Lens to go with D750 besides 85mm 1.8g

foxrider68

I will be purchasing a Nikon D750 in the next week or two and will be purchasing the 85mm 1.8g to go with it. We have 2 kids with one on the way and I'm getting the 85mm to handle all our portrait needs. What I can't decide on is the everyday lens I want to go with it. The 24-120mm that comes with the kit is only $500 more over the body alone but Nikon is running a Black Friday promo to get the 28mm 1.8g for a $100 off which would make it $599. I feel like a 28mm and 85mm would take care all my shooting needs currently. However the VR sounds appealing for following the little ones around while taking some video. And if I had the reach of 120mm I would probably use it here and there but not too often. I don't see the need to own all three lenses and honestly if I bought a third it would probably be an impulse buy on a 50mm for $200. At this point I can justify reasons to own either lense but haven't made a clear decision either way. Because of the price break at purchase I need to figure this one out so any help, advice, or suggestions I can get is appreciated. Thanks!

spraynpray

For fast moving subjects like kids you may find a prime is never the ideal focal length for running and gunning so I would go 85 and 24-120 if I were you.

BVS

As someone who is currently chasing a 2 year old around all the time, I would say without question to go with the zoom, especially outdoors. The flexibility more than makes up for the slight loss in image quality. You don't want to miss a shot of them doing something cute because you were busy changing lenses or didn't have the right one attached. Further, depending on the situation, you can 'travel light' by just taking the camera and one zoom lens and leave the 85 and other primes at home. The 85 is great for portraits, but I find the AF to be a little leisurely and not the best for tracking moving kids.

I have the D7100 with the 18-140 as my zoom and find 18mm (27mm FF equivalent) to sometimes be not wide enough, so being able to go to 24mm FF on the 24-120 is nice.

For indoors and nighttime use you might want to look at a second prime, like the 28mm. Indoors, the space is tighter, so being able to zoom is less critical. Nighttime, you'll want the faster aperture to try to keep your shutter speed up. I would also definitely look at getting a hot-shoe flash (if you don't already have one) so you can bounce flash indoors.

As for other lens options, the Nikon 50mm 1.8 is a steal at <$200 refurb. The Sigma Art 35 1.4 and 50 1.4 are all the rage for their exceptional sharpness, but heavy. The new Tamron SP 35 and 45 1.8s could be interesting options for low light with their vibration reduction. Also, the new Nikon 24 1.8 tested pretty well on LensTip.com. If you ever find yourself needing something longer, the 70-200 f4 is said to be excellent.

AmericanLoonie

Zoom no question. I have "The Beast" (28-70 2.8) locked and loaded 95% of the time with my mini-me, and the other 5%–when the scene is static and controlled–I am usually shooting my 85 1.4. I am a huge supporter of the 28-70 if you are willing to haul it around, and you could likely find one used that will keep you within your apparent budget and get you that extra speed boost. Not only that, but the glass is simply fantastic–a perfect blend between that crisp, sharp contrast you get with the 24-70 and the more creamy, almost painterly results seen with the 85 1.4.

All that being said, the $1000 off on the D750 & 24-120 kit makes it a no brainer in my opinion. The high ISO capability of the D750 and VRII will more than compensate for the f4 speed loss, plus you will have a new lens with better range and a great rep.

Finally, I completely agree with BVS: get a decent flash with a built in card and bounce!

Vipmediastar_JZ

I have better results with 50mm with my kids. 85mm is also a good choice. Both are under 4yrs and it is hard to get photos of them. Primes do help as it is lighter and easier to move with the kids.

As for the 24-120 here is an older thread that might throw a wrench to it but worth looking at.

foxrider68

Thank you everyone I really appreciate the comments. Sounds like I need to take advantage of that package price on the 24-120. My budget was $1500 and I have taken that *2! But I made the decision to go FX and felt like the D750 was worth it over the 610. In regards to lens I am trying not to buy anything that I will want to replace later. I still feel like a 50 at 200 is a no brainier but with 24 and 28 primes costing around 700 I may have to go hold and feel a 24-70 before moving forward. Granted this is all future talk.

In regards to a flash I am planning on getting a cheaper off brand one considering the current budget blow out. The Altura on Amazon looked good enough unless anyone has other suggestions? Thanks again

Vipmediastar_JZ

A good starting point would be the Yongnuo Speedlights. If you want to do off camera (eventually) their wireless system is not expensive.

I recommend to pick up some rechargeable batteries.
If you want more battery life with a rechargeable Li-on Battery check out this Flashpoint speedlight.

I been using several speedlights during events and lately I use the sb-910 with a battery pack but I may just get another flashpoint speedlight that will get me thru the day without needing to replace batteries and it has a quick recycle. I don't remember testing it off camera with the yongnuo but with the phottix Odin (more expensive) it works.

AmericanLoonie

In my opinion, just wait and save up for the SB-910 (or 5000?!). It's the tops.

Vipmediastar_JZ

One of the main advantages of sb-910 is coverage to 200mm and TTL-BL for when you have back lit photos. The menu is extensive as well with multiple options.

BVS

Sounds like I need to take advantage of that package price on the 24-120. In regards to lens I am trying not to buy anything that I will want to replace later. I still feel like a 50 at 200 is a no brainier but with 24 and 28 primes costing around 700 I may have to go hold and feel a 24-70 before moving forward. Granted this is all future talk.

If you're considering the 24-70, maybe it would be best to check it out before deciding to go with the package? There's quite a bit of overlap between the two and the extra $500 may be better spent towards the 24-70, if you decide to go that route.

foxrider68

Unfortunately I can't afford the 24-70 if I wanted to right now even if it was the only Lens I got with it. Its just too much right now. And realistically I think it would cause my wife to not use the camera based on the size and weight that I've heard about. I won't care as I prefer things to hold onto so I think the 24-120 will be ok for the "throw around" lens long term. But the 24-70 is on the wish list for sure!

Would this flash be ok considering it has so many accessories? Seems like something to play with while I save for other options.

http://www.amazon.com/Altura-Photo-Flash-NIKON-D7100/dp/B00H84WRK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1447879099&sr=1-1&keywords=nikon+flash

AmericanLoonie

The deal and reviews are there to back it up, but without any experience I can't comment either way. I shoot my flash in manual most of the time, so aside from a slower reload I am sure you can make it work. It doesn't have a built in bounce card, but you can always MacGyver on of those.

Seneca44

The flash you linked to is for a crop sensor, not the FX D750.

Also, I bought the 24-120mm with the D750, and I can recommend the combination. Check out the lens when you get it if you go that route. There are reports of sample to sample variation. Mine is very sharp at f/4.

foxrider68

The flash you linked to is for a crop sensor, not the FX D750.

Also, I bought the 24-120mm with the D750, and I can recommend the combination. Check out the lens when you get it if you go that route. There are reports of sample to sample variation. Mine is very sharp at f/4.

In a couple of the reviews D750 users say it works fine. I'm going to expose my lack of knowledge but how would a DX vs FX matter? Is there a different flash pattern to cover the bigger sensor?

tcole1983

A

The flash you linked to is for a crop sensor, not the FX D750.

Also, I bought the 24-120mm with the D750, and I can recommend the combination. Check out the lens when you get it if you go that route. There are reports of sample to sample variation. Mine is very sharp at f/4.

From the Amazon listing "Compatible with ALL Nikon cameras with a standard hot-shoe mount.". There are no fx and dx flashes. There is a difference with commander modes and such for bodies, but it isn't an issue here with the d750.

tcole1983

My $.02 is you don't have to have it all right now. It wouldn't hurt to get the body and 24-120 package and use that until you decide what you need. You might find the 24-120 is good enough for most things and you want something longer or a different prime. The last thing you want to do is waste money buying and selling stuff if it isn't what you want.

heartyfisher

I dont think you mentioned it but do you have previous experience with DSLR? or are you fresh out getting a D750 and 85mm F1.8 ? and then deciding to "blindly" add a 24-120 mm zoom...

Eg : Knowing myself .. If I were to start fresh .. I would never get a D750 with a 85mm or a 24-120 zoom.. ... what made you decide on that combination of lenses ... and camera ??

foxrider68

I dont think you mentioned it but do you have previous experience with DSLR? or are you fresh out getting a D750 and 85mm F1.8 ? and then deciding to "blindly" add a 24-120 mm zoom...

Eg : Knowing myself .. If I were to start fresh .. I would never get a D750 with a 85mm or a 24-120 zoom.. ... what made you decide on that combination of lenses ... and camera ??

Fair question and I know by answering most won't agree with me but oh well. We are expecting our third and my wife was prepping me for the $1000 in new born pics again also while letting me know we owed our share of $250 that we were splitting with another family member for a photographer and family pics. It bugged me as it always does but we didn't have the equipment and she was getting her pics one way or the other. After some weather cancellations for the family shoots I convinced her to let me attempt to prove I can handle this for the family and not just once but ongoing forever. I take pictures all the time, just never invested in equipment as I have other demanding hobbies. So I borrowed my sisters dusty D90 with a 50mm 1.8D lens (she bought a DSLR used it a few times and its sat for 4 years) and gave myself about 3 days of crash course lessons as I had time available. I also grabbed a copy of Lightroom 5 and dove in off the deep end. Long story short the pictures I've taken and edited have our family and friends shocked. They feel like I've surpassed JC Penny (insert jokes here) and many of the average local photographers. I haven't hit the $1000 ladies quality yet but I have until March to do so and will be practicing between Dec and March. I also really enjoyed the challenge and results of this experience, it was rewarding. So then with Xmas deals approaching it was time learn what was out there. My original budget came from that $1000 new born and $250 fam budget. I almost bought the D7200 body only and a 50mm 1.8G to hold that budget. But then I noticed something saying DX and FX so I started researching it. At first I was convinced I didn't need anything more than the D7200, and I probably don't. But once I started watching videos and reading reviews of the D750 I WANTED it. Want being key here. I also used to shoot video all the time and would edit home movies. After seeing some videos from it and its power aperture feature all of a sudden the FX, better low light capabilities, extra focus features, better video...etc etc became worth it to me over a 7200. Then I started researching lens individually and became sold on the 85mm for what we want. But its not an everyday lens for me which brought me to a 28mm prime vs 24-120 which started this thread. So I may not need the D750 in 2016 but whatever I bought will be around a long time and that old saying "Quality is remembered long after cost is forgotten" came into play. I didn't want to be sitting in 2017 and wishing I had the D750 as my skills progressed and a used D7200 in two years won't be worth much. So now the only way I'm going to regret my purchase is if I don't use it, and I'm 99% sure thats not going to happen

Edit: Even after I sold myself on the D750 and 85mm this video sealed the deal for me to just do it and not worry about regret.

tcole1983

It sounds like your original kit is a decent start. If you really do plan on the 24-70 in the future then the 24-120 might not be the best thing to get. 85...get it. Just realize that 120 mm isn't very long at all on fx so I have no doubt you would eventually want something longer. It just really depends on what you think your needs are and what you plan for in the future...if you have the 24-120 and get the 24-70 I guarantee one will be in your bag 99% of the time and the other on your body 99% of the time. You won't be using both.

foxrider68

The future is always uncertain, I may end up with maybe a short prime and a better zoom reaching 200-300....hard to say and while the 24-120 may long term not be needed I do feel like I can get some pretty good use out of it between now and whenever that day comes. I guess the question kinda becomes what should my third and fourth lens be?

birdman

I paid $975 used for the once acclaimed 24-120. In 2012. Mkt saturated with kit parts from d600/750. Was it ever worth $1000 new? Well....maybe not, but the 16-35 also sold for $1100-1150 used until 3rd party manufacturers picked up their game...24-120 is great especially for price. Anyone saying $500-600 is waste may be spoiled on top shell lenses, no offense. Non-VR is no good for family members, I assume close family only, that may be asked to handle a shot or three. I could show you a hundred beautiful shots taken with my first Nikon all-purpose zoom - 24-120 it was. Tamron 28-75 2.8 - garbage, tokina 28-70 2.6-2.8 no sharper at all from 4.0 onwards. Owned both. Nikon 28-70 2.8 - I own BTW, sharper but not near as forgiving, less coatings also I believe. 24-70, great optics, good feel in hand, distorts some widest angle. Not near as sturdy as 28-70, but AF motor much more dependable. The kit zoom does vignette kinda nasty though, and distortion until 26mm blows. And front element causes zoom creep. Treat it like you need it to last a lifetime. I had Canon 28-135mm back in day. POS, times two. Canon 24-105L - softer in corners than this one

BVS

Nikonusa.com has a 10% off all refurbished products going on right now. Considering your budget, if you want the 85 1.8 you can get a refurb one for $356 (plus tax) right now. The 50 1.8 refurb is only $153.

Don't let the refurb status deter you. I've bought a couple refurbs from them and they seem to work better than my retail lenses.

BVS

Also, with regards to going over-budget, just remind your wife that you'll get years of photos out of the camera, not just one session, so it's actually cheaper in the long run.

foxrider68

I am not opposed to refurbished. Is 10% good or is there a chance for better over the next week?

BVS

There was an 11% off sale on 11/11. I don't recall ever seeing it higher than that on refurbs in recent memory, although I don't remember what happened on Black Friday last year either.

What's your timeframe on getting your gear? Nikon USA does these 10% off sales pretty regularly, so you could wait and see what happens next week and if nothing they'll probably have another 10% off sale sometime in December.

foxrider68

Probably will order it no later than cyber Monday as it seems like most places will price match after that. If I was buying today it would be at Best Buy for the 18 month financing but who knows what online deal will pop up. Main thing is to have it for the Xmas parties this year and of course Xmas with the kids.