The essence of photography

[gobble]

gobble

I don't think you will find any DSLR lenses in the sub 600$ range which will satisfy all your conditions. There are very few zooms which offer the 12-18mm focal range. Most zooms offering this range would have substantial barrel distortion.
<snip>

Achieving shallow depth is difficult with entry level/prosumer zooms as their widest aperture is usually f/3.5. Even this aperture is variable and only available at the wide-angle end,While the 50mm 1.8D prime gives you a f/1.8 for 5.5K. Incredible!

Yes, I m not expecting the shallow DoF comparble to pro grade lenses, but I recall seeing at least a few pics of an Oly zoom (can;t recall the model now) where there was sufficient blurring to make the subject stand out as the photographers objective. In India with so much garbage everywhere in public places, there is no point in shooting pics if one cannot blur the unwanted. My main subject is going to be archeological temple sites, so I need a zoom to close in on individual sculptures at akward locations and angles. Most archeology sites have some ugly electrical wires crisscrossing the Gopurams when seen from the photographers locations, spoiling the shot. I need to blur them or the people crowding around sometimes. Some of my best shots (rather some great pieces of art have been captured) have come from using the zoom in the 200+mm range of the consumer Canon S5 like here: https://plus.google.com/photos/104499052923145206895/albums/5271763704425290593?banner=pwa. (Note that I have messed around with the color balance of the b&w pics like a true novice)

Get a Nikon D200 body if you can find one. This has a lot of functions from manual days. You can even use the aperture ring of the lens to control aperture or use many old lenses without electronic contacts, with evaluative metering. There is a depth of field preview button too.

The in-camera processing is not very good. So click raw and then post-process.

Hmmm a 2005 camera body still sold for $1500!! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BY52NK/kenrockwellcom

Is is that good?

--G0bble

 

[Shivam]

Hmmm a 2005 camera body still sold for $1500!! Amazon.com: Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only): Camera & Photo

Is is that good?

--G0bble

Yes, it IS that good especially for the features that a person used to manual cameras would appreciate.
You can find a minimally used one for less than 1000 USD if you search.

 

[gobble]

Yes, it IS that good especially for the features that a person used to manual cameras would appreciate.
You can find a minimally used one for less than 1000 USD if you search.

Now I remember one more use case - carrying it on multi-day trekking expeditions. A full d200 kit with lenses is going to be almost 1.5kgs with the camera body only around 800g. By contrast the Oly with 2 lens kits would weigh about half.

--G

 

[ajay124]

gobble

Nikon's successful models like D40/D90/D200/D300 are still popular with wedding photographers and advanced amateurs. Therefore they command excellent resale prices. 'Crippled' Nikon's (without a focusing motor in the body) like D3100/D3200/D5100 are harder to sell because they are basically targeted at amateurs buying their first DSLR.

Ideally a D200 with a shutter count of less than 50000 should be available for 25-30K. A D300 with a similar shutter count should be around 35-40K. A D90 with a similar shutter count should be around 15-20K. But usually sellers will demand more because the demand for these models is always more than the supply. A brand new D90, D7000, D300S would cost close to 35K, 50K and 70K respectively after a 10-15% discount, which is easy to obtain after a bit of haggling

The D300S has an excellent semi-pro body, but considering it has been discontinued by Nikon, it is not worth the price being quoted by dealers in India, as well as abroad. My recent experience has been that the more reasonable dealers in Delhi and Chandigarh are offering prices (with bill and warranty) which are 10-20% cheaper than online sellers like Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, Flipkart, J.J.Mehta etc. A big local dealer would also be able to get you better service and support from the service centers.

If you can afford it, then go for a D7000. A D300/300S has a marginally better focusing system and build quality than a D7000, but is probably inferior in every other way. The D7000 is the best cropped sensor bargain in the world at the moment! Arguably the D7000 may even give better results than the full frame D700, which has been discontinued by Nikon, but is still selling for around 110K.

Good wide-angle wide zooms from Nikon and Canon are expensive. Tokina makes two excellent wide angle lenses for both Nikon and Canon DX cameras. The 11-16 f/2.8 and 12-24 f/4 have superb build quality and optics, which many users and reviewers rate on par with similar lenses made by Nikon or Canon. A new Tokina 12-24 should be available for around 30K. Sometimes used ones are available on OLX or Quickr for around 20K. There are two versions of this lens. The new version has a built in focusing motor which would provide auto focusing with D3100/D3200/D5100. The older version would be able to autofocus with D90/D7000/D300. I would have bought this lens except that it is meant for DX cameras and does not work very well on FX.

I did not buy a D7000 and I am only buying FX glass, as I am hoping that Nikon comes out with a budget FX soon.

 

[iaudio]

Now I remember one more use case - carrying it on multi-day trekking expeditions. A full d200 kit with lenses is going to be almost 1.5kgs with the camera body only around 800g. By contrast the Oly with 2 lens kits would weigh about half.

--G

Gobble, I use a Nikon D200. Though a noob, I find the manual controls very very convenient. Quite difficult to use other bodies once you get used to the twin control dials(for aperture and shutter speed) and hard buttons for functions like quality, WB, ISO, focusing, metering etc.
Many wedding photogs have expressed interest to buy my d200 body, mainly because they find it convenient to use, sturdy, in built af motor, good compatibility with older lenses( esp for photogs who have been using nikon film slrs). Used bodies go for 30k in these parts, but are hard to come by.

Edit: Yes, it is quite heavy!

 

[gobble]

gobble

Ideally a D200 with a shutter count of less than 50000 should be available for 25-30K. A D300 with a similar shutter count should be around 35-40K. A D90 with a similar shutter count should be around 15-20K. But usually sellers will demand more because the demand for these models is always more than the supply.

Wow! Tempting!

If you can afford it, then go for a D7000. A D300/300S has a marginally better focusing system and build quality than a D7000, but is probably inferior in every other way. The D7000 is the best cropped sensor bargain in the world at the moment! Arguably the D7000 may even give better results than the full frame D700, which has been discontinued by Nikon, but is still selling for around 110K.

Did you say that a d700 sells for 110k or the D7000? Naaptol lists the d7000 for 41K, while OM-D E5 is available for 60+K ...

Good wide-angle wide zooms from Nikon and Canon are expensive. Tokina makes two excellent wide angle lenses for both Nikon and Canon DX cameras. The 11-16 f/2.8 and 12-24 f/4 have superb build quality and optics, which many users and reviewers rate on par with similar lenses made by Nikon or Canon. A new Tokina 12-24 should be available for around 30K. Sometimes used ones are available on OLX or Quickr for around 20K. There are two versions of this lens. The new version has a built in focusing motor which would provide auto focusing with D3100/D3200/D5100. The older version would be able to autofocus with D90/D7000/D300. I would have bought this lens except that it is meant for DX cameras and does not work very well on FX.

Yes I was reading about the Tokina lenses a few hours back and actually short listed them as a possible buy for the d200... what do you recommend for 100-200mm range? I need to zoom in on a single sculpture where many are crowded side by side from afar at upward angles hence even 150mm equiv may be too less, because I need to step far away form the structure to avoid looking directly upwards and capture a better perspective on the sculpture.

Gobble, I use a Nikon D200. Though a noob, I find the manual controls very very convenient. Quite difficult to use other bodies once you get used to the twin control dials(for aperture and shutter speed) and hard buttons for functions like quality, WB, ISO, focusing, metering etc.
Many wedding photogs have expressed interest to buy my d200 body, mainly because they find it convenient to use, sturdy, in built af motor, good compatibility with older lenses( esp for photogs who have been using nikon film slrs). Used bodies go for 30k in these parts, but are hard to come by.

Edit: Yes, it is quite heavy!

Nice! Would you also recommend a d7000 given that it would be brand new and later model at 10K more? How fuss free and intuitive is the Nikon menu system? Ease of handling controls for WB, Aperture, Shutter, ISO, metering etc without requiring mental concentration on stupid menu navigation?

--G

 

[Shivam]

If you are planning on buying a body, I suggest that you go to a shop nearby and try holding it in your own hands. The camera body along with the lens you plan to use should feel comfortable to hold and use. Buttons should fall into easy reach of your fingers.

At the end - Good photographs are always made by the people holding the camera and not by the camera on its own.

 

[gobble]

At the moment I am experiencing Gadget lust dreaming about the ... :licklips::licklips::licklips:

OM-D E5 paired with a Panasonic Lumix G X VARIO 12-35mm f/2.8 (Panasonic Lumix G X VARIO 12-35mm f/2.8 Lens Review), and later an Olympus M.Zuiko 75mm F1.8 when I feel like affording it (Robin Wong: Olympus M.Zuiko 75mm F1.8 Review: Street Shooting in Pudu). I just might end up buying them along with an extra battery grip if the entire lot comes below 1.5 lacs. hyeah:

Then the idea of a 25K worth D200 paired with a set of great lenses for another 50K max is tempting for its price. Leaving aside the Tokina 11-16mm whats there to cover the 16-200mm range for another 30K that might be good or better than the m4/3rd 75mm f/1.8? Solidity of build and feel of controls + weather sealing matters to me.

--G

 

[ajay124]

gobble

Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm VR Lens Price - Buy Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm VR Lens Price in India, Best Prices n Review

A D7000 with 18-105 lens with battery grip for 41000. These naaptol prices are based on neither naap nor tol They are pure bull s. All this stuff will probably cost between 70000-80000 in different parts of India.

Comparison between D7000, D300 and D200. All comparisons and reviews are debatable, but personally I feel these ratings are pretty accurate. And these ratings are for a brand new D200 or D300. Depending upon the condition and shutter count, used D200/D300 would warrant a further 20-50% deduction of rating points.

Nikon D200 vs D7000 - Our Analysis

Nikon D300 vs D7000 - Our Analysis

Nikon D200 vs D300 - Our Analysis

 

[iaudio]

Gobble, I do not believe, as Ajay has correctly pointed out, that the D7000 can be had with the 18-105 VR for 41K( heck, the lens alone goes for 16k!). So if you have the extra dough to shell out it always makes sense to get the D7000. Tech does get a lot better with time, even though the body/controls may not. But do try both out before taking a call.
The D200 was not really on my buy list, for that matter I was gonna go for a Canon EOS 500D or 40D for that matter, but a few trials with Nikon bodies like D80, D200 kind of got me tilting towards Nikon. So you never know!

 

[ajay124]

gobble

"what do you recommend for 100-200mm range?"

For shooting pics of temples and archaeological sites (like your Belur and Halebidu pics), the best lenses would be the 60mm 2.8 or 105mm 2.8 micro Nikkor's. The 105mm would offer better isolation of the subject and the 60mm would be a lighter and cheaper lens. These lenses are available in both D and the later G series. All of them would be among the sharpest lenses Nikon has ever built. I have become friendly with a person who is the chief photographer of a local museum. He has been a photographer for over 20 years now and must have shot thousands of sculptures, paintings and artifacts. For many years he was using the 60mm 2.8D lens. He has now shifted to the 105mm 2.8 G series which has the extra benefit of vibration reduction, internal focusing, weather sealing and ED glass. Try shooting a few pics with any of these four lenses and you will be stunned by how relentlessly revealing and honest they are.

A rough guide to street prices:

60mm 2.8D: 22K
60mm 2.8G: 28K
105mm 2.8D: 32K
105mm 2.8G: 42K

Personally I love the retro look of the D series Nikons but the VR of the 105mm G would be a very useful feature. I remember reading somewhere that this lens would be the one which could do full justice to the 36 megapixels of the D800 Nikon.

The Nikon Helpline videos on You Tube are my bible when it comes to Nikon lens. I just love their short, sharp and succinct presentations which cover all the relevant points, without being couched in a lot of verbose nonsense like many other reviews. Check out their reviews of all the micro and prime lenses. In fact check out all the 147 videos they currently have on You Tube. I would highly recommend all of them to anybody who is interested in photography.

Tubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqQzDBns4kY&list=PL474F8813EF257CD1&index=32&feature=plpp_video.

Nikon 105mm /2.8G AF-S ED-IF N Micro-Nikkor VR - YouTube

Nikon Help Hotline - YouTube

 

[Shivam]

gobble

For 100-200 mm range I am a big fan of Nikkor micro 105 and Sigma macro 105 lens. These both are macro lenses and work well as prime lenses of 105mm.

Why exactly do you need a lens in that range ?

Lenses for portraits should give good bokeh, for macro the focusing should be fast and comfortable, for birds a higher focal length is desirable, for architecture there should be minimal or no distortion and vignetting.

The same question goes for battery grip. If you need extra battery life then go for a spare battery. I suggest buying a battery grip only if there's a need for increasing the fps or a desperate need for extra controls for vertical shots. Apart from these battery pack is an extra weight in the camera bag.

 

[gobble]

gobble

"what do you recommend for 100-200mm range?"

For shooting pics of temples and archaeological sites (like your Belur and Halebidu pics), the best lenses would be the 60mm 2.8 or 105mm 2.8 micro Nikkor's. The 105mm would offer better isolation of the subject and the 60mm would be a lighter and cheaper lens.

gobble

For 100-200 mm range I am a big fan of Nikkor micro 105 and Sigma macro 105 lens. These both are macro lenses and work well as prime lenses of 105mm.

Why exactly do you need a lens in that range ?

Lenses for portraits should give good bokeh, for macro the focusing should be fast and comfortable, for birds a higher focal length is desirable, for architecture there should be minimal or no distortion and vignetting.

The Belur pics you saw were taken at almost 10x zoom to isolate the individual pieces of art. The pics may deceive but most of them are less than 3 ft tall. So even 150mm (35mm equivalent) may sometimes be too less.

The longer zoom lenses I believe have less of problems with distortion and vignetting compared to wide?

I haven't posted my Hampi snaps, they are lost somewhere on flickr and I can't recall my account, but even with a consumer camera like S5 I got some B&W pics of timeless quality thanks to the 10x zoom and the vantage point of a nearby hill.

I will check out the lenses thanks


--G

 

[sivasarjun]

Do post your Hampi snaps.Particularly of the spectacular Narasimha.
Although at Hampi the main theme is the whole landscape itself rather than the sculptures alone.
Glad to see somebody who is interested in temple architecture.

 

[gobble]

Do post your Hampi snaps.Particularly of the spectacular Narasimha.
Although at Hampi the main theme is the whole landscape itself rather than the sculptures alone.
Glad to see somebody who is interested in temple architecture.

Oh the Narasimha ones may not have come great with a Canon S5, I need to check my disk drive ..

But the long zoomed in shots of the ruins of the temple below Matanga hill with its grand causeway and 100s of pillars lined up on the sides, that would have seen elephant and cavalry processions and the loveliest of flower girls and dancers of those times - those came out real nice.

Will post them next weekend, now that we are talking ...

--G

 

[ajay124]

INVITE

It seems like there are many enthusiastic amateur shooters on the forum. I would request everyone interested in photography to post a link of their best shots, with comments about the technical and artistic reasons for considering these your best shots.

 

[Shivam]

Sunflowers | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Photograph was taken from a moving car through the window. I especially posted this to impress why it's important to be friends with the camera and to be able to use it comfortably and fast.

For my photo stream-
Flickr: Dr. Shivam Maini (Photos)'s Photostream

There are stories behind each and every shot. Someday will write them down on Flickr itself.

 

[josephjohnt]

Yes, I m not expecting the shallow DoF comparble to pro grade lenses, but I recall seeing at least a few pics of an Oly zoom (can;t recall the model now) where there was sufficient blurring to make the subject stand out as the photographers objective. In India with so much garbage everywhere in public places, there is no point in shooting pics if one cannot blur the unwanted. My main subject is going to be archeological temple sites, so I need a zoom to close in on individual sculptures at akward locations and angles. Most archeology sites have some ugly electrical wires crisscrossing the Gopurams when seen from the photographers locations, spoiling the shot. I need to blur them or the people crowding around sometimes. --G0bble

G, try lensbaby, they have speciality lenses designed to do this. They are not zooms though and are manual focus.

I did not buy a D7000 and I am only buying FX glass, as I am hoping that Nikon comes out with a budget FX soon.

+1 to that

Gobble, I do not believe, as Ajay has correctly pointed out, that the D7000 can be had with the 18-105 VR for 41K( heck, the lens alone goes for 16k!). So if you have the extra dough to shell out it always makes sense to get the D7000. Tech does get a lot better with time, even though the body/controls may not. But do try both out before taking a call.
The D200 was not really on my buy list, for that matter I was gonna go for a Canon EOS 500D or 40D for that matter, but a few trials with Nikon bodies like D80, D200 kind of got me tilting towards Nikon. So you never know!

G, The cheapest way to experience the gear is to take/loan it from a friend, and that's not very difficult with many people having SLRs now. The alternate is to rent it. toehold.in provides rental at Bangalore. So if you need a super-zoom lens for a weekend, it would be cheaper to rent it. You also get to experience it first hand than reading the reviews, and maybe some great photos too hyeah:

 

[ajay124]

josephjohnt

"toehold.in provides rental at Bangalore."

Photography Equipment Rentals - Toehold | Travel & Photography

I was not aware of toehold.in. I hope they expand their services to other cities also.

 

[ajay124]

shivam

The sunflower pic is really nice. Which lens did you use and what were the camera settings?

I have been looking at various wide-angle lenses on the Nikon and Tokina websites for several months now, but I have not found anything which I like and which is within my budget. Tokina's 12-24 looks interesting but it is a DX lens which would be almost useless if I switch to an FX camera. Affordable Nikon zooms like 18-200 and 16-85 are also DX lenses. The recently released Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 VR seems like a good FX option. It may even be bundled as a kit lens with future Nikon cameras. I have also been contemplating the 28mm 2.8D, 24mm 2.8D and the 20mm 2.8D primes, but none of them have unanimously good reviews like the 50mm and 85mm primes. Therefore I have decided not to buy a wide angle until the time Nikon launches the rumored D600 and/or the D400.

In the meantime I want to figure out whether I actually need a wide angle in the first place! I have been mostly shooting portraits and close ups of flowers with my 50mm and 85 mm lenses. Wide apertures and shall DOF. I have not experimented at all with shooting landscapes. Today afternoon I had some work in the countryside and I took my D90+85mm 1.8D along, with the specific purpose of trying out a different kind of photography. Conditions were not very conducive because of the hot, humid weather and bright sunlight. But I shot a few pastoral landscapes. Handheld because I did not want to lug my tripod along. I will only start using a tripod once I get a good one from Manfrotto! I was interested in taking pics with greater depth of field. Stopping down to f/8-f/16 was a novel experience for me after having shot at f/2-f/2.8 for so many months. A new exploration has begun

pastorale | Flickr - Photo Sharing!