golf007sd said:
It is amazing that after you spend over $5000 for a body, one's perspective on expansive gear goes out the door and you some how begin to justify the cost of spending $6000-7000 of single lens. In short, I'm no longer shocked by the price of a lens I want. It is as if a switch has been turned on and your immune system has completely adapted....it is a very peaceful feeling. :D

I got this feeling after getting my d800(piddly compared to a d4), but now i no longer work, so i have to bide my time heh.

@golf007sd - Last night I went out and tested the 28-300 against the 24-70, 70-200 VRII f/2.8 and the 300 f/2.8. The 28-300 just doesn't compare, and I'm talking center frame. Sharpness, contrast and color all suffer with the 28-300. ... BTW, I think you a Tommie are both needing a d800 now.... Its the perfect 2nd body compliment to a D4.

Welcome to NR kenne. Give your needs and budget, my recommendation for you would be: the Nikon D600 FF body only and 85mm 1.8G. If you need 1.4 then the 85 1.4 is amazing, but may be out of your budget. If you still need 1.4 and cost is an issue then 50 1.4 is the best bang or buck and does a great job. In all honestly. you cannot go wrong with any of these lenses.

If fund is not an issue then the other two lenses that I would recommend for your over all needs would be: 24-70 2.8 (my favorite lens) and the 105 2.8 Micro (the VR is nice but not really needed for portraits...use a tripod).

I, like Eric and msmoto, have the D4 and all the goodies that bjrichus would like to own (:P). With that said, if I had to pick a lens for a portrait shoot and could only take one lens, it would be my 85 1.8G. Why? Here are the reasons: 1) weight and side. Being able to move fast and have a setup that allow for this is priceless. 2) Prime lens are ideal for portrait photography. 3) Fast aperture: 1.8. 4) Zoom lenses, though nice for many types of photography, have a tendency to make a photographer lazy in taking a shot. Instead use your feet...move around your subject and get creative. This process will make you a better photographer and enhance your skill in maximizing your gears potential.

Hope this information from my perspective helps in some way.

Cheers...

@Eric...can't wait till we hook-up and I get my hands on your 300 2.8 :) I'm starting to feel the itch for this lens. It is amazing that after you spend over $5000 for a body, one's perspective on expansive gear goes out the door and you some how begin to justify the cost of spending $6000-7000 on a single lens. In short, I'm no longer shocked by the price of a lens I want. It is as if a switch has been turned on and your immune system has completely adapted....it is a very peaceful feeling. :D

msmoto said:
@ bjrichus...Thank you

You are welcome.

I love that wheel being under the shutter release button. Perfect position.

@ bjrichus...Thank you

@ Eric 135mm f/2.0...sweet lens, love it!

Another really nice portrait lens is the Nikon 135 f/2 DC. This lens is spectacular and the DC option allows you to adjust Bokeh. If you were to purchase a D600, you would be able to use all of the older 35mm glass produced by Nikon. As an example the Nikon 70-210 f/4 is a nice lens that can be had for under $300. That in conjuction with the 24-85 from the D600 kit gives you a nice range. It all comes down to the $$$ you want to spend... As with bjrichus, my favorite body is the D4. A great portrait lens is the 300mm f/2.8. This combination is something of a bankbreaker tho....

Portraits ...

I just got through a location shoot using a D4 with 14-24mm 2.8 for atmospherics along with an 85mm 1.4G to do the head and shoulders shots.

Of course, I can't personally afford such an outfit and it is now all safely back in my employers gear room, but if ever there was a love affair for portraits, in my book this combo would be it.

Our Ms.Moto will attest to the D4 and it's goodness ...

I only need another $9,000 or so in my bank and I'll be able to get this set up myself.

:-(

For portraits I've had good luck with the 105 mm 2.8 G, which also has VR, and a D600 kit with the 24-85 and the 105 will be almost less than the 5D mk III body alone.

5D mk II bodies are less than $2,000 new right now, so that changes the math: you can put a 24-105 f/4 and a 100 f/2.8 macro together and have a professional portrait photographer's kit for $3,800. (Douglass Kirkland uses a 5D mk II and the 24-105).

I'm not Douglas Kirkland, and I only to portraits as a hobby, but I'd go with a D600 or a D800 and the 24-120 from Nikon for starters.

Staying specific to your interests in portrait photography and buying Nikon lenses with similar capability to Canon L glass while staying within budget, my initial thoughts would be to try to get both the Nikon 24-120 f/4 and the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 G. Reasons being the 24-120 offers versatile usefulness and I've read that it takes a really good portrait with good bokeh when racked out to near the long end. As far as the 85mm 1.8 G I've also read that some people are selling their 85mm f/1.4s and buying the f/1.8 G because of its similar capabilities at a lower cost. In addition, some people think that the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 as great as it is for portraits and sports, is too heavy to constantly work with and prefer the prime 85mm f/1.8 G in its place.

Truly, lenses comparable to Canon L glass for portraits would be those mentioned in the previous post: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR2 and the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (over $4000 worth of glass).

I don't have any of the above lenses but I've done a lot of reading on people's opinions and usage. Not truly knowing your budget I don't know if both lenses would be affordable for you but I thought they'd make a good portrait pair.

Nikon D600 kit would be a good buy for you, especially since you haven't invested on any lenses yet. I heard good things about Nikkor 24-85mm VR offered in the kit as well.

As for the lenses, there are many you can choose from and we can start with the Trinity:
14-24mm 2.8
27-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8 VR2
80-200mm 2.8 (great and cheaper alternative from the 70-200mm version)
105mm F2 - really amazing portait lens
85mm 1.4D/G - really amazing portait lens
50mm 1.4D/G is also great shooting 3/4 body portrait
24-120mm F4 VR G is a great all around lens

(I've only used these in shoots, but personally own only 80-200mm 2.8, 28mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8)

Nikon gold rings are generally Nikon's offerings against the L lens, but there are lots of D lenses that also match up in terms of build, quality, colour and bokeh. I personally pre-ordered the D600 body and can't wait to use it with my lenses.

The renting is a no-go around where I live unfortunately. There is nowhere that offers that option.

As for what I'have used before, apart from my E-410, it's been a D90 with a 55-200mm f/4-5.6. It was my sister-in-law's camera, and I used it for about a week. As for the Canon research, I have some mates that use Canon gear, but I'm trying to look at all the options.

My question is what are the best Nikon lenses that are roughly equal to the Canon 'L' glass that I mentioned before, in terms of both price and quality? I'm interested in the D600 in terms of a Nikon body.

Have you inquired about possibly renting a couple of bodies /lenses you're interested in to suit your needs?

Looking at your post, it's seems as if you've been doing a lot of research on Canon specifically since you didn't mention a Nikon suitable. What have you used before?

I'm looking to buy a new SLR, and am currently trying to decide between Canon and Nikon. I'm looking at going FF (currently on a 4/3 Olympus E-410).

I'm curious about the suggested lenses for my type of photography. I'm mainly interested in portraits. On the Canon side, it's been suggested that I look into the 70-200mm f/4L, and possibly the 24-105mm f/4L that comes as a kit lens with the 5D2/5D3 and the new 6D.

I'm on a bit of a budget, having to buy the body as well, and I'm only really interested in the manufacturer lenses, rather than third party. I'm also pretty limited on camera stores where I live, the nearest proper store being a 3 hour drive away, although I can order things through my local electronics superstores.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Malcolm