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I have been following PhotoGals thread Just Brought Home a New "Baby" almost religiously, as I too am getting a new DSLR to replace my P&S Canon A560 Powershot. And I just want to say that what I have read here has been very helpful. But being retired and on a wife imposed budget,(I would love a D5100) I have decided on a New Nikon D80, Internet package deal which includes;
Any comments or criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Let me state up front I have no intrest in Video recording with this unit, and I much prefer looking thru the viewfinder than using LiveView. Plus I have the option of adding another lens for a song and I'm thinking the Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D Prime Lens, but if you have a better all around lens suggestion I would truly love to hear that as well. Thanks in advance for any and all advice given.
Any comments or criticisms would be greatly appreciated. [...] Plus I have the option of adding another lens for a song and I'm thinking the Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D Prime Lens, but if you have a better all around lens suggestion I would truly love to hear that as well. Thanks in advance for any and all advice given.
I fixed the link for that item, so clicking on it will bring up the desired web page. On that list, that is the only item I wanted to comment on.
I know virtually nothing at all about the 28-80mm lens. The problem is that on a DX body, that 28mm is effectively the same as a 42mm focal length on an FX body, which is to say it is not very wide at all. If there is any way to change that lens, one of the various kit lenses that go out to 18mm would be a much better deal, because in the end you are going to want a wide angle lens.
The song you pay for a 50mm f/1.8D lens is probably sweet enough to make it worth owning one. They are worth something like $125 new, and despite that low cost it is a pretty nice lens in many ways. It is relatively sharp due to a design that uses a little over compensation for spherical aberrations, and while that makes objects wtihin the depth of field look a little sharper, it makes out of focus objects look a little harsher.
What's it mean? Bad bokeh!
What's that mean? Well, if you shoot typical snaps of family and friends, most of the pictures will be sharp and you'll like it. But on some summer day you have a few folks in the back yard, with green grass and leafy trees in the background with a bright sun shining at High Noon. The harshness of highlights where the sun is shining through the leaves in the trees and reflecting off the grass blades will be exceedingly annoying! You'll cull those pictures out and never look at them again. But, it you remember that is what will happen, you'll switch to your 18-55mm kit lens (or the 18-70mm or even that 28-80mm if you can't change it) and get pictures you do like. For almost anything else you'll ever want to use that 50mm f/1.8 for, it is pretty darn good.
I fixed the link for that item, so clicking on it will bring up the desired web page. On that list, that is the only item I wanted to comment on.
I know virtually nothing at all about the 28-80mm lens. The problem is that on a DX body, that 28mm is effectively the same as a 42mm focal length on an FX body, which is to say it is not very wide at all. If there is any way to change that lens, one of the various kit lenses that go out to 18mm would be a much better deal, because in the end you are going to want a wide angle lens.
The song you pay for a 50mm f/1.8D lens is probably sweet enough to make it worth owning one. They are worth something like $125 new, and despite that low cost it is a pretty nice lens in many ways. It is relatively sharp due to a design that uses a little over compensation for spherical aberrations, and while that makes objects wtihin the depth of field look a little sharper, it makes out of focus objects look a little harsher.
What's it mean? Bad bokeh!
What's that mean? Well, if you shoot typical snaps of family and friends, most of the pictures will be sharp and you'll like it. But on some summer day you have a few folks in the back yard, with green grass and leafy trees in the background with a bright sun shining at High Noon. The harshness of highlights where the sun is shining through the leaves in the trees and reflecting off the grass blades will be exceedingly annoying! You'll cull those pictures out and never look at them again. But, it you remember that is what will happen, you'll switch to your 18-55mm kit lens (or the 18-70mm or even that 28-80mm if you can't change it) and get pictures you do like. For almost anything else you'll ever want to use that 50mm f/1.8 for, it is pretty darn good.
Thank you very much Floyd. My other option was getting the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR for the same song. Would that be a better all around lens? Remember I am coming from a P&S and don't know squat about lenses.(except what I see on here) Once again thanks.
Thank you very much Floyd. My other option was getting the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR for the same song. Would that be a better all around lens? Remember I am coming from a P&S and don't know squat about lenses.(except what I see on here) Once again thanks.
I'm not sure if you mean that would replace the 50mm f/1.8D or the 28-80mm, but in either case it looks like a good deal.
As with the 28-80mm, I really don't know diddly squat about the 18-55mm. It has VR, and when combined with the 70-300mm it leaves a hole in your focal length coverage between 55 and 70mm. I don't see either the VR or the lack of 56-69mm as having much significance. VR might be useful at 55mm on a DX body, but al 40mm or wider it just doesn't do much. And the missing focal lengths aren't going to bother you as much as the price tag on lenses that fill in the difference.
I did go read some of the link to a DPReview.com review of the 18-55mm. One thing caught my eye, was that it only has 7 blades in the diaphram, but they are rounded! That very likely means the bokeh doesn't get much harsher as the aperture is stopped down. That's another really obnoxious characteristic of the 50mm f/1.8D lens for critical use.
Of course if the 18-55mm is in place of that 50mm f/1.8, what you lose is just a little faster lens at 50mm. No big deal at all. The 50mm f/1.8 is really just an interesting toy to play with that is so inexpensive it's worth buying just to have fun with it. You can probably get a used one on eBay for significantly less than $100. (Skip a meal every three days for a month... that'll be enough savings to buy it!!!)
Don't have time to comment now other than saying congrats, Madcap! I hope the labor isn't too painful before your new baby arrives!
Will come back later and read this thread in more depth, but right now I'm off to parts unknown to give my own new baby a tryout. Still feeling fairly overwhelmed getting to know all the settings and where certain menus are located -- even after watching the video and reading the smaller manual that came with the kit. Maybe today I'll just consider it an experiment and try out some of the scene modes, etc., so I can just have fun and not become too frustrated. Taking along my Canon SX10 IS too, just for backup, but I'll TRY not to use it.
Don't have time to comment now other than saying congrats, Madcap! I hope the labor isn't too painful before your new baby arrives!
Will come back later and read this thread in more depth, but right now I'm off to parts unknown to give my own new baby a tryout. Still feeling fairly overwhelmed getting to know all the settings and where certain menus are located -- even after watching the video and reading the smaller manual that came with the kit. Maybe today I'll just consider it an experiment and try out some of the scene modes, etc., so I can just have fun and not become too frustrated. Taking along my Canon SX10 IS too, just for backup, but I'll TRY not to use it.
As they used to say in the 70's and 80's "You Go Girl"...lol... I look forward to your observations and pictures with the new baby.
FWIW I ordered the D80 from the web site (just this morning) but just the package, I did pass on the 50mm Prime lens though as my cousin says he has one, an extra he doesn't use, that he will give me;
Nikon D80 DSLR (Camera Body)
Nikon 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Auto Focus Lens
Nikon Zoom Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G Auto Focus Lens
1 GB Digital Memory Card
Ultra High Speed Secure Digital Card Reader/Writer USB 2.0
Deluxe Water Resistant Fully Padded Medium Camera Bag
Full Size 50 inch Aluminum Light Weight Digital Camera/Camcorder Tripod
Lens Cleaning Kit
LCD Screen Protectors
All of that for under $400 & Free Shipping too, and they threw in a DSLR Flash Unit as a bonus!
You can/t beat that deal with a stick!!!
The only thing I may need to get in the future is as Floyd suggested is the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (the song was just out of my vocal range) but only after I experiment with the package lenses and see how they perform.
...but only after I experiment with the package lenses and see how they perform.
^ This. Many people will fill your head with technical details, but as a newcomer to the DSLR world, your best bet is to take it slow, figure out what you shoot, how you shoot, what you like or don't like about your current gear, and then upgrade/change if needed. Everyone shoots differently, and what matters is your style. I've seen many people quickly acquire a lot of gear (mainly lenses) when they first start out, based on online recommendations/reviews, only to find out that their new purchases don't work for them.
The 18-55 you're looking at is a decent lens. I had one (the non-VR version) with my Nikon D50 (around 2006), although I found it a bit too short (i.e. not enough zoom) at the time:
Since you did ask about an all-around lens, you might look at a super-zoom like the Tamron 18-200 or the Tamron 18-270. It won't give you the best quality (i.e. compared to a $2K lens), for it's more than good enough for most people, and can be had for very little.
These are with the Tamron 18-200 on a Nikon D50 (again, from around 2006):
But again, I would first suggest playing around with what you have. If you're unsure of what to get, try renting lenses first, from somewhere like LensRentals or BorrowLenses -- that way you can try them out for a while before putting down a chunk of cash.
Fuzz: thank you very much for your suggestions, trust me I will be going so slow I will appear to be in reverse to most people.
I do have one question thogh even with the Nikon Zoom Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G Auto Focus Lens you still suggest the ... Tamron 18-200 or the Tamron 18-270 ... because I thought the Nikkor lens had that area covered, or am I missing something being new to the inter-changeable lense world.
I do have one question thogh even with the Nikon Zoom Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G Auto Focus Lens you still suggest the ... Tamron 18-200 or the Tamron 18-270 ... because I thought the Nikkor lens had that area covered, or am I missing something being new to the inter-changeable lense world.
The only reason I mentioned the 18-200/270 is because you spoke about an all-around lens. As someone who is starting out with a DSLR (and maybe still refining your style), you may find the 70-300 a bit too long (especially on a crop body). You may want something wider. You have the 28-80, but 28 isn't too wide for landscapes. Plus, you have to carry and switch lenses, which may not always be easy to do (I have known DSLR beginners who get tired of carrying and changing lenses). Hence my mention of the 18-200/270 as a SINGLE all-around lens.
As you evolve your style, you may well think differently. I used to use the 18-200 as my only lens and grew with it. Now my most-used walk-around lenses are the 35mm f/1.4 and 70-200mm f/2.8 -- but if I'd tried to use them before I was "ready", I would have been incredibly frustrated.
Maybe you'll find that you're perfectly happy changing between the 70-200 and the 28-80 (or the 18-55) to get all the shots you need. In that case, you can definitely ignore the suggestions! :-)
The only reason I mentioned the 18-200/270 is because you spoke about an all-around lens. As someone who is starting out with a DSLR (and maybe still refining your style), you may find the 70-300 a bit too long (especially on a crop body). You may want something wider. You have the 28-80, but 28 isn't too wide for landscapes. Plus, you have to carry and switch lenses, which may not always be easy to do (I have known DSLR beginners who get tired of carrying and changing lenses). Hence my mention of the 18-200/270 as a SINGLE all-around lens.
As you evolve your style, you may well think differently. I used to use the 18-200 as my only lens and grew with it. Now my most-used walk-around lenses are the 35mm f/1.4 and 70-200mm f/2.8 -- but if I'd tried to use them before I was "ready", I would have been incredibly frustrated.
Maybe you'll find that you're perfectly happy changing between the 70-200 and the 28-80 (or the 18-55) to get all the shots you need. In that case, you can definitely ignore the suggestions! :-)
Ahh OK!! I think I get what your saying 1 lens to cover from 18-300mm instead of 3...makes perfect sense now that I think about it.
Thanks once again
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I think I get what your saying 1 lens to cover from 18-300mm instead of 3...makes perfect sense now that I think about it. 
