# Nikon D7000 Lens Purchasing Advice



## cleary71

Hi,
  I was hoping to get some advice on purchasing new lenses for my Nikon D7000.  The current lenses I have are about 10 years old and are ready to be upgraded.  I am looking for roughly the following range of lenses:
10-24 mm
24-70 mm f2.8
70-200 mm f2.8

I know the Nikon "holy trinity" lenses are the best but sometimes double to price of Sigma and Tamron for example.  Would anyone advise buying one Nikon lens now from above and then saving up to buy the other two over time or going with a secondary brand like Sigma or Tamron, and if so would anyone recommend any lens that you are happy with.  I would definitely like to purchase f2.8 for the 24-70 and 70-200 range lenses, the wide angle lens, which I do not own yet, I am open to any input on manufacturer, range and f-stop.  I enjoy shooting mostly landscape if that helps.  Thanks so much!!


----------



## boomer

I have a similar setup. D7000, Tokina 12-24 f4, Nikon 24-70 & 70-200 f2.8's. Love this setup! The only thing you need to think about is the 24-70 IMO. The 24-70 is awesome on a DX body but if you do a lot of weddings and/or group type of shots, you may want to look at the Nikon 17-55 f2.8. If you like to take portraits, the 24-70 is amazing. Even though you are looking at the 10-24 wide angle, the 17-55 range on a crop/DX body is very important to have on one lens.

For me, I do photography as a hobby. So the 24-70 fits me perfectly.


----------



## ghache

buy the 24-70 first, for third party lenses, sigma makes a really nice 24-70.


----------



## djacobox372

If you want to save some $$ consider a tamron 17-50mm f2.8 and a nikon 80-200mm f2.8 af-d

The d7000 is also fully compatible with older manual focus lenses, so you might consider These as well:

Nikon 50mm f1.4 ais
Nikon 20mm f2.8 ais 
Nikon 105mm f2.8 ais micro
Nikon 300mm f4.5 ais if Ed 

All of these lenses are amazing and far cheaper then their modern counterparts


----------



## djacobox372

ghache said:


> buy the 24-70 first, for third party lenses, sigma makes a really nice 24-70.


 
I own the sigma, and it's a quality lens for 1/3rd the price


----------



## KmH

I have one of Nikon's middle grade 12-24 mm f/4 for sale: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/buy-sell/244196-fs-nikon-12-24-mm-f-4-g-wide-angle-lens.html


----------



## Texas Parrothead

I have been *extremely *please with all of my Sigma lenses. Their build quality beats Tamaron IMO. 

The 70-200mm 2.8 is fantastic....and I don't even have the OS version of that one.

I am very please with my 17-50mm 2.8 as well (took the tamaron version of this one back due to build quality).

I would say go with Sigma or Tamaron for now and get all 3 lenses. If you feel one of them is lacking you can save up for the much more expensive Nikon version and still have 3 very solid lenses in your bag until you have saved up enough for 1 Nikon.


----------



## djacobox372

Texas Parrothead said:


> I have been *extremely *please with all of my Sigma lenses. Their build quality beats Tamaron IMO.
> 
> The 70-200mm 2.8 is fantastic....and I don't even have the OS version of that one.
> 
> I am very please with my 17-50mm 2.8 as well (took the tamaron version of this one back due to build quality).
> 
> I would say go with Sigma or Tamaron for now and get all 3 lenses. If you feel one of them is lacking you can save up for the much more expensive Nikon version and still have 3 very solid lenses in your bag until you have saved up enough for 1 Nikon.


 
I'm not sure if I agree about the build quality of sigma being better... it looks and feels better, as their lenses are typically bigger and heavier then tamron; however, it seems more common to hear of problems with sigma lenses then tamron.


----------



## Texas Parrothead

djacobox372 said:


> Texas Parrothead said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have been *extremely *please with all of my Sigma lenses. Their build quality beats Tamaron IMO.
> 
> The 70-200mm 2.8 is fantastic....and I don't even have the OS version of that one.
> 
> I am very please with my 17-50mm 2.8 as well (took the tamaron version of this one back due to build quality).
> 
> I would say go with Sigma or Tamaron for now and get all 3 lenses. If you feel one of them is lacking you can save up for the much more expensive Nikon version and still have 3 very solid lenses in your bag until you have saved up enough for 1 Nikon.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure if I agree about the build quality of sigma being better... it looks and feels better, as their lenses are typically bigger and heavier then tamron; however, it seems more common to hear of problems with sigma lenses then tamron.
Click to expand...

 
Good point and i wouldn't want to argue as I know of many who are very pleased with their Tamarons!

I do love my Sigma's though and was just on B&H pricing the Sigma 24 - 70mm f/2.8!


----------



## Andrew Anthony

I have the D7000 and made a big mistake trying some of the 3d party lenses... I owned the Tokina 50-135 f2.8 since on the crop is is close to the 70 -200 however it was not anywhere as sharp as the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII and i ended up selling the Tokina and stepping up to the Nikon... I also just recently made the move to the Nikon 24-70 F2.8 as I owned the Tamron version which wasn't bad but no where close to the Nikon... I would suggest waiting and saving because otherwise you'll end up like me and having to buy things twice


----------



## Texas Parrothead

Andrew Anthony said:


> I have the D7000 and made a big mistake trying some of the 3d party lenses... I owned the Tokina 50-135 f2.8 since on the crop is is close to the 70 -200 however it was not anywhere as sharp as the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII and i ended up selling the Tokina and stepping up to the Nikon... I also just recently made the move to the Nikon 24-70 F2.8 as I owned the Tamron version which wasn't bad but no where close to the Nikon... I would suggest waiting and saving because otherwise you'll end up like me and having to buy things twice



@ Andrew

So did the 3rd party lenses perform better for you on the D80 compared to the D7000?

Just curious if I am going to have an issue with my Sigma's when i go to a D7000.


----------



## 2WheelPhoto

Andrew Anthony said:


> I have the D7000 and made a big mistake trying some of the 3d party lenses... I owned the Tokina 50-135 f2.8 since on the crop is is close to the 70 -200 however it was not anywhere as sharp as the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII and i ended up selling the Tokina and stepping up to the Nikon... I also just recently made the move to the Nikon 24-70 F2.8 as I owned the Tamron version which wasn't bad but no where close to the Nikon... I would suggest waiting and saving because otherwise you'll end up like me and having to buy things twice


 
My D7000 came today and its getting its first charge as we type. 

Just curious, do the Nikon lenses perform about $4500 better than the others you didn't like?  For example. the 24-70 Tamron was it just "slighty" softer at its extremes and higher/lower apertures that could maybe be worked around, or was it just a crappy all around lens?  Thats the one I was thinking about purchasing. The only glass i have now other than Nikon is the 11-16mm Tokina and on my old D5000 I was really very happy with it.


----------



## cnutco

Nikon ALL the way!!!

Sounds like you need to start with the 17 - 55 or the 24 - 70...


----------



## KmH

cnutco said:


> Nikon ALL the way!!
> Sounds like you need to start with the 17 - 55 or the 24 - 70...


Or the way less expensive : http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/buy-sell/243848-fs-nikon-af-24-85-mm-f-2-8-4d-if-w-1-2-macro.html


----------

