@earthsea - d800 + battery + 2 cards + thinktank strap + n24-70/2.8 is app 2.2kg, certainly not a good travel companion:)
Lens recommendations for D800 beginner
(93 posts) (29 voices)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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I think I am still sticking with the idea of spending more on the glass than the body initially. All the testing and such, maybe the experience of those in the field is what really counts. The pro Nikkor lenses seem to do the job better and hold up to some rugged use better than the less expensive items. They also cost more. But, the investment, if one is contemplating a D800, will eventually be seen as the best path rather than purchase less expensive, lenses, only to have to replace them in the future. The D800, is generally purchased because one wants the ultimate in resolution and to purchase anything than the best glass does not seem to make much sense.
Posted 1 year ago # -
adamz - You are correct. Ah! The price of being at the cutting edge of technology. You are not wrong about the weight of this beast.
I predict a lot of people will get caught in this trap when the novelty of the high definition this camera offers wares off - just like cell phones we will all want small and light - then maybe we will see these monsters appear on e-bay at give-away prices, thats when Nikon will deliver a new model the size and weight of the D7000 at 36mil pixels- and away we go again. I ask myself, why so big and heavy? The fear of Mama coming down hard on me for 'subject deviation' makes me keep my reasons to myself.
msmoto, you hit the mark. "spending more on the glass than the body initially" are wise words.Posted 1 year ago # -
earthsea said:
- just like cell phones we will all want small and light -Good point , but we also want, bigger brighter, screens. it is rumored the Iphone 4 will be bigger than the 3
There is also the matter of "street cred" which is why so many people add a battery pack, even thought they are shooting a family group in the park
once a camera gets too big to fit in my pocket, size does not matter so much. A D7000 will not fit in my pocket
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 "spending more on the glass than the body initially"
Posted 1 year ago # -
I still have my D5000 and now $4000+ worth of lenses. Sometimes I feel silly, but then I realize I would rather be shooting my D5000 with the glass I have then a D700 with a single lens because I couldn't afford any others. Although now I am set to transition to a better body when one is released that I feel like I need.
Just my $.02 and I wouldn't get the 28-300....might as well wait for the 18-300 ;)
Posted 1 year ago # -
The 18-300 will be a DX lens, not suitable for a D800.
Posted 1 year ago # -
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nvm
Posted 1 year ago # -
tcole1983 said:
I still have my D5000 and now $4000+ worth of lenses. Sometimes I feel silly, but then I realize I would rather be shooting my D5000 with the glass I have then a D700 with a single lens because I couldn't afford any others. Although now I am set to transition to a better body when one is released that I feel like I need.Just my $.02 and I wouldn't get the 28-300....might as well wait for the 18-300 ;)
I feel the same way, my walk around lens is a 16-35 on my d7000.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I just ran across this comparison of the 24-120 with the 28-300.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I agree, looks like the 24-120 f4 is the best "kit" or "walkabout" lens for the D800 body.
What to match it with?
How about the 70-200 f2.8 and the 16-35 f4?
Posted 1 year ago # -
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I'll agree with some people here and disagree with others.
I have a 24-120 F/4 on my D800, a wonderful combination. A perfect walkaround combination. Someone here said the D800 is not a walkaround camera, that's nonsense. It's perfect.
The 24-120 consistently beats the 28-300 for IQ in all the tests and comparisons I've seen.
The 24-70 is pointless for the D800 as it has no VR. The day they bring out the next 24-70 iteration with VR is the day I consider buying one. And anyway, the 24-120 is plenty sharp - maybe not so it pushes the D800 to its limits - but who needs to do that? Yeah, some pixelpeepers and a few studio pros... And one F-stop less is no big deal. The 3 stops extra you get with VR II is worth more, quite simply.
None of the Sigma, Tamron or Tokina alternatives can beat the 24-120 F/4 for resolution. Not even the Sigma 24-70 F/2.8. Take a look at lens test results at DxOMark.com and you'll see. Sure, the 24-120 has a little distortion at the widest angle, but stuff like vignetting, CA and (consistent) distortion is fixed for you in RAW format in any of the major S/W packages.
So this is real easy - get the 24-120 and you're set up for almost everything. And then see what else you really need - and not what you're 'supposed to get'. To hell with 'rules' set up by tech freaks who think one must own every fancy lens to be anything.
But remember!!! Do a proper AF fine-tune for every lens you get for the D800. With this kind of insane sensor resolution it makes a huge difference if the camera front-focuses or back-focuses.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thomas88 said:
Hi!I happen to have both the D7000 and the D800. I fully agree to the comments of the previous posters. I would not go for the D800 if the budget limits the lens choice.
I was into analog photography about 20 years ago. Then that hobby fell asleep. I restarted with digital beginning of last year. Mostly to support my business (product photography for the website). I started with the D5000 and a kit lens. This was the right choice to start with. I quickly got a lot of interest for photography again. I got some prime lenses (35mm, 50mm 1.8 and 105mm macro). I then upgraded to D7000 by the end of the year and sold the D5000.
Being a Nikon owner I read this forum a lot and of course caught interest in the D800. Waited until a local store had one and bought it. I got the 24-70mm 2.8 and 14-24mm 2.8 zooms along with it.
Although this seems like an expensive path, I do not regret it. Had I started with the D800, that would probably have been too much and frustrating. When I started with the D5000 I used Auto settings a lot, only after I got acquainted with it I went away from that and did my own settings. The D7000 was the natural choice when I outgrew the D5000.
I got the D800 for the fun of it. Having a D7000 already, I would not really 'need' it. I will keep the D7000 as walk around camera.
So my recommendation would be as well: Get the D7000 and one or more good lenses. This will make much better photos than a D800 and a cheaper lens. The D7000 is also better for beginners to get into photography. When you have the budget available, buy the D800. Nikons keep their value so you can then sell the D7000 without a huge loss.
Best regards
Thomas
+1
Posted 1 year ago # -
This was a very helpful thread. Thank you all for the suggestions. I am also upgrading to the D800 from a D5100. I have a 50mm f1.8 and a 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 both of which I LOVE. I'm getting rid of my kit lens with my D5100 so I'll need a shorter zoom to take it's place. I've looked around some other sites as well and based on all of the input I've gotten and for what I anticipate using it, I am leaning toward the 24-120mm.
Now if I can just get my hands on the D800.....
Posted 12 months ago # -
fishnose said:
But remember!!! Do a proper AF fine-tune for every lens you get for the D800. With this kind of insane sensor resolution it makes a huge difference if the camera front-focuses or back-focuses.
In preparation for my D800, I'm reading the manual and I just got to the fine tuning section. I'm very confused now though. The manual specially states that "AF tuning is not recommended in most situations" but from everything else that I've read, including this, it sounds like an AF fine tune should be the first thing I do!
This will be the first camera I own with this option. I've read the procedure & I realize it's quite complex & requires a good bit of patience & knowledge. Is this something I should do myself or send all my equipment out to have it done professionally or will it not matter to me since I'm not a pro?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Just about any good Nikon lens from the AF era will do well with the D800. I've been shooting quite a bit with the 50/1.4 AF-D and the 85/1.8 AF-D and the images are spectacular down to the individual pixel when I'm shooting carefully. The main issues to watch out for are reports of chromatic aberration or purple fringing, or excessive softness in certain focal length ranges. I've also been shooting a lot with the 17-35/2.8 AF-D that came out with the D1, and while it's a great lens in many ways, the purple fringing is problematic sometimes. Of course, it's no worse than it ever was before, but if you are trying to use every ounce of resolution it may require some aggressive correction after the fact. The 85/1.8 AF-D has serious problems with this too, but it's more rare that I would use it in the kind of backlit situation that presents the problem.
Generally, while newer lenses are definitely better corrected for that issue, you can get exceptional results with older generation lenses. I would, however, lean toward primes and pro zooms with the D800, because the consumer zooms from Nikon almost all have issues that are fine for casual photography but will keep you up at night with the D800.
Posted 11 months ago # -
The new 24-85 AF-S lens should be good, but I'm not sure if there are any issues of massive number of megapixels would outresolve the lens.
You could then argue that why would you spend so much on a body and skimp on a lens, but then sometimes it's nice to have a smaller package altogether.
Posted 11 months ago # -
NSXType-R said:
The new 24-85 AF-S lens should be good, but I'm not sure if there are any issues of massive number of megapixels would outresolve the lens.You could then argue that why would you spend so much on a body and skimp on a lens, but then sometimes it's nice to have a smaller package altogether.
I wouldn't be that quick to recommend that.. I'm fairly sure that the 24-120 is a lot better in most outdoorsy situations and it has a decent focusing mechanism.
Posted 11 months ago # -
I have been collecting a lot of "broken" FX glass with minor things wrong with them for rock bottom pricing. My magic team of the D800 that i am still waiting for will end up being a Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 plus an 80-200mm f/2.8 ED Nikon a D version may replace it later and the current 80-200mm f/2.8 will go with the D7K kit. As well as a Nikon 35mm f/2 and a 50mm f/1.8 for my primary primes and for really low light a 55mm f/1.2 and 50mm f/1.2. I also have a really nice Sigma 15mm f/2.8 fisheye built in the 90s. At some point that will be replaced by a Nikon 16mm f/2.8 AF. I also have a 20-35mm Tokina AF that I will be able to use with the D800 for more general wide shots where I don't want crazy distortion. Still not sure if I will end up packing my Nikon 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 to go in the main kit. Sure it is way heavy when everything is all packed together but some real magic can be created with lots of options. I do have to say though that the 80-200mm f/2.8 is an amazing lens and if you can afford it or any of its later variants you will not be disappointed.
Posted 11 months ago # -
@macsavageg4: Define "broken" please...
Posted 11 months ago # -
By "broken" I mean slight hazing in elements which can easily be cleaned with the proper tools and chemicals, AF system not functioning specifically in the screw drive lenses, or sticky aperture blades. Stuff like that. I got a heavily fungal infected 55mm f/1.2 that I cleaned and put a good filter in front of it to make up for the slightly messed up coatings and the lens is spectacular to shoot with. I am still working up to getting parts for and best methods for the AF-S lenses but one thing at a time. I have also rebuilt messed up aperture assemblies another one of my 55mm f/1.2s had a bad blade. I ended up using part of a completely screwed lens to fix the messed up blade and it still works flawlessly.
The 80-200mm f/2.8 I got for net to nothing had some stuff in the front element assembly. It arrived in the mail did a short bit of research to figure out how exactly they assembled the thing then about a half hour later had a cleaned and now spectacular lens.
Posted 11 months ago #
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