Should I trade my nikon d80 + 70-200mm vrII for a nikon d300s + 85mm 1.8?

[nicolas_ouellet]

<p>So, i'm more into portrait and fashion photography, i have a nikon d80 with the basic lens(18-70mm) and also have the 70-200mm VRII which i love.<br>

I was think of selling my 70-200mm and get instead a new body( d300s) plus a 85mm 1.8 and maybe a 50mm 1.8..<br>

Should i do the move or stick with what I have, keep the 70-200mm and wait until I have the money to buy a new body? or should i make the trade hoping that the 85mm 1.8 with the d300s will give me results that will not make me regret the 70-200mm performances?<br>

thanks a lot, i've been think about that for a long time, read a lot and lot of stuff on the net but i cant choose and surely need to have other opinions on the subject.</p>

<p> </p>

[tim_eastman]

<p>You will notice a quantum leap with the D300s. Better metering alone makes it worth the upgrade. If you make money with your camera it would seem a no brainer.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Nicolas,<br>

Assuming you work in controlled studio environments with low ISOs; the advantage in image quality of a D300 over a D80 is not huge at ISO 200 to 400 (I had a D80, now a D300). The other main advantages of the D300 are its great AF and build quality. I wonder whether these are really big advantages for the type of work you do?</p>

<p>The 85 f/1.8 is a nice lens, but mine is not exceptionally sharp below ~f/2.5. It's best in between f/2.8 and f/5.6. It has traces of CA (some claim more than traces, but mine is quite OK). The out of focus areas are good, but not exceptional. The 50 f/1.8 is really not that special a lens, the main reason for the praise is the performance it delivers per dollar/euro/pound/etc.<br>

So, you do not gain a lot over the 70-200VR, if anything at all.</p>

<p>Well, in my view, stick with the tools you have, especially the lens. The D700 or D7000 could be a more interesting upgrade.</p>

[arnulfo_rosas1]

<p>It's a No Brainer: NO!!!!!. The value of your 70-200 itself is far superior the d300s/85mm combo. Now that the D7000 is on the horizon, the value of used DX cameras will lower, whereas your zoom will keep its value. I do agree with the previous poster that a D700 may be more interesting. Trade your D80 + $$$ for a D7000 if you want to, but never trade that zoom, just sell it at market value if necessary.</p>

[dan_brown4]

<p>Terrible idea. Keep the 70-200 no matter what.</p>

[john_gleason3]

<p>I have both the 50 f/1.8 and the 85 f/1.8. Neither are anything special. The 70-200 f/2.8 VRII is my absolute favorite lens (out of the 40 or so that I've owned). I wouldn't trade it for any body. Good glass always trumps bodies!</p>

 

[eric_arnold]

<p>Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>i had the d80, currently have d300s+70-200 VRII. IMO, dont trade the lens, that would be a fatal mistake. that lens is a keeper. also it's just about worth more than a d80+d300s put together.</p>

[elliot1]

<p>I have just started using the VRII after using the VRI for the last 5+ years. And I agree with Eric 100% - Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! The VRII is a fantastic lens - don't give it up!</p>

[richardsnow]

<p>Agree with Eric and Elliot!</p>

<p>Keep the 70-200 VRII. It's a phenomenal lens and there's not really anything else out there that compares!</p>

<p>I'd also recommend, like others, a D700 or D7000 and an 85mm f/1.4 over the D300 & 85mm f/1.8. The 85mm f/1.8 is no where's near the lens that the f/1.4 is.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>here's a shot from last night with the 70-200...</p><div></div>

[Two23]

<p>I have both the D80 (back up body) and D300. I have the 70-200mm VR f2.8 and have had the Nikon 85mm f1.8. I was extremely happy to dump that lens. No way it measures up to the 70-200mm f2.8. Image quality from D300 & D80 is close enough that I see them as basically interchangeable. I still shoot with both and submit shots to magazines from both. If you think you have to have an 85mm, for the new Sigma 85mm f1.4.</p>

<p><br />Kent in SD</p>

[andylynn]

<p>I wouldn't do it. That 70-200 will still be with you when the D300 is obsolete.</p>

[douglas lee]

<p>Agree with the majority. Figure out a way to keep the 70-200VRII. It is hardly ever (if ever) a good idea to trade down. Unless you need to sell it to put food on the table.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>No. Nein, nyet, nej, neen, nei, neh, aniyo, nu, na. Also, <em>hell no</em>.<br /><br />Before you know it, the D300's replacement will change the math, here (in terms of the D300s, a fine camera, becoming stupidly inexpensive). The lens will remain valuable and incredibly useful. Plus, it looks better at 80mm than the 80/1.8 does.</p>

[ferdi_s]

<p>Sell your D80, buy D7000, keep the lens.</p>

[John Crowe]

<p>It is too bad you already bought the VR2. If you can sell it for close to what you bought if for (you still lose whatever taxes you had to pay) then do so. I keep trying to tell people that this lens is not worth tieing the majority of their photography budget into. For portraiture get the Nikon 85mm f1.4 lens, and in this case I suggest a used version 1, since I would not trust portraiture to autofocus anyway. Apparently good AF is the only thing lacking in the first version. When the replacement for the D700 comes along, upgrade to it, or cash in on the falling prices of used ones.</p>

[peter_petrov1]

For portrait and fashion photography, you can seriously consider 85/1.4 (D or G), 105/2 DC, or 135/2 DC. These prime lenses should be able to at least match, and often exceed the optical quality of 70-200/2.8 you have now. If 70-200 is too big, heavy, or expensive for your style of shooting, do not hesitate to replace it with one of these primes.

<p>The body really does not matter much.

[akshun]

<p>I have the D80 and sometimes use it with my 70-200mm vr1 and the results are more than acceptable.<br>

i also had the D300 and recently sold it while it could still fetch a good price, then put the money towards a 200mm f2, now thats a sick lens! aside from that, my point is you should keep the D80 and the very nice glass that you already have and even consider a nice lighting kit for portraits or a good flash unit(sb-900).<br>

A sturdy tripod with good quality head , D80 shooting in RAW, with the 70-200mm or 85mm 1.4d will produce stellar results.</p>

 

[vivid_earth_photographics]

<p>We are at the very end of the product cycle for the D300 series. I would not buy one now if you can keep using your D80 a while longer. Within months they will likely be a new model with superior ISO performance and features you may value. I love my D300 and found its features to be a vast improvement over the D80 (the D300 is a far more sophisticated and versatile camera IMO), but it is essentially 4 year old technology. Don't trade great glass for an about-to-be-outdated body. </p>

[david_klaffenbach]

<p>I have an 85/1.8 and love it (unlike some others it seems) but mainly because I do a lot of indoor sports shots in dark venues where operating at 3200/1.8/350 is far preferable to 3200/2.8/125 exposure. I had an old 80-200/2.8 for a while and found it to be heavy, and at some point acquired an old 180/2.8 which is my favorite lens. </p>

<p>I use that pair of primes in lieu of one big zoom, but that's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. I like the handling of the light primes and they were cheaper but I don't have VR, zoom or AF-S. On the optical side, the latest 70-200 is reported to be very good, so I doubt my old prime designs have any advantage other than the speed of the 1.8 (which as I mentioned is specifically valuable to me).</p>

<p>If you want to see what shooting a prime feels like go get the 50/1.8 without selling anything ($130?) and use it a bit. If you like using it then you can later add one of the other primes.</p>

<p>Keep the body question separate from the lenses if you can.</p>

[nicolas_ouellet]

<p>thank you very much to all for all your replies, it is really appreciated. seems like a majority of you are against the idea and with a passion! it confirms what i thought after all my reading on the subject, and it really help me to put thing in perspective and you got a lot of good arguments and point of view out there, things are clearer for me now. <br>

again, thanks to all for avoiding me to do a mistake :) think im gonna keep the lense now!</p>

<p> </p>

[eric_arnold]

<blockquote>

<p>I keep trying to tell people that this lens is not worth tieing the majority of their photography budget into.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>i'm guessing that people keep trying to tell you you're wrong. if you're doing professional-quality work, the 70-200 VR II is simply an essential lens to have, no matter what body you're using. if you're doing paid shoots, it basically pays for itself, and among zoom lenses, it's good enough that any improvement in optical quality from using a prime is marginal. the only glass-for-glass trade which would even make sense is the 85/1.4 D plus 135/2 DC, but even then, i'd probably rather have the zoom for its all-around versatility and goodness. i had two event shoots this weekend and relied on the 70-200 considerably. it did not let me down.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[michael_ryan6]

<p>Can I ask what it is in particular that you like about the D300? It doesn't sound like the auto focus is the draw, and, since you're already used to the D80 body, the D90 would give you the improved low light performance. I've seen them listed for $750, and I actually got mine for $650 by talking to a local store. You should be able to get at least $300 for your D80, making it a fairly inexpensive upgrade, or you could keep it as a backup.<br>

Mike</p>