Once again my Dad's toys got me hooked. My biggest reason for moving on was the autofocus - speed, accuracy and low light. The D60 used the same system as the pointNshoots and there were times when it was painful. When you use the tool for work, it's far easier to justify spending the dough, especially when current tool makes you (and your) work harder.

 

I started out with a D70s a couple years ago, then stepped up to a D200.
I currently have:
Nikon D200
Nikon SB-800 speedlight
Nikkor 18-70 f3/5-4.5
Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 (garbage...)
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 (great lens, but thinking of moving to a 35mm as well)
Tokina 12-24 f/4

Next up, like I said, is probably a Nikkor 35mm and then the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR. I've shot this lens a lot already (2 friends have it) and it's a wonderful piece of glass.

 

How do you like the Tokina 12-24. I want a super wide zoom like that, maybe a little faster than F/4 but thats big money there.

 

I still have my canon 50mm f1.8 and don't think I'll ever get rid of it. For what it is, it is an incredibly flexible and usable lens. And it doesn't weight a ton yet is extremely sharp. I've been using a sigma 15-30 DG as my extreme wide and it works very well - near the name brand pro lens quality. But none of them do well wide open and wide zoomed - that's just the nature of the extreme wides.

 

Love the Tokina... No autofocus, so you D40 guys are out of luck on that. Everything I've read online said it was very comparable to the Nikon 12-24, except half the price.

The f/4 is fine... because at that wide range, you'll have some funky effects if you go any faster. (of course, that's maybe what you WANT to do!)

 

Glad this topic came up. I was talking cameras the other day with a buddy of mine who has a Nikon D70. He has a photographer friend that is about to sell his barely used Nikon D200 (with an 18-200 lens) for $600. He isn't sure what type/brand/etc lens it is, but does that sound about right? The camera is about two years old and was used as a backup to his pro series D2x. Therefore, it almost never got used.

 

A D200 with the 18-200 VR lens for $600 would be an EXCELLENT deal. If it's the 18-200VR lens, the lens alone is worth $700 new.

-John

 

I'm a Nikon fan and have had a D70 the last 3-4 years.

Most of my photography is underwater work in an Aquatica housing. My underwater housing, strobes and ports cost me double what the body and lenses cost.

 

Man that is a smoking deal for the D200 and 18-200mm specially if it's the VR, if you can get it for that price, DO IT.

Hoping to dedicate some time to learning my equipment and doing some generic shooting tomorrow.