So you've a £250 budget....
Discussion
D200 or D50 would be the best bang for buck and enable screw driven lenses to be used no hassle. Have a look at somewhere like MPB Photographic, either should be under £100.
Lenses depend on what you want to shoot, could go prime and get the super 35mm 1.8, or if you want to cover everything you could get a Nikon 18-55mm and Sigma 70-300mm and stay within your overall budget.
Lenses depend on what you want to shoot, could go prime and get the super 35mm 1.8, or if you want to cover everything you could get a Nikon 18-55mm and Sigma 70-300mm and stay within your overall budget.
D200 as a starting point, then there's a myriad of lenses depending upon your needs.
Every Nikon digital I've had, the best accessory was then to pimp the eyepiece with a cup and magnifying lens combination to get over the crap viewfinders..... Then I wouldn't care - just bring me any classic lens.....
"By 'Classic' we mean 'OLD'!" As The Tappet Brothers would say.....
Every Nikon digital I've had, the best accessory was then to pimp the eyepiece with a cup and magnifying lens combination to get over the crap viewfinders..... Then I wouldn't care - just bring me any classic lens.....
"By 'Classic' we mean 'OLD'!" As The Tappet Brothers would say.....
T5XARV said:
Thanks guys.
The D200 it will be. I was a F3/F4 man years back so I NEED the robust heavy feel, oh, and a battery pack.
I'd rather not cobble together a kit if i can help it, too. So, GeoffAC what does my £250 buy me from you then ?
OK well D200 bodies are now around the £100 mine has its original box strap etc, before confirming I would like to check all the bits and give you a shutter count so I know you know its exactly what I say and a straight deal The D200 it will be. I was a F3/F4 man years back so I NEED the robust heavy feel, oh, and a battery pack.
I'd rather not cobble together a kit if i can help it, too. So, GeoffAC what does my £250 buy me from you then ?
If you want to buy a kit all included mine is without any lenses!
When I moved to FX format I sold them all (which is one of the advantages of Nikon you can always sell lenses and they keep their value batter than bodies)
If you like robust the D200 is built like a pocket battleship!
So say you did get a body only ........ what lens to buy with a £150 budget?
As you did have F3/4s do you still have any lenses, as they fit?
Have had a 18-55 f3.5 and they are OK and in budget (but it’s a compromise)
The 2.8f is brilliant but out of budget and weighs a tone!
The one I would look for is the 18 – 200 DX 3.5f -5.6f is a ‘fit and forget’ lens and good too.
The VR models will be just out of your budget but a decent early none VR will be in.
The 35mm (50mm equivalent) is good for a purist (you did have a F3)
The 50mm 1.8 FX is £70 and the DX sensor is right in its sweet spot so no vignette and is 75mm equivalent.
(the 50 1.4f is lovely but not worth the extra cash)
What else am I selling
a D3x body (40k shutter count)
a 70 - 200mm F2.8 APO AF Sigma
or I could do you a D80 plus 18-200VR1 for £250 if that is any good to you?
Both in good nick although I will have to dig them out of their boxes to remind myself if there is any marks worth noting.
fwiw, to answer the question I would say D80 or D200 depending on how much you want to spend on the lens. 18-70 will do the job but the 18-200 will cover most things until you decide to spend a lot more money.
Personally, if you don't think you will have more to spend mid term I would go with the D80+18-200. If you think you will have more money in a while then maybe even a D300 (much better than the D200 imho) with just a kit lens to tide you over?
D90 is obviously a middle option but I don't know how much they go for nowadays.
Both in good nick although I will have to dig them out of their boxes to remind myself if there is any marks worth noting.
fwiw, to answer the question I would say D80 or D200 depending on how much you want to spend on the lens. 18-70 will do the job but the 18-200 will cover most things until you decide to spend a lot more money.
Personally, if you don't think you will have more to spend mid term I would go with the D80+18-200. If you think you will have more money in a while then maybe even a D300 (much better than the D200 imho) with just a kit lens to tide you over?
D90 is obviously a middle option but I don't know how much they go for nowadays.
GeoffAC said:
The one I would look for is the 18 – 200 DX 3.5f -5.6f is a ‘fit and forget’ lens and good too.
The VR models will be just out of your budget but a decent early none VR will be in.
I'm confused, a non VR 18-200? Did Nikon ever make such a beast?The VR models will be just out of your budget but a decent early none VR will be in.
Anyway, the VR1 is not outside his budget - see my offer
T5XARV said:
Can get hold of a D200, the MB D200 Battery Pack and an AF-S 18-70 F3.5 IFED DX for £217. I reckon that sounds like a good deal...?
I think I'd be going with this over an older D200 tbh. Great as it was, the newer Nikon entry level cameras will give you more range, better colour and if you want spangly things, them toohttp://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...
£279 at Argos. You get a warranty, a clean sensor that hasnt done any clicks and scope to still add second hand primes if you want to
andy-xr said:
I think I'd be going with this over an older D200 tbh. Great as it was, the newer Nikon entry level cameras will give you more range, better colour and if you want spangly things, them too
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...
£279 at Argos. You get a warranty, a clean sensor that hasnt done any clicks and scope to still add second hand primes if you want to
While that will probably give better results than an old camera you can't use it with old lenses, if that is a consideration......http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...
£279 at Argos. You get a warranty, a clean sensor that hasnt done any clicks and scope to still add second hand primes if you want to
brman said:
andy-xr said:
I think I'd be going with this over an older D200 tbh. Great as it was, the newer Nikon entry level cameras will give you more range, better colour and if you want spangly things, them too
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...
£279 at Argos. You get a warranty, a clean sensor that hasnt done any clicks and scope to still add second hand primes if you want to
While that will probably give better results than an old camera you can't use it with old lenses, if that is a consideration......http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...
£279 at Argos. You get a warranty, a clean sensor that hasnt done any clicks and scope to still add second hand primes if you want to
(Although for other reasons it certainly wouldn't be my choice)
brman said:
I'm confused, a non VR 18-200? Did Nikon ever make such a beast?
Anyway, the VR1 is not outside his budget - see my offer
Errm yup Anyway, the VR1 is not outside his budget - see my offer
but a vr in budget is cool too :-)
and edited to say ..... I stand corrected they never did make none VR 18-200 - apologies! :-)
so if you want the full kit easy option brman has it ready to buy - a D80's shutter is rated at 100k activations so if it not been used for pro use it will have lots of life left in it
Edited by GeoffAC on Thursday 30th June 08:31
Edited by GeoffAC on Thursday 30th June 08:36
Edited by GeoffAC on Thursday 30th June 08:36
Edited by GeoffAC on Thursday 30th June 08:37
K12beano said:
hy couldn't you? I can see it probably doesn't have an AF motor on board, but we all twisted a focus ring before AF anyway, and wouldn't you get a (cheap'n'cheerful) AF-S with it?
(Although for other reasons it certainly wouldn't be my choice)
That was my point, most people would complain if their AF lens would not AF. (Although for other reasons it certainly wouldn't be my choice)
GeoffAC said:
Errm yup
but a vr in budget is cool too :-)
and edited to say ..... I stand corrected they never did make none VR 18-200 - apologies! :-)
so if you want the full kit easy option brman has it ready to buy - a D80's shutter is rated at 100k activations so if it not been used for pro use it will have lots of life left in it
it certainly hasn't, it has had light use and is in excellent condition. Not sure of the shutter count (I could check if interested) but I would be surprised if it was over 30k. but a vr in budget is cool too :-)
and edited to say ..... I stand corrected they never did make none VR 18-200 - apologies! :-)
so if you want the full kit easy option brman has it ready to buy - a D80's shutter is rated at 100k activations so if it not been used for pro use it will have lots of life left in it
The advantage of a modern camera like the D3300 (compared to the D80) is that it will have more resolution (depending on lens of course), video and liveview and better colour/noise. The disadvantages are cost, lack of in camera focus motor and they are much more lightweight and flimsy. The D80 is a good solid camera that is nice to hold.
The D80 still takes very nice pictures though and is a bargain at that price
A picture taken with my D80 and an old (non afs) lens.....
Swan, crop by Toby, on FlickrAnother one with the D80 and a £20 lens with reversing ring. The fly was about 10mm long....
Another fly by Toby, on Flickrbtw. Those two pictures really show the advantage of the D80 etc over a modern camera like the D3300. The top one used a 28-85 lens which can be got from ebay for just over £50. The bottom one a pentax lens on reversing ring, again dirt cheap on ebay.
A D3300 would have problems with both those lenses - no AF on the first one, probably not even meter properly on the 2nd although I don't know that for sure.
If you want to keep it cheap lens wise then old D lenses (or even AI/AIS if you want manual focus) can give pretty decent results of you get a camera that supports them properly.
btw. In case the OP doesn't know, the difference here is whether the camera has an in built AF motor. If it does, it can autofocus with older, screw drive lenses (AF and AFD). If it doesn't, it needs a modern AFS lens to autofocus.
In addition old manual focus (AI/AIS) lenses will not meter with modern DX cameras like the D3300.
I am not sure of the full list but the D80, D90, D200, D300, D7000 series (and anything higher spec like the D700, D3 etc) have built in af motors, the D3000 and D5000 series do not.
For AI/AIS lenses the list is similar except the D70 and D80 will not fully control the exposure.
A D3300 would have problems with both those lenses - no AF on the first one, probably not even meter properly on the 2nd although I don't know that for sure.
If you want to keep it cheap lens wise then old D lenses (or even AI/AIS if you want manual focus) can give pretty decent results of you get a camera that supports them properly.
btw. In case the OP doesn't know, the difference here is whether the camera has an in built AF motor. If it does, it can autofocus with older, screw drive lenses (AF and AFD). If it doesn't, it needs a modern AFS lens to autofocus.
In addition old manual focus (AI/AIS) lenses will not meter with modern DX cameras like the D3300.
I am not sure of the full list but the D80, D90, D200, D300, D7000 series (and anything higher spec like the D700, D3 etc) have built in af motors, the D3000 and D5000 series do not.
For AI/AIS lenses the list is similar except the D70 and D80 will not fully control the exposure.
K12beano said:
Just buy a manual one then - much nicer to use.
The problem will be the rather average viewfinder for any accurate focus.
In the good ol' days at least you could change the screens on cameras.
Actually you can still change the screens. I put a manual focus (split ring) screen in my D80. However it didn't really work very well so I reverted to the normal screen. The problem will be the rather average viewfinder for any accurate focus.
In the good ol' days at least you could change the screens on cameras.
You are right though, if you want to manually focus then you really want a manual focus lens. And then the D80 probably isn't the best camera to use as it will not meter properly. A d200/300 would be a better bet (plus they have bigger, clearer viewfinders).
I think it is down to what the OP really wants.
For an all in one solution my offer of the D80 plus 18-200 will be hard to beat.
If you wants the best camera he can afford and is prepared to either use very cheap lenses or spend more money later, then perhaps a D300 or even a D7000 if he is lucky.
If he wants video then it has to be something more recent like the D7000 or D3300 or whatever.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff