# Nikon D90 Setup



## Conker (Sep 30, 2010)

I work as a camp counsellor, and do alot of outdoor and sports shooting. I'm looking for a good setup, to make things easy, and quick for all around shooting, and everything in between. I'm looking at getting:
- Nikon AF-S Dx Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED
- SB-900 Speedlight
- Nikon AF-S 70-300 f/4-5.6G VR
- Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
- Nikon AF-S 85mm f/3.5 IF ED VR ll Dx Mircro Nikkor 
- Nikon AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED Macro telephoto
- Sigma AF 150-500mm f/5.0-6.3 APO DG HSM OS zoom (Nikon)
- Kata Bags HB-207 GDC Hiker Backpack
- Gary Fong Puffer pop-up flash difusser
- Gary Fong Lightsphere universal starter kit
- Nikon SD-9 high performance battery pack for SB-900
- Nikon SJ-3 Colour filter set for SB-900
- Manfrotto 785K Modo Maxi Tripod w/785 bay
- Panasonic 16GB SDHC Video Card 22 MB/sec (Class 10)
- Nikon En-EL3e Battery 

Any input you guys have would be great. I'm relatively new to the art of photography, bought a D90 during June of this summer, and I am totally loving it. I am planning on getting serious in the sport quite soon, but I always like to ask around opinions to see what the pros think.

Thanks guys,
Conker


----------



## supraman215 (Sep 30, 2010)

That is quite a list. Nothing too exciting on here except for the 80-200 2.8 Nikon. I rented this one. Loved it. I've heard the 150-500 is a POS. The 70-300 is alright but you won't need it if you get the 80-200. The gary fong pop up diffuser is good too.

Start focusing on taking pictures, and not gear. I know it's hard but you need to get some skill and understanding before you start buying ANY gear.

Understanding exposure is a good book.


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

I have been trying to get alot of practice in, and I think I'm making a bit of headway. I've been reading about exposure and aperture quite a bit, and am trying to get the hang of understanding them, and have been experimenting alot with them. Are there any lenses in that list, that cancel each other out since they do the same job? Who is "Understanding Exposure" by?


----------



## ghache (Oct 1, 2010)

Are you gonna buy this at the same time?


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

No, probably not all at the same time. I'm thinking I'll get these first:
- Nikon AF-S Dx Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED
- SB-900 Speedlight
- Nikon AF-S 70-300 f/4-5.6G VR
- Gary Fong Puffer pop-up flash difusser
- Nikon SD-9 high performance battery pack for SB-900
- Manfrotto 785K Modo Maxi Tripod w/785 bay
- Panasonic 16GB SDHC Video Card 22 MB/sec (Class 10)

Followed later by:
- Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
- Nikon AF-S 85mm f/3.5 IF ED VR ll Dx Mircro Nikkor 
- Nikon AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED Macro telephoto
- Sigma AF 150-500mm f/5.0-6.3 APO DG HSM OS zoom (Nikon)
- Kata Bags HB-207 GDC Hiker Backpack
- Gary Fong Lightsphere universal starter kit
- Nikon SJ-3 Colour filter set for SB-900
- Nikon En-EL3e Battery 

Is that a good order, or would you switch it around any?


----------



## David Dvir (Oct 1, 2010)

That's quite the assortment of lenes.  Very odd choices as well.  You're clearly willing to invest into this so many of these lenses seem to be too slow for you needs.  
You also have a LOT of overlap with these lenses.  Some of these overlaps are VERY odd considering speed of the lens.  Why would want 2 micro lenses?  And why would you want the second one to be a 3.5?  If you've got a 60mm 2.8 micro, that's all you want.
the 70-300, 80-200, and 150-500 is crazy too.  Drop the 70-300 all together, and maybe pick up a 28-105 or something instead.  I like the idea of the 80-200, but if you are wanting the reach, and shooting outdoors, you may as well only get the sigma 150-500.  If you don't need the reach, I'd go with the 80-200 in all honesty.  
With all the money you've saved, you can then drop the 50 1.8 and grab a sigma 50 1.4.  It's by far the sharpest 50 you can get and a great lens that will get you a ton of life.  It's ridiculously sharper then the nikon 1.8 or the nikon 1.4G.

You need to really consider all the little gadgets as well.  Hardware isn't too important, but it's nice to have a full range in lenses.  You should have as little overlap as possible.  and if you're going to be spending that kind of dough, you shouldn't have any lenses slower then 2.8 aside from you telephotos.


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks guys. Bear with me, as I am fairly knew at this, but I am wanting to pursue this seriously. What little gadgets would you reccomend then?


----------



## Neil S. (Oct 1, 2010)

David Dvir said:


> That's quite the assortment of lenes. Very odd choices as well. You're clearly willing to invest into this so many of these lenses seem to be too slow for you needs.
> You also have a LOT of overlap with these lenses. Some of these overlaps are VERY odd considering speed of the lens. Why would want 2 micro lenses? And why would you want the second one to be a 3.5? If you've got a 60mm 2.8 micro, that's all you want.
> the 70-300, 80-200, and 150-500 is crazy too. Drop the 70-300 all together, and maybe pick up a 28-105 or something instead. I like the idea of the 80-200, but if you are wanting the reach, and shooting outdoors, you may as well only get the sigma 150-500. If you don't need the reach, I'd go with the 80-200 in all honesty.
> With all the money you've saved, you can then drop the 50 1.8 and grab a sigma 50 1.4. It's by far the sharpest 50 you can get and a great lens that will get you a ton of life. It's ridiculously sharper then the nikon 1.8.
> ...


 
+1

I agree with this.

OP: Not trying to be offensive, but it seems that you dont really understand focal lengths here.

You should not just buy this much gear until you understand the reason you are buying each lens.

Its better to have 3 really good quality lenses, than 7 mediocre ones im my opinion.

If you have a lot of money to spend and are looking for just a few very good lenses that cover a descent focal range, I would get these:

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Autofocus Lens (Black) 2164

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens 2185 - B&H Photo

Now this combo is pushing $4,000, and I am not sure if that is too much.

The 7 lenses you listed would add up to quite a bit too though.

Keep in mind that these two will give you stunning photos, and will likely not need to be upgraded for a long time. They are also built very well to last.

You can also add a teleconverter to turn that 70-200mm f/2.8 into a 140-400mm f/5.6.

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III (2x) 2189 - B&H Photo Video

If you needed a really wide lens, this one is good:

Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens 2181 - B&H

And if you want a fast lens for portraits (shallow depth of field+more light) these are good:

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Autofocus Lens 2180 - B&H Photo

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D Lens 1931 - B&H Photo Video

Both are very affordable.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

I take no offense, no worries. It is true though, I don't totally understand it all, but I am searching and trying. Perhaps you could help me out?


----------



## Neil S. (Oct 1, 2010)

Conker said:


> I take no offense, no worries. It is true though, I don't totally understand it all, but I am searching and trying. Perhaps you could help me out?


 
I can try.

What do you want to know exactly?


----------



## ghache (Oct 1, 2010)

send me the money, ill help you out.


----------



## EFHATCH1990 (Oct 1, 2010)

Neil s. you've taken the words right out of my mouth. Other than that list an extra battery or two is always good :thumbup:


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

Well, I'd really just like to know some of the basics of SLR photography and some tips. I'm not planning on getting any of that gear for a little while, I just wanted to see what people thought, although I know the list will change. I'm not very good at photography yet, and I'm still shooting on Auto... I would try manual and stuff, but I just don't understand how to change all the settings around, and what to change them to. I'm really just confused. I've tried asking others, but to no avail. Thanks a heap guys.


----------



## EFHATCH1990 (Oct 1, 2010)

have you thought about taking a photography class? some of the principals are a bit easier to learn from an instructor, like reading the light meter adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to obtain a desired effect.


----------



## Neil S. (Oct 1, 2010)

Conker said:


> Well, I'd really just like to know some of the basics of SLR photography and some tips. I'm not planning on getting any of that gear for a little while, I just wanted to see what people thought, although I know the list will change. I'm not very good at photography yet, and I'm still shooting on Auto... I would try manual and stuff, but I just don't understand how to change all the settings around, and what to change them to. I'm really just confused. I've tried asking others, but to no avail. Thanks a heap guys.


 
I found that it helps a ton to just read the manual that came with your DSLR. It is dry at times but it really teaches you a lot.

My first DSLR was a Canon 30D, and I read every page of that manual.

Also reading magazines and books is a huge help.

I currently subscribe to Digital Photographer magazine from the UK, and it is so nice although its quite expensive.


----------



## Derrel (Oct 1, 2010)

The 60 macro and the 85 macro in the same kit do not make much sense...the 60 macro is very demanding to use as a general-purpose lens...the focusing is very hair-trigger on it at normal distances; the 60mm macro is designed as a flat-field, art and document copying lens, for the most part. The new 85mm macro was...I dunno...dreamed up as a solution is search of a problem...either way, you do not need both a 60 and 85mm macro lens...I would drop the 60 entirely. I have a 60 micro, which I bought because the price was simply too good to pass up,and it helped out a friend ( custom knife Maker Darrel Ralph) who sold it to me when he went to Canon. I don't use it too much.

I think the 150-500 is awfully slow,aperture wise; the Sigma 80-400 OS is a slight bit faster,aperture wise, and is about the slowest you can get away with, plus the shorter focal lengths from 80 to 149mm are very handy to have.

I can agree with the 70-300 VR and the 16-85 choices.


----------



## Conker (Oct 1, 2010)

So, Aperture, or the f- number, is essentially, how fast the lense is, and how much light it lets into the sensor? ISO Sensitivity is the amount of light needed to take the pictures, resulting in higher or lower shutter speed? Faster shutter speeds equals mean less blur lines and such, and slower shutter speeds equal more blur? Is it because with Lower shutter speeds, it is exposed longer and lets more light in? And the larger aperture number means more is in focus?

Sorry I'm not very educated guys, I'm really trying to learn.


----------



## Neil S. (Oct 1, 2010)

I am currently working on a new guide about DSLR lenses, and this is what I have so far...

If anyone has any input or any factual errors to point out, I would appreciate it.


*DSLR Lenses &#8211; A guide*​



*Part I: Lens 101*​
- DSLR lenses are simply used to focus and transmit light onto the camera's sensor that is then processed by its electronics into image data. 
- Wikipedia: "A *lens* is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam."


*Part II: Mount* ​
- The lens mount is the opening on the camera body that allows for the attachment of a lens.
- Generally a lens will only work on the mount that it was specifically designed for. 
- There are adapters that allow you to attach one type of mount to another, although they remove the ability for a lens to autofocus.


*Part III: Aperture*​
- The aperture is the opening inside the lens that controls the amount of light that the lens takes in.
- The aperture can be set with camera controls, and this is what is called an f-stop.

*Part IV: Focal Length*​
- The focal length is what determines a lenses field of view.
- Longer focal length results in a narrower field of view.
- There are 5 main types of focal lengths for lenses: Super Wide, Wide, Standard, Telephoto, and Super Telephoto.
- There are also zoom variations of these types that provide the ability to change the focal length of the lens.

*Part V: Glass*​
- The glass elements in a lens are what transmit the light to the sensor.
- The quality of the glass has a direct effect on the ability of the lens to produce high quality images.
- Higher grade glass provides superior sharpness, color, and contrast, among other things.
- There are different types of glass elements that are used in lens construction, as well as different shapes.
- The glass elements inside of a lens are arranged into groups within its body.
- Some of the common shapes used for glass elements are: 
- Exotic glass elements serve to improve image quality, and reduce chromatic aberration. Some common types are: UD, ED, fluorite, FLD, XR, etc.


*Part VI: Construction*​
- The construction of a lens determines its durability, optical performance, features, resistance to the elements, etc.
- Lens construction ranges from cheap plastic to high quality metals. This has a direct effect on the durability, of a lens.
- More expensive lenses are generally built to tighter specifications and with higher grade materials, although there are some exceptions to this.
- Some lenses provide dust and moisture resistant sealing (or weather sealing). This serves to protect the lens from the elements, and is suited for professional use in adverse conditions.


*Part VII: Stabilization*​
- The different forms of optical stabilization allow the use of slower shutter speeds when the lens is handheld.
- These operate by countering the motion or shake of the lens and camera body. Typically this is only needed when shooting handheld, and can be turned off when a tripod is used.
- There are two main types of DSLR stabilization systems: sensor based, and lens based.
- Sensor based stabilization functions by moving the sensor to counteract movement.
- Lens based stabilization system make the adjustments by moving special lens elements within the lens itself to counteract movement.


*Part VIII: Focus System*​
- There are two types of focusing systems for lenses: AF (autofocus), and MF (manual focus).
- MF only lenses require the manipulation of a focusing ring that determines the lens focal point.
- A lens autofocus system provides the ability for the lens to focus itself.
- Most AF lenses also have a focusing ring and the ability to MF as well.
- There are special types of lens autofocus systems that increase speed and reduce noise.


----------



## Neil S. (Oct 1, 2010)

Conker said:


> So, Aperture, or the f- number, is essentially, how fast the lense is, and how much light it lets into the sensor? ISO Sensitivity is the amount of light needed to take the pictures, resulting in higher or lower shutter speed? Faster shutter speeds equals mean less blur lines and such, and slower shutter speeds equal more blur? Is it because with Lower shutter speeds, it is exposed longer and lets more light in? And the larger aperture number means more is in focus?
> 
> Sorry I'm not very educated guys, I'm really trying to learn.


 
Yes the aperture controls how much light the lens lets in, as well as the depth of field. This also determines the "speed" of the lens. Larger aperture=faster lens.

Iso determines how much light the sensor "gathers". Higher Iso means you can shoot in lower light, but it also increases image noise.

Faster shutter speed does mean less blur as a general rule. A faster shutter speed will reduce camera shake, as well as provide the ability to freeze motion. As a general rule without IS, you want at least the same shutter speed as your focal length to get sharp photos.

Yes a higher f-stop, f/11 for example will provide a broader focal range compared to a lower one like f/2.8.

A high f-stop lets in less light though, and would require a higher Iso or slower shutter speed to get a proper exposure.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Conker (Oct 2, 2010)

Definately did help Neil. So a high number f-stop like f/5 means it's going to be significantly slower then a lens with f/1.4? But thef/5 will have a considerablely large amount of more zoom/range?

Thanks a ton Neil. Your guide looks great.


----------



## KmH (Oct 2, 2010)

supraman215 said:


> I've heard the 150-500 is a POS.


You heard wrong.


----------



## Conker (Oct 2, 2010)

Would this be a good setup? 
- Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G IF ED 
- Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G VR ED 
- Nikon AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G DX Nikkor
- SB-900 Speedlight Flash
- Kata Bags DR-467 Digital Rucksack 
                        or
- Kata Bags Bumblebee DL-210 Backpack
- Nikon AF 35mm f/2.0D
- Gary Fong Universal LightSphere Starter kit
- Panasonic 16GB SDHC video card 22mb/sec class 10
- Manfrotto 785K Modo Maxi Tripod c/w 785 bay
- Nikon En-EL3e D90 Battery


----------

