which Nikon

[rhythmworx]

^^^ Both of which have been on my shopping list for a while. That's a nice wide angle.

[Hog Head]

Bought the D-7100 body at 25,900 including a bag and 16GB card from EC Mall in BKK

Getting the Nikkor 28 - 70mm cleaned and will look for a good prime lens

[Goshawk]

^^ wise choice . . . and a good price.

Good prime? depends what you like to photograph, but the Nikkor 50mm 1.8G is insanely brilliant and costs peanuts. Or the Sigma 18-35 1.8 is virtually 3 primes in one and is an incredible lens, bit pricey though.

[sunshine51]

^^^ HH...That camera will do you very well.

For a good prime have a look at Niks

35mm f1.8 AFS DX lens. Or their 18-55mm

f3.5-5.6 AFS DX...which is a surprisingly sharp

lens throughout the focal length. And cheap.

But it is not a prime lens...it's a zoom.

First you must define what focal length

interests you for a "prime" lens here because

without us knowing you will get flooded with

many recomendations!

Edited February 27, 2015 by sunshine51

[Hog Head]

Given a focal length multiplier of 1.5 I was thinking of a 35mm prime lens with a fairly fast aperature spec

I am not clear on how the D7100 with focus motor in the body works with old manual focus lenses. Will the camera motor turn my old Nikkor 50mm f1.4 into an autofocus lens?

[sunshine51]

^^^ HH...No it won't because the lens is a manual only lens & lacks

the electronics/drive internally. You MUST select manual focus on

the body...below the lens release button on the side of the lens

mounting plate. See attached pic....

Push the button in then turn the lever so the white dot is aligned

with the M above it. Just remember to set the switch back to

AF when using AF lenses...unless you want to use AF lenses

in M (manual) mode. If so then set the A/M switch on the lens

to the M position. Reminder...set the body to M with the lens

removed to prevent anything getting "stuck".

Some Nikon AF lenses have a momentary over-ride to enable

manual focus by using the lens focus ring...some Nikon lenses

don't have this feature. Check with Nikon to be sure which is

which by using Google...."Nikon Lenses"...good place to start.

The 35 DX lens is a great lens for the 7100...same as a "standard"

55mm in reality on FX bodies.

Edited February 28, 2015 by sunshine51

[rhythmworx]

If you want autofocus you should be able to pick up a 50 1.8D 2nd hand for around 3000B or a 1.8G for around 4000B

[Goshawk]

The 35 DX lens is a great lens for the 7100...same as a "standard"

55mm in reality on FX bodies.

true . . and it's an ok lens, but i prefer the much sharper 50 1.8G (it's one of Nikon's very best lenses) and remember when comparing these two, your legs are your zoom in or out.

[Robby nz]

My time frame is now as I want it for a laos trip first week of March therefore waiting for the D7200 is out

Will do a bit more research on the other brands suggested and see what is available in thailand

The Sony Alpha a600 is 20,840 body only

Looks like I need to learn about mirrorless as well. Can you look through the lens like a regular camera or do you have to peer at the screen.

Any drawbacks with a lens adapter?

Many (higher-end) mirrorless cameras, including the a6000, have an EVF (Electronic View Finder). So, yes, you will be looking at a screen, but the ergonomics will be similar to a DSLR (though not exactly the same, e.g. for the a6000 the EVF is on the left side and not the middle) .

There are advantages and disadvantages to EVF's and optical viewfinders (OVF). To a great extent, it is a matter of personal preference. There are many, many discussions on the topic that can be found on the web; they only things I would point out are:

• EVFs have improved dramatically over the last 2-3 years, so if looking at their drawbacks, especially lag, make sure you considering the latest generation.
• Although similar to live view on a DSLR, the EVF/screen on mirrorless is not exactly the same -- the lenses are designed to AF without a separate AF module. so the AF speed, especially on the a6000, should be on-par with similarly priced DSLR.

As for adapters:

• Image quality should be fine, but cheap adapters can have alignment, light-leak or internal reflection issues.
• AF speed won't be good and can be prettly bad. Plus, AF adapters are pretty expensive.
• Even with AF adapters, AF may not work with all lenses, in particular any lens that requires an in-body (screw drive) motor. The only exception I know to this is the LA-EA4 adapter from Sony that will work on any Sony/Minolta A-mount lens.
• Some lens/camera combinations don't work well, e.g. a7r and some wide angle rangefinder glass; for an aps-c mirrorless, this should not be an issue; really this is only a concern with the a7r due to the higher resolution.

Plus:

With an EVF you have the advantage of seeing what the resulting image will look like in terms of exposure, so you can dial in over/under exposure to obtain the required result; and see that before you press the shutter. And you can overlay more information onto an EVF than with a an optical viewfinder. For example, you can have potential blown shadow/highlight areas displayed.

If you are using manual focus lenses, then they are easier to focus on mirrorless as they offer a zoom in function for precise focusing and/or focus peaking which highlights the parts of the image that are in focus.

Getting way off topic but..........

I find it difficult to work with a screen, as some may have noticed my interest is nature and birds in particular, when I see something of interest I can lift the camera to my eye, look through the viewfinder and my eye still follows what I have been looking at. With a screen I cant do that, same applies when I use a tripod, got to put my eye to the camera rather than the camera to my eye.

[FracturedRabbit]

My time frame is now as I want it for a laos trip first week of March therefore waiting for the D7200 is out

Will do a bit more research on the other brands suggested and see what is available in thailand

The Sony Alpha a600 is 20,840 body only

Looks like I need to learn about mirrorless as well. Can you look through the lens like a regular camera or do you have to peer at the screen.

Any drawbacks with a lens adapter?

Many (higher-end) mirrorless cameras, including the a6000, have an EVF (Electronic View Finder). So, yes, you will be looking at a screen, but the ergonomics will be similar to a DSLR (though not exactly the same, e.g. for the a6000 the EVF is on the left side and not the middle) .

There are advantages and disadvantages to EVF's and optical viewfinders (OVF). To a great extent, it is a matter of personal preference. There are many, many discussions on the topic that can be found on the web; they only things I would point out are:

• EVFs have improved dramatically over the last 2-3 years, so if looking at their drawbacks, especially lag, make sure you considering the latest generation.
• Although similar to live view on a DSLR, the EVF/screen on mirrorless is not exactly the same -- the lenses are designed to AF without a separate AF module. so the AF speed, especially on the a6000, should be on-par with similarly priced DSLR.

As for adapters:

• Image quality should be fine, but cheap adapters can have alignment, light-leak or internal reflection issues.
• AF speed won't be good and can be prettly bad. Plus, AF adapters are pretty expensive.
• Even with AF adapters, AF may not work with all lenses, in particular any lens that requires an in-body (screw drive) motor. The only exception I know to this is the LA-EA4 adapter from Sony that will work on any Sony/Minolta A-mount lens.
• Some lens/camera combinations don't work well, e.g. a7r and some wide angle rangefinder glass; for an aps-c mirrorless, this should not be an issue; really this is only a concern with the a7r due to the higher resolution.

Plus:

With an EVF you have the advantage of seeing what the resulting image will look like in terms of exposure, so you can dial in over/under exposure to obtain the required result; and see that before you press the shutter. And you can overlay more information onto an EVF than with a an optical viewfinder. For example, you can have potential blown shadow/highlight areas displayed.

If you are using manual focus lenses, then they are easier to focus on mirrorless as they offer a zoom in function for precise focusing and/or focus peaking which highlights the parts of the image that are in focus.

Getting way off topic but..........

I find it difficult to work with a screen, as some may have noticed my interest is nature and birds in particular, when I see something of interest I can lift the camera to my eye, look through the viewfinder and my eye still follows what I have been looking at. With a screen I cant do that, same applies when I use a tripod, got to put my eye to the camera rather than the camera to my eye.

EVF stands for Electronic View Finder. You are still looking through a viewfinder, but what you see is an electronically generated image rather than an image via a mirror. You are not using the rear screen (although can if you want).

[Hog Head]

Nikon website describes the difference between D and G lenses and apparently it is the lack of the aperature control ring in the G

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/go35b5yp/which-nikkor-lens-type-is-right-for-your-dslr.html

I would think that having an aperature control ring is a good thing? Then why is the D series cheaper?

Is there more to it than just the aperature ring?

I also see DX format specific 1.8D and G at

[Goshawk]

I would think that having an aperature control ring is a good thing? Then why is the D series cheaper?

Is there more to it than just the aperature ring?

for me, the D would be good if i were using it for macro with a reverse ring attached . . . then the manual aperture control would be priceless. (almost got one for this very job a few month back)

[Derek M]

Nikkon D5100, predecessor to D5200 is far better technically speaking than the D5200 due to having a far better image processor.

I can conform D5100 is a great camera but has a lot of gizmos that you won't really use such as colour selection (photo greyed out and only showing the selected colour you chose) miniture, HDR, stuff you can all do much better yourself using software.

I got D5100 due to a disability (very badly busted knee) not allowing me to get down low so easily or perhaps up high or unable to climb up so the flip around screen works for me and was deciding factor.

Used a lot but not owned the D100, that is an awesome camera worth considering.

[rhythmworx]

Nikon website describes the difference between D and G lenses and apparently it is the lack of the aperature control ring in the G

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/go35b5yp/which-nikkor-lens-type-is-right-for-your-dslr.html

I would think that having an aperature control ring is a good thing? Then why is the D series cheaper?

Is there more to it than just the aperature ring?

I also see DX format specific 1.8D and G at

G is short for 'gelded' basically the aperture ring is removed as with your camera model it can be set with the front or back wheel on camera.

Nikon got rid of the rings to try and save cost I guess and maybe focus more on lens or focus quality, the only time you would need it is if you were using it on an old camera without the wheels.

The G version also has a build in Silent wave motor for auto focus that's what the S stands for in AF-S, whereas the D uses a screw type mechanism and the in camera motor.

With D lenses you normally set them to the smallest aperture and switch a lock, the aperture is set on the camera.

I own the 50 1.8D lens and it's a good lens for its price, It's a little soft wide open but by f2.8 it's sharp and maybe sharpest at around f5-f8.

Maybe I should have opted for the G as I find AF-S lenses focus more smoothly and quieter, the 50G probably focuses faster than the 50D (just a guess though)

The optical design of the lenses are actually different.

EDIT: They are not DX specific and so will work on FX should you upgrade in the future.

Here's a good explanation of the lens terminology and history from our good friend Ken Rockwell http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm

Here's some info of the 2 lenses tested on a D7100 - have a look through the tabs for more detailed info http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/AF-Nikkor-50mm-f-1.8D-on-Nikon-D7100-versus-Nikon-AF-S-Nikkor-50mm-F18G-on-Nikon-D7100___177_865_435_865

Edited March 1, 2015 by rhythmworx

[Goshawk]

That's a nice wide angle.

i wonder how their new 11-20 2.8 will shape up . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC2K3SIhDOU

[Goshawk]

Maybe I should have opted for the G as I find AF-S lenses focus more smoothly and quieter, the 50G probably focuses faster than the 50D (just a guess though)

i have the G, it's fairly quiet and the focusing is indeed a bit snappier than on the older lens.

[Goshawk]

Announced . . .

further info here . . . http://nikonrumors.com/2015/03/01/nikon-d7200-dslr-camera-officially-announced.aspx/

[Goshawk]

also announced . . . and this one really interests me.

looks like i've found my new birding cam . .

P900 info here . . http://nikonrumors.com/2015/03/01/nikon-coolpix-p900-camera-announced.aspx/#more-89050

[Hog Head]

The very day my new D7100 arives they announce the D7200 !!!

Bought the AFS 35mm F1.8 DX lens as a prime and may yet buy the Nikkor 50 F1.8 but not really sure if it is needed and will give it a bit of experience first

[WhizBang]

Well, the D70 is mighty long in the tooth, so pretty much ANY camera bought today will run rings around the D70.

Buy based on the features you want/need and on your primary subject and shooting style. I would also encourage the OP to look at the mirrorless offering, including Nikon 1 and Micro Four Thirds.

[Goshawk]

Sold !!

http://nikonrumors.com/2015/03/22/weekly-nikon-news-flash-307.aspx/

[johnnywishbone]

I will be in Kamala Beach soon. I will bring a camera with me, but I only want to bring the chips home with me. If anyone is willing to pay a fair price for a Nikon Setup, let me know. D2xs, D200, D300xs. Your pick. With lenses batteries etc. I just want to shoot a bit and not drag them back with me. All in excellent low shutter count condition.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnnywishbone]

These threads are always fun. OP asks for suggestions within a particular brand, and half of the responses suggest a different brand altogether..............

^ you forgot the word 'inferior' in between 'different' & 'brand'

No, I didn't. Pretty much every camera on the market is technically proficient. There aren't better/worse cameras than Nikon, there are just different cameras. Which is best for you depends on your preferences.

The better Nikons, you could use them for a hammer, build a house, then photograph it.

Build quality costs more initially,

But not in the long run.

Just my opinion.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunshine51]

^^^ What U lookin at for the D2? I used to have a couple a good while ago

& loved em. What lenses U got? I may be interested if I'm not in Nepal

tomorrow. Ballpark prices? I can get a D2H for around 300USD with

only 24K SC. How low UR SC's?

BTW...when U coming over?

Edited April 26, 2015 by sunshine51

[johnnywishbone]

I started looking for work in Nepal doing emergency water purification work. But If the Clintons are going to suck billions out of this disaster I don't think I should work for free.

Do you want pedestrian lenses or ass kicking (and heavy) gold ring pro type?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunshine51]

^^^ JW...I have the big guns starting from 70-200 VR2 up to 400 @ 2.8...all my lenses are 2.8 btw.

My bodies consist of, ascending order; 7100, 800E, 810 & D4s

I am looking for a 12-24 @ 4.0 in DX though. Had it once, sold it off to someone who needed it

more than me at the time of sale.

A friend is looking for a good condition 80-200D-ED at a reasonable price...ie...something less

than the 1K USD it goes for new nowadays. He's been pestering me for mine but he can't have

it because I love it & use it more than the 70-200 since it's nearly nuke proof & dependable.

[Goshawk]

gotta love Ken . . . .

. . . he's always spot on.