[maven]

Originally Posted by gd1418

CPL filters used only when you want the sky to be the bluest or in snowy conditions. Having one in the bag is always helpful. Howmany times it is going to see fresh air & sun, is for you to decide.

true. i got one specially from the US about 2 months back, havent used it once so far. But its nice to know its there in the bag

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by navin

Thanks. This will help. I think I will go for the 28/1.8 and 50/1.4 now if I get these 2 the 100/2 makes more sense than the 85/1.8 right?

Well, yes, because the 50mm is now your 85mm equivalent on APS-C. And no because the 85mm is useful if you want a medium tele. The 100mm will become a 200mm, which may be a tad too long depending on your purpose.

Originally Posted by gd1418

I'm planning a restructuring of my equipment & accessories. The current gear is -

Camera Bodies: Nikon F801, Nikon D40 (sold), Nikon D80 (sold) & Nikon D300.

P&S: Fuji FinePix S602 & Nikon CoolPix S220

Lenses: Zoom Nikkor AF 35-70mm F/3.3-4.5, Zoom Nikkor AF-S DX 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, Zoom Nikkor AF-S VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

Flashes: Nikon SB-24, Nikon SB-400

My restructuring plan - Lenses only:

To hive off the 35-70 & the 18-135 and get instead:


AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

or

SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM


To hive off the 70-300 VR and get instead

AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

or

AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED

And get a new SIGMA APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM


Please advise in detail.

gd, you need to keep the 35-70 and SB-24 for the F801. Otherwise you have no full frame lens for it. The lens won't fetch you anything on resale anyway. The 14-24/2.8 is one expensive piece of glass ($2000) the Sigma is half that. You are not comparing like to like. Were you considering those lenses only for the F801? IMHO the 14-24mm is a total waste on the F801 unless you are planning to get a D700 or D3 full-frame DSLR. On the D300 is becomes a 20-36mm, kinda pointless for such an expensive piece of glass.

For wide on digital, get the Nikon 10-24/3.5-4.5 DX or 12-24mm/4 or the Tokina equivalent (if money is an object ). I would keep the 18-135 DX as a general all-purpose lens. Selling that is only going to go a small way towards funding the expensive glass you are considering.

On the long lenses you don't have a problem because they will work on both digital and the F801. the 70-300 VR is lighter, albeit slower than the 70-200mm/2.8. Buy the latter if you really need the speed. I ave no experience with the Sigma but as chaudhrysan suggested there are easier ways to get to that focal length. fyi on your D300, the 70-300 VR is a 450mm/5.6 anyways. Do you really need to go longer?

Originally Posted by mohang_j

I herad G type lens are not that great is it true

Originally Posted by gd1418

It is not like that. Nikkor lenses are great glass. The G type has a plastic mount instead of the metal mount. Plus, autofocus in G type works on only some type of bodies.

You can read a detailed review of this particular lens here - Nikon 70-300mm G

The only thing G denotes in Nikon lenses nomenclature is the lack of an aperture ring. Nothing else.

Originally Posted by chaudhrysan

@gd1418
I was just browsing the web and came across Tokina 11-16/f2.8, may be worth considering as it is receiving good reviews. Another to consider may be the Tokina 12-24/f4 which is regarded to have excellent optics. I personally feel this one has a better working range as compared to the 11-16. Though you may loose 1~2 mm on the wide side, you gain a useful 8 mm on the longer end. A downer maybe lack of availibility here, as I could not find the Tokina when I bought the Sigma 10-20.

The Tokina 12-24/4 is a great lens. I have it and can vouch for it. if you need to go wider on Nikon digital, the new 10-24 DX is worth considering

[gd1418]

Thanks StarScream. I know all of this and the lenses are not for F-801 anymore. That body has been de-commisioned...

I've used the SB-24 on my earlier D40 and then the D80 in Auto & Manual mode. No complaints. Plan to use it on D300 as well.

I've seen the point in what you & Chaudharysan made. The restructuring has beel shelved. Money of course is an issue. I've been quoted 40K for the Bigma 150-500.

I do mostly wildlife with very tight cropping. I like my animals closer...

Originally Posted by StarScream

gd, you need to keep the 35-70 and SB-24 for the F801. Otherwise you have no full frame lens for it. The lens won't fetch you anything on resale anyway. The 14-24/2.8 is one expensive piece of glass ($2000) the Sigma is half that. You are not comparing like to like. Were you considering those lenses only for the F801? IMHO the 14-24mm is a total waste on the F801 unless you are planning to get a D700 or D3 full-frame DSLR. On the D300 is becomes a 20-36mm, kinda pointless for such an expensive piece of glass.

For wide on digital, get the Nikon 10-24/3.5-4.5 DX or 12-24mm/4 or the Tokina equivalent (if money is an object ). I would keep the 18-135 DX as a general all-purpose lens. Selling that is only going to go a small way towards funding the expensive glass you are considering.

On the long lenses you don't have a problem because they will work on both digital and the F801. the 70-300 VR is lighter, albeit slower than the 70-200mm/2.8. Buy the latter if you really need the speed. I ave no experience with the Sigma but as chaudhrysan suggested there are easier ways to get to that focal length. fyi on your D300, the 70-300 VR is a 450mm/5.6 anyways. Do you really need to go longer?

[sj_koova]

Can anyone tell me, how much would a "Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom" cost in the grey market?

jjmehta shows Rs.25995 without warranty

[black12rr]

Went to canon lounge , 50 D is really big and heavy .

[genesis]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Went to canon lounge , 50 D is really big and heavy .

These prices are high compared to the US. I just got a 500D (rebel Ti) wit 18-55 from amazon.com for 809 USD. The 18-200mm lens is around 560USD there. A friend of mine lugged the camera over for me.

I understand the US warranty is not valid in India but it is still quite a big difference!

[muni]

About a week back, I lost my 4.5 year old Pana FZ5 during my trip to halong Bay-Cat ba island( fantastic places and I am feeling more for the pics lost than the camera )

I am looking for a replacement an here are my options for Point and Shoot

1) Pana Fz28 ( sparsely available due to its replacement Fz35or Fz38)

2) Canon SX10IS

Both retail at + or- 400USD( canon slightly expensive of the two) in Hanoi, Vietnam where i am based at the moment and after a lot of reading through reviews and feedback it looks like either one of them would do.

Fz28 is very light and am not a big fan of AA cells of the canon. Since I already have a Panasonic and am quite comfortable with it , should i hunt for the Fz28 and buy one.

Another option is should I take the plunge for the SLR as my hands are itching and the temptation is growing by the day.

I have set my eyes upon Nikon D5000 kit which should be available for around 800USD. I presume for a first DSLR , I dont need to look above this ( The budget constraints are also there) and I hope this will do the job for atleast 5 years

Now ,guys since I am a toddler in the DSLR school, need advice in the below.

a) Should i buy the D5000 with the Kit ( 18-55mm lens) 800USD is the cost.

b) Should i Buy the Body and the lens seperate and if yes which one. A single lense with decent zoom is what i am looking for as i dont intend to spend on additionals for atleast 1 year after i buy.

Anything else I need to buy apart from the Mem card ( how much) like tripod, extra battery, cleaning equipment, filters etc.

Will warranty be an issue for th ecameras if I buy in Vietnam.

I am willing to spend some time ( i have spare time) to learn the technicalities of a DSLR. I wish to take some pics like some of the biggies like Rudrasen,Torqueguru etc.

Quick suggestions appreciated.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

Can anyone tell me, how much would a "Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom" cost in the grey market?

jjmehta shows Rs.25995 without warranty

It's a $500 lens so the JJ price is about right.

Originally Posted by black12rr

Went to canon lounge , 50 D is really big and heavy .

We talk about cars being overpriced in India but look at photo equipment! It's out of control thanks to crazy import taxes. No wonder the grey market does so well.

Originally Posted by muni

Another option is should I take the plunge for the SLR as my hands are itching and the temptation is growing by the day.

I personally prefer DSLRs to digital P&S's, which I find are fidgety to use.

I have set my eyes upon Nikon D5000 kit which should be available for around 800USD. I presume for a first DSLR , I dont need to look above this ( The budget constraints are also there) and I hope this will do the job for atleast 5 years

As a first DSLR it is fine. It is also small and light enough for someone upgrading from a P&S.

Now ,guys since I am a toddler in the DSLR school, need advice in the below.

a) Should i buy the D5000 with the Kit ( 18-55mm lens) 800USD is the cost.

If you're starting out the kit lens is fine. Use it fora while before you figure out what else you need.

b) Should i Buy the Body and the lens seperate and if yes which one. A single lense with decent zoom is what i am looking for as i dont intend to spend on additionals for atleast 1 year after i buy.

There is no end to this. There are lenses and then there are lenses. For one year the kit lens should serve you fine as you learn. After one year, you yourself will start thinking of more glass to suit the subjects you shoot.

Anything else I need to buy apart from the Mem card ( how much) like tripod, extra battery, cleaning equipment, filters etc.

I don't think you'll need anything else other than `digital film'.

Will warranty be an issue for the camera if I buy in Vietnam.

Yes, very possibly. Although Nikon lenses bought in Singapore carry 1-year international warranty, which is valid in India.

[chaudhrysan]

@muni
Since you are not planning to buy more lenses in the near future, I would suggest that you buy the d5000 body only and purchase the Nikon AF-S 18-105mm ED VR Lens instead. You will cover almost 90% of your initial needs. Or, if you can stretch your budget more, get the Nikon AF-S 18-200mm ED VR Lens.
Memory card - 4Gb or 8Gb, Extreme series
UV Filter - Hoya or Kenko
Warranty in India will be an issue if you buy from overseas.

@gd1418
More food for thought. Keep the 18-135. Don't go for a fast mid range zoom, instead go for the 35mm/f1.8 G DX and the 50mm/f1.4 or 1.8 and let the foot do the zooming

If you intend to keep the 70-300 VR, my suggestion would be to go for the 300mm/f4 AFS with a TC14E telecon. Though I don't own one, I have used it and the IQ is excellent. But!! I just realized that no VR may be a no no in your case. Well, in that case we have the 300/f2.8 VR AFS with a price sticker that is ouch!!

OT - a good read on reviews of Nikon products for those who need to do some research: Nikon Field Flash Digital Guide photography by Thom Hogan

[Torqueguru]

@Muni
Go for it, the D5000. Starscream is 100% spot on with his answers for your questions i guess! Go for it.
Regards,
TG.

[sj_koova]

Starscream,
Yes I checked the price at Adorama and B&H. it comes to $530.
I picked the Nikon 70-300mm VR from Foto circle for Rs25500/-, which is exact Us price when converted. Warranty is anyway void if I buy it in US.
As you said the grey market is doing pretty well.

[lloydofcochin]

Originally Posted by muni

About a week back, I lost my 4.5 year old Pana FZ5 during my trip to halong Bay-Cat ba island( fantastic places and I am feeling more for the pics lost than the camera )

I am looking for a replacement an here are my options for Point and Shoot

1) Pana Fz28 ( sparsely available due to its replacement Fz35or Fz38)

2) Canon SX10IS

Both retail at + or- 400USD( canon slightly expensive of the two) in Hanoi, Vietnam where i am based at the moment and after a lot of reading through reviews and feedback it looks like either one of them would do.

Fz28 is very light and am not a big fan of AA cells of the canon. Since I already have a Panasonic and am quite comfortable with it , should i hunt for the Fz28 and buy one.

Another option is should I take the plunge for the SLR as my hands are itching and the temptation is growing by the day.

I have set my eyes upon Nikon D5000 kit which should be available for around 800USD. I presume for a first DSLR , I dont need to look above this ( The budget constraints are also there) and I hope this will do the job for atleast 5 years

Now ,guys since I am a toddler in the DSLR school, need advice in the below.

a) Should i buy the D5000 with the Kit ( 18-55mm lens) 800USD is the cost.

b) Should i Buy the Body and the lens seperate and if yes which one. A single lense with decent zoom is what i am looking for as i dont intend to spend on additionals for atleast 1 year after i buy.

Anything else I need to buy apart from the Mem card ( how much) like tripod, extra battery, cleaning equipment, filters etc.

Will warranty be an issue for th ecameras if I buy in Vietnam.

I am willing to spend some time ( i have spare time) to learn the technicalities of a DSLR. I wish to take some pics like some of the biggies like Rudrasen,Torqueguru etc.

Quick suggestions appreciated.

If you are buying a Prosumer one I would suggest Panasonic DMC FZ28, I have been using it for 8-9 months and it is an excellent Super zoom Camera with a nice price tag. But as you said the new one FZ35 will be available in the Market next month.

If you wish to upgrade to a DSLR take the advice of the Gurus here and have fun.

[abhijitaparadh]

Rumors are that Canon is going to make announcements of new DSLR bodies and lenses on Sept 1.

Bodies :
Canon 7D
Canon 60D
Canon 2000D

Lenses :
18-135 3.5-5.6 IS
15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
100 f/2.8 macro USM HIS

More here

[TOR]

Originally Posted by Torqueguru

@Muni
Go for it, the D5000.
TG.

The New D3000 makes a better 'first' buy. More over there is a double recall going on for the D5000.

Considering the prices the D90 is much better compared to the D5000 for a little bit more money.

D3000+18-105VR makes a great first time combo-both should be available for below 30K.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by chaudhrysan

@muni
Since you are not planning to buy more lenses in the near future, I would suggest that you buy the d5000 body only and purchase the Nikon AF-S 18-105mm ED VR Lens instead. You will cover almost 90% of your initial needs. Or, if you can stretch your budget more, get the Nikon AF-S 18-200mm ED VR Lens.
Memory card - 4Gb or 8Gb, Extreme series
UV Filter - Hoya or Kenko
Warranty in India will be an issue if you buy from overseas.

@gd1418
More food for thought. Keep the 18-135. Don't go for a fast mid range zoom, instead go for the 35mm/f1.8 G DX and the 50mm/f1.4 or 1.8 and let the foot do the zooming

If you intend to keep the 70-300 VR, my suggestion would be to go for the 300mm/f4 AFS with a TC14E telecon. Though I don't own one, I have used it and the IQ is excellent. But!! I just realized that no VR may be a no no in your case. Well, in that case we have the 300/f2.8 VR AFS with a price sticker that is ouch!!

chaudhrysan you have a taste for expensive glass!
Both Muni and gd have budget limitations.

For Muni the 18-105 VR will add $350. The 18-200 VR (versatile lens, I own one) will be close to $700. Bit of an overkill for a beginner and useful only if he wants to go long but not if he wants to go wide, which he may figure out after he uses the camera and kit lens for a bit.

For gd, why do you recommend the 35/1.8 DX and the 50mm lenses? Wouldn't one of those suffice, as a fast `normal' prime?
On the long side, if 400/5.6 is what he needs, the 80-400 VR in place of the 70-300 VR may be a better choice. The 80-400 will be $1,400 compared with the 300/4 and the TC-14E, which will be about $1,800 together. With the 80-400 he will lose AF-S and VR II but will gain telephoto range in one package. The 70-300 VR will also be the easiest lens to sell without losing much money. So net cost about $900 for the 80-400 VR.

Originally Posted by sj_koova

Starscream,
Yes I checked the price at Adorama and B&H. it comes to $530.
I picked the Nikon 70-300mm VR from Foto circle for Rs25500/-, which is exact Us price when converted. Warranty is anyway void if I buy it in US.
As you said the grey market is doing pretty well.

Congratulations! If I didn't have the 80-200/2.8, this may have been a lens I would have seriously considered.

Originally Posted by TOR

The New D3000 makes a better 'first' buy. More over there is a double recall going on for the D5000.

Considering the prices the D90 is much better compared to the D5000 for a little bit more money.

D3000+18-105VR makes a great first time combo-both should be available for below 30K.

Yes it does, unless he wants the video, live view and flip LCD of the D5000.