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Camera upgrade or lens?

d70s d90 tamron 200-500mm

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15 replies to this topic

#1
ScubaSteve

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On a limited budget is it worth me upgrading from my D70s to a D90 or should I buy a tamron 200-500mm lens?

#2
K-9

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I guess it depends on which lenses you already have, and how much shooting you'll be doing at focal lengths from 300-500mm.

#3
Afterimage

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Glass is always my first choice. Bodies are always being upgraded with new features and better ... everything...  Good glass only needs to be bought once and can last a lifetime.



#4
Stas

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Lens. price for lens changes slowly than price for body. So if you will buy lens and after it you will buy body, than you can expect that d90 body will cost little less.

#5
greenwing

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If you upgraded to a D7000 and Tamron 70-300 VC, you would be spending about the same as for the 200-500, and will be able to crop to 6 megapixels and get a similar image to the D70s at 500mm. You'd save a lot of weight and have more, better pixels for when you don't need 500mm.

 

Just a thought.

Chris



#6
ScubaSteve

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Thanks everyone. Still can't decide but I am still looking.

#7
Thumper

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Glass is always my first choice. Bodies are always being upgraded with new features and better ... everything...  Good glass only needs to be bought once and can last a lifetime.


This.

#8
alden

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Only buy a new body if you really want the new technology.

 

Otherwise, get the glass. 



#9
TBonz

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Only buy a new body if you really want the new technology.

 

Otherwise, get the glass. 

 

I would amend this slightly to say "if you really NEED"

 

Granted that most of us don't need it, but when the first three words of the question were "on a limited budget" then I'd probably change to need...just be sure the glass is something you will make use of and that it will give you the quality you're looking for...Glass lasts quite a bit longer than body...



#10
Thumper

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My camera was discontinued in 2008.   When my skill exceeds the abilities of my camera or when I just run into something that I can't somehow compensate for through some other feature or function, I will consider upgrading my camera body.  (But if someone wants to buy me a D3, D3x, or a D4, I will most graciously accept it!!!  :laugh:)     I am still trying to master "the basics" and how my camera does those things.   Some of the really cool features like continuous modes are becoming something that I find myself using more and more, but not so much that I need 2-3 more fps or shorter buffer times.   My camera is perfect for me right now, and truth be told, its abilities exceed my skill level.

 

My focus right now is on lenses and learning each one that I own.   But that is just me.



#11
TBonz

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Thumper,

 

I think most cameras exceed most photographers abilities.  And yes, I include myself there...I have found things I want in a few different cameras, but nothing I need...of course, the extra fps on the D4 would be a really nice to have...



#12
Thumper

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Thumper,

 

I think most cameras exceed most photographers abilities.  And yes, I include myself there...I have found things I want in a few different cameras, but nothing I need...of course, the extra fps on the D4 would be a really nice to have...

I can't think of a single feature on the D4 that wouldn't be nice to have.  :D



#13
Russ

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Look for second-hand glass if you decide to go that way, there's many good lenses up for sale, and if you decide you don't like it you can often sell at the same price, or not much below, that you bought it for.



#14
Serge

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What is your main subject in photography? Have you ever used 500mm lens? 500mm is very demanding. Not only with regards to the camera but mostly to the photographer. Shooting with 300mm VR/VC/OS or whatever is like driving a car on a motorway, 500mm on the other hand is like driving a Land Rover in a Camel Trophy. Two different worlds and after you get 500mm you might find it a bit frustrating untill you learn how to use it and get decent results. You need to keep in mind that to get sharp image with 500mm you will probably need at least 1/800 sec and f/8. With poor light and D70 it might be a challenge. Better option for me would be to buy used Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 II Macro (non OS) and later 1.4 or 1.7 teleconverter or Sigma 100-300 f/4. But it's only me :)



#15
Afterimage

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Look for second-hand glass if you decide to go that way, there's many good lenses up for sale, and if you decide you don't like it you can often sell at the same price, or not much below, that you bought it for.

Yep... I do this all the time. I call it "eBay Rentals". find a really good deal on a lens, shoot with it for a while and resell it for the same (or more if you got a great deal!) if you don't like it.



#16
ScubaSteve

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Thanks for the latest posts. I am pretty sure I am going to upgrade to a D7000. Have managed to find a good second hand one for £419 and trade in my D70s for £55.





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