Worth the upgrade?

I'm pretty agnostic when it comes to Canon vs Nikon, but I recommend canon just based on the ability to upgrade to a full frame 35mm sensor if you get into photgraphy enough that you want to go to a full frame. Your choice should also depend alot on the lenses each brands offers, since your lenses will likely outlast your cam body and tie you to the brand.
 
I agree, the Cannon and Nikon are very close, it's almost apples and oranges. I am a Nikon guy myself and I won't bore you with details of why I think Nikon is better than Cannon. They are so close in so many important ways. I am a professional and there is no better 'glass' than the pro level Nikor lenses, but you have to be prepared to pay better than $1000 per lens to see the difference. And I'm going to tell you that you don't have to do that to take great pics of your reef.

Here's a mid priced 3'rd party macro (Sigma 105mm) shot, using the Nikon D70 body. Judge for yourself....


69a06917.jpg
 
If you're going to shoot with a DSLR you MUST be prepared for the learning curve. There WILL be one, it will be steep. If you're NOT willing to take the time to learn your system you WILL be dissapointed in the results!
 
Those lenses are the bottom rung in the Nikor ladder, they are from the DX line so they are designed to fit the Nikon sensor. I'm certainly not saying they're bad, as they're not, I've just spoiled myself. Sigma makes nice glass that's cheaper than the Nikor equivalent ... you may wish to look into that as an option.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7573815#post7573815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by astrogazer
Those lenses are the bottom rung in the Nikor ladder, they are from the DX line so they are designed to fit the Nikon sensor. I'm certainly not saying they're bad, as they're not, I've just spoiled myself. Sigma makes nice glass that's cheaper than the Nikor equivalent ... you may wish to look into that as an option.
Click to expand...

Do I need seprate lens for macro and regular shots?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7573537#post7573537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
What do you guys think of this combo?

http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/SLR1132.htm
Click to expand...

Sunny,

If you definately want to get that D50 combo I think B&H has better deal(cheaper) :), plus they have exellent reputation as an online vendor. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...588&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

I'm not sure how good that 18-55mm lens is but I remember GHO saying that 18-70mm lens for really nice.It comes with D70 in a kit I believe.

Ooops, Doug beat me to it. :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7575012#post7575012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by astrogazer
Yep ... that's the one, I've been very happy with it. The only bone I have to pick is that the bokeh is nuetral at best and any aggressive post processing sharpening tends to bring it to the forefront.
Click to expand...

Is that the only lens ill need for now?

Or should I get this pack along with the sigma lens:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...774&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7574010#post7574010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
Do I need seprate lens for macro and regular shots?
Click to expand...

Yes ... true macro is a 1:1 reproduction, there are even some macros that don't cut it by that standard. To cover a range of shooting conditions, ie. landscapes, family photos, close-ups of distant objects, etc, you'll need a couple of lenses. The 18-70mm that comes as the kit lens with the D70 is an excellent general purpose lens, it's great for general snapshots, family photos, landscapes, panoramas and the like, not very good for macro work though. Then I have in my bag a Nikor 70-300mm, it's kind of a 'mid' grade lens and it takes great images, but I constantly wish I had shelled out bigger bucks for their pro grade glass, the AF-S line has motors in the lens that makes for precise and fast focusing, anyway this lens is great for getting closer to your subject, and in fact had worked for me in some instances as a faux macro, the downside is the need for a faster shutter speed to keep up with the focal length of the lens. To get good macro shots you're going to need a macro lens, I chose a 105mm because I knew I wasn't always going to be able to get 'right on top' of my subject

Nikon has a new 18-200mm VR lens (VR stands for vibration reduction) and while I've never been a fan of the VR technology this lens and the technology have gotten rave reviews. The lens isn't cheap ~$800 but the 18-200mm range covers about 95% of my shooting requirements. This lens would almost never come off my camera.

I really want to take a minute to point out that while all of the DSLR's mentioned here have modes to go from fully automated to fully manual, it's a lot easier to take a bad picture with a DSLR that it is to with a point and shoot model, each and every different lens has its' limitations, some rather severe, ie. macro lenses and long telephotos/zooms. I've spent hours on camera forums listening to noobs complaining about defective cameras that can't focus properly ... The firmware and the exposure algorithms in particular on point and shoot cameras, having to deal with only 1 possible lens/body combination are much more rigid and fixed and are designed to be used by those with a more limited photographic knowledge, they're almost foolproof these days. DSLR's, given good lighting conditions, and normalized shooting conditions are virtually foolproof these days as well, however when you alter the equation a little with an oddball lens and/or unusual lighting conditions and foolproof they are not.

I don't intend to dissuade you from a DSLR, if you take the time to learn the system you'll have a blast ... for life. If you don't have the time and/or the desire, I just don't want you to feel like you made a mistake, cause you've seen all these great pics taken by DSLR users.
I guarantee you, and you can ask anyone here ... Great pictures of reek tanks do not come easy. It takes a little practice ...

Good luck in your choice ... let us know how it turns out ... :)
 
Generally with lenses, you pay for the optical quality of the glass itself (high transmission, low dispersion, etc), lens design, manufacturing complexity, overall construction, and in some cases specialty features like image stabilization. In f-stop spec terms, you generally pay more for wider apertures (lower f stop numbers) and in zoom lenses, designs where the maximum aperture does not change over the zoom range of the lens. In other words, the high end zoom lenses tend to be f/2.8 over the entire zoom range (lenses like this are in teh $1-2k range), whereas a lower end lens will only be able to achieve (for example) f/4.5 at one end of the zoom range and f/5.6 at the other (a ~$200-300 lens). You'll see lenses with specs/prices all across the range in between and all sorts of trade offs, where some lenses have wider zoom ranges with worst f-stop specs, narrower zoom ranges with better f-stop specs, marginal zoom range and f-stop but with an image stabilizer function, etc. It's very tough to navigate the product space because of all of these tradeoffs and very easy to make a mistake and end up with a lens that you later don't enjoy using.

While the numbers might look pretty close for the f-stop numbers mentioned above (f/2.8 compared to f/5.6), the maximum aperture actually has an impact on the ease of use of the lens and the overall capabilities. For example, you might find that a smaller max aperture lens is very tough to use in low light conditions without a tripod, because of the limited amount of light hitting the sensor, and you end up with soft pictures associated with hand shake. Large max aperture / low f-stop lenses also have the ability to capture images with a very narrow focal depth, so you can easily blur the background of the image (the bokeh effect) and draw attention to whatever you are focusing on.

Buying lenses is pretty confusing and something that can be pretty frustrating, so my suggestion is to keep asking questions until you understand the basics of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, because you will have an easier time making sense of the specs once you understand these concepts. And consider renting a camera along with a couple lenses to play around with for a couple days, because the hands on experiences will really make all of these things tangible.

HTH
 
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