New to digital: advice please (long post).

[Kev L]

Hello everyone, this is my first post on what seems to be a great forum. I am planning on 'going digital' and would appreciate some advice on kit.

I do a lot of mountaineering and take mainly landscape shots so would use a wide-angle lens together with a robust camera body to cope with the harsh conditions out on the hills.I am considering the Canon 40D and Nikon D80 or D200 bodies: could anyone give any pros and cons as to how suitable they would be for my intended use? I don't mind paying for something of higher quality that will last (technology excepted).

I am currently out in Afghanistan and last week got talking to an Italian photographer who works for Getty Images and specialises in conflict photography. He had 2 Canon 1DS MkIII: one with a 600mm zoom and the other, which he said gets most use, with a 24mm prime - very nice. He recommended Canon and suggested I get a 24 or 28mm prime for my mountaineering shots. However, he had full-frame cameras, so for the same effect with a ~1.6 crop should I be looking at something like an 18mm lens? The reason I was also considering Nikon is that they seem to have a better range of wide angle glass than Canon.

Finally (getting there!), the Italian said he buys all his kit from B&H and gets it sent tax-free to wherever he is working; he said most of the pros he knows get their kit from them. I am in a position to do the same and was wondering if anyone had ever used B&H. Do they sell 'American' gear, and is it any different from UK-bought? My local shop back home is Cambrian Photography who are excellent and I do not mind paying a bit more for the service and advice I know I would get from them on my return in August.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Kev

 

[digitalmaniac]

Often b&h wont ship to uk for reasons imposed to them from manufacturers.

Well certainly when its a new product-the yanks rave over b&h ask them and see if they do ship

 

[reddeathdrinker]

I've taken all my DSLRs mountaineering, from my D50, through the D80 and D200, to my D300. Have a look at my Flickr for some pics...

I've only ever taken 2 lenses, my 10-20mm, and 28-75mm f/2.8. However, something like the Nikon 18-200mm VR would be a lovely lens to take with the 10-20mm, if I ever get round to buying one. Big zooms aren't really needed for landscapes, IMO.

The D80 is lighter, but the D200 is better-built, and weather-sealed.

 

[RobertP]

That is a big question with many possible answers and most are down to personal preference rather that picking the only kit that can do the job.

I'd say the standard recommendation for anyone considering starting out with DSLR applies to you too - get yourself into a large camera shop and hold a few different makes and models and see if any one feels better in your hands. All makes of DSLR are pretty competent performers. Once you know what fits your hands you can start exploring other features you might need like range of lenses or weather sealing etc and move on from there.

 

[olv]

I would say Nikon are heavily down compared to Canon when it comes to fast wide primes. They don't really have an answer for the 24mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.4, in terms of fast maximum aperture, build quality, fast internal focusing motor and price point.

It all depends on your budget really, there's nothing stopping you going full frame with a 5D or a D700 if you have the funds but likewise you could find a great solution for a cropped body.

 

[henryp]

Often b&h wont ship to uk for reasons imposed to them from manufacturers.
Well certainly when its a new product-the yanks rave over b&h ask them and see if they do ship

Thanks. Nikon USA prohibits all authorized US retailers from shipping Nikon digital slrs to any address outside the USA (except APO). Otherwise offhand I believe there's no restrictions on still photo equipment.