Help with D7100 and lens choices

saintsdt

Morning all,

I lost my Nikon D90 few weeks ago :-( so I need a replacement camera, was thinking of getting the Nikon D7100 but can't decide if I kit lens or body only and buy an 18-55mm lens (I already have an AF-S 50mm 1.4 lens).

Also while looking at lens on amazon whats the difference between:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ZNT93Q/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0YEA66YBWGB58S3A7MPJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ZMCILW/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0YEA66YBWGB58S3A7MPJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

Thanks

Msmoto

They appear identical, however, one may be a Gray Market lens....you will need to check carefully on this.

But, if you are looking for a second lens, why purchase a zoom which covers your 50mm prime? You may want to consider a wider zoom range, or a wide prime...just my thoughts.

At present, the D7100 is going for a premium price. And, it is possible other kit lenses will be offered as an incentive. I might suggest waiting around for a month or so and see if the D7100 has any birthing problems.

saintsdt

Thanks for the information. I'm going on my honeymoon soon so dont want to wait few months.

What lens would you recommend?

Msmoto

It is all about the money we spend. To get a wider range than the 18-55 the 18-105 may be worthwhile. I have had one of those lenses in the past and it was fairly sharp for the price. And, for low light you will have your 50mm f/1.4.

If you love wide shots...the 10-24mm but this is pricey. Let's see what others have in mind...

saintsdt

Thanks, been reading http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/dx-dream-team.htm and as I have 50mm lens to get something like 55-200mm then in future when I have some more money get something like 10-24mm

dissent

Advice from an amateur - don't just read Rockwell. There are lots of opinions out there. Cultivate a diverse set of people whose opinions you read on multiple topics. Everybody with a web site has an opinion - find those who speak towards some of your own experience.

I've gotten some nice shots with the 18-55. I hear the 18-105 is also nice, and gives you a bit more range. For wide I bought a used 12-24mm from Adorama. Nicely wider than what I have at 18mm, and I like it so far. About half the cost of buying new, but you have to make sure you are buying from a reputable source.

Golf007sd

@saintsdt: To take advantage of the D7100 new sensor it would be nice to put a nice glass in front of the sensor. Personally, I'm not a fan of the kit lens, so my question to you is: What is your budget on a lens?

saintsdt

Disscent: Thanks for the comment, I've been looking at a few websites & forums but just want to make sure i start with best possible startup and if i can save money by not buying kit lens and putting it towards something better.

Golf007sd: Haven't a large budget as just about to get married, so my budget is about £200 for lens if i just buy the body only version of D7100 otherwise will buy kit lens that comes with it.

Thanks for all the comments!!

Gitzo

I'm going to stick my neck out here, fully realizing that I'll lose my head; You want advice ? Here's some GREAT advice; NEVER buy ANY camera when it "just comes out" ! Like Msmoto so tactfully mentioned, wait till you see what problems the thing has early on; personally, I'd wait much longer than that. Trying to "suggest" which lens to buy for anyone is a total impossibility! I've known several hundred thousand people who are "interested in photography", and so far, I can't recall any two of them agreeing on "which lens" is the "best" to buy. Personally, if I was just "getting a new camera", if I was very concerned about the quality of the pictures I'd be likely to take with it, I'd put the honey-moon off about 6 months, until I learned to use the thing.

You're attempting to do two things almost all at once, neither one of which is ordinarily thought of as being "cheap"...........getting married, and buying Nikon lenses; and at the same time, you mention having a "very small budget" ? On top of all of that, you mention that you've been listening to what Ken Rockwell has to say..........??????? I give up! Have a great honeymoon!

spraynpray

This is a no brainer - get the 18-105VR and analyse what lengths you use most after a few thousand shots then if you think that the quality of that lens is not good enough, you will know what to buy.

ChromiumPrime

+1 on waiting on the D7100 and maybe even gor for a D7000. The D7000 is still plenty good camera for a better price and with the money you save you can put that towards a better lens that suits the camera like the 16-85 (I just don't feel that 18-55 or even 18-105 do the D7100/D7000 justice).

Paulohn

This is a no brainer - get the 18-105VR and analyse what lengths you use most after a few thousand shots then if you think that the quality of that lens is not good enough, you will know what to buy.

+1

Also, any other recomendations will be based on personal interests. I would not spend USD 1000 or more (most of pro lenses can cost as much as that) on a lens just because "someone told me to".

I believe the 18-105mm fits your budget and allow you to think about your priorities when buying a new and more specific and more expensive lens.

Regarding buying things as soon as they are released depends on whether you want to take the risk of having your camera going to a repair center. I would wait, but if I had to buy a replacement today, I believe I would take the chances on a D7100 as well.

Ironheart

Why not buy a D7000 now, spend the extra $$ on lenses. This will give you time to get familiar with the gear before the wedding and honeymoon. You can always sell the D7000 and upgrade to the D7100 or D400 down the road. For instance you could get the D7000+18-200mm for the $1400 you are going to spend on the D7100 and a $200 lens.

I'd rather have the superzoom on a honeymoon. Good travel lens.

DaveyJ

I use the D7000 and it is GREAT. I also pre-ordered a D7100. Which makes me a guinea pig for Nikon. I think the advice to get a D7000 and possibly a 18-200VR or even spraynpray's advice of get the 18-105VR and see how much you use the various focal lengths is very good advice. I do like the 18-200VR and it does give you a lot of latitude. It also is not all that expensive right now. But a D7100 right now??? OK if you are up for experimentation. I am buying this D7100 mostly for the video enhancement. But the D7000 video is quite good to excellent depending on the subject and technique. I am actually going to guess you are not primarily buying it for video upgrades making a D7000 and get used ti it BEFORE going on a important trip a FAR better deal.

saintsdt

Thanks for all the comments!! First post on here and blown away with all the helpful advice!

Decided to take Msmoto advice and wait few months before committing to D7100. In the meantime going to ask a friend if i can borrow his D90 for honeymoon

Thanks again

Golf007sd

Smart move. Have fun and we look forward to seeing some of your pictures on PAD. In the mean time, save some cash and put it towards your first nice lens. The camera does have a profound affect on your photos, but the lens is the most important and where the "money" shot comes from.

saintsdt

Cheers, whats PAD?

Golf007sd

PAD is our Photo-A-Day section. You can access it here.

DaveyJ

Borrowing a D90 from a friend is a pretty good deal especially if you can borrow a useable lens. I own both the D90 and the D7000, and again have pre-ordered the D7100. Of these cameras the D7000 is so far ahead of the D90 it is amazing. Video on the D90 exists but is often "disappointing". Prices on those two are surprisingly close. Personally I rate the 12-24 DX Nikkor, the 18-105VR, the 18-200VR, and the 70-300VR as the best of the easier priced lens. That might by the way require getting the 12-24 Nikkor as a used lens and I would be pretty careful where it came from and how good the condition was since that is one of the most expensive of this set.

But if you have never shot video on DSLR I would shoot a small amount even with the D90 to get a feel for it. Some subjects just plain translate better as video than stills. The D90 video is usually blurry or soft. The D7000 video is so good in slide sound shows you usually do not recognize the transition to video form stills as the are both sharp.

MarkR

Hi saintsdt
I too was having just about the same problem. I hope you had a great honeymoon! I just purchased the D7100. I didn't buy the lens kit. I read and read about this lens and that lens trying to find out which one was the better for the money. I bought a 40mm micro and a 18-200 3.5-5.6. Sure I would have liked the 70-200 VR f/2.8G but then I couldn't afford another lens that would cover below 70mm. I had around $2000 for lenses. Well for about $150 more I got the 18-300 and took the 18-200 back. I know or read that I will lose a little bit of sharpness around the smaller end and the upper end but to me I think its a very good lens for an all around lens. Some say its a little on the heavy side but I don't think its much more than the 200. I looked at the Tamron 18-270. the lens was a lot smaller and much lighter. Some reviews said this was the better lens for the money over the Nikon but still the Nikon lens had better reviews. So I spent the extra $300 on the Nikon. I felt Tamron makes this lens for many different cameras and I wondered how dedicated Tamron was to Nikon. I felt Nikon made this lens for this camera body. Its like buying a Cadillac and putting after market rims on it. I know I will feel better when I look at the camera and see a Nikon body with a Nikon lens on it.
I then took back the 40 and bought a 105 prime macro 2.8 for a 1000. This lens is awesome. It is very fast and it does everything the 70-200VR 2.8 does but zoom and it takes awesome close-ups. I'm afraid I will have this lens on the camera more than the others. Then I went over my budget just a little and bought a 35mm 1.8. I'm hoping to use that in... like house parties or somewhere where I just need to take some fast pictures and get out. Its a lot lighter than the 18-300 and should take a sharper photo being a prime lens. Now, when I do some more saving I will one day buy the 70-200 2.8 and not real sure on the lower end yet but I'm looking at 16-55mm 2.8. Then if things go real well I will buy something that covers up to 300 or 400mm fast lens. I really don't see much need for that much zoom but then again I do like to zoom in and the 18-300 I have does zoom in just great. Its ok because I'm willing to give up a real sharp picture just to catch the moment for now. A picture is worth 1000 words regardless if its sharp or not. And to most people I share my pictures with wont see any difference anyway. This D7100 out performs many cameras.
Let us know what you bought please.

NRandall

I just ordered a D7100 after my experiences with the D600. I had changed over to FX lenses and was a bit stuck as to how to meet my focal length needs. In short i tend to avoid zooms after taking the advice from a friend who is a much better photographer than me. When I asked how he copes without zooms he said 'I move my feet'. It seemed a bit simplistic but I decide basically he is right and in a world of superquick results we may have gone a bit soft on our expectations of quality. I now only have one zoom.
My lineup before going back from the D600 to the D7100 is 20-35 AFD 2.8; 50mm 1.8; 85mm AFD 1.4; and 300mm AFS f/4.
As the 300mm range is optimum for many of my lengthy landscapes the move back to DX left me with an obvious gap between 85mm and 300mm, now effectively 130mm to 450mm.
I am negotiating to get the older 180mm AFD 2.8 which should fill the gap nicely. My feet can do most of the rest. I will miss the super wide for a while but plan to get the D610 when released and available, probably next year.

The 180mm prime is a gem, often overlooked.

Msmoto

"When I asked how he copes without zooms he said 'I move my feet"

I love this....many of us grew up before the zooms were even invented...LOL

TheDraftsman

The Nikkor 18-70 kit lens from a few years ago. Being a DX lens you get the wider angle FOV
that you don't get with an FX lens on a D7000/D7100 and center sharpness that matches way
more expensive lenses. There are so many out there available in mint condition and cheap.
Way better than a 18-55.

nikhg

Like @TheDraftsman said, the 18-70 is a great kit lens. The max aperture at 70 is 4.5, compared to 5.6 for most other kit lenses, and it's available cheap. I used it with my D70 for quite a while when I was learning.

I would also recommend getting a 35 1.8 (about $200) and a wide angle somewhere down the line. I know the Tokina 11-16 gets great reviews.

Glass is everything - I'd say get a D7000 and better glass. The megapixel and AA filter won't make a difference in your use, and the autofocus was fine for me when I used the D7000 for events etc. The only major difference may be ISO performance, but again, I've delivered shots taken at 6400 to a client. 1600-3200 tends to be the upper limit of what I tried to stick to when I was using the D7000.

PB_PM

I had a 18-70mm F3.5-4.5G and frankly I wasn't overly impressed. It was fine on lower resolution cameras like the D70 and D80 it was kitted with, but on the newer bodies I found it lacking in terms of resolution.

heartyfisher

I had a 18-70mm F3.5-4.5G and frankly I wasn't overly impressed. It was fine on lower resolution cameras like the D70 and D80 it was kitted with, but on the newer bodies I found it lacking in terms of resolution.

Compared to which lense ?