10 replies to this topic

[sunshine]

Hello from Virginia.  I'm about to become a new Nikon user and this forum is at least partly responsible for that.  I am a relatively new hobbyist photographer and currently use Olympus micro-4/3 gear, but have been lusting after full frame for awhile now.  The current pricing on the D810 finally persuaded me to take the plunge.

 

I expect to have a steep hill to climb learning new stuff, and have ordered a "Mastering the Nikon D810" book from Amazon.  I opted for the kit that includes the 24-120 f/4 lens, but I expect I'll be shopping for additional lenses soon.  I mostly shoot landscapes and nature and really want to focus more on wildlife, so I've been reading up on the Tamron 150-600 and a few other options.  I do other stuff, too, though, like family events and some photos for my son's business.

 

So my first question to the group is - what would you suggest as a beginners collection of lenses to go with the D810?  I know that there is no "best" for everything, so I am looking for advice on a good general purpose set that won't break the bank.  It would seem at first glance that the two lenses mentioned above would cover most situations, but I will definitely want something faster somewhere in the range.  Should my first addition be a fast 50?

 

Enough rambling.  Nice to meet you all.  Hope to be an active participant on the forum.

 

Mark

[Thumper]

Welcome to the Nikon Forums!!

 

Congrats on the (upcoming) score of a really nice Nikon body.  What is your lens budget?  

 

Fast 50mm's are not very expensive, in my opinion, so much so that it's hard not to have one.  You can do a LOT with a 50mm.  

 

The 810 is an FX (full frame) format body, which opens some doors as far as the lens selections available, but FX lenses can be a little bit more expensive than their DX counterparts.  

[Merco_61]

The decision on what fast or fastish lens to get isn't an easy one. You can start by analyzing what you have shot with the Olympus. Did you end up around 17, 25 or 42 mm? These correspond to 35, 50 and 85 on FX and Nikon's f/1.8 range are all very good lenses. We all see things differently and find it easier to see certain fields of view compared to others.

 

The 50/1.8 is cheap and amazing value for money. The 50/1.4 costs a bit more and renders OOF backgrounds in a different way you either like better or not, it is a matter of taste.

 

With your interest in landscape, you might end up getting the most use out of a 20 - 35 - 85 trio, but that, again, depends on your vision and preferences.

[TBonz]

I really enjoyed the 24-120 and wish I still had it some times.  I needed f2.8 so switched over to the 24-70.  In part it depends on whether or not you prefer primes or zooms.  There are a few folks on here with the 150-600 and it looks like a great lens.  One I am also considering when the time is right.  Excellent advise on the primes that Thumper and Merco suggested.  That said, my only prime right now is the 105 Micro.  I primarily shoot sports and find the zooms work best for me there even though I hope to get a long f2.8 at some point in the future!

 

What part of Virginia?  Moved down to North Carolina 2 years ago after having lived there my entire life.  

[Merco_61]

If you are looking at the Tamron 150-600, check out the Sigma 150-600 (both the c and the s). The Tamron is good, but both the Sigma c and the s aren't as susceptible to heat haze blurring for some reason and the s has *much* faster AF than the 2 others. The Nikkor 200-500 isn't as versatile as the 150-600 options, but it is better optically and has a *very* precise AF.

The Sigma sports is a heavy beast to lug around, but it *can* be handheld.

I have shot extensively with all four lenses borrowed from fellow planespotters while out and about this summer and have decided to get the Nikkor before the start of next season.

[Thumper]

I really enjoyed the 24-120 and wish I still had it some times.  I needed f2.8 so switched over to the 24-70.  In part it depends on whether or not you prefer primes or zooms.  There are a few folks on here with the 150-600 and it looks like a great lens.  One I am also considering when the time is right.  Excellent advise on the primes that Thumper and Merco suggested.  That said, my only prime right now is the 105 Micro.  I primarily shoot sports and find the zooms work best for me there even though I hope to get a long f2.8 at some point in the future!

 

What part of Virginia?  Moved down to North Carolina 2 years ago after having lived there my entire life.  

That is easily my most used lens.  It stays on my camera most of the time.  I carry my 70-200mm in the bag all of the time, and it gets used quite a bit, but my 24-70mm is my all purpose/general use lens.   If I could only have/was limited to only one lens (in some bizarro universe), I would choose the 24-70mm. 

[Brian]

The AF-S 50/1.8 is a bargain, features aspheric optics.

 

You have many, many choices for lenses for the D810- autofocus zooms to manual focus primes. I'd suggest going slow, get an idea of the type of photography that you do most.

[sunshine]

Thanks for all the replies/advice.  I "discovered" the Nikkor 200-500 recently and that looks very promising, too.  Similar price range as the Tamron and Sigma but lots of reviewers commenting on what a bargain it is for the quality it produces.  I'll probably rent a couple before deciding.

 

As for a 50mm, I was hoping to find a used one at the local camera store but they don't have any at the moment.  BH and Adorama do, but new prices are only a few $$ more, so I'll probably just go for new.

 

The new kit arrived today and I'm loving it so far.  Haven't tried hiking anywhere with it yet, but soon...

 

TBonz - I live in Culpeper county.  My wife and I did a fall foliage photography weekend recently in the Asheville/Hendersonville area. I could definitely see us retiring to that part of the country.  We're in a photogenic part of Virginia, but the Washington, DC influence on cost of living and culture is something I would not miss.

[dcbear78]

Tamron has just released a new G2 version of the 150-600mm which from everything I have seen has brought it up to the same level as the Sigma Sport version and Nikon 200-500mm but at a lower price. Additionally it can also be used with their new teleconverters if that's your thing.

 

The D810 is a hell of a camera. Make sure you learn how to process your raw files to get the most benefit out of it.

 

As for my lens suggestion, I would recommend the Sigma Art 35mm. I like this focal length for landscape work. And the Sigma Art 35mm is the best you can get.

[Brian]

Culpeper is beautiful, having been a resident of Northern Virginia and commuting into DC since 1979... I understand what you mean about the cost of living and other downsides.

 

Bealeton Airshow by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

I'd miss the Air Show!

[TBonz]

Yes, that is a beautiful part of Virginia.  And you are close enough if you want to shoot some of the activities in and around DC.  I grew up in Falls Church and my wife and I eventually moved out to Ashburn in 1994.  Cost of living and traffic - the latter being much more visible on a daily basis - were getting to be too much!  Brian, a friend of mine used to own some property south of 17 and east of 29 where the Air Show guys used to practice...they were fun to watch!  He's now up in Jeffersonton if I recall correctly...