Re: Nikon Lens suggestions

I've been following this thread for a while, now, and thought I'd just throw my $0.02 if nor what it's worth. About 10 years or so ago I reentered photography after a 8 year absence... and picked up a new (then) Nikon D80. I'd been using Nikon equipment for about 30 years before that, and feel most comfortable with it in my hands. All of my current lenses are excellent... in several cases I've paid some big bucks for camera bodies and lenses, since I long ago learned that there is no substitute for good equipment. Now I use a Nikon D810 (and have a D600 as a second back up body... the D80 bit the dust a few years ago.)

Having shot transparency film,almost exclusively since 1967, I think I know a thing or two about exposing. Most of the time these days, I'm content to let the camera pick a complimentary aperture for the shutter speed I choose, as a result of years of shooting trains and other moving things. And I have enough experience to know when the exposure needs adjustment (having instant access to the image is a big help...) Years of shooting large format images (4x5 b&w as well as chrome) have trained me to wait until the right time... and nowadays I break my training and just blast away (thank God for digital...). During film days I kept a waste basket handy for the not-quite shots, and once had the reputation of having a large percentage of usable shots.

I also agree with most of you about using crop sensors... most of the time you don't need the extreme resolution (not to mention file size...) that the full format (FX) cameras can generate, especially if you only look at them on your monitor or post here. However, there are two points (well, maybe three) that I'd like to make... first of all the D810 has an amazing amount of shadow detail available... images that would be completely blocked up on film (or older sensors) are just fine from the D810. For example...



This image was taken with my D810 at Niles Canyon a couple of years ago... due to where they dropped us off for the runby during the ride, everyone is on the dark side of the locomotive. In film days, it would have been completely blocked up and no detail would be apparent on the shadow side of the 2472... but look at this image and I think you'll agree that the shot is very well detailed... in fact it may fool some into thinking it's properly exposed... but look at where the shadows are.

I'm not that impressed with the new generation of mirrorless cameras... but I agree that they have a place these days. However I think that the way most people hold them is not condusive to getting sharp images... in spite of such whiz-bang wonders like image stabilization. With a DSLR, you hold the camera to your eye, and hold the camera in two hands... a much more stable way of holding it than holding it at arm's length. I have a mirrorless camera (a Fuji X-20) that has a viewfinder, so I can get more stability than with holding it out at arm's length. And don't get me started with electronic viewfinders... they eat batteries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-rats.

One more thing... I would highly recommend using Thom Hogan's site for evaluation of Nikon gear... Thom is a long-time photographer and editor (in the electronics field). His evaluation of camera bodies and lenses is probably the most thorough, and he draws on his experience to describe quite thoroughly and (more importantly) is unbiased. Check him out at www.bythom.com.