First Nikon purchase- lens upgrade deal or scam?

[craig_big]

Haha, I only said in passing that it's a pity you had to drop the 50mm out of the running. It's not a necessity. No lens is a necessity, after you have your first one. One camera + one lens + creative vision = magic. After that, most of the talk we have around here is just nit-picking the details. You've already got a lens that will do the 35mm and 50mm, so the only thing you would gain by darting out to buy one of the primes are the apertures from f/1.8 to about f/3.5. If you can't afford to spend more, then don't put yourself into debt for the sake of one more lens. You've already got plenty to keep yourself occupied for years. Incidentally, it's also a pity that you didn't get the 14-24mm f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II, but that doesn't mean you should buy those, either. Some people have hundreds of lenses, and some people have the most expensive and collectible lenses ever made, but that's not what makes them great photographers.

[peterafle]

<p>Jessica -- congratulations on your new acquisitions. I would just add my voice to those advising you to use the lenses you have (which cover all the focal lengths from 18 mm to 300 mm!) for a while (even a year or more) until you get a solid sense for what you are missing. You never mentioned what you like to take pictures of, so it's hard to advise you on what your next purchase should be... Is it natural light portraits? A fast prime would be a natural. Tiny bugs and flowers? A macro lens. Birds on faraway perches? Maybe a longer fast telephoto. Party pictures at events? Maybe that flash would make the most sense. You get the idea. In the meantime, just go take pictures -- lots and lots of them. The answers will become clearer in time. </p>

[andylynn]

<p>Jessica,</p>

<p>Good choice. The D90 is excellent, the 18-105 is a pleasant surprise of a good lens and the 70-300 VR is much better than the inexpensive 70-300. Use that equipment for a while before deciding on a prime lens - the 50/1.8 and 35/1.8 are both great lenses but with different uses so use your 18-105 at 35 and at 50 for a while to decide whether either of those lenses is for you. I get a lot of mileage out of the 35/1.8 and D90 combination but different people prefer different focal lengths.</p>

[jess_h2]

<p>Thanks again for all the validation of my purchase! I feel MUCH better now- everything should arrive on Monday and I imagine the camera won't leave my hand for weeks!<br>

I know that I probably shouldn't have, but I went ahead and ordered the 35mm/1.8 as well. I read a lot of reviews, and it seems a lot of the feedback on getting a prime lens was positive. I like the idea of having something small for "casual" shooting when I go out. And, like everyone said, the price is right- only $200!<br>

I also got the Kata rucksack- not sure if anyone uses this, but it looks awesome and has amazing reviews! One question I have is about locking this type of bag- does anyone have experience with this? I sometimes take public transportation (think the Paris metro or Chicago L) and although I'm a very with it girl, I know that it's easy to unzip a pack!<br>

I'm also super wary because my friend's D90 set-up was stolen a few month's ago from her trunk while I was with her...I don't plan on leaving my stuff, but now that I've finally made the leap and put down cash, I'm pretty worried about keeping it safe. Any advice on how you guys keep your stuff protected from scratches, thieves, etc is welcome too!<br>

I can't thank you all enough- there are some cool cats out there in cyberspace! You guys saved me from getting a real bad deal!</p>

[kris-bochenek]

<p>The best way to protect it from scratches is not using it. Just kidding. Carry it in it's bag and dont throw it around. I wouldnt worry about scratches just use it and enjoy your new camera. As for how to protect it against thieves? Well I bough an insurance for $20 a year and it covers up to $7K in case my gear gets lost or stolen.</p>

[lee_richards2]

<p>Jessica, IMO you made the perfect choice. You got two very good lenses with VR, a great camera and the neat 35mm lens that will let you try out a prime. There is very little you can not shoot with what you have. The best advice I have is to just have fun with your camera. I think the next purchase you should consider, when it is affordable on your grad school budget is an SB-600 flash. Just trust me on that. If you master the use of flash it will take your photography to a whole new level. (You have a flash on camera that is OK but nothing like one you can bounce and such.</p>

<p>Anyway. Welcome to the Nikon club. We are nice but very exclusive. We tolerate those Canon people but secretly we know that...........</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>You made a very good choice and you learned an important lesson. I wouldn't get anything else now except a good beginners book. I like any of several by John Hedgecoe or the new Guide by Bryan Peterson. Do some reading and a lot of shooting and when you have questions ask us. As you shoot more you'll learn what else you need. In the mean time you're covered from wideangle (18mm) to long telephoto (300mm ) with very good lenses.</p>

<p>One more piece of advice is to not expect too much at first. There's a lot to learn and it takes time in spite of what Nikon would have you believe. Getting good gear is just the beginning. Now you have to learn how to be a good photographer.</p>

<p>Enjoy your new gear, and enjoy your new hobby!</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>good call on the 35/1.8, jessica. i think you'll find your three lenses and new digital body very nice for beginning to intermediate photography. holler back in six months or so when you're ready to get another lens and we'll be happy to help advise you there. a flash with bounce like the sb-600 would be nice, but you should familiarize yourself with the basic functions of the camera and get comfortable with the lenses before stepping up to an external strobe. not sure if its already been mentioned, but Bryan Peterson's book <em>Understanding Exposure </em>is an excellent photo learning tool which can get you shooting in full-manual mode in just a short while.</p>

<p>re: the kata rucksack. jessica, i have the kata dr-467, which is a very good bag for urban adventures. first of all, it looks like a backpack, not a camera bag, and is very low-profile. it has zipper garages which hold the zips in place on the accessory pockets and the main camera compartment. and the zippers are fairly non-obtrusive. so its not an obvious target for theft. but if you're in sketchy areas, in large crowds,or on public transportation, here's what you do: buy a small combination lock which can loop through the pulls of the zips in the main camera compartment. if you get the lock in black it's even stealthier, and doesnt alert would-be thieves to potentially valuable equipment.</p>

<p>in addition to a backpack, i also like to have a sling bag or messenger-style bag (like a small timbuk 2) which can be carried around the front for urban shooting and extra safety, and also for those times when you're carrying a smaller amount of gear. if you already have something like this, you can use the extra padding from the kata as cushioning. one nice thing about the kata is the photo compartment is removeable and the dividers are all reconfigurable. so you can use it in other bags as well.</p>

 

[gdw]

<p>Something I would suggest you seriously consider before buying another lens: Everyone seems to be ignoring your question about using the 50 or the 35 for closeup. You mention you are into gardening and want to take photos of the bugs, okay, you called them creatures. Now, I am making an assumption that you do mean the bugs and not rabbits or deer. I am taking closeup and creatures to equate to small creatures. Neither the 35 or the 50 is ideal for that type of photography. And yes, someone is going to disagree and say you can shoot bug pictures with them and they are right, you can jury rig anything. You can shoot bug pictures with a fisheye. I am just saying these two lenses are far from ideal for what you seem to want to do. If you are into low light stuff they are fine. But don't purchase either for macro photography. Save your money until you can afford a true macro lens that will do 1:1.<br>

<br>

I tell you this because I have a pretty good arsenal of pro Nikkors but I don't have a macro. I jury rig the 50mm and I get lousy results so I don't do as much macro type photography as I would enjoy doing. I have got to break down and swing for a macro. Just don't want you to have the same problems.</p>

[dwight200]

<p>Two things:<br>

(1) Resellerratings:</p>

<p>This is a good site to bookmark. Check it out for anything you plan to buy online, not just photo stuff.</p>

<p>(2) Flash:</p>

<p>The SB600 is a good flash. It has some limitations if you get into flash work, but for a beginner they're not serious. Another option is the Nissin Di866. It can act as a master or slave for off-camera work, where the SB600 is only good for on-camera work. There's a review of this flash at http://dpanswers.com/content/rev_nissin_di866.php</p>

<p>I recently got one, but haven't had time to check it all out yet.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Dwight: the SB-600 certainly can be used as a slave in Nikon's CLS world. The camera in question (the D90) can tell the SB-600 what to do, remotely. Very useful, that system. The SB-600 is less useful when you want to use it <em>outside</em> of the CLS, but that's jumping into an entirely different flavor of shooting.</p>

[marypar4]

<p>Ditto the suggestion from those that suggested resellers rating site..better to buy D90 and ONE lens to start then lose all your money to a unreputable dealer. I like Amazon as they will take any back within 30 days if you are not satisfied. BTW I own the D90 and you will not be returning it..its a wonderful camera and a nice size for easy walking around. I like the18-55 VR to start you off...then a 700-300vr or 55-200 VR as a second lens. THat should hold you for a good long time while you learn your equipment.<br>

GOod luck with your purchase</p>

[jess_h2]

<p>Gary: good to know! You're absolutely right- I would like to be able to take close ups of flowers, bugs, plants, and even different soils (I truly am a garden nut!). Clearly, I have enough to keep me busy for a long time with the 3 lenses, but I will start saving my spare change for a macro. I'm guessing by your post that they are quite expensive....sigh, I knew when I finally made the jump of buying good equipment that I'd open a pandora's box of <em>needing</em> more and more...<br>

Eric: I'm stoked on the Kata (I got the smaller 465 which makes sense for my frame), and for a second bag I bought this: http://www.epiphaniebags.com/#/details-red/<br>

Now, for any other ladies out there, or those looking for a sweet gift for the lady photographers in their lives, I honestly think this bag would make any girl's heart skip a beat!<br>

Everyone else- I can't wait to be ready to use flash! I've been reading the beginner's forum a ton and am psyched to start practicing!</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>macro on a budget: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009XVDB/thedigitalpic-20</p>

<p>this costs about 1/3rd as much as a dedicated macro and will fit any lens with 77mm threads. you'd need a 67mm>77MM step-up adapter like this ( http://www.amazon.com/Bower-Step-Up-Adapter-Ring-Filter/dp/B0002GRL7M/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_c ) to use it on the nikon 70-300.</p>

 

[kris-bochenek]

<p>Jess good luck with your new gear and we are looking forward to seeing some photos form you.</p>

[dave_hutchinson1]

<p>Re: Security and your new Nikon equipment. I think that the most important way to secure your gear is to be aware of where it is at all times. If possible, when traveling by air, try to store your camera bag under the seat in front of you...not in the overhead. Also, when leaving the plane don't forget your camera bag. In 2001 I was returning from Hong Kong with a camera bag with two cameras which were stored in a pack in the overhead compartment. I was pretty tired when I arrived in Minneapolis where I was to clear customs for my final connection home to Florida. I left the plane with my carry-on, but I forgot the camera bag! I realized this when I arrived in customs. I was allowed to return to the arrival gate, but was not allowed to go back on the plane to look for my cameras since customs and the cleaning crew (:g) had not completed their check. I never saw that photographic gear again! Fortunately , I was still shooting film at that time and I had stored all of my used film in my other carry on bag and only lost a day's film from Hong Kong.<br>

When I buy a new Nikon camera the first thing that I do is replace that beautiful, showy Nikon camera strap with one with no logos. I have some real nice, reasonable straps on both of my current Nikon SLRs (D200 and D300). A business card is attached to each strap.<br>

Of course, if you are traveling by car you should carry your camera gear in a locked trunk...or covered at the least obvious place if in an SUV.<br>

I hope that this is helpful Jessica. And, welcome to the wonderful world of Nikon!</p>

[mizore]

<p>With the 300mm extension of the 70-300mm VR lens, you should be able to get fairly close shots of the bigger bugs and flowers. Its shortest focus distance is 4.5 feet (the D version of this focuses down to about this, but is soft on the long end). I have the VR macro, which is sharper, but try working at the closer focal distances with your lens at 300mm for closer shots.</p>