. Both awesome lenses. 50mm is superb in low light and makes for lovely portrait shots. 18-70 is also very crisp indeed.
 
Hi,

Personal preference but :
35mm definitely get it (links in sig)

The zoom I am unsure... I am using a 300 tair (m42 mount) but I think if I had the money and the choice I'd be looking at the sigma 50-500... just cause ;) Around the 600-800 ukp used.

Avoid the 18-200 (not sure if the newer vr models are better but I had on for the vrmk1... Decent enough, but if you get another lens in that range - especially prime, it shows as very soft.

If you are looking very wide, the tokina 11-16 (around 500ukp new) is brill (links to pics in sig).

All these are personal views, so a pinch of salt - will admit that the 18-200 was good to cover the ranges it did, just I could never seem to get the quality I wanted from it... :)
 
Well finally took the plunge and have gone with the D90 & the 70-300mm VR.....

Will also be purchasing an 18-70mm in the next few days aswell.

Wish me luck !!
 
Well done that man!!

You don't need luck, the D90 will serve you well (as will the lens) - just make sure you get plenty of practice using it and post pictures in the relevant places for advice.

Oh, and there's a HUGE D90 thread running in this forum :)
 
Hi
My first DSLR was a D90 a great camra still got, i got the Nikon 16mm-85mm as-f dx for it and i must say it is a brill lens, i all so use it on my D300s and it works fine on it as well, you should have a look at this all so.
The 70-300mm is a yes all so, i whent for the 55-300mm at the time (cash limt) a good lens for a starter now going to get a 70-300mm when i get the cash.
Paul
 
D90 & 70-300mm lens have arrived today, very excited !! :D

The 16-85mm is definitely worth a look but i've taken the opposite path to you Paul with the more expensive 70-300mm & the cheaper 18-70mm

Hopefully we have a clear sky tonight so I can use the Moon to practise on.....
 
My first DSLR was a D90 and its still the one I use for going out and about for fun. (I use a Tamron 17-50 mostly on my D90 as a walkabout lens but then I'm not needing too much reach.)

Enjoy your new camera!
 
The 18-70 is a cracking lens for the money. Really good results.

The 70-300 VR is a useful lens at air shows providing you are quite close to the flight line.

See link for examples with this lens

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=70848

It won't take a Nikon 1,4TC as the elements will clash but the but the kenko version does fit.

Quality is ok and the fact it is F8 does not matter when you are pointing it up into the sky as narrower than that is frequently necessary.
 
PsiFox - Great pictures, escpecially the typhoon ones.....

I'm happy with my lens choices but can I ask what is a TC i.e Nikon 1.4TC?
 
Tele convertor. it extends the focal length of the lens by the factor shown in its name e.g. add a 1.4 TC to a 300mm lens and you have a a 420mm lens. Minimum aperture does increase as well however.

Caveat. Not all lenses will accept a TC and the quality decrease of some combinations may prove detrimental.
 
Thanks for the info.....

When you say focal length, would you not take into account the crop factor of the body?

Using my D90 body as an example would it be?

(300*1.5 cropfactor)*1.4 = 630mm
 
Ashley,

No matter what body you fit a lens to its focal length is the same - a 300mm lens is a 300mm lens.

By considering the DX crop factor you are calculating the focal length you would need on a FX body to get the same field of view that you get on the DX body. Put a 200mm lens on your DX body and it will give you the same picture as a 300mm on an FX body. Did that make sense?
 
Bristolian,

No, that makes perfect sense....

Thanks
 
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