mark_drutz

<p>John, I meant stable in light of exchange rate fluctuations. Of course they want to keep their prices as high as possible and I think I said (or at least implied) that in my last paragraph.</p>

 

<p>There's no one size fits all in photography. There are many factors that go into the choice of photo gear. My advice is to start slowly. Get an entry level (I hate that term) DSLR with the kit lens. It's a good combination to learn on. After a while you'll get a better idea of what you need and then you can sell it, keep it has a back-up, or continue using it. In the meantime you haven't committed a lot of money that could end up wasted. I can afford any camera made, but I use a D60 because I like its size and weight and it does everything that I need it to do.</p>

<p>Handle a few entry level cameras and pick the one that feels best in your hands, has controls that you like, and offers the lenses and such that you want.</p>

<p>Politicians, show business people, and business executives all live in a world of spin and hype. Everything they say and do is intended to advance their interests. If Olympus says they are not getting involved in MP wars it's because they feel it's in their best interest to say so, not because more MPs is a good thing or not.</p>

<p>Ken's story about B&H reminds me of a Yogi (Berra) quote about a restaurant, "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."</p>

<p>Photo gear prices are affected by many things and the yen-dollar exchange rate is one of them. They try to keep prices as stable as possible but sometimes they can't ignore changes in exchange rates. One reason the Japanese and Koreans produce cars in the US is to minimize the effects of changes in exchange rates on prices.</p>

<p>The Japanese outsource production for the same reason American companies do, cheap labor, favorable exchange rates, favorable governmental policies, etc.</p>

<p>One reason companies try to create brand distinctions is to give them more control over pricing. A BMW 7 Series is only worth $70-100,000 if BMW can convince potential customers that they must have a BMW instead of a Lexus or Infinity that costs much less. Think of all those people who know nothing about cameras but have to have a high end Nikon or Canon. I don't blame the manufacturers. They're in business to make money not to make the world a better place. If someone is gullible enough to want a camera because some movie star or tennis player is hawking it, it's their own fault.</p>

<p>Trying to forecast the economic recovery and exchange rates is a gamble at best. If you get two top economists together you'll get four opinions. If you need the money now, sell the lens now. My philosophy is you make your best decision based on the best information available and then you never second guess yourself.</p>

<p>Ditto to what Wouter said.</p>

<p>You don't know what the future will bring so buy for now. I'd get the body and an 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR. You may be able to get them as a package as save a few euros.</p>

<p>Think of VR as a tripod substitute or those times you don't bring your tripod. As such I've found the VR great even at 18mm. An alternative is a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 Macro, or Tokina 16-50 f/2.8. All are excellent lenses. The Tamron, which I have, and the Sigma are much less expensive than the 16-85 VR and the Tokina is about the same as the 16-85 VR. If you can get over your fear of plastic lens mounts you could get both the Nikon 18-105 VR and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX for a little less than the 16-85 VR alone.</p>

<p>I think that a lot of the critics of this lens miss the point. It's not meant to replace a 16-85 VR and 70-200 f/2.8 VR. If one expects it to then one will be disappointed. It's meant to be a versatile lens that does a lot of things well. It's great for traveling light when you don't want to carry a couple of big heavy lenses. It's also a great lens for shooting in those situations where you have to work fast and don't always have time to change back and forth between w/a and tele lenses or carry two bodies. I shoot a lot on the streets and in the parks of NYC and I find this lens great for just that reason.</p>

<p>One may also be disappointed if one makes prints larger than 11x14 and wants maximum sharpness. It's unreasonable to expect a lens with this zoom ratio to deliver that. A lens is a tool and like any tool it's made for a certain job or jobs. You can't expect even the best saw to do a good job driving nails.</p>

<p>I think that if people have reasonable expectations, most will not be disappointed. If you're looking for the sharpest lens around then this isn't for you.</p>

<p>I agree with what has been said except that I would not rule out the entry level Nikons. There is no shortage of lenses that are fully compatible with them and when you upgrade the pro and semipro Nikons have no such limits. You can learn on an entry level (I hate that term) Nikon and then move up to the pro system. I'm not pushing Nikon. I just wouldn't rule it out.</p>

<p>As far as learning photography, you can teach yourself or take a college or online course. It seems that today, more than in the past, people are learning in college, but if that's not for you, try looking into an online course. You can also get books and DVDs and then there's sites like this where you can ask questions and post pictures. If you're a joiner, look for a camera club in your area. You'll meet helpful people there too.</p>

<p>I print 6 2/3 x 10 on 8 1/5 x 11 paper at home. That keeps the 1:1.5 ratio and leaves a nice white border. It can then be put in a standard 8.5 x 11 frame with the white border acting as a mat.</p>

<p>I don't use it because it's too hard to see at smaller apertures.</p>

<p>If you don't mind the weight, then the 70-200 f/2.8 VR and the TC may be the better choice. It reaches 300mm with the TC and you can remove the TC when you need more speed. If the weight is an issue then the 70-300 VR is the better choice. Either way you have a good choice.</p>

<p>I would keep both lenses since each has its advantages. Instead of consolidating, I'd go for versatility. There will probably be times you miss the lens you sell, so don't sell either. If you need to sell the 70-300 VR to get the Nikon converter, consider a Kenko Pro 300 1.4 TC. I have one and it's very good and a lot less expensive than the Nikon TC.</p>

<p>I've had mine for a couple of years and it's not noisy or slow to focus. It's stong suit is versatility. It does a lot of things very well. Like any lens it has its limitations and long as you work within its limitations it's a great lens.</p>

<p>Tim and Harry, if you find the box annoying tell them. In fact B&H monitors this website so you just did tell them. They're not wearing their religion on their sleeve, they're just informing their customers that they cannot take orders until a certain time. These are deeply religious people and they are following the dictates (as they see them) of their religion. If you find the box annoying, I'm sure that they would want to know that.</p>

<p>Asking if something is enough begs the question, "Enough for what?" We all have our own needs and wants and what is enough for one person may not be enough for another and may be too much for someone else.</p>

<p>Different people have different needs, wants, and budgets. That's why there is such a wide range of cameras and lenses. Fortunately, with modern design and manufacturing techniques, there are high quality cameras and lenses at all price levels. Some people need or want the best gear available and don't mind paying for it. It's their money and they can spend it any way they want. Other people are interested in a camera and lenses that meet their needs at a price that is reasonable to them.</p>

<p>When I give advice, I first find out what the person's needs and wants are and how much they are willing to spend. I then try to give advice accordingly. Sometimes they follow my advice and sometimes they don't. If they go and buy a D700 when I recommend a D90 or even a D60 that's fine with me. As I said it's their money.</p>

<p>I agree that some people buy a more expensive camera than they need. I have no problem with that as long as they understand that they don't really need it and they are buying it because they want it. How many people really need a BMW or Lexus? Most people buy them because they want them. If having a BMW makes them happy and they can afford one, who am I to object? Again, it's their money.</p>

<p>I agree with Ben. Get the Tamron so that you have a wideangle and get a 50mm f/1.8 for the times you need the speed. If you can't afford both, get one or both used. Try keh.com, B&H, and Adorama.</p>

<p>Tim, B&H as well as many others in NY are owned by orthodox Jews. The Jewish sabbath starts at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday and they cannot do business on the Sabbath. Some of the stores accept internet orders on the Sabbath and some don't. Whether it is permitted or not by Jewish law is a matter of Rabbinical interpretation.</p>

<p>I have the Sigma 10-20 and while it's not my first choice for shooting people, I don't hesitate to shoot people with it. Yes there is distortion of people at the edges but first that's the price you pay for a lens that gets it all in ( you wouldn't be using it if you could use a less wide lens) and second people have gotten used to seeing the distortion and most accept it. I have several National Geographic books for example, and they have many such shots. My wife watches many of those home renovation shows and they show many shots with ultrawideangle lenses and even FF fisheyes and many of those shots have people in them. I often see group shots in the newspaper and in magazines shot with ultrawides. All of this exposure (no pun intended) to these pictures have gotten people used to the distortion and they accept it.</p>

<p>Personally I like all of the above shots and have no problem with the distortion. Like so many things in photography, it's a matter of taste.</p>

<p>I have the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and it is a very good lens and a good choice for what you want. The Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 Macro is also a good choice. From the tests I saw I don't think that there is a big IQ difference between them. I chose the Tamron only because it was less expensive and had a longer warranty.</p>

<p>Great minds think alike?</p>

<p>I assume that you're talking about newbies. I think that it has a lot to do with the way cameras are marketed to them. The ads always talk about how great the cameras are, but they seldom mention the lenses. People are conditioned to think that good cameras take good pictures, not that good lenses take good pictures. The idea is to sell the camera and kit lens at an attractive price now and the more expensive lens sales will come later.</p>

<p>I give my best advice to anyone who asks. I can't make them take it.</p>

<p>John, I've been dealing with Adorama since the early 90's and I've never ordered something and then found that it was out of stock. I'm just suggesting that the OP may not have seen the notice that it was out of stock. I've often, especially lately, checked their website for items and saw a notice that the item was not in stock. Maybe they should highlight the notice to make it more visible. It's also could be an honest mistake. I just checked their rating with resellerratings.com and their 6 month rating is 9.41 out of 10 so this cannot be a common problem.</p>

<p>As far as Adorama and Amazon go they probably do hold some items for Amazon customers. Amazon is a big account for them and it makes sense to keep Amazon happy.</p>

<p>Has anyone else had this problem with Adorama?</p>

<p>To get with or w/o the motor to me depends on the difference in price and how significant that difference is to you. Usually I say buy for now but if the difference is small I would get the motorized version just in case you someday get a body that needs the motor. If the difference is significant, buy for now.</p>

<p>I have the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 and I like it very much. The slowness isn't much of a problem because at those focal lengths you can shoot at very slow shutter speeds hand held. If you need more speed you can raise the ISO.</p>