Starting Again and Open to a New System

I'd stick to your original plan if you're familiar with the Nikon line up. Grab a good D200 for next to nothing. Pro body so all the controls where you need them. More than enough IQ at low ISO and sell for next to nothing now. Total bargain and an ideal tool for the job.

The Fuji S5 is a also an option. Its a D200 with different guts and is just wonderful for portraits but very slow to operate and more expensive than the D200.

A 35mm lens, and a zoom (I like the 18-70 myself) will leave you loads of changes for all the other bits you're bound to need.
 
Dean

Really sorry to hear about your job. As the great man said, that sucks and blows at the same time.

In terms of systems, why not make life easy for yourself and stick to a system you know already? Great that you kept your lights. 800 would get you a decent crop sensored Nikon and a couple of decent lenses. More than capable kit IMHO. Maybe once you're up and running, you could upgrade at that stage?

Truth be told, it's possibly all a bit irrelevant as to what system you get though as you have the skill/knowledge/experience to make it work.

I really hope your luck turns soon

All the best

Shaheed
 
gad-westy said:
I'd stick to your original plan if you're familiar with the Nikon line up. Grab a good D200 for next to nothing. Pro body so all the controls where you need them. More than enough IQ at low ISO and sell for next to nothing now. Total bargain and an ideal tool for the job.

The Fuji S5 is a also an option. Its a D200 with different guts and is just wonderful for portraits but very slow to operate and more expensive than the D200.

A 35mm lens, and a zoom (I like the 18-70 myself) will leave you loads of changes for all the other bits you're bound to need.
Click to expand...
Graham, as I said above I need better resolution than the 12mp sensors offer. They're fine for reasonable prints, but as soon as a crop (which is sometimes necessary) is applied you don't get the quality in larger prints.
 
Sir SR said:
Dean

Really sorry to hear about your job. As the great man said, that sucks and blows at the same time.

In terms of systems, why not make life easy for yourself and stick to a system you know already? Great that you kept your lights. 800 would get you a decent crop sensored Nikon and a couple of decent lenses. More than capable kit IMHO. Maybe once you're up and running, you could upgrade at that stage?

Truth be told, it's possibly all a bit irrelevant as to what system you get though as you have the skill/knowledge/experience to make it work.

I really hope your luck turns soon

All the best

Shaheed
Click to expand...

Shaheed, it's very kind of you to say so. I will probably do that simply because Nikon have the lenses most useful to me. :)
 
If you consider grey you could try a D7100 and the 18-140mm lens, you could also get the 35mm 1.8g at a squeeze. The 18-140 gets some good reviews and is an update to the 18-105mm with metal mount rather than plastic.

I switched from Fuji due to the delay on the release of the super tele. I have had the XT1, Xpro-1 and XE-1 and if it's for kids shooting, IMO only the XT1 would be fast enough.

I bought the D750 before Christmas but had to return due to debris in VF. I bought the camera with some cheap lenses. So after evaluating, I have bought the D7100 and 300mm f4 until I can afford to buy the D750 again and build up some better lenses. I was considering the D600, but after reading some reviews the AF on the D7100 is better??

I only had the D7100 delivered this afternoon and I have been trying it out in the garden for some bird shots, the light is poor (3.30pm & raining) here but the camera focused realy quick and seems to be a big improvement over the D7000, which I have owned two of. I haven't looked at the pics on computer but from looking at camera they seem to be coming out good, I have only been shooting in JPEG.

Edit: Also sorry for your job loss it maybe a blessing in disguise.
 
Last edited:
The23rdman said:
Shaheed, it's very kind of you to say so. I will probably do that simply because Nikon have the lenses most useful to me. :)
Click to expand...

What is the entry level nikon d3300 like? I thought the DR was improved and no aa filter. I'm guessing build quality won't be up to what you're used to but under studio conditions with a decent lens I'd guess it should perform well? I've no idea about those models but maybe worth a consideration second hand?

Have to say I loved my D90 and maybe DR/ISO is better on the newer d7xxx series.

Any idea of what you might go for?
 
Swanseajack said:
If you consider grey you could try a D7100 and the 18-140mm lens, you could also get the 35mm 1.8g at a squeeze. The 18-140 gets some good reviews and is an update to the 18-105mm with metal mount rather than plastic.

I switched from Fuji due to the delay on the release of the super tele. I have had the XT1, Xpro-1 and XE-1 and if it's for kids shooting, IMO only the XT1 would be fast enough.

I bought the D750 before Christmas but had to return due to debris in VF. I bought the camera with some cheap lenses. So after evaluating, I have bought the D7100 and 300mm f4 until I can afford to buy the D750 again and build up some better lenses. I was considering the D600, but after reading some reviews the AF on the D7100 is better??

I only had the D7100 delivered this afternoon and I have been trying it out in the garden for some bird shots, the light is poor (3.30pm & raining) here but the camera focused realy quick and seems to be a big improvement over the D7000, which I have owned two of. I haven't looked at the pics on computer but from looking at camera they seem to be coming out good, I have only been shooting in JPEG.

Edit: Also sorry for your job loss it maybe a blessing in disguise.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input, mate. My biggest issues with the D7100 is that it sounds like the RAW buffer is worse than the D7000, which is a killer for me. I may have to compromise on that though.

BTW, I'll be buying used.
 
Sir SR said:
What is the entry level nikon d3300 like? I thought the DR was improved and no aa filter. I'm guessing build quality won't be up to what you're used to but under studio conditions with a decent lens I'd guess it should perform well? I've no idea about those models but maybe worth a consideration second hand?

Have to say I loved my D90 and maybe DR/ISO is better on the newer d7xxx series.

Any idea of what you might go for?
Click to expand...
Looking closer the usability of the consumer cameras will rule them out. Diving into menus to change basic settings would drive me nuts.
 
Sir SR said:
Hmmm. I guess you're into d300/d90/d7xxx territory then? Eats into your lens budget a bit?
Click to expand...
D7xxx or a different system. I don't want to go back to a 12mp sensor.
 
I think I'd just buy used and save 100 quid. I like the idea of a 16-85 of the lens Jack suggested.
 
Paul, I shoot kids. A decent buffer is a must really. I had a D7k and it was not adequate.
 
Why is the raw buffer an issue for you? You'll still get 6-8 shots. How many do you need for the kind of stuff you're planning? The d7000 buffer is better than the 7100, but only by a few shots.

D7k
18-105
35mm f1.8

Imo that would run you around £550. You could then consider adding the older 85mm f1.8D lens which would give you some nice shallow dof for outdoor portraits.

I find it hard to give advice to someone who is as skilled as yourself. If sticking with Nikon, you don't really need any advice as you know the system inside out.

Outsider would be a Fuji x-e2 and 18-55mm f2.8-4 lens. The af won't be what you're used to but iq, fuji colours and well within budget could make it worth looking at.

Glad you can see some light at the end of the tunnel. :)
 
Yep, I'm realising that or I need to shoot Jpeg when I'm chasing kids around.
 
PaulButler said:
Then you'll find the buffer on any of the lower models un-usable ...


btw, who is Jack ;)
Click to expand...
Typo. I meant the new zoom replacing the 18-105 SwanseaJack suggested. I'm on the app and can't see names and have a terrible memory. :D
 
I never found the buffer on my d7k a limit, in fact I never reached it. But I don't machine gun shots. You could drop to raw compressed for a bigger buffer, but, now dontt take this the wrong way, maybe look at the way you shoot the kids when you'd find the buffer a limit. In the studio it wouldn't be an issue.

Again, find it weird helping you when it's usually the other way around. :LOL:
 
minnnt said:
I never found the buffer on my d7k a limit, in fact I never reached it. But I don't machine gun shots. You could drop to raw compressed for a bigger buffer, but, now dontt take this the wrong way, maybe look at the way you shoot the kids when you'd find the buffer a limit. In the studio it wouldn't be an issue.

Again, find it weird helping you when it's usually the other way around. :LOL:
Click to expand...
I shoot fast and in bursts. It seems mad not to with kids that may only give you special moments for brief seconds in a shoot. When that happens I shoot fast to ensure I get some in focus. This isn't studio stuff, more natural light wide open where focus is critical. The time the D7k took to clear the buffer lost me shots and ruined the flow of shoots several times.
 
The23rdman said:
I shoot fast and in bursts. It seems mad not to with kids that may only give you special moments for brief seconds in a shoot. When that happens I shoot fast to ensure I get some in focus. This isn't studio stuff, more natural light wide open where focus is critical. The time the D7k took to clear the buffer lost me shots and ruined the flow of shoots several times.
Click to expand...
Bit of a rock and a hard place Dean, for the budget a quicker buffer means D300, for better/more resolution means D7xxx - tough one fella.
 
If you went D7100 can you shoot in 12 bit and if you buy the fastest cards available etc...... will that help?? The D7100 has the 51 point AF system as used in D4 etc, so it should be quick enough?

I'm not clued up yet on the D7100 yet, I have only had it a couple of hours, but the bloke I bought the 300mm f4 lens off suggested these. He is into plane / jet photography, some links to his Filckr >https://www.flickr.com/photos/surfr/15997426239/
 
Last edited:
Swanseajack said:
If you went D7100 can you shoot in 12 bit and if you buy the fastest cards available etc...... will that help?? The D7100 has the 51 point AF system as used in D4 etc, so it should be quick enough?

I'm not clued up yet on the D7100 yet, I have only had it a couple of hours, but the bloke I bought the 300mm f4 lens off suggested these. He is into plane / jet photography, some links to his Filckr >https://www.flickr.com/photos/surfr/15997426239/
Click to expand...
I think I'll have to go try one. I suppose that for the time being I can adjust my shooting style and concentrate on studio stuff until I build it up enough. Either that or, as Paul says, a D700.

Or a 7D...
 
The23rdman said:
Graham, as I said above I need better resolution than the 12mp sensors offer. They're fine for reasonable prints, but as soon as a crop (which is sometimes necessary) is applied you don't get the quality in larger prints.
Click to expand...

Ahh, missed that bit. Does bring into question whether you actually really gain any effective resolution with newer sensors.

I don't know the answer though clearly it comes down to which lens is being used. I know that I noticed no difference whatsoever between a d300 and d5100 and having now used a d5300 as well I'm still not 100% convinced that there's more 'usable' detail there. Not conducted the most scientific of experiments though I must admit.
 
Last edited:
gad-westy said:
Ahh, missed that bit. Does bring into question whether you actually really gain any effective resolution with newer sensors.

I don't know the answer though clearly it comes down to which lens is being used. I know that I noticed no difference whatsoever between a d300 and d5100 and having now used a d5300 as well I'm still not 100% convinced that there's more 'usable' detail there. Not conducted the most scientific of experiments though I must admit.
Click to expand...
My experiments with a D700 and 5DII for large prints suggests that it makes a difference.
 
The23rdman said:
I shoot fast and in bursts. It seems mad not to with kids that may only give you special moments for brief seconds in a shoot. When that happens I shoot fast to ensure I get some in focus. This isn't studio stuff, more natural light wide open where focus is critical. The time the D7k took to clear the buffer lost me shots and ruined the flow of shoots several times.
Click to expand...

I know you'll probably shoot me down in flames but if buffering is a problem have you considered shooting in JPEGs?

If you shoot wide open and expose TTR then it may be a viable option for the time being.

Anyway good luck for the future and hope everything works out for you.
.
 
petersmart said:
I know you'll probably shoot me down in flames but if buffering is a problem have you considered shooting in JPEGs?

If you shoot wide open and expose TTR then it may be a viable option for the time being.

Anyway good luck for the future and hope everything works out for you.
.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Yeah, I said a few posts back that I may do that as a compromise.
 
gad-westy said:
Ahh, missed that bit. Does bring into question whether you actually really gain any effective resolution with newer sensors.

I don't know the answer though clearly it comes down to which lens is being used. I know that I noticed no difference whatsoever between a d300 and d5100 and having now used a d5300 as well I'm still not 100% convinced that there's more 'usable' detail there. Not conducted the most scientific of experiments though I must admit.
Click to expand...

Quick question, how do you find the VF on the D5xxx or D3xxx series compared to supposedly higher grade models?
 
I think the 7d could be the answer Dean. The CF card should allow you a decent buffer run and it also has 18mp. They're built like a tank and you have the option of the new 24mm f2.8 pancake, 40mm f2.8 pancake, 50mm f1.8 etc etc etc. The 24-105 is a workhorse and a very good price for what it is imo.
 
minnnt said:
I think the 7d could be the answer Dean. The CF card should allow you a decent buffer run and it also has 18mp. They're built like a tank and you have the option of the new 24mm f2.8 pancake, 40mm f2.8 pancake, 50mm f1.8 etc etc etc. The 24-105 is a workhorse and a very good price for what it is imo.
Click to expand...
I think that you may be right - at least for now.
 
And you know it can produce the goods, Beth used to shoot with one and it performed admirably! Now the mk2 has come out, the mk1 has dropped a bit more too.

Also, probably out of your price range atm, but the Canon 70-200 f4 non IS is an amazing lens that goes for £300-£350 iirc.
 
minnnt said:
And you know it can produce the goods, Beth used to shoot with one and it performed admirably! Now the mk2 has come out, the mk1 has dropped a bit more too.

Also, probably out of your price range atm, but the Canon 70-200 f4 non IS is an amazing lens that goes for £300-£350 iirc.
Click to expand...
Yeah, used to have that lens - a blinder.
 
So I'm really undecided right now. I love the IQ of the D7100, but the downsides are that I prefer to BBF and it's a bit tight for a left eye shooter. That along with the buffer limitations might be an issue. I like the Nikon lens line-up though and the functionality of the bodies.

The 7D is an option even though it's older tech. I like the body size and layout and coupled with a 24-105 would make a great combo for my flash work. Canon lenses tend to be a little cheaper and I like the 50mm f1.4, but the wider 35mm options are not so good. the Canon f2 is half the lens the Nikon f1.8G is.
 
Blimey, I've made over 10k posts... Only 87% of them utter nonsense!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top