evannorth

<p>what subjects are you into, and what lens do you already have? tha d7000/7100 is a big upgrade but both would be best used with good glass.</p>

<p>and this is why i am delaying my upgrade to the d7100. i am waiting to see if any issues arise, and, knowing nikon of late, they surely will.</p>

<p>you would be surprised how far you can crop with the nikon 70-300 vr on the d7000 in good light at f8.</p>

<p>sadly i know your comments are correct. another missed upgrade is the 200mm f4 micro. long in the tooth with no AF motor or vr.</p>

<p>if they did release a vr version it would most likely result in a dramatic drop in sales of the 300mm f2.8vr. <br>

given nikons recent financial results i think not.<br>

even if they did it would certainly be about double the price of the current model. <br>

the same could be said about an improved 80-400 vr affecting sales of the 200-400vr.</p>

 

<p>thanks for the replies, i usually shot with the manfrotto 691b and rc234 combo. this way i hold both the body and lens. <br>

i have heard that a piece of cork or similar can be wedged between the foot of the mount and lens body to make it more stable. i intend to do this at first before getting a replacement. using a faster shutter speed and Q mode on my d7000 should help too.</p>

<p>just how good is this combination? i am thinking of getting it shortly, but lack of vr is my only worry. is there a good performing alternative for a similar price. i need to have around 400mm reach on a budget. i have looked at sigma zooms but they all seem to have quality/sharpness issues.</p>

<p>are the 17-50, and 17-70mm os sigma lenses good on the d7000?</p>

<p>as good as the tokina 11-16 is, it still suffers from CA, barrel distortion and white fringe on high contrast edges. (i know, i own one). its a compromise (although a sharp one) on dx, and even more so if you plan to use it on fx. </p>

<p>i have the nikon 70-300vr, i also had the sigma 135-400mm , (both at the same time for a while). i realised that i was better off cropping the image from the nikon at 300mm ( 450 equivalent on dx), than using the same image at 400mm on the sigma. the sigma was also far heavier, and closer to 385mm rather than its claimed 400mm.<br>

if you really want extra reach with good iq go for the nikon 300mm f4 and 1.4tc. no zoom but far better.<br>

most sigma zooms soften noticeably for the last 20% of their range and are known to be unreliable.<br>

a good copy of the 70-300vr is nice, but can also vary in quality.</p>

<p>you will not get a lot of cash if you sell the 50mm f1.8. keep it and the 18-200mm. </p>

<p>the 60mm af-d is a fine lens, also the 105 af-d. the tamron 90 is very good optically, but extends to double its length at minimum focus distance. beg, borrow, or steal, and get the sigma 150mm! </p>

<p>most d7000 focus issues are down to user error. </p>

<p>if nikon put an af motor in it and CLS and then came up with a battery grip i would go for it. no motor, NO cls, no deal!<br>

think i will wait for the d7000/d300 replacement, or even skip a generation.<br>

the d5200 still seems nice a nice piece of kit though. it would make sense to see if there is a marked difference between it and the d3200 in image quality and low light/high iso performance.</p>

<p>its likely to be lens flare. by the way, what is the safest way to clean the rear element of a lens? some of mine are a few years old now and likely to need it.</p>

<p>i did give the v1 plus adapter and my 70-300vr.some thought, 810mm with vr sounds great. the mono/tripod mount on the adapter looks handy too.<br>

i suppose if i put an eye piece/loupe on the viewing screen to eliminate reflection it would make a decent spotting scope and camera. <br>

how many f stops would i lose? also, do you have any available images with this set up?</p>

<p>also the d90 has a built in motor, cls, easier more intuitive access to various important functions. all in all more of a photographers camera. not that the 3200 is a bad choice for a beginner, as you gain experience you may outgrow it.</p>

<p>yes, the 120mm shots look pretty good, the 400mm shot is nothing special, but why wide open? looks like it may be no better than the 135-400. not that it was a bad lens, just mediocre at the long end. <br>

also, for the amount of use i would get at the long end i may give it a rethink and go for a second d7000 instead.<br>

thanks to all, evan.</p>

<p>thanks all. i forgot to mention i already own the 70-300vr and used to own the sigma 135-400. the lack of os and size/weight was a drawback so i got rid. sometimes i wondered if i did the right thing. i think i will stick with the nikon until i win the lottery and get the 500mm f2.8 vr and 1.7tc, (in my dreams)!</p>

<p>i was thinking of changing my nikon 70-300 ed vr for a sigma 120-400 os. the reason being, i would like a little more reach, plus, the tripod mount on the sigma seems like a good idea, (cannot fit one to the nikon). <br>

i was wondering how they compare re image quality at the long end. (my copy of the nikon is great at 300mm, f8-f11 in good light).<br>

also, i have heard that the sigma is not a true 400mm, particularly at near-medium distance. some say it is closer to 385mm for some strange reason.<br>

would it be worthwhile getting the sigma? most other 400mm lenses are either poor quality or way over my budget. (i will not consider a longer lens as portability is an issue).</p>

<p>thanks all, looks like i may check out the 16-85.</p>

<p>i am looking for a good full frame walkabout lens, (dx is a possibility). i already have the tokina 11-16 and like it. i also use the nikon 18-105 which i am not too sure about. i would like a sharper, less distortion prone lens than the nikon for my d7000 and d90. close focusing would be a bonus. plus reasonable low light capability.</p>

<p>the 18-55 can get in rather close, you can get closer using extension tubes. also a filter like the raynox dcr150 or dcr 250 are very good, so is the canon 500d filter.<br>

for the best macro lens, at a price. the new sigma 105 os is rated above nikon/tamron/tokina.</p>

 

<p>nit-picking</p>

<p>the nikon 50mm f1.8 af-d is available new or used for next to nothing. light, sharp, and great bokeh. takes up very little room too. it also focuses closely and works really well with a raynox filter making it a very veratile bit of glass indeed!</p>