Nikon D1x

[toohuge]

This may seem like a stupid thing to have done, but i got a great deal on a Nikon D1x second hand and i am about to buy a lens for the camera too. The 'stupidity' lies in the fact i am a total beginner with serious digital photography. I have had a small amount of experience with film slr's but nothing substantial. I was thinking of buying a simple 55mm-100mm or thereabouts lens to get started.

Has anybody got any experience they would like to share about the D1x, or any advice in general?

Cheers

[beano500]

Phew! Where to start? Depending upon budget, you can't go wrong with a 50mm f1.8 as a starter prime - secondhand say from www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
If you go for a zoom, don't go for the real cheapies because you get what you pay for and the D1/2/3 are not forgiving of second class glass.
Just my 2p.

Edited by beano500 on Thursday 21st February 10:50

[toohuge]

Thank you for the starting advice. I agree it was a disastrous place to start but nevertheless thanks for the advice. Further research has shown that nikon's are like the ferrari of cameras is that everything costs a fortune. Oh well.

[Simpo Two]

toohuge said:

Further research has shown that nikon's are like the ferrari of cameras is that everything costs a fortune. Oh well.

Experience with a film SLR will help enormously because the basics are still the same. You just have to learn about digital imaging and what all the buttons do.

As for lenses, Nikon (and Sigma and others) make respectable lenses at normal prices, and also what you might call professional lenses which quickly hit the £1K mark and beyond. Often we see that such lenses in a newbie's hands are not a sensible use of money because the glass is not yet the limiting factor for them. So although you have a 'pro' body don't think you have to get £1K lenses, at least not to start with.

[GetCarter]

I bought a D1x when they first came out - some observations:

Make sure you have a spare battery - they are nothing like as good as the modern ones (like about 20% as good)
I had some software 'freezes' - if this happens, speak to Grays of Westminster, they are the best people to advise
Make SURE when you cahnge lenses, that the camera faces the ground - the D1X is a bugger for dust on the CCD.

Other than that - have fun... the 70-300 Nikkor is cheap and good for wildlife/motorsport

These were all taken with the D1X and 70-300 http://www.stevecarter.com/dony4/donington.htm

[toohuge]

Thank you all for your advice. I think i will purchase a simple 70-300 lens as a starting point. I do not intend to spend silly money on a lens as i am not good enough to even witness the limitations of a standard lens.

Am i right in thinking that a nikkor lens is a good safe bet for a decent lens? I am a little weary of sigma's thats all.

[GetCarter]

toohuge said:

Thank you all for your advice. I think i will purchase a simple 70-300 lens as a starting point. I do not intend to spend silly money on a lens as i am not good enough to even witness the limitations of a standard lens.

Am i right in thinking that a nikkor lens is a good safe bet for a decent lens? I am a little weary of sigma's thats all.

Nikkor are very good lenses (made by Nikon) there are two 70-300 lenses - the G and the ED. The ED is marginally better (more robust and a few features) but the G has the same glass so most of the time the photos will turn out just as good.

You can pick them up really cheap on E Bay.

I should add thet the 70 - 300 will give you close up's of wildlife etc - for a general purpose lens you should be looking at something like an 18-55 or 18-70

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 21st February 16:55

[toohuge]

Thanks Getcarter, i have been looking on ebay and the 18mm-55mm lenses are really quite expensive (more so than the others i have listed) thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

Much appreciated, i will post pictures (for your amusement) when i get up and running.

[RobDickinson]

toohuge said:

Thanks Getcarter, i have been looking on ebay and the 18mm-55mm lenses are really quite expensive (more so than the others i have listed) thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

Much appreciated, i will post pictures (for your amusement) when i get up and running.

There should be cheap options out there.

Look at the tamron 17-50f2.8, sigma version or sigma 17-70. Or even some of the nikon 'kit' lenses there ok.

[pauljc]

toohuge said:

Thanks Getcarter, i have been looking on ebay and the 18mm-55mm lenses are really quite expensive (more so than the others i have listed) thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

Much appreciated, i will post pictures (for your amusement) when i get up and running.

How much is 'really quite expensive'? What is your budget for lenses?

At a London nikon dealer you can get the following secondhand:-

18-55 f3.5-5.6 G II AFS ED DX £115 unused
18-70 f3.5-4.5 AFS DX £149 mint-
70-300 f4-5.6G AF £59 exec ++ (This was the cheapest of a few)
70-300 f4-5.6D AF ED £175 mint-

Now that does not seem too bad to me as they would have a warranty but I have never used any of these lenses so I do not know of there quality etc. Might be cheaper on ebay but by how much and in what state?

[beano500]

Oo - and did you get a manual

(care: big file!!!)

[CarMac]

Don't know if you're interested but I've got an 18-55 which I don't use. It's been on the camera twice I think. Send me a message if you want more info.

[Simpo Two]

Blimey, if you think an 18-55 is expensive, run away!

(Unless you were looking at the 17-55 f2.8, which IS expensive)

[DanH]

Simpo Two said:

Often we see that such lenses in a newbie's hands are not a sensible use of money because the glass is not yet the limiting factor for them.

Look just shut up ok.

[toohuge]

Thank you, i have been looking around and i have found two lenses for similar money and very cheap:

Nikon AF 28-100 G

or

Nikon AFD 28-80

I am thinking along the lines of the AFD, is it much better than a 'G' if i am using a D1x?
I know that the D lenses are compatible with Nikon's 3d metering stuff, but i do not think that the D1x has that installed, am i correct?

[DanH]

toohuge said:

Thank you, i have been looking around and i have found two lenses for similar money and very cheap:

Nikon AF 28-100 G

or

Nikon AFD 28-80

I am thinking along the lines of the AFD, is it much better than a 'G' if i am using a D1x?
I know that the D lenses are compatible with Nikon's 3d metering stuff, but i do not think that the D1x has that installed, am i correct?

How much did you spend on the camera and what are you thinking of spending on lenses? The d1x is pretty old now so a little surprised you would purchase one over a more recent model unless it really was blindingly cheap.

[RobDickinson]

OK something not mentioned here yet.


D1x is a crop sensor camera , the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film, so you need to multiply the focal lengths by 1.5 to get an equivelant to 35mm film.


Reason I'm saying this is that 28mm on 35mm film is fine, 28mm on crop is 42mm and not very wide.

[toohuge]

Thank you Rob, i was aware of this, apparently all digital slr's are like this with the exception of the new D3.

[RobDickinson]

toohuge said:

Thank you Rob, i was aware of this, apparently all digital slr's are like this with the exception of the new D3.

In varying degrees. Canon have a few full frames, some others are smaller than the nikon crop too (4/3rds).

[toohuge]

DanH said:

toohuge said:

Thank you, i have been looking around and i have found two lenses for similar money and very cheap:

Nikon AF 28-100 G

or

Nikon AFD 28-80

I am thinking along the lines of the AFD, is it much better than a 'G' if i am using a D1x?
I know that the D lenses are compatible with Nikon's 3d metering stuff, but i do not think that the D1x has that installed, am i correct?

How much did you spend on the camera and what are you thinking of spending on lenses? The d1x is pretty old now so a little surprised you would purchase one over a more recent model unless it really was blindingly cheap.

I spent under £300 for the body, it has had very light use. I had considered a new model but didn't want to find its limitations any time soon and there are compatibility issues with lenses on cheaper more modern Nikons apparently.