Nikon Digital Photography Talk

I recommend based on my experience and personal needs, so your mileage may vary.

I did used so many 3rd party lenses to end up at the end with OEM glass. Sharpness is important, but no the only thing to look for. Contrast, precise and consistent AF is very important too along with good metering and lens to flash interaction. When I dumped Pentax back in 1999, I bought the camera everybody was talking about, the Nikon F5. At $2,000 it broke my budget and I had to settle for a Tamron 28-105mm which wasn’t bad but it didn’t make my brand spanking new F5 shine. I missed a lot of shots in a Tony Hawk show in old San Juan thanks to having my camera attached to a so-so lens. It would have been a lot smarter if I got the Nikon F100 for half the price but almost equally good with a good piece of glass attached to it. I wish I had someone to give me a piece of advice by then. Eventually I made money out of my gear and matched my F5 with a good 28-70 AF-S and paired with an F100 for back-up. The F5 today has just sentimental value, they just cost around $450.00. The glass is another story value wise.

The 16-85 is a nice walkaround FL, but in my honest opinion, a bit overpriced. With $999 one can get a good condition used 17-55 and even less with some luck. I wanted a Nikon 16-85 but price made me scratch it off my list. I just wanted something lighter than my 17-55 for those days. At the end, I’ve been using my Nikkor 17-55 for everyday and has been around for 3 camera generations. A good camera will always be in the horizon and they always get better, 3rd party glass wont get better over time neither it retains its value. For my style and needs, I don’t need VR on the 17-55, but that’s me.

I see so many folks getting a nice Nikon D300s and attaching it to glass that wont make sense in a camera like that. Is like laying an AMC Pacer engine on a Nascar car. Go for a Nikon D90 and and with the money saved, get the best Nikon lens you can buy. You get a Sigma, Tamron lens and by the time you put a budget together for a  good Nikkor, the D300s has been replaced for yet another better camera. When possible, start with the right foot, a Nikon D90 with a good lens on front of if makes the heck of photographic combo.

PS,

I’m using the Nikon D90 as an example at the time of writing, it will be replaced for sure in the near future, perhaps a Nikon D90s or something like that. While I’ll see my camera go, my good Nikon lens will stay. Being a Nikon user is all about the glass.

A cyber friend Gary Moore ask through my inbox

”I just stumbled on to your site while looking for nikon camera lenses. I am planning on purchasing a Nikon D90 and wanted to check out my options for lenses. I was very impressed with your photos using the 17-55 lens. The pictures are absolutely stunning. I need a longer range for my job (which entails photos of roofs – a small but significant part of the job and a good excuse for buying a quality camera). I am thinking of the 18-200 lens but after seeing your pictures (clarity and color) I think I may try and add the 17-55 as soon as I can afford it.

THKS for sharing your work.

Gary”

Thanks for the compliments Gary and sorry for the delay. Long Friday rewarded with a nice family get together.

You have set you eyes on 2 well respected lenses my friend. If budget at the moment is an issue, let me suggest you to get your Nikon D90 with the Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens. If you need more range, you can set for a Nikkor 55-200VR. You will be very well covered in terms of focal length and very light weight too. This is a good combo while you wait to put your money on more serious glass.  Remember that cameras come and go but your glass will stay so plan carefully for a good investment for years to come. I personally try to stay away from all-in-one lenses. I have nothing against the Nikon 18-200VR but look, I see so often folks buying a D300 with an all-in-one lens. That’s not the best way to get the best of a Nikon D300 (IMHO).  Give me a D90 with a 17-55 and I’m one happy guy. It might look overkill for a casual shooter, but again, lots of casual shooters are buying D300′s to begin with.

Here is the Nikon D90 with 105VR lens from my trusty loyal dealer. Also, here is the Nikkor 55-200VR.

You have a great one Gary, and let us know your impressions with the camera.

If you would like to discuss about it, join our Nikon Forums here.

This HD video was shot with 4 Canons 5D MK-II from NY based photographer Wayne Yuan and the folks from StillMotion. The naysayers said (and still do) that video on a DSLR is nothing but a ”gimmick”.  I remember when the first point and shoot cameras were just .75 and 1.3 MP. Do you remember that SONY Mavica using 3½ floppy discs? I do, and thanks to what it was a very expensive and so-so quality ”gimmick’,  look how far and affordable we have come in digital photography since the late 1990′s. Considering that this is the 1st generation of HD video on a DSLR, buckle up for a nice ride in digital photography and HD video within the next few years.
Viva HD Video on DSLR’s!

carol + bryan’s // stillmotion special edition sde // NY from StillMotion on Vimeo.

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Deciding for a new Nikon D90 or a D300 seems like a tough decision for some folks when buying a new DSLR. These two cameras are quite different and from each other being the Nikon D300 (IMHO) a more professional oriented camera. But does this means that your pictures will be professional when compared to a Nikon D90? If you are new to the DSLR world, this could be a misconception. A lot of new Nikon users are willing to put the dough in a camera that will do little to their photography if they lack the proper knowledge and most important, the basics of photography. So if one things that getting a D300 (or a D3 for that matter) and will be getting a magic wand in return, we are wrong. Actually, a D300 is a very complex camera features wise for I would dare to say 7 out of 10 people I have seen and spent time with them in photo shoots.

Lots of colleagues and friends were amazed when I decided to go the Nikon D90 route instead of the D300. While the D300 seemed like *my* obvious choice, I already had a Nikon D200. It is a robust weather sealed camera that will produce outstanding pictures for years to come. It’s weakness? Digital noise from ISO 800 and up. So in my case instead of going after a D300 for better noise performance, I opted for the Nikon D90 instead. I’m not saying that you’ll be wrongfully served with a D300 or better served by a D90. Do a research on what you like to shoot, your style and other important factors before opening you wallet. Most of the time after making your own reality check, you will have a better idea of what you really need instead of what you really want.

The secret is in the glass

There is a common tendency of wanting the latest and greatest without giving much consideration to what’s really important, the glass, they eyes of your camera. This is my respectful opinion, but buying lets say a D300 with a Nikkor 18-200 AF-S VR lens will not give you better pictures under normal use than the same lens used on a Nikon D40x. Actually, I have on my desk a big pile of Nikon brochures and very notable is the fact that the pictures on the D40x’s brochure, were taken for the most part with a Nikkor 17-55 AF-S F/2.8. Build a system around your lenses and not around your cameras. Cameras will be replaced in less than 2 years, but I have 20+ years old lenses doing great all this time. Your lenses will hold their value a lot better than a camera would. Have you seen the prices of a coveted Nikon D2Xs lately? Technology wont wait for us, our glass will follow us.

Be honest with yourself, if you don’t need 8 FPS and all the bells and whistles, why not settle for a more humble camera body and put the extra resources and budget on the best glass you can afford. That’s exactly what I do and my clients and editors are very happy with the crisp sharp files from my cameras. A D300 with a 18-200 or a D90 with a 17-55 AF-S? Nothing wrong with the 18-200, but no thanks, I rather work with the later set up.

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I’m quite often asked for a good video software to be used for those videos taken with the Nikon D90. There is a big number of free and paid software, many don’t offer what they promise, others are quite confusing and complicated for the new or average user. Because I do edit videos we shoot at church with other DV cameras, I use SONY VEGAS PRO for my D90 videos. This is a $599 well worth software but there are free alternatives ou there on the web:

WAX:

Wax is a high performance and flexible video compositing and special effects software. The idea for Wax is to be very general purpose and flexible in video compositing and effects, so that you can compose your dream video sequence with ease everytime.

Wax can create 2D & 3D special effects and can work in two modes – as a standalone application which would appeal for home users/beginners, and as a “plug-in” to video editors/NLEs which would be more useful for professional editors. Currently Wax can work as a plug-in with Sony Vegas®, Pure Motion EditStudio and Adobe Premiere® and work for integrating with various other NLEs is in progress.

http://www.debugmode.com/wax/

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APPLE  iMOVIE

This program is very similar to Windwos Movie Maker, it is free with your Mac but if is not in your Mac, you have to pay for it.

http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/

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ZWEI STEIN

Zwei-Stein 3.01 is a freeware non-linear, non-destructive video compositing and editing system which offers many advanced features unavailable elsewhere.
With Zwei-Stein you can edit up to 256 video, audio and still image clips, each with up to 64 effects chained serially. Cropping, panning and custom effects are easy with automatic key frames.

http://www.thugsatbay.com/tab/?q=zweistein

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WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER

Chances are that you already have this free program on your computer and you don’t even know it. If you haven’t seen the desktop shortcut, check on your Programs files to find it. I have used it, not bad for a freebie.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx

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If you know from some other FREE video software worth mentioning, post it in the comments please.