Photography: what do you own?
12-08-2019, 02:38 AM
#303
Elite Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: OKC, OK
Posts: 3,693
Total Cats: 222
Advice needed. I want to surprise the better half with a decent DSLR for Christmas. Photography used to be a hobby for her before we met, so I'd like to buy her something nice to get her back into the hobby without ruining my checking account.
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12-09-2019, 05:10 PM
#305
A few years back (maybe 10) I had the plan of just going to Costco and buying whatever package deal they had on sale... until a friend started making more sense. Most of those deals come with a industry standard 18-35mm and a cheap'ish 300mm lens that sucks for mostly everything.
I sorta listened to him and ended up with a Nikon D5000 that came with an 18-55 on crazy sale from Adorama. I bought a used Tamron 28-200 lens for everyday use and a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 for close-ups and indoor.
The 18-35 is great, but limited, the 50mm is mostly useless for anything other than portrait work although it's great glass. The Tamron does EVERYTHING I've ever wanted it to despite being a little slow... but I knew that and chose the Tamron over the Nikkor 28-200 (triple the price) because I just wanted something better than our trusty Sony pointNshoots. That Nikon and Tamron lens are still going strong after 10 years and a couple thousand pics a year when I have the memory to actually grab it on the way out the door to some family or kid event. I've never used the 18-55 and the 50mm has been on the body maybe twice.
Advice freely dispensed... skip "package deals"... buy a body that gets good reviews and splurge a little on one good lens. 28-200 if you don't mind a little extra weight, or 28-105 for an excellent EDC lens. Let the wife figure out how much she wants to "get back into it" and choose her own specialty lenses.
I sorta listened to him and ended up with a Nikon D5000 that came with an 18-55 on crazy sale from Adorama. I bought a used Tamron 28-200 lens for everyday use and a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 for close-ups and indoor.
The 18-35 is great, but limited, the 50mm is mostly useless for anything other than portrait work although it's great glass. The Tamron does EVERYTHING I've ever wanted it to despite being a little slow... but I knew that and chose the Tamron over the Nikkor 28-200 (triple the price) because I just wanted something better than our trusty Sony pointNshoots. That Nikon and Tamron lens are still going strong after 10 years and a couple thousand pics a year when I have the memory to actually grab it on the way out the door to some family or kid event. I've never used the 18-55 and the 50mm has been on the body maybe twice.
Advice freely dispensed... skip "package deals"... buy a body that gets good reviews and splurge a little on one good lens. 28-200 if you don't mind a little extra weight, or 28-105 for an excellent EDC lens. Let the wife figure out how much she wants to "get back into it" and choose her own specialty lenses.
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12-09-2019, 05:24 PM
#306
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 298
Total Cats: 44
I rarely touch my gear these days, but the list is:
Digital:
Pentax *istDS
35mm:
Pentax ME
Pentax MX
Pentax A3
Pentax Super-A
Pentax SP1000
Canon EOS 500
Canon EOS 1000
Praktica FX3
Zorki 4
Zorki 5
120 film:
Agfa Billy Record 6x9
and a **** ton of lenses, mostly K-mount and M42.
Used to take them out and shoot most weekends, but tbh I just lost the passion and the whole lot has been sat in a cupboard for over a year.
Digital:
Pentax *istDS
35mm:
Pentax ME
Pentax MX
Pentax A3
Pentax Super-A
Pentax SP1000
Canon EOS 500
Canon EOS 1000
Praktica FX3
Zorki 4
Zorki 5
120 film:
Agfa Billy Record 6x9
and a **** ton of lenses, mostly K-mount and M42.
Used to take them out and shoot most weekends, but tbh I just lost the passion and the whole lot has been sat in a cupboard for over a year.
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12-09-2019, 05:28 PM
#307
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 790
Total Cats: 188
^ the Nikkor 18-200 VR lens is worth the price of admission if you're not shooting on a tripod. I will admit I love shooting with an 85mm 1.8 prime lens though. I think it is effectively a 100mm lens on a DX format body. It's more work, but the sharpness is ridiculous. No zoom lens can compete with a proper prime lens.
I've been using a 14 year old D80 body. Today I ordered a D5600 body as a Christmas gift for my wife (and myself I suppose). Sam, how do you like the D5000 body? Specs out very close to the one I ordered.
I've been using a 14 year old D80 body. Today I ordered a D5600 body as a Christmas gift for my wife (and myself I suppose). Sam, how do you like the D5000 body? Specs out very close to the one I ordered.
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12-10-2019, 08:54 AM
#308
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
If it doesn't have the 20MP or 24MP sensor -- I wouldn't touch it. [Nikon rule-of-thumb]
I'm shopping around again for a travel camera for a Portugal/Spain trip. I really don't feel like lugging my D610 or D800 around, and I did really well with the a6000 in Italy. So I might spring for the a6100 this time around. I was also consdiering the rx100 VI, LX100 II, and G1x III, but really hate everything in terms of IQ smaller than APS-C.
I'm personally not a fan of the super-zooms, but the new offerings from sigma and tamron are really impressive. Otherwise I'm shooting on $2000 primes...
What sort of shooting does she do, maniac?
D810 gripped with 35mm 1.4G, D800 gripped with Sigma 14-24 2.8, D610 gripped with 58mm 1.4G, D800 with 105mm 2.8 macro. Fluffy cat in BG.
Last edited by Braineack; 12-10-2019 at 10:18 AM.
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