I'm buying a D700, I think, and need lens advice

[Naturegirl]

after reading more I'm thinking Sigma 18-50mm 2.8....and generously giving my kit away . IF I keep the D80 for a bit longer, this is closer to wide than the 24 or 28 would be. And I think it would suffice. And if I do this, I could still opt for a longer zoom now too. But then lies another quesion. If the 70-200 isn't good on the D700 I don't want to bother getting it, even if it would be good on my D80 and I could sell it at some point. What about the Tamron & Sigma copies of the 70-200? And how would they work on the D700 and on my D80? Or the 80-200mm Nikon?

Whatever I get, it has to be :thumbup: on the D700 as well as my D80. I am getting the D700 at some point, but would be willing to hold off on it for the time being. The wedding I have in October is outdoor, and while the reception is indoor, I do have the sb600 and am comfortable with that. And I might not end up doing another wedding til the spring.

Do not get the 18-50 Sigma. That is designed for a crop sensor digital. Will not give full coverage on a D700! Basically any Sigma lens that lists "DC" will not give full coverage on a D700 or film camera.


I would keep the 18-55 your currently have. Buy a 24 or 28-70, and a 70-200. The 24-70 or even 28-70 on a future D700 will be nice and wide. If you keep the 18-55 for now to use on your D80 you will still have a wide lens
Stick with the 24-70 f/2.8 Sigma or 28-75 f/2.8 Tamron.
Either of the 70-200's from Sigma or Tamron will work just fine on your D80 and D700. And of course with Nikon you will want to avoid "DX" lenses if your going to move up to full frame or a film camera in the future (D700).

I know to avoid the DX nikon lenses. I wasn't sure which Sigma/Tamron to avoid though. One thing I keep reading about the Tamron though seems that it's consistently slow in focus, which I wouldn't think would be a good thing for weddings. But exactly how slow is "slow"? Again, from all the research I've done with the Sig/Tam models it seems to be an issue of sometimes just getting stuck with a crappy copy.

 

[itznfb]

if you're going to take weddings seriously i would honestly invest in top quality Nikkor glass. it will make all the difference in the world. i've used top quality "copies" from both Sigma and Tamron. the 18-50mm f/2.8 while having amazing IQ and relatively fast AF... the nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8(dx), 24-70mm f/2.8(fx) and even nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 (fx) will blow away any 3rd party lens in terms of AF speed and especially low light AF speed. the major issue i have with the sigma 18-50mm (DC) and 24-70mm (DG) is the amount and frequency they hunt in low light. it's a major deal breaker for AF speed sensitive circumstances.

these comments are based on my experience... certainly not fact.

 

[Naturegirl]

yes, i plan to take weddings seriously. didn't previously want to do them, but somehow i keep getting the work, and i keep enjoying it, so i think that someone is trying to tell me something

 

[benhasajeep]

For the best performance Nikon is the way to go. All of my lenses but 1 are Nikon f/2.8's or faster. And the 1 other is a Tokina f/2.8.

But there are alot of people doing wedding and sports work with Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron lenses without problems. Weddings are not that fast of action a slightly slower AF is going to effect the situation. If you think of it, weddings were done for decades and some still do them with manual focus!

Lenses hold their value very well. If you were to get 2 fast Sigma or Tamron lenses now. And in a year or two or more decided to upgrade to Nikons. They would still have the majority of their value.

 

[Naturegirl]

So, the 24-70mm (Nikon) is on backorder pretty much everywhere I've looked. How long does that usually last? If I were to go ahead & order it, is there a likelihood that it would be here before the end of September?

 

[benhasajeep]

So, the 24-70mm (Nikon) is on backorder pretty much everywhere I've looked. How long does that usually last? If I were to go ahead & order it, is there a likelihood that it would be here before the end of September?

Really need to call the store. As everything is shipped by container. And this year it seems bad stock wise for alot of nikon equipment. If you catch them with an order comming you may be able to get one before Sep. But who knows, there could be a waiting list for them.

There are several reputable retailers on ebay. May check there. But before bidding make sure its a "real" retailer. I can't check ebay here at work. But you may find one on there.

Check local stores. They may have them in stock!

 

[kundalini]

I bought into the Nikon system to get Nikkor glass. There may be some reasonable alternatives, but at the end of the day, Nikkor and Nikon marry pretty well together.

I went from a D80 > D300 > D700. I've got plenty of glass and 95% of it was purchased while having the D80 alone. I have 3 DX lenses and the 12-24mm is the only one that I'll keep because it works wonders on the D300. All other lenses are FX mounts. I would suggest a similar path.

The Holy Trinity is 14-24mm, 24-70mm & 70-200mm. I have the 12-24mm to mount on the D300 and the other two work fine on a FF. I also have a collection of primes (which I prefer) but if you want zooms, with a D700, stick with Nikkor IMO. You're not likely to loose money at the end of the day.

Just my 2¢.