dan_andrews

Say what?

Nikon is no Toyota--it's a Hummer. Goes everywhere, built tough, and while it isn't the most advanced it will do the job when others fail. And Canon is no Honda because it is part owned by Nissan.

As far as Digital Nikon vs Digital Canon, and which is better, I think that's a matter of preference. I haven't compared the two myself, but based on extensive reviews I'd say that each system has a lot to offer.

Dan,

Not a bad suggestion. Keep in mind that from Penn Station, visitors can take the Subway throughout Manhattan to visit several photo shops. B&H, Adorama, and others which do not support Photo.Net are easily accessible. And the slimy fly-by-night places based out of Brooklyn will be a pain to get to, so your guests don't have to deal with unreputable shops.

Now, as for Duty on goods: yes that is a potential problem. However, if you have a single camera bag filled with new gear which you can carry (as opposed to needing a baggage cart) then you probably won't get slapped with Duty. Sounds like a simple rule, but it has never failed me. If you can carry it, then it is personal property and not subject to Duty. That said, take sensible precautions like removing all items from their packaging and pack them as though you were using them. Place instruction books, warranty cards, etc in a pocket where you might normally carry them. Above all, be polite and helpful if asked questions.

An All-Day MTA pass good for all Subways and Buses in New York City is $7.00.

Internal company policy is probably the single largest factor driving price--and Nikon's European customers are apparently willing to pay for it, or market forces would have caused Nikon to reevaluate its prices some time ago.

It is, in fact, cheaper for a European photographer to get online, follow one of the links from Photo.net (remember to support this site!) to Adorama, B&H, etc, and order the goods from New York! The shipping will be higher and you'll have to pay a duty, but my guess is that you will still save money!

Actually, it might be cheaper yet to buy a plane ticket round-trip from London to New York, walk in to B&H or Adorama, and buy your gear firsthand. Find a cheapish hotel on Priceline, and when you factor in the cost of hotel, airfare, etc. to the cost of your gear, you may be paying EVEN LESS.

Now that's a seriously twisted pricing scheme, and it's pretty late here in Cairo so I won't do the math myself, but if anyone else cares to figure out the costs using one of the approaches listed here, please post your findings then email them to Nikon.

Donny,

Since you're using the N80, AI and AIS lenses won't be an option. Too bad, as there are some real bargains in AI lenses out there.

In my opinion, the best lens on your list is the Nikkor 300/f4. It's worth scraping the dough together.

The second best is the Sigma 300/f4.

Why? You'll need the extra f-stop for shooting wildlife (the N80's autofocus sensor will struggle at f5.6 in dim light) and action (try shooting a moving surfer at 1/60 and f5.6!)

Also, the Nikkor and the Sigma are exceptionally sharp without odd color shifts--a problem with the cheaper Tokina and earlier Sigma lenses. I tried a Tokina recently and found that the color shift was noticeable; the Sigma lenses you listed may be improved from the earlier models I had tried.

And remember--the quality of your lens affects your photo; the quality of your body doesn't. Invest in good glass.

An alternative would be to go to The Hague (Den Haag). It's a smaller city, and both Delft and Leiden are part of The Hague's transit system. It is a business city, but has a few sites that make the city worth a day or two.

Delft is a must-see, worth one to two full days, and Leiden is underrated, in my opinion.

Amsterdam is wonderful, but go well beyond the tourist center around Centraal Station and the Red Light District. That area is tacky and garish, but further away Amsterdam becomes a city that is unique. Check out the market schedules, as Amsterdam has some of the best weekly markets in Europe.

Enjoy!

It's not available. The last time I felw through Dubai, they still had 35mm print film on sale, but it was strictly consumer-grade. There was no slide film, and no professional film of any sort available.

In my experience, 120 film handles X-Rays better than 35mm, since 120 film typically has only a plastic wrap and paper covering around a plastic spool, whereas 35mm canisters are metal. The upshot of this is that if you place your film in a clear plastic bag and have it X-Rayed separately from other items, it will get a lower dose of X-Rays and will be more likely to survive unblemished. That's your best chance. Best of luck.

I've had this lens for a while now, and here are my impressions:

1. Compact? Yes. I have large hands and I'm still not used to finding the focussing ring on this lens. On the other hand, I can put an FM3a + 45/2.8 AI-P combo into a large pocket. I see the compactness of this lens as both a plus and a minus.

2. Sharpness is exquisite. I'm a big fan of normal-length Nikkor primes, like the 55/2.8 Micro-Nikkor AIS and the 50/1.8 AIS (and 50/1.8 AF) lenses. This one, in my opinion, has sharpness that equals or excels previous lenses. Openj-wide, the bokeh is very pleasing, too (at least, I like the effect).

3. Glare, flare, and ghosting: I've seen none of this in any shot I have taken so far. The lens hood is funny-looking, but effective. The anti-glare coatings are superb.

4. Value: Yes, this is a high-priced lens. You can get a 50/1.8 AFD for under $100, and a 50/1.8 AIS for under $120. (Even the wider lenses are cheaper than the 45/2.8 AI-P!) So why spend the extra money on the 45/2.8 P? See reasons 1, 2, and 3, and consider:

5. The Angle of View on this lens is unique, and offers a subtle change from other lenses. I find that the slightly-wider-than-normal perspective is interesting. While this angle can be achieved with a zoom lens, the 45/2.8 P offers zero pinchushion or barrel distortion. As a result, this lens fills a niche in my lens line-up that I find increasingly interesting, especially for B&W films.

Happy shooting.

With all due respect to Thom Hogan and the kind people at Magic Lantern Guides, your first stop should be the user's manual. It is actually a very clear manual. Having said that, if you don't understand everything and this is due to a lack of knowledge about photographic concepts, then I recommend you look into a book about photography in general.

There are many concepts that affect photography no matter what your camera (such as the relationship between film speed, aperture, and shutter speed), and there are things that affect all 35mm cameras (such as tripod mounting, DX coding, etc), and then there are concerns unique to the F80/N80. The instruction manual for the N80/F80 will probably not give you all that you need to know about photography in general. Go to your local book store and look through their section on photographic techniques until you find a book your comfortable with. The $8-$25 cost of the book will be well-spent, I assure you.

Claire,

Good question--thank you for asking it.

The fact that you ask about AFS lenses is itself significant. AFS lenses are designed and built for heavy use by pro photographers. If a pro has used it, and had it checked, and documents that he had it checked, then I would advise you to contact the repair facility and ask them about the exact maintenance performed, and if they will warranty the lens following the maintenance.

My guess is that if the seller's maintenance can be verified, then the AFS lens will work well at first, and any remaining problems will become obvious shortly after use. On the other hand, an amateur may have abused the lens without wanting to tell you.

Basically, it is a gamble either way, but the fact that the pro claims that he maintained the lens can be verified. If this is true (and it probably is true) then that might be the best course of action.

Daniel,

Think about the WORST scenarios: damaged gear, theft, and possible bodily harm. Spring Break in Florida attracts petty thieves, though msot people there are out for a good time and won't bother you much (except for drunken behavior). But there is always the chance that someone will try to rob you. So you really want to risk losing it all?

If you're after photos of people in swimsuits, you will find better luck with professional-looking gear. if you walk up to a group of young women toting a P&S, they might think you're weird--or worse.

So, you MAY need to re-think this trip. One possible addition that would help you avoid theft and appear more professional would be an assistant (as suggested above) to carry bags, reflectors, hand you a change of film, etc. An assistant will make you less of a mark for thieves ("safety in numbers"). And he/she might have a good time helping, too.

One other thing: what will you do with the photos? You will almost certainly be asked by your subjects. Any plans to submit them for publication or stock use? If so, get a model release--there are several at Editorial Photographers' website and you will find that your subjects would probably be willing to sign them.

Best of luck.

Chris,

Do not mistake price for features. Nikon's N80/F80 is its mid-level body, and the features are highly competitive against Canon Elan 7E. In a head-to-head comparison of features, here's how they match up in selected areas:

Canon Elan 7E:

Image Size 35mm

Focus Type autofocus w/ manual option

Metering spot, center, matrix

Field of View 92%

Shutter Speeds 1/4000 to 30s, B

Bracketing yes

Film Advance auto (4.0 fps)

Depth-of-Field Preview yes

Built-In Flash yes

Multiple Exposure yes

Mirror Lockup yes

Weight 575 g. (20.3 oz.)

Retail $369.95

Nikon N80/F80:

Image Size 35mm

Focus Type autofocus w/ manual option

Metering spot, center, matrix

Field of View 92%

Shutter Speeds 1/4000 to 30s, B

Bracketing yes

Film Advance auto (2.5 fps)

Depth-of-Field Preview yes

Built-In Flash yes

Multiple Exposure yes

Mirror Lockup no

Weight 515 g. (18.2 oz.)

Retail $349.95

The prices quoted are body-only, USA warranty, from the B&H website.

So, is it worth the extra $20.00 for mirror lockup and a faster frame advance speed? I didn't think so when I bought an F80. Of course, I would have enjoyed the mirror lock-up, but the extra fps doesn't matter for most of my photos. The ability to use my Nikkors mattered a lot, as I was upgrading from an older N8008.

FYI, I recently upgraded to the F100 for the added durability but I highly recommend the N80/F80 for beginners, advanced amateurs, and for travel photographers (for the light weight).

Hooray! A chance to spread more misinformation and unfounded rumor!

All right, here we go:

The next generation Nikon, sometimes referred to as the F6, F6d, or F6$$, will indeed feature interchangeable film and digital backs. The digital backs will come in two varieties: a 34mm x 36mm sensor, and Nikon's smaller sensor (same size as the D2H and D100. However, the real problem will be in a discrepancy of frames-per-second (or burst rate, for the Digital Backs). When shooting film, the F6$$ will achieve a blistering 10.5 fps, for a maximum of 3.4 seconds. With the small-sensor digital back, the F6$$ will shoot 3.5 fps for up to 6 seconds, but with the 24mm x 36mm back, it will shoot a whopping 1.1 fps for up to 6 seconds!

The F6$$ will also feature upgradeable firmware, so that when Firewire, USB-2, and other data transfer protocols are outdated, you can send Nikon the camera and a big check and they will return your camera and a receipt, and the camera will have a new socket for the new protocol. It won't upload images any faster, but will cost you a lot anyway.

Like its little brother, the also-rumored D95, the F6$$ will split photographers into two groups: Those that bought the new camera right away, only to feel cheated when the price fell a year later, and those who waited for the price to fall then waited a bit logner for the price to fall some more.

It will also drive down the price on the growing number of used F100s, F5s, and other older Nikon bodies. For more blatantly absurd rumors, see http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0074wY

Sorry, Sajid. There are only two ways to do this with the N80--and one of the ways can only be done with the F80s, which has a data-printing feature on the back.

The other way (the one you'll have to use) is good ol' paper and pencil.

Carl,

I don't always agree with you, but I appreciate your opinions a great deal. I

would respectfully ask that you continue to share your opinions about Nikon

equipment, as well as your experience, your knowledge, and the opinions of

others.

David, since you asked, here it is:

The Nikon D70 will cost $999 in the US (USA Warranty) but only $899 Gray Market. The same gray market camera will cost $1500 in the UK or Europe (depending on the exchange rate) making it cheaper for European Nikon users to order a D70 from the US and pay customs than it would be for them to buy a D70 in Europe. Japanese photographers will have access to the D70-F only, which will offer superior color saturation and a date back (why you'd need a date back on a DSLR is still a mystery, but it will be offered in Japan anyhow.)

The D70 will accept Nikon AF-D, AF-G, and AF-S lenses, but no AI lenses except AI-P, and even then you'll need to avoid irritating the camera or it will give an ERR message. The sensor will have a 1.5x focal length mutliplication factor capable of generating endless discussion on photo.net of its ACTUAL multiplication factor, which may be 1.45, 1.6, 1.65, or even 6.51 if you do the math wrong.

The ISO sensitivity will vary from 100-1600, which still won't be enough for some people who will gripe about Kodak discontinuing Kodakchrome-25 several years ago. Those same users will be on the Large Format Forum complaining about Velvia 100-F.

Finally, the D70 will be replaced in late 2005 by the Nikon D95, which will be in a smaller, lighter, more durable body with a full-frame sensor. The D95 will also be rumored to accept AI lenses, though those rumors will turn out to be unfounded.

Considering value, price,a nd functionality, go for the F80/N80. The F75/N75 is a case of "penny wise and pound foolish" since it lacks a few very important features and costs only a small amount less.

The most important feature retained on the F80/N80 is the secondary command dial, which allows you to easily change aperture and shutter speed at the same time. On the F75/N75, with only one command dial, you have to figure out what you're changing (F-stop or shutter speed) then change it, and look back and forth between the viewfinder and the LCD panel. It's annoying, IMHO.

I used the F80 for the last two years and then upgradeed to the F100, and the F80 works very much like Nikon's two pro bodies in terms of handling, functions, etc. The AF sensor is good, and the meter is first-rate. The F75's meter may be more up-to-date, but the handling seems more amateurish.

On the other hand, the new D70 design seems to be taken from the F75, so if you think you might want a D70 when they come out in the future, you might go for the F75 now for the sake of familiarity.

True, the Olympus Stylus is a helluva great camera no matter how you look at it. A razor-sharp lens, 35mm focal length so it's pretty wide for landscapes, good fill-flash with excellent metering, A SPOT METER(!) and it fits in your pocket. Oh, and it's less than $80.

The fact is that for travel the Stylus has a LOT of what you might want as a backup body. The only two things it lacks (as far as I am concerned) are interchangeable lenses, and the ability to read the DX coding on Fuji Velvia. The Stylus reads film DX coding from ISO 100-1600 only. So, I shoot 100-160 speed print film in my Stylus and Velvia in my Nikon.

Cham,

I live outside the US and have difficulties paying anyone outside my country of

residence. It's not that I WON'T support photo.net, but that I find it hard to send

them the money! I can easily afford the subscription fee, too!

Check out the "Photo.net 10th Anniversary" thread and you will see plenty of

supporters who feel that their $25 subscription to photo.net was the best

investiment they ever made in photography.

Jennifer,

As a matter of fact, I can recommend a few Pentax (or Pentax-mount) lenses for you to try. The best thing for you to do would be to visit a camera shop and try them out on your body to see how they feel.

First is the Pentax SMCP-FA 28-105 which sells for around $200 and is a pretty good AF lens. For about $400, Pentax also makes the SMCP-FA 24-90, which is reportedly well-built and keeps flare down.

The third option would be the Sigma 24-135/f2.8-4.5 AF lens. This is a bit wider than the 28-105 model I mentioned earlier, but for $300 it represents an excellent value compared to the two Pentax lenses.

Fourth and last would be finding a good used lens in that range. I highly recommend B&H or Adorama used departments; I've bought from them before and never had a problem. On the other hand, if you have a local shop with a good used department you might be mroe comfortable with handling the lens before you buy.

Jennifer,

With respect to Gerald, the Nikon N90 is a heavy body. I agree with him that

the 24-85 zoom will likely cover the bulk of your photos (given what you wrote

above), but you should consider matching the lens to a lighter body, such as

the N65 or N75. You might also consider the 24-120 zoom (for reasons I'll

explain below).

If you wanted to stay with Pentax, I would say to trade in your 28-80 and your

100-300 lenses for a single zoom with a slightly broader zoom range:

something like a 24-120 or 28-105. The long end of those lenses is good for

portraits, and the wide end is good for landscapes, and that fact that you have

only one lens to lug around is good for your back. If you really want to do

"true" macro work, then keep your 90mm Macro. If you're using it for other

types of photos, then you can consider whether to take it along as a second

lens or leave it behind.

I find that when I travel, I rarely use a long lens such as your 100-300. If you

find that you use it rarely (or if you shoot only at the 100mm end of the zoom)

then leave it behind.

Final tip: to go really light, don't take a tripod. Take a beanbag instead. A

cloth pouch with velcro can be made into a beanbag when you get to your

destination, simply by buying a bag of black beans, garbanzos, etc and

dropping it into the pouch. You can also buy a "Pod" which is a beanbag with

a tripod screw on one side--I use mine all the time.

You will get more camera for your money with a used FM2. The FM2 will last

you for years--I picked up mine for $180 and while it was ugly and showed

significant wear, the camera was in excellent mechanical condition. (I bought

it from B&H by following the link from photo.net, so taht B&H would help

contribute to this site.)

The meter on the FM2 is wonderfully accurate, while the FM10's metering

system is a bit suspicious. With the FM2, you know exactly what your

metering system is, and when you match it up it is very precise. With the

FM10 (manufactured by Cosina) you may be off by 1/2 stop and the meter

doesn't register it. That's a real problem for shooting slides.

It is true that the FM10 comes bundled with a 35-70mm AIS lens, but that

would be its only advantage. The FM2 is easy to figure out, so you don't really

need a manual. Even if you get lost, you can look up most of the info online at

Leonard Foo's website: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/

classics/nikonfmseries/fm2n/fm2manual/

One final note: before you buy from KEH or B&H or any other dealer, read up

on the dealer here at photo.net, and also read the dealer's policy about

returns. In case there is a problem, you will know what to expect from the

dealer.

Let us know what you decide, and then share your thoughts here!

There are a lot of very comfortable neoprene straps made by Domke, Tamrac,

and even some store brands. They tend to be longer and the neoprene is

more comfortable on the neck. While I'm not familiar with the Domke Gripper,

after reading this thread I plan to try it out.

I used to like the brand-name straps--the ones that loudly advertise "NIKON"

(or whatever brand) until I realized that they really stand out in a crowd and

may help thieves identify targets. And they are pretty stiff on the neck.

My favorite strap is an off-brand job that has two plastic quick-releases which

allow me to remove change the neck strap to a wrist strap quickly. I like this

when travelling, especially if I need to move about with my camera at the

ready. It may also be a damage deterrent, since the camera never leaves

your hand (I always worry that a camera swinging around my neck will bash

into a railing or something!)

I must agree with Jeff that most people travel with more than they need. I find

that I shoot 85% of my pics with a 28-105/f2.8-4 made by Sigma, at 10% of my

pics with an old 20mm/f4 Ai'd Nikkor. The remaining 5% are a mix of 55mm/

f2.8 micro-Nikkor and 50mm/f1.8.

The largest of these lenses is the 28-105, and the other three are roughly the

same size COMBINED.

I do have other lenses--the 80-400 VR Nikkor, a Tamron 24-70, etc. but I

seldom use them when I travel unless I have a specific image I want to try to

capture.

The Canon lenses that would equate to my kit aren't on your list, but you might

want to pop over to a camera store and see if the combination listed here

might be more useful to you.