I agree with merlewine's suggestions all the way. Until I get the 14-24...my 12-24 will have to suffice. And the 70-200 VRII? It looks incredible...I can't wait to add that one to my collection.

I have moved from the Nikon D100, D200, D300, D700 to the D3x… and I still have and am keeping the D3x, but I sold all the others (one after the other), and that includes the D700 yesterday as I have a D3s on order

IMHO, the greatest difference came when I moved from DX and the D300 to FX and D700. Everything changed and I didn’t suddenly become a great photographer, but great photography came with the FX D700 camera. There is somehow more light and color and ‘space.” And of course the D3x is incredible, but that would be another story.

So, I would get the D700 and give up some of the lenses if I couldn’t afford them rather than have a DX camera again, even the D300s.
However, on the FX cameras, only the best lenses will keep you happy. I just sold me venerable 17-35 f/2.8 WA because on the D3x it just did not perform like is should. I got the 14-24 instead and that lens is great.

This is true for other lenses, like the 70-180 macro and (as far as I am concerned) the 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens. I just sold my 70-200 VR and ordered the new VRII version. I am betting the FX cameras will like it.

Just my two centers on this question.

Alright. This is my debut comment, because everytime I would like to comment ony anything, Niko would have already read my mind, and commented first.

I got bored trying to read all the comments here, and I dont care what is the progress. I am just going to comment on a positive note.

D300s and D700 combo is good. No doubt. Its a classic DX + FX setup (one has more zoom, one for wider angle)

It is very similar to my current setup of D300 + D3.

Here's what you will expect with the combo.
(Let me start with the cameras before going to lenses.

Both cameras has good ISO controll, good white balance controll, both shoot 8fps (with MB-D10 Grip equipped, and loaded with 8 AAs, or EN-EL4/EN-EL4e)
Both very duralble, last you a long time, idiot proof, AND CHEAPER THAN D3S+D90!
Both cameras are good and small enough for traveling (detach MB-D10 grip)

D300s will give you a tad bit more zoom due to the crop sensor. Logically, you will mount your teles on this body.

D700 will give you a wider angle due to its full frame sensor. Logically, you would put a slightly wider lens on.

For lens combos, here it goes!

70 200 IS A MUST. Any pro or pro-wannabe has this lens. Does not matter if you shoot Canons, Nikons, or even Sony, Everyone in the business has this lens. Anyone from sport shooters, fashion shooters, nature shooters, EVERYONE HAS THIS LENS. So trust the pros, and you will discover for yourself, the magic of 70 200.

For walkabouts, 24 70 for the D700 is awesome. It is the ONLY walkabout setup I will ever recomend. If you wish to go any wider, there is no other lens in the world to get than the 14 24. How good is the 14 24? Some Canon users say its sharper than their primes. (Some of them even use converters so they can use Nikon's 14 24 on their Canon bodies)

bmxdad said:
I try, I try but they all want Canons ;>)

Pete

Who does, you must be in a wrong neighborhood, or you are trying to sell a D3s to a guy who just wants D700 ;)

jonnyapple said:
Pete, you should sell cameras.

Oh, wait... ;-)

I try, I try but they all want Canons ;>)

Pete

bmxdad said:
I know pros that have used D90 with great results, depends on volume, you can only have one camera in your hands at the time right. But he is not a pro, but want a highend FX camera. The D3s is stronger, faster, will last longer etc and the D90 would give you a smaller option

Pete

I know pros that have used P&S but that do not make them a pro camera. D3s is actually not much stronger, not much faster and it will not last much longer then D700 but it is 2 times more expensive. But you are right; we are not talking about a pro but of an overambitious amateur who wants what he wants, why argue?

Pete, you should sell cameras.

Oh, wait... ;-)

mb said:
Why not D300s and D700? I kind of like the combo, if I was a low budget pro I would be seriously considering this as my tools of choice.
D3s is really not much better than D700 from photographer point of view and D90 is just not a pro body. I don’t see much point in that for an amateur kid photographer though but hey it is not my money.
And you are right PacificEagle any of the lens mentioned would be more than enough for the purpose.

I know pros that have used D90 with great results, depends on volume, you can only have one camera in your hands at the time right. But he is not a pro, but want a highend FX camera. The D3s is stronger, faster, will last longer etc and the D90 would give you a smaller option

Pete

Why not D300s and D700? I kind of like the combo, if I was a low budget pro I would be seriously considering this as my tools of choice.
D3s is really not much better than D700 from photographer point of view and D90 is just not a pro body. I don’t see much point in that for an amateur kid photographer though but hey it is not my money.
And you are right PacificEagle any of the lens mentioned would be more than enough for the purpose. I would add that 1.7 TC though, it works really great on 70-200, and for walk around I would go for D300s with 18-200, lighter and much more versatile combo.

Yes jbl it makes no sense to me to get both a D300s and a D700, they simply overlap to much, I would even consider a D5000 in place of the D90 to start with, for the D3s simply get on a waiting list there are lots of camera stores in Alberta that will ship to BC, the D700 with grip is actually slightly larger than the D3s

Pete

D3S + D90 sounds better to me than D300s and D700.

Why?

Because in the D3s + D90 combo you get the big camera for full frame, speed, high iso. and you get the smaller camera for traveling....

With the D300s and D700 you'd get a fast camera that is only DX and is kinda big.. and a D700 that is a bit bigger and FX.. but slow.

A D3s would do all he needs and the D90 would simply be a bonus if he ever doesn't want to carry the big camera.

Now about lenses:

14-24 is a must for landscape (they now sell filters for it)
70-200 for his fast telephoto.
personally, I'd get a 28 f1.4 or something similar because I love that focal lenght on FX and it's good to have a very fast prime for low light photography.

The 50mm 1.4 is also a must.. it's so cheap.

that's probably all I'd need... but he might want to add a teleconverter to make that 200 a bit longer... and if he likes mid range focal lenghts that much, then I guess a 24-70 or 17-55 would be nice (depending on which camera he wants that mid range)

So yeah.. pretty much what Pacific Eagle said, with bmxdad's idea.. which is very clever btw..

PacificEagle said:
Pete, Yeah he knows about NR, and I told him to join. He's a talker so the forum might get busier if he did join...LMAO. And who knows, maybe he can find out who NIKO really is, he's good at stuff like that....look out Niko!!! And as for the rain Pete, we are getting hit by the Pineapple Express, and its suppose to rain all week, we even have a flood warning in some areas.....Welcome to the WET COAST!!!

John yeah I know they are both great camera's. I too would fill my bag with a D3s and a D3x if I had the money, I'll keep playing the lottery, one never knows. NR Party in Vancouver if I did win.

Funny Niko hasn't weighed in on this one yet...Hmmmm!!

Get your friend to join, it might be fun, we might keep trying to get him into that D90, and he will end proving to us that he is a man and get that big boy D3s

Pete

BTW Did you build your Noah's Ark yet, you might need it

Pete, Yeah he knows about NR, and I told him to join. He's a talker so the forum might get busier if he did join...LMAO. And who knows, maybe he can find out who NIKO really is, he's good at stuff like that....look out Niko!!! And as for the rain Pete, we are getting hit by the Pineapple Express, and its suppose to rain all week, we even have a flood warning in some areas.....Welcome to the WET COAST!!!

John yeah I know they are both great camera's. I too would fill my bag with a D3s and a D3x if I had the money, I'll keep playing the lottery, one never knows. NR Party in Vancouver if I did win.

Funny Niko hasn't weighed in on this one yet...Hmmmm!!

Go for the D3s. I have a D300 and a D700 and would trade both for the D3s except I can't stand only having one body. The 200-400 on any body is great. If I won the lottery I'd get the D3x.

PacificEagle said:
Pete, Thanks, I gave him the options. Now its his call. I don't think he can go wrong either way. Yeah we're both Canadian. So we'll see which way he goes, but I suspect he will go the D300s/D700 for the ruggedness of the bodies and size as he doesn't like the feel and size of the D90, he said it feels cheap compared to the others. And the D3s is a little much for him if he gets lenses as well.
At least he's getting Nikons.
Thanks

Keith

Hi Keith hope you did not drown from the last few days of rain, yes he is getting great gear and there is some advantages to going this way, both D300s and D700 can share battery grip if he wanted to, Yes make sure he stick to the Nikon camp and BTW you should invite him to become a NR member, right

Pete

Pete, Thanks, I gave him the options. Now its his call. I don't think he can go wrong either way. Yeah we're both Canadian. So we'll see which way he goes, but I suspect he will go the D300s/D700 for the ruggedness of the bodies and size as he doesn't like the feel and size of the D90, he said it feels cheap compared to the others. And the D3s is a little much for him if he gets lenses as well.
At least he's getting Nikons.
Thanks

Keith

There is no doubt in my mind that I would not buy both the D300s and the D700 at the same time. It would be a D90 and either a D3s or the D700 with grip. The D90 would be bought with a 16-85 zoom which I have. I use my D80 with that lens just to have something compact, matter of fact the lens is on my D80 right now, I hope to get the D3s next year and would sell my D300 at that time and keep my D80 for a smaller run around camera, which my 9 year old son can also use.

In lenses I would get the new 70-200 2.8 and the TC 1.7 which by the way works very well with that lens, anyway I wish I had your friends problem and prices were US dollars I was not aware that you are a Canadian

Pete

MB yeah true enough, but I doubt he will be looking to be considered in the same class as the guys who do it for a living. That being said, for what he wants it for now, I don't think the 200-400 is something he would make use of enough to buy.
Shooting his kids in hockey and some AHL games doesn't need the reach of that lense I don't think. It would be great for football and other outdoor sports I agree, but I think its an overkill for him right now, wouldn't you say?
I'll tell him about it, he can go and rent one and see if it works for his purposes.

I do thing the D300s and the D700 is perfect combo for him, no matter what lenses he ends up getting. Would you guys agree???

1.7 TC works great on 70-200 but that is not good enough not for sports, if you want to be able to be fast enough and to use two bodies advantage you should put 70-200 on first body and 200-400 on second.
200-400 is expensive but is the best sports lens available and I am sure you will be taken seriously if you suggest something like this and as far as I understood your question here was to help you take this guy of your back right?

Thanks guys....But the D3s isn't available yet, and even if it comes out soon, its not going to us non-credited guys(professionals) first. I found out that there are 5 guys that are professional here in Vancover that have pre-ordered a new D3s and had to provide all their credentials to nikon, and aren't all guaranteed to get one. Seeing the Olympics are here in Vancouver, I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing one for a while.

Besides the fact that only gives him one body, and he wants the versatility that both the D300s and the D700 provide.

As for lenses, for extra reach he can get a (TC 1.4 or 1.7) for the 70-200 f/2.8 instead of spending over 6K for the 200-400.

As for the D90 and the D3s costing 6K....not likely, D3s $5700/D90 $1000 = $6700 plus taxes. Camera shops aren't offering any dicounts on the D3s here. And he doesn't want the D90 as I said originally.

I can get him a D700 and D300s for $4600 plus tax.
so no comparison there I'm afraid, even if he has to buy two Mb-10 Grips and Batteries thats only another $900.

Come on, we can do better!

D3S + 200-400mm ƒ/4!

You say your friend is Nikon NUT, but aren’t we all?
I see the point in D300s and D700, two almost identical smaller professional bodies, one DX for longer reach and other high ISO FX, everything sports photographer needs ;)
The thingy here is I see only one thing missing here if he is serous about sports photography, 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED, AF-S VR and I would skip 70-300 and 50.
Guy obviously has the money and wants to spend it on Nikon gear, let us help him do it with a style.

If he can afford what you have listed, This is what I would get and it will incl a D90

Alright:

D3s and D90 app total cost $6000

(D300s and D700 incl grip, battery, charger end cap is app $5000)

Don't get 70-300 lens and total would app be the same

Pete

OK guys I need some opinions to share with a friend thats visiting. I gave him my opinion, now he wants more info. So here's the deal:

He wants to get new equipment, and only wants NIKON Gear. He shoots his Kids in sports, and the occasional AHL game and loves Landscape photograhy as well. Now he's only been digital for about two years, and has OK gear. But he is determined to get better gear, and likes the D300S, and the D700 for FF.
Now before we all get into the old, "get the D90 or the D300" discussion I see so much, I tried it and he is not interested in either, he wants the D300s and the D700...."this is where I kinda just stared at him for 5 minutes and said, then why in the hell ask for opinions???"...Oh well.

So two Questions I guess, any recommendations for him on those two cameras and lense combo's????, and who has a Baseball bat I can borrow to hit him over the head so it sinks in and this doesn't take forever.

I told him the following for lenses:

50mm f/1.4 AFS
14-24mm f/2.8 for the D700
70-200mm f/2.8 (VR II if he can wait) for both cameras

70-300 VR f/4.5-5.6 for walking around
24-70 f/2.8 for the D700

Now I'm sure there are other options, he is a nikon NUT!!!! So maybe he's crazy, jury is still out on that one, but he has saved and has lots of cash to spend. So what do you guys think, Help a NR member out!!!! He's driving me NUTS and my wife is going to throw him off the deck soon for me.....Thanks G/G