Choices with the D800

Vipmediastar

I have been enjoying my photography with the D800. I have learned plenty new things reading things here and other sites Nikon related. Even Nphoto comes out with simple tips that are a refresher to me. I like to shoot a little bit of everything and I don't do many paid events. I randomly do portraits and of course volunteer at the family events by taking photos.

This year I wanted to focus on building my landscape portfolio, automotive and try to master studio lighting. So I sold almost every "old" cameras and lens that I had and bought the D800 + 24-70 2.8 nikon 85mm 1.8g and 50mm 1.8g while on sale.

I hardly ever take off the 24-70 as it covers a good range and with low light or the sb-800 the results are very pleasing. I really don't like the 24mm end but at 28 it starts getting better.

At first I wanted to purchase primes only but with the sales this was good choice considering the costs.

Im considering selling the 24-70 and getting the sigma 35mm 1.4 and possibly the nikon 16-35 or another lens and then getting the 70-200 f/4.

I used to shoot the d7000 with the sigma 10-20 and I liked the distorted looks and also the wide end. With street photography I like getting candid shots and I would either use the sigma 150mm 2.8 or 70-300 nikon simply because I'm still a bit shy and nervous in Chicago (don't judge me )

I been debating if my D800 current lineup is the best or D800+ sigma 35 1.4 Art nikon 50mm 1.8g and 85mm 1.8g a better fit ( future 16-35 70-200).

A little eye opener or some advice may help. I have read and read articles, compared lens and pictures on flickr etc .... but I'm still undecided on the lens choice.

My personal favorite to shoot is Candids for people and Landscape and automotive for everything else.

thanks in advance.

Godless

I would go with the 35 and 85 only. Get a Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 DG OS later.

sevencrossing

...........
I hardly ever take off the 24-70 as it covers a good range and with low light or the sb-800 the results are very pleasing. ...................................
......................I'm considering selling the 24-70 ......

??????

IMHO
Buying a Nikon D800 and Nikon glass
then selling the one of best lens that Nikon make, to buy Sigma Glass
does not seen to make sense to me

Vipmediastar

...........
I hardly ever take off the 24-70 as it covers a good range and with low light or the sb-800 the results are very pleasing. ...................................
......................I'm considering selling the 24-70 ......

??????

IMHO
Buying a Nikon D800 and Nikon glass
then selling the one of best lens that Nikon make, to buy Sigma Glass
does not seen to make sense to me

I hear you. I don't use the 50mm much only if needed in the nursery so that I don't wake or disturb the baby with light or flash. The 85 will be used for portraits but I haven't schedule any yet since I want to be very familiar with the camera first.

I have been walking around Chicago with the 24-70 and while l`m used to the weight in the end its still heavy. I like it but but I was looking for something else for landscape work like the 16-35 since its wider but for the moment buying the sigma 35 1.4 is one of the sharpest primes at the moment and a 1.4 its what I'm looking to shoot at the nursery.

I still have under 30 days to return the 50mm but only 1.5 week left.

I may take Godless suggestion and do the 35 and 85 only 35 for daily walk around in Chicago and once I'm able 16-35 for scheduled landscape

PB_PM

...........
I hardly ever take off the 24-70 as it covers a good range and with low light or the sb-800 the results are very pleasing. ...................................
......................I'm considering selling the 24-70 ......

??????

IMHO
Buying a Nikon D800 and Nikon glass
then selling the one of best lens that Nikon make, to buy Sigma Glass
does not seen to make sense to me

I agree, this statement makes no sense. Why would you sell your most used lens?

Vipmediastar

Most used lens because I only have 3 left. And the other are in hibernation for the moment. I believe ultra wide would be better for me. I'm not getting the results/perspective I thought I was going to get for Chicago's architecture, skyline and overall city photos. I'm not new to photography but I am new to full frame and maybe that gets getting used to some more. Again I really liked the perspective that the sigma 10-20 gave me. Selling the 24-70 may not be the wisest thing to do as some of you are stating. With my previous equipment I would alternate each week with a lense. The sigma 150mm had awesome bokeh. That's why I'm considering sigma again.

Vipmediastar

I'm starting to realize less is more and should have asked what would be a better combo for my shooting and desires. Thanks to everybody that has replied. I will be returning the 50mm and continue to think what's best for me.

John

The D800 has 3 high quality zoom lenses that bring out the quality of the sensor.
The fist is the 24-70 f2.8.
This is a wonderful allround lens. It can be used for everything from landscape photograph to portrait work.
I've use it to photograph sunsets that remained tac sharp when printed at 120cm * 80cm. I've used it to photograph inside museum buildings and in confined spaces. I've used it to photograph cars and airplanes.
It's just a wonderful general usage lens. You can pack it as your only lens when going on holiday and you will end up with good images.
The next lens is the 70-200 f2.8. This is my favorite portrait lens. Super sharp and perfect bokeh.
Combined with the slight tele compression effect and it's a dream lens.
Useful for (some) sports and portrait work.
The 70-200 f4 is probably a good budget choice if you don't shoot in low light situations.
Finally we have the 14-24 f2.8.
This might very well be the best landscape lens available. It give real depth and space to your images. It has a very specific look which I really like but which also makes the lens limited in it's use.
Depending on your intrests I would go for this trifecta.
Yes, there are other very good lenzes but these are a good place to start and are rightly the most used "pro" zoom lenzes. (the 200-400 is not part of the list because of the price)

I would stay away from additional primes unless you really need the "speed" gained by shooting wide open.
Yes, they might be a bit sharper but the difference will be small (if any).

A good site for lens reviews is bythom.com

Godless

Buying a Nikon D800 and Nikon glass
then selling the one of best lens that Nikon make, to buy Sigma Glass
does not seen to make sense to me

That´s because you haven´t met the better Sigmas yet. Thy are really excellent, and cannot be compared to the old Sigma B.S.

Ade

I used to shoot the "trinity" of lenses as above, but now I'm mostly shooting primes instead.

I also sold my 14-24/2.8 (admittedly one of my favorite lenses) in favor of the 16-35/4. I do quite a bit of travel and the 14-24 just takes up too much space.

The 24-70/2.8 mid-range zoom is what I consider a "safe" zoom. It gives me comfort. For years I had one mid-range zoom or another attached to my camera at all times. But my photography stagnated at some point, because of it. It was too "easy" to use such a zoom without much critical thinking.

Mind you, I still own and use the lens, but it's now mostly relegated to assignment work where I'm nervous about what exactly I'll need to cover. So, I revert back to my comfortable safe zoom.

Bottom line is, get what you want to get. So many enthusiasts own the "trinity" and take lazy, boring pictures.

TaoTeJared

@Vipmediastar - I have to echo sevencrossing's thoughts - I think you would regret loosing the 24-80 if you use it that much and for what it can be used for.

It sounds like you are in the quandary of different lenses that were built for very different uses, and tending on looking at what other's are talking about, rather than buying a lens for the uses you want to shoot. That is something most of us struggle with. It sounds like you might be reading a bit too much, hyper focusing on what others like and not shooting enough to see what you can do with what you have. You have the three lenses that most photographers try to get, not sell.

I would venture to guess probably 99% of us have a 50mm in the bag as it is very useful, sharp, fast and cheap. The 85mm is really one of the best portrait lenses made, and the 24-70 is most people's staple lens.

You mentioned the Sigma 10-20 and how you didn't like the 24mm end of the 24-70 which is a bit confusing as the 10-20 has many distortion aspects that most lens makers try to fix and the 24mm is rather minimal compared to the 10-20mm. That said, if you are looking for wide angles, you should consider Tokina's 17-35mm and 16-28mm as they are much cheaper than Nikon's and from f/4 on, it is very difficult to tell the difference.

As for the Sigma 1.4 - it sounds like a great lens, but if you are not using your 50 or 85 now, it doesn't sound like you are more of a "Prime" shooter and go more for convenience. Nothing wrong with it, but something many people do is buy lenses that don't fit their shooting style. For me, I can have a 50mm on my camera for a week and be happy. When I go to shoots, I use primes and swap lenses constantly, with lens drop pouches on my belt. I know many do not like shooting that way and go for the "trinity" set of zooms and cringe carrying around 5-8 lenses everywhere they go.

The Sigma 150 is a macro lens, I particularly didn't like it for portraits since that focal range has pincushion distortion on subjects. It didn't seem to focus fast enough for street photography either. The 70-300vr is a great lens but not a good street photo lens. Both of those are quite enormous for street work. If you are still nervous going larger with equipment isn't going to help much as you will just stand out a lot more and grab people's attention much quicker. The 85mm with it's AF speed is probably your lens and then you can work your way closer.

For street photography most shooters are generally setting the camera to MF, F/8, and using a single length 24/35/50mm lens. That stuff you see that are captured with major bokeh are generally people who are masterful at that type of work, and had about 500 bad shots for each 1 they get. Some even shoot much wider lenses and crop to what they want as well.

sevencrossing

. So many enthusiasts own the "trinity" and take lazy, boring pictures.


This may well be true, but give those same photographers, a set primes and they will still take , boring lazy pictures
It is the person behind the camera, that is important, not the lens in front

sevencrossing

It sounds like you might be reading a bit too much, hyper focusing on what others like and not shooting enough to see what you can do with what you have.

I have to agree with Tao

you need to decide for yourself, what lenses you need

looking at most current lenses, I don't think there is a bad one out there

kenadams

This may well be true, but give those same photographers, a set primes and they will still take , boring lazy pictures

Not necessarily, unless we're talking about people who wouldn't care anyway, in which case they'd wasting a boatload of money on something that just isn't for them. I find that primes make me think more before taking a shot, especially when shooting film. You obviously have to recompose more and that creates opportunities and options you might not consider otherwise.

Godless

Why would you sell your most used lens?

Sometimes people look for a change. A closure of a period that has been. A change of lenses will radically affect the shooting style and the outlook of the images. I enjoy shooting with different gear every now and then. Kind of keeps things fresh. There are things I cannot give up, like the 24mm focal length equivalent in some form. I have, lately however, had the heretical notion of trading my 24mm 1.4G lens for a really good long tele. A move, which I will probably regret in one form and rejoice in another.

TaoTeJared

This may well be true, but give those same photographers, a set primes and they will still take , boring lazy pictures It is the person behind the camera, that is important, not the lens in front.

Not necessarily, unless we're talking about people who wouldn't care anyway, in which case they'd wasting a boatload of money on something that just isn't for them. I find that primes make me think more before taking a shot, especially when shooting film. You obviously have to recompose more and that creates opportunities and options you might not consider otherwise.

I agree a bit with both here. When I get a new lens I probably shoot 1000 shots just to get a feel on using it, and then it probably takes me another 2000 or so to be somewhat proficient with it, and then add another year of use to that to blindly get good shots with it. It takes a long time to actually master a lens, few actually do it - hopefully someday I will actually master one.

Msmoto

Lots of comments...

I find the zoom is the way to go when "walking around". But, most of what I shoot are boring photos. I like to simply record life as it is, occasionally getting a decent photo.

However, when doing a photo session, I generally like to shoot a prime unless the venue has a wide variety of different actions, I cannot control. Paparazzi, sports, some motorsports, group activities, may require a variable focal length. And, if this is a wide range then two camera bodies is my method.

How does one figure out what is best for them? I think this is answered by the multiple posts already. The keystone of learning photography is shooting images, processing, then critically evaluating these. I have received a new lens, the 105mm Micro Nikkor. And, while I have several images on my Flickr photostream, and one on PAD, I am still learning about a lens which will focus close without extension tubes and how to do the lighting, camera support, shutter, aperture, all these. Of a couple hundred images, I really do not think I have one "good" image. Oh, some I like but no real great shots....

Being self critical is IMO the primary issue for most of us. And the answer to the question "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" is the same as how do you become a good photographer. Practice, practice, practice.

So, just shoot what you have until you really know what you want.

And, if we were allowed to sell items on NRF (Absolutely forbidden) I would bid on your 24-70 in a heart beat.

SquamishPhoto

(Absolutely forbidden)

This is such a shame too. NikonCafe has an incredibly productive and safe system in place to have a "For Sale" thread in their forum. Great deals and a much better sense of previous ownership than one would ever get from eBay.

PB_PM

Why would you sell your most used lens?

Sometimes people look for a change. A closure of a period that has been. A change of lenses will radically affect the shooting style and the outlook of the images. I enjoy shooting with different gear every now and then. Kind of keeps things fresh. There are things I cannot give up, like the 24mm focal length equivalent in some form. I have, lately however, had the heretical notion of trading my 24mm 1.4G lens for a really good long tele. A move, which I will probably regret in one form and rejoice in another.

I guess it's how you treat your zooms. I use my zooms like primes, without the hassle, and risk of getting dust on the sensor by having to change lenses. My 24-70 gets used at 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 70mm. I pick one, and shoot. I don't zoom to get closer to something, I pick a focal length and move to make it work for my shots. If more people did that with zooms, maybe their shots wouldn't be so boring?

I used to buy and sell a lot of gear, but it was just a waste of money. Now I just work with what I have, and let my skills grow rather than relying on some lens to make a change. If I'm taking boring photos it's because I'm in a creative funk, not because I need new glass.

paulr

Vipmediastar Make sure not suffering from the "Grass is greener on the other side" syndrome You would be parting with one of Nikons most used and loved Pro lenses<24-70 2.8> and it did not get that reputation for nothing

Godless

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I guess it's how you treat your zooms.

I do not have any zooms atm. Planning to get the Sigma S 120-300 DG OS to replace the earlier version.

Symphotic

I find the zoom is the way to go when "walking around"....
However, when doing a photo session, I generally like to shoot a prime unless the venue has a wide variety of different actions, I cannot control....

Excellent point. I have a nice collection of zooms and primes. I use the zooms for travel and recreation, and I use the primes mostly for work. I can control my lighting and camera position enough on the job, and my subjects are always static, so I am better off with primes for work, even though the optical quality of zooms is now approaching that of primes. (I actually never owned any zoom lenses until recently.)

The 24-70 is an amazing lens. Almost all the full size prints adorning the hallway and lab walls around here were taken with the 24-70. I'm sure that my preference for this lens is based on my comfort zone that I created for myself over the years shooting with 28, 35, 50, 85, and 105 primes. Longer and shorter lenses are technically great as well, but I tend to take even more boring photos with them than usual. As you point out, Msmoto, the best photos I've seen with the longer and shorter lenses are done by photographers with much more practice.

Congratulations on your 105 micro-Nikkor.

tc88

Vipmediastar Make sure not suffering from the "Grass is greener on the other side" syndrome You would be parting with one of Nikons most used and loved Pro lenses<24-70 2.8> and it did not get that reputation for nothing

+1.

Though I think Vipmediastar will otherwise end up with the "glass collection syndrome". Still I think "glass collection syndrome" is better.

I will keep the 24-70 too since it's the top of the line in its class. You may feel not needing it anymore, but if you come around and change mind again later, you will have to acquire it again. And selling and buying glasses is a great way to lose money if you are not good at it.

spraynpray

Sounds to me like Vipmediastar has bad NAS.

@Squamish: +1

Symphotic

Looking over the OP, it almost seems to that Vipmediastar feels zooms and primes exclude each other. Is there a legitimate reason for a photographer to own both? For me, I know what I am dealing with when I use a prime, and image quality is excellent. At work, if I try to use a zoom I find myself cranking it all the way one way or another, and since I have plenty of time to change lenses if I must, I work better with primes. When I'm out and about shooting recreationally I don't want to carry a lot of lenses, so the 24-70 or the 24-120 is all I carry.

The Sigma 35 is not a lot of money and behaves as both a wide angle and a standard lens with the D800: there is a good case for keeping the zoom and buying the prime after you save a bit.

Vipmediastar

Lots of great info. I thought about it over the weekend and I will keep what I have. After all the winter Nikon sales was the best and only way I could fit everything in my budget.

I should stop looking over the fence for the greener grass as I already have a nice backyard.

Today I have with me the D800 and 24-70