Nikon D7000 help with lens choice
Discussion
Dear all
As a relative novice Im looking for some help with lens choice.I inherited my late father in laws Nikon D7000 which has a 70-300 VR Nikkor telephoto lens.Its a great camera and a great lens but man its big & heavy.Im wondering if I can get some kind of do it all lens.I used it this weekend below are a couple of pics and the lens is great but I think its probably a little overkill and obviously its difficult to take snapshots with.Im considering selling the lens to fund a new lens/lenses.I would very much appreciate any advice.
As a relative novice Im looking for some help with lens choice.I inherited my late father in laws Nikon D7000 which has a 70-300 VR Nikkor telephoto lens.Its a great camera and a great lens but man its big & heavy.Im wondering if I can get some kind of do it all lens.I used it this weekend below are a couple of pics and the lens is great but I think its probably a little overkill and obviously its difficult to take snapshots with.Im considering selling the lens to fund a new lens/lenses.I would very much appreciate any advice.
Thanks all appreciate the advice I will take a look at the options offered.I should say not a lot wrong with the 70-300 but I was wondering if I could use it to fund a more all round use lens.I need a lens where Im not having to stand 10 feet away to even get the object in the view finder.Hope that makes sense.
ExPat2B said:
So - the great Nikon DX lens debate.
The best options IMHO are :
The 35mm f1.8 lens. Yes it is a fixed lens, but it is so bright ( 16 times bigger aperture than your 70-300) , so much faster to focus and makes for such a neat package as its small and light. It is pretty much welded to my D7100. Every Nikon DX shooter should own one.
The 18-55 VR kit lens. This needs to be stopped down to f8 to get the best out of it, but it makes for a fine lightweight lens for getting landscape and "I was there" people snaps. A total no brainer, its £60 second hand to pickup.
The new Nikon DX 70-300. Nikon finally listed to the DX guys who wanted a light telephoto. its 400g, nearly half the weight of the FX version, affordable ( £270 ) sharp, accurate focusing.
Another telephoto option is the 55-200. I like this lens as it is really small and light and cheap and performs well in good light/away from the max aperture and zoom. Its not as good as the new 70-300 but it is very very cheap.
You could put together a fine 3 lens kit ( 35mm - £110, 18-55 - £60, 55-200 £85 ) for 250ish total second hand from ebay.
On the superzoom front, the general consensus is that the 18-140 is the the one to have vs the 18-200 and the 18-300. The 18-140 is sharper faster to focus and more usable at max aperture.
The next suggestion is to get a camera strap instead of the Nikon supplied one. Doesn't need to be too fancy, but this makes carrying a DLSR all day convienient.
https://www.caselogic.com/en-us/us/products/camera...
Once you have those basics, and you have been shooting for a while and getting the feel of what you like, then start to look at a specialist lens.
For portraits, Nikon 85mm f.18 is great.
For macro, Nikon 85mm DX f3.5 or 105mm f.28 for
For people shooting the 17-55 f2.8 is a solid performer on the D7000.
Telephoto the Tamron 150-600 is starting to look like an incredible bargain as a new tamron model has been released to replace it and Nikon brought out the 200-500 ( however if you can afford it, spring for the Nikon 200-500 as its fabulous )
Don't touch teleconverters, they are only for use with exotic primes like the 300mm f2.8.
Thanks again all I have decided on the plan suggested here by expat2b.Just bought the 18-55 for £60 and im zeroing in on the 35mm and the 55-200. The best options IMHO are :
The 35mm f1.8 lens. Yes it is a fixed lens, but it is so bright ( 16 times bigger aperture than your 70-300) , so much faster to focus and makes for such a neat package as its small and light. It is pretty much welded to my D7100. Every Nikon DX shooter should own one.
The 18-55 VR kit lens. This needs to be stopped down to f8 to get the best out of it, but it makes for a fine lightweight lens for getting landscape and "I was there" people snaps. A total no brainer, its £60 second hand to pickup.
The new Nikon DX 70-300. Nikon finally listed to the DX guys who wanted a light telephoto. its 400g, nearly half the weight of the FX version, affordable ( £270 ) sharp, accurate focusing.
Another telephoto option is the 55-200. I like this lens as it is really small and light and cheap and performs well in good light/away from the max aperture and zoom. Its not as good as the new 70-300 but it is very very cheap.
You could put together a fine 3 lens kit ( 35mm - £110, 18-55 - £60, 55-200 £85 ) for 250ish total second hand from ebay.
On the superzoom front, the general consensus is that the 18-140 is the the one to have vs the 18-200 and the 18-300. The 18-140 is sharper faster to focus and more usable at max aperture.
The next suggestion is to get a camera strap instead of the Nikon supplied one. Doesn't need to be too fancy, but this makes carrying a DLSR all day convienient.
https://www.caselogic.com/en-us/us/products/camera...
Once you have those basics, and you have been shooting for a while and getting the feel of what you like, then start to look at a specialist lens.
For portraits, Nikon 85mm f.18 is great.
For macro, Nikon 85mm DX f3.5 or 105mm f.28 for
For people shooting the 17-55 f2.8 is a solid performer on the D7000.
Telephoto the Tamron 150-600 is starting to look like an incredible bargain as a new tamron model has been released to replace it and Nikon brought out the 200-500 ( however if you can afford it, spring for the Nikon 200-500 as its fabulous )
Don't touch teleconverters, they are only for use with exotic primes like the 300mm f2.8.
Just bought a 35mm prime so now im looking at a telephoto.The 55-200 seems like a bit of a no brainer however there is the 70-210 which seems highly regarded.The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger is the 70-210 has no VR stabilisation.The 70-300 VR was very good zoomed out but I assumed because of VR.
Anybody have any experience of the 70-210 or shooting a long lens without tripod or vibration reduction ?
Anybody have any experience of the 70-210 or shooting a long lens without tripod or vibration reduction ?
Simpo Two said:
Nikon 70-210?
A google finds this for £85 or am I missing something? http://www.camerajungle.co.uk/products/25488/nikon...
Yes thats it sorry except there is a faster focusing version available but similar money.I am also now considering the Tamron & Sigma offerings with focal lengths of 200 - 300.Its a minefield but maybe im being too precious as I dont want to spend anymore than sub £200. A google finds this for £85 or am I missing something? http://www.camerajungle.co.uk/products/25488/nikon...
Im a dick, fecked up guys well and truly.I sold the 70-300 VR to fund what I thought would be more suitable lenses.As some of you had already mentioned the more suitable lens was probably the 70-300 and perhaps a prime to go with it.
To add insult to injury I then got a bonus at work which would have allowed me to keep the 70-300 and buy something else. Idiot
To add insult to injury I then got a bonus at work which would have allowed me to keep the 70-300 and buy something else. Idiot
eltawater said:
Ah well, never mind 
Stick with the 35mm for now and keep taking photos to work out in which direction you start "yearning" for more, whether it's to go wider or to go longer. Do not waste your money on a cheap telephoto, even if they are just the £80 ones. If you find the urge to shoot long often enough, then look into investing into the 70-300VR again or more expensive lenses instead.
Yes I can see me buying back the 70-300 for my aircraft photography because like you say anything else would be wasted money.What the hell was I thinking Stick with the 35mm for now and keep taking photos to work out in which direction you start "yearning" for more, whether it's to go wider or to go longer. Do not waste your money on a cheap telephoto, even if they are just the £80 ones. If you find the urge to shoot long often enough, then look into investing into the 70-300VR again or more expensive lenses instead.
Simpo Two said:
Well, at the outset you said it was to big and heavy. So either it's shrunk or you've been taking steroids!
NB I call my 70-300VR my 'airshow' lens (as opposed to the 70-200 f2.8 being the 'wedding' lens') and now you know why
Yes I thought it was too big & heavy for how I was using it generally but I realise now a 35mm lens is perfect for general photography and the 70-300 for aviation. NB I call my 70-300VR my 'airshow' lens (as opposed to the 70-200 f2.8 being the 'wedding' lens') and now you know why
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