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Should I buy the Nikon D80 body only or with lens kit? |
I am looking to purchase a Nikon D80, and wondering if I should just buy the body only. Right now I have a few AF lenses that I used on my F60, so I figure I can still use these (I have an Nikkor 80-200mm AF 4.5-5.6D, a 35-80mm AF 4-5.6D, and a Sigma 28-80mm) on the D80. The price for a D80 body only is CAD$1079. There is a package for CAD$1399 with a 18-70mm DXG lens, or CAD$1349 with a 18-135 DX lens. My friend suggested I just get the body and use my AF lenses, since I want to take a photography course soon. Then I can perhaps spend a little more on nicer DX lenses. Any suggestions? The price with the 18-135 is right on the money. Yes, you do have a few nice useable lenses, but in the D80, you will find that you are not happy with the wide angle end. Since I see you chose to buy a 28-80 for your F60, I know that you appreciate a bit of wide angle. That lens would perform like a 42-120 on the D80 due to the lens or crop factor. You would probably want a wider angle. 18 mm is about the standard wide angle on a DSLR and on the D80 it is the equivalent of a 27 mm lens on a 35 mm camera. We do have the same (likely) 18-70 lens and it's a very good lens for the money. I got one for my wife with her D50 and liked enough to buy as a backup for myself. It does have a metal mount and the 18-135 does not. In fact, if you want to see some photos with this lens, go to my Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei... and click on "Tags." Then click on "D50" or and you will find a few pictures made with the 18-70 lens on a D50. Click on "All sizes" and then "Original" and judge for yourself. Personally, I think I'd lean towards the 18-135 package, though, as you are already well-covered in that sub-80 mm range. It's a decent lens. Not a top level pro lens, but a decent lens. Here is a mini-tutorial I made myself to compare focal lengths. This is NOT a lens test or a camera test! It is merely intended to show the difference between various focal lengths. The lens was the Nikon 18-200 VR lens, which is (by definition) an 11X lens, but that 11X does not tell you what the final image will look like. The camera was a Nikon D200 so there is a 1.5X "crop factor," "lens factor," or "focal length multiplier." There is further explanation on the image itself. It would help if you click on "All Sizes" above the image. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7189769@n04... Here's Rockwell's review on the 18-135, which seems to underwhelm him, but the facts are there for your interpretation. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-135.... Here's his review on the 18-70, which I like. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1870.ht... He makes the point that the newer Series II 18-55 lens is a darn nice lens for the money. Maybe you can find in a kit with the D80. I would only add about $100 to the price of the body. With your collection of existing lenses, you wouldn't need any more for quite a while. Since your question is tied to your "taking a photography course," would you consider not purchasing the D80 at this time, due to the many updates occurring with digital photography. Perhaps you could check out your local professional photo shops where they can "rent" the D80 on those days when you need it to complete an assignment. It would be unfortunate for you when you complete the photography course and the D80 is left in some closet due to non-use. Again, do want to spend so much money at this time, when you are not earning an income? You can always "rent" first and then later "buy" when you become more successful. You should make the future D80 purchase on your own dime. And besides, later on, the price of the D80 will have dropped and you would have saved mucho! Good luck! HI,.:crayon., http://www.photography.com (my eyes are on your lens,.)-- --email the experts on this link the question,. take care bye,.., |
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