Help me pick my First Top lens

[SFTPhotography]

Well far sharper is a bit of an exaggeration imo, but yes it’s a better performer in terms of sharpness. I mentioned the VRII in case it was considerably cheaper as it’s still a cracking lens. From what I’ve seen I actually prefer the rendering of the VRII tbh, although I probably prefer the bokeh of the 80-200mm over both

Compared to the center no - not far sharper - in the edges and corners though

Bokeh isn't a concern for my style of shooting - center to edge/corner sharpness is so I love the VR2 E version - I really rate it despite the zoom ring and focus ring being swapped around.

 

[chris malcolm]

I have not listed all the steps taken and all the details of my thought process. I'm not submitting a paper for marking here I know nothing about you but you are coming across like an old bitter lecturer I once had.

It's true that I am an old (now retired) lecturer. I made the assumption that you probably hadn't done the kinds of testing and analysis that I mentioned, because a brief summary of your findings and tentative conclusions would have helped people give you better answers.

This is a forum that is used for discussion and asking advice almost like a group of like-minded people having a discussion down the pub discussing a piece of equipment. I asked for opinions not to be spoken down too.

Of course. Clearly I made a mistaken assumption. For that I apologise. No offense intended.

I believe you are reading far more into this.

As soon as someone comes along asking what camera should I buy everyone tells them to put the money in the glass. This Is what I'm doing. I know that in low light situations I'm having to push the ISO to levels that I'm not happy to do so.

OK, so that means you could do with either larger aperture lenses, or artificial lighting, or better camera support, or an introduction to the use of better noise reduction methods than you currently use.

I know I'm having problems with having a depth of field that is longer than I would like.

OK, so that means wider apertures. Looking at your lens line up the biggest single improvement in aperture (and shortened depth of field) would be to acquire something like a good 70-200mm f2.8. As it happens that was exactly the kind of lens I most recently purchased, an old and battered but extremely good 80-200mm f2.8. It's so surprisingly good it very quickly became one of my favourite lenses. I'm sorry that being unfamiliar with Nikon lenses I can't make any useful Nikon suggestions.

None of these decisions have been made by looking at others shots and thinking wow I want a picture like that and believing just because I have the gear that will happen. Yes, gear helps but I'm under no illusion that if you buy a top lens you are a top photographer.

No wonder new people come on here and get the comments they do and leave or get offended.

They do? I was under the impression that this was one of the friendlier photography forums with better more helpful discussions of gear and of photographic problems than most.

Not the most friendly approach. I'm more than happy to take constructive criticism, in fact, I welcome it as it’s the only way you improve but you really need to work on your people skills.

So I've been told all my life. I'm told that I'm a high functioning Aspie (or ASD), the modern psychological term for a geek. It's probably too late for me to do much about improving my notably defective people skills. On the other hand I'm good with gadgetry. It's how I've got by.