Nikon D800......

But anyway whats your budget.. I've got a Nikon 18-200 that i have to say I'm less than impressed with on my 800.. - so don't recommend that...at least not with this camera

Pete,

Ideally £300-£400 not looking for stellar as I'm not even sure its something I'm going to use an awful lot.
 
well that will get you:
Nikon 85mm 1.8
Sigma 150mm Macro 2.8
an old Nikon 80-200 (manual) - cant advise this though..

I'd probably go for the 150mm (but as I own one that will give you your answer) just for the macro - gives you length & another dimension that you don't have with your current lenses.
 
Just to butt in
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- that Sigma 150 is really great on the D800!
Both for macro and as shorter tele.

There's a dedicated photo thread over at NikonCafe just for this lens!
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well that will get you:
Nikon 85mm 1.8
Sigma 150mm Macro 2.8
an old Nikon 80-200 (manual) - cant advise this though..

I'd probably go for the 150mm (but as I own one that will give you your answer) just for the macro - gives you length & another dimension that you don't have with your current lenses.

I was really thinking of a zoom but will look at the Sigma 150mm, that might be an excellent shout!
 
I thought it looked familiar, I'm not too far from there, just 10 minutes from Loch Lomond. I was as up at Luss yesterday, although abandoned the photography as the weather was so bad. Was up trying to test my new Zeiss and Big Stopper:

2v2tzis.jpg


Although it was pouring down, the sky was as flat as a pancake and to top it all I forgot to take the tripod head anyway. I took a few handheld shots that seem to indicate this is very sharp at f/1.4, almost a medium format look to it.
 
...Was up trying to test my new Zeiss and Big Stopper...
If you show a picture of that lens mounted on your D800, I will have a heart attack!

Please hit me!
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I know, I'm a gearhead, but still... have only seen a little shot from an iPhone of that setup, so would really love to see a pro shot!
 
I got it from Dale Photographic in Leeds I can recommend them fully. It balances like a fully metal 24-70 on the gripped D800, manual focus obviously but feels very nice to use from my very limited time with it. Here's the snazzy box:

2li8oiq.jpg


Just need a break in the weather and the time to use it, I usually have one and not the other these days.
 
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has anyone got the tilt shift lens, 24mm pc-e? I'm thinking of getting it for landscapes but after trawling around flickr searching for images taken with it i cant say i'm that impressed over what the fixed wide angles can do. Any feedback on it would be helpful.
 
has anyone got the tilt shift lens, 24mm pc-e? I'm thinking of getting it for landscapes but after trawling around flickr searching for images taken with it i cant say i'm that impressed over what the fixed wide angles can do. Any feedback on it would be helpful.

Meonshore has the PC-E.

I do !, and shoot with it on my D800E.

So my feedback is as follows:

1) There is a limitation which I have mentioned on here before about the design of the 24mm PC-E and the D800/E which means you can't rotate the lens on it's axis to change the shift to be left to right (rather then vertical) when the camera is in a normal (landscape) orientation. This is due to the rear tensioning screws for the movements striking the overhang of the prism. It isn't an issue with the D3/s, D3x or D4 as the shape is different - nor is it an issue with the 45mm or 85mm which have those further out from the lens mount.

For me this isn't as much of an issue as I tend to use the 24mm in the orientation that works on the D800 for my landscapes, and if I needed to shoot a vertical orientation with vertical shift then I could always go to a different body and sacrifice some MP for the full function.

2) If you use the 24mm PC-E as a 24mm without using the tilt or shift movements then you'll see no benefit above using a standard fixed wide angle lens whether that is a 24mm f/1.4 or otherwise especially at typical landscape apertures (i.e. not wide open).

3) If you use shift either to sort out converging verticals, or to enable you to shoot multiple frames to stitch from a single fixed tripod/camera position then you'll get a benefit above a fixed wide angle

4) If you use shift, and the Scheimpflug principle , then you'll also see a benefit - either to alter the plane of focus to give you a look to your image that you can't achieve with a fixed prime where the plane of focus is always parallel to the plane of the sensor, and/or to enable you to shoot with a good depth of field at a lower aperture and reduce your risk of loss of detail due to diffraction (which of course defeats the benefit of a 36MP sensor and the lack of an AA filter if you have the E) at f/22-f/32 for example or whatever range your body/lens combination starts to deteriorate at.

Now I don't trawl Flikr and so I can't comment on what you will have seen and I can't point you to anything (of my own of others) that might convince you of the fact. But the lens is used by landscape photographers for the reasons mentioned above, and it is a very high quality optic in it's own right.

I hope this helps.
 
it does indeed, ta for that :) it would be nice to see some examples where its been used for point 4 so i can see the effect with it. I shoot large format so am happy with tilting and shifting, just not happy with the bulk of it all so it would be nice to get this lens to take over from that.
 
it does indeed, ta for that :) it would be nice to see some examples where its been used for point 4 so i can see the effect with it. I shoot large format so am happy with tilting and shifting, just not happy with the bulk of it all so it would be nice to get this lens to take over from that.

Good - pleased to have helped. I won't be able to show you anything that will convince you. My recommendation is for the £35ish it would cost to rent one, given that you are familiar with movements on LF that you give it a serious workout for a small outlay and see for yourself based on subjects you have seen with your own eye and with the ability to review full size images. Given you would be spending about £1300 on a new one it isn't a big outlet to make sure.
 
If you show a picture of that lens mounted on your D800, I will have a heart attack!

Please hit me!
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I know, I'm a gearhead, but still... have only seen a little shot from an iPhone of that setup, so would really love to see a pro shot!

Not sure a NEX5 + kit lens counts as a pro shoot, but here it is mounted to give you an idea of size:

2pzg1sm.jpg


From the side:

x2q7vo.jpg


It's very much like a 24-70, although when you compare it to the size of a Nikon 50mm f/1.4G it is ridiculously large. If Zeiss and Nikon cooperated on an autofocus version we would be moving into a bold new era I think.
 
A general question to D800 owners what monitor are you all using to edit on? I was looking at Eizo/NEC/LaCie probably 24-27 or even 30 inch, is anyone using something similar?
 
Just to mention that the Nikon AF-S 80-400 f4.5-5.6mm G ED VR N lens is blindingly fast on auto focus on the D800
 
Simon, I might be wrong but am I right in thinking you use the Tamron 70-300 USD with your D800? Just wondering how you find it?

I did have the 70-200 F4 Chris.. an excellent lens but I rarely used it so sold it recently and have bought a Tamron 70-300VC (paid £145 used as opposed to £800 new for the 70-200). Whilst I haven't had much chance to use it yet other than a few test shots I'm pleasantly surprised, it seems quite promising to me so far.. I'll mainly be using it for holidays/travel when IQ isn't critical though. I'll post more when I get to use it
 
I did have the 70-200 F4 Chris.. an excellent lens but I rarely used it so sold it recently and have bought a Tamron 70-300VC (paid £145 used as opposed to £800 new for the 70-200). Whilst I haven't had much chance to use it yet other than a few test shots I'm pleasantly surprised, it seems quite promising to me so far.. I'll mainly be using it for holidays/travel when IQ isn't critical though. I'll post more when I get to use it

Thanks Simon, I'm going to try my friends and see what I think, also have half an eye on a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 D
 
Can anyone tell me if the non AFS 80-200 f2.8 is worth buying?
It has excellent IQ but as it's AF is not as fast as the AF-S models (which are quite rare now).
 
It has excellent IQ but as it's AF is not as fast as the AF-S models (which are quite rare now).

Cheers Gramps, I'm wondering if it would make much difference, I've never found the D800 wanting particularly when it comes to focusing D lenses with the in-body motor... hmm will need to take a look, I'm half tempted to keep an eye out for a Nikon 300mm f4, slower but seems to be well priced used and would allow me to add a TC later and maybe try out some motorsport again... last few AF-S 80-200's I've seen have been around £700, can get a new 300 f4 from HDEW for less!
 
Not sure a NEX5 + kit lens counts as a pro shoot, but here it is mounted to give you an idea of size:

2pzg1sm.jpg


From the side:

x2q7vo.jpg


It's very much like a 24-70, although when you compare it to the size of a Nikon 50mm f/1.4G it is ridiculously large. If Zeiss and Nikon cooperated on an autofocus version we would be moving into a bold new era I think.

Less photos OF it... more WITH it :)
 
I have been looking at upgrading my DX (Nikon D7000) system to a D800 / D800e for some time. I have also been wondering if a D800s would appear on the market, as it hasn't, I have decided to bite the bullet and order a D800 and £2,000 seams to be quite good value given the specification and very positive reviews. Naturally, I have also given consideration to upgrading to FX lenses. Ideally, I would like to cover focal lengths between 10 - 200 mm (but not from one lens!). I would be very interests to hear your opinions or recommendations ? Thanks.
 
thats really easy - start at the best & most expensive lenses & work backwards from there...:)
 
I have been looking at upgrading my DX (Nikon D7000) system to a D800 / D800e for some time. I have also been wondering if a D800s would appear on the market, as it hasn't, I have decided to bite the bullet and order a D800 and £2,000 seams to be quite good value given the specification and very positive reviews. Naturally, I have also given consideration to upgrading to FX lenses. Ideally, I would like to cover focal lengths between 10 - 200 mm (but not from one lens!). I would be very interests to hear your opinions or recommendations ? Thanks.

How much money do you want to spend on the lenses, what are you mainly shooting and how many lenses do you want to carry?
 
I have been looking at upgrading my DX (Nikon D7000) system to a D800 / D800e for some time. I have also been wondering if a D800s would appear on the market, as it hasn't, I have decided to bite the bullet and order a D800 and £2,000 seams to be quite good value


No it doesn't. £1387 from Panamoz. THAT'S good value.
 
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