john_strong2

<p>I'll second the KEH recommendation. I've purchased three used lenses from these folks, and they're always in topnotch condition. You'll pay a bit more, but the peace of mind is worth it. Save for the Nikon - maybe get the previous iteration. Good luck!</p>

<p>I owned the Sigma 170-500 for a year or so. On my Nikon D80 it was marginally acceptable, but on my D7000 on a shoot where I took 300 or so shots, none of them were even close to being something I'd keep. I think I'd pass...</p>

<p>I think it may be the VR locking on a subject - mine makes a clicking noise as well, but when I turn off VR it goes away.</p>

<p>Use good glass! The D7000 makes you pay for cheap glass. Learn the focus system - it can be a bit tricky. Get a good SD card with fast write times for continuous shooting.<br>

Mostly, have fun! It's an awesome camera!</p>

<p>Take a look at Pixel Peepers. There you can select the lens you want to see samples of, taken with a variety of cameras (it's broken down by camera manufacturer and lens, so you don't have to look at Canon/Tokina combinations if you're interested in Nikon/Tokina combos). It was one of the ways I came to my decision about purchasing the Tokina 12-24.<br>

Thanks,<br>

John</p>

<p>I have a Tokina 12-24 f/4 and the image quality is exceptional. Nice and contrasty, great color. Lens has a very solid build. That said, the only issue with it and pretty well all Tokina lenses is flare - very susceptable and it doesn't take much to produce it.<br>

If money isn't a big factor, I would go with the Nikkor lens. Even my wife's cheapy 18-55 kit lens produces some spectacular images. Just something about Nikon glass...<br>

Good luck,<br>

John</p>

 

<p>Hi Dan,<br>

I've used B/W Styler in the past and was pretty pleased with the outcome of the photos I manipulated. It has all kinds of configuration and modification options (different film types, different toning, different processing methods, film-grain, etc). Probably the only downside I can think of is it can be a bit slow processing and rendering the new image. But the price is right. You can download a trial version (no expiration date) that places quite a few watermarks on the resulting image but it'll give you an idea of what it's potential is.<br>

Good luck!<br>

John Strong</p>

<p>Hi all,<br>

I'm new to Photo.net, though I've been admiring the galleries here for some time. I have a ways to go before I'm comfortable posting anything here!<br>

Anyway, I have a D80 that I really love. However, I have been salivating over the new D300s, but it's hard to justify the cost when my current camera does so well. So instead I've focused on 'bulking up' my accessories, like adding a second SB600 flash and some other portrait type stuff, umbrellas, stands, etc. Still, that D300s calls me...it's saying "finish with your accessorizing, I'll still be here!". Besides, who doesn't need a backup body?<br>

John</p>