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Archive 2015 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?

  
 
Arrevelle
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


I need some advice because I am more confused than ever.

Background: hobby photographer. D7000, 50mm 1.8, kit 18-105 and a very old quantary 70-300 lol
Shoot mostly action such as fishing, water sports and farming landscapes. Lots of tractors and such. Occassional kids and dogs. Normal family stuff. Mostly outdoors and not a lot in low light.

That being said, I have decided I need/want a zoom! I need the reach. I actually pulled out the 70-300 out of sheer desperation for reach and took pictures of the kids tubing and they turned out better than i thought. I definitley want a 2.8 but my question is the 70-200 vri, vrii or even the 80-400.

I am ready to buy now and am on the fence. I am a nursing student and fit this in when I can. I love photography and cant wait to have more time to focus on it. Would it be wise to start out with the 80-200? Ive heard great things about it with the d7000. I have no plans to switch to FF anytime soon. Maybe add a 17-55 2.8 as well then im covered? Or just put it all in the 70-200 vr2?

All your thoughts are greatly appreciated! Trying to doll out my money in a way that makes the most sense.



Mar 31, 2015 at 04:37 PM
BSPhotog
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


For the use that you described, it sounds like you need more on the long end. AF is pretty indispensable for shooting anything that moves, especially as small as the view finders are with many of the Nikon DSLRs like the D7000 (I'm assuming the Quantary 70-300 is MF only). 70-200 VR is a solid choice if you need the VR and there are a couple of 3rd party that you might consider as well. Sigma and Tamron both make a well regarded 70-200 with VR (they will call it OS/IS). If you're mostly shooting outdoors and in good light, VR may not be as much of a concern. In that case, the 80-200 can be had for a steal. There are a few on the Buy/Sell forum here in the upper $500 to lower $600 range [full disclosure and shameless plug, I have one listed right now https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1350895/].

Most of your comments above mention wanting more reach than your 18-105 gives, though you do mention shooting scenery, tractors, and kids as well. You'd probably benefit most by adding some kind of 70 or 80-200 f/2.8 zoom first and continue with the 18-105 for the wider stuff at first. If you decide you need better quality and maybe a wider aperture, the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS is tough to beat for the money. New they are around $500 and if you shop carefully, you can snag one for $300 or less used.



Mar 31, 2015 at 05:02 PM
Geoff CB
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


70-200 VR1 is still a fantastic lens, not sharp in the corners, but who needs corner sharpness anyway

Tokina 50-135 is also a great lens on the D7000, and can be found in the $300-450 range. Or the first gen Sigma 50-150.



Mar 31, 2015 at 05:05 PM
Arrevelle
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


If I understand right, i really wont need the VR for action stuff just still life etc? Also, ive read the 70-200 vri is better with DX? But with the price of the vri vs. vrii, there really isnt that much sVings. Not like the 80-200 price point.

Some people say buy new, some say used is good? Opinions? Im worried about getting a lemon if I buy used.



Mar 31, 2015 at 05:14 PM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


You mention that low light isn't a problem, so if I were you I'd probably grab a 70-200/4 VR. Same sharpness as the 2.8 II version, but half the size, price & weight. You get a pro-grade AF motor as well, which will be way faster than your 70-300. It's also still got you covered if you ever move to full frame, and has the latest version of VR. If you're dead set on the 2.8, you can get away the VR1 version as well if you don't see yourself moving to full-frame anytime soon, but the VR2 version is significantly better on full frame than the VR1 version.

If you want to add something more on the wide end, I'd keep the 18-105 for mid-range stuff, and buy an ultra-wide like a 10-24 for those tractor and landscape shots. If you want to replace the 18-105, skip the Nikon 17-55/2.8 and grab a Sigma 17-50/2.8 OS or Tamron 17-50 VC II.

Also whatever you choose, consider buying in Canada to save 20-25% thanks to your strong dollar. You still get the full warranty in the extremely unlikely event something goes wrong in the first 5 years. The 70-200/2.8 VR2 is around $1,700 and the 70-200/4 is around $1,000 at the moment.

I am not as big of a fan of the 80-200's as some people are, even though the optics are still good. VR is so *incredibly* useful in that range, even more so on a DX body like your D7000 where the field of view becomes 300mm. The modern 70-200 VR's can be had for such good prices these days that I wouldn't bother with the 10+ year old 80-200 lenses. You get all the latest lens coatings too. Just my thoughts anyway, YMMV.



Mar 31, 2015 at 05:19 PM
BSPhotog
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


CanadaMark wrote:
You mention that low light isn't a problem, so if I were you I'd probably grab a 70-200/4 VR. Same sharpness as the 2.8 II version, but half the size, price & weight. You get a pro-grade AF motor as well, which will be way faster than your 70-300. It's also still got you covered if you ever move to full frame, and has the latest version of VR. If you're dead set on the 2.8, you can get away the VR1 version as well if you don't see yourself moving to full-frame anytime soon, but the VR2 version is
...Show more


Good point about the 70-200 f/4 VR! That should really be a solid contender for sure. It is hard to know if VR is absolutely necessary for everyone, especially with an f/2.8 lens. If you're shooting action, a wide aperture will help keep your shots crisp by allowing a higher shutter speed. This applies to both camera shake and moving subjects. The 70-200 f/4 loses a stop of light, but has VR. This means that it will allow a slower shutter speed to be used than would normally be acceptable without introducing camera shake. This doesn't help freeze motion, however. I think the 70-200 f/4 VR claims 2 or 3 stops of VR, so if you are normally able to shoot zoomed to 200mm with a 1/400s shutter speed and get a crisp image with no shake without VR, the VR would give you the same crisp image at 1/100s or 1/50s, respectively. Again, this does nothing for motion blur.

With a purchase like this, it is always great if you can rent/borrow a lens first to see how it fits your needs. I typically haven't needed VR on the long end with my 80-200, but I keep my shutter speed high when it is bright out or tripod/monopod the lens to keep it stable. I'm selling mine because I picked up a prime that fits my needs better on the long end.

If you do consider an 80-200, definitely spring for the 2-ring version (most current) as opposed to the push-pull. Also, avoid the 80-200 AF-S like the plague as they are pretty prone to AF motor failure. Good luck!



Mar 31, 2015 at 05:31 PM
Arrevelle
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


Canadamark, which places do you recommend to buy from in Canada


Mar 31, 2015 at 06:07 PM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


Arrevelle wrote:
If I understand right, i really wont need the VR for action stuff just still life etc? Also, ive read the 70-200 vri is better with DX? But with the price of the vri vs. vrii, there really isnt that much sVings. Not like the 80-200 price point.

Some people say buy new, some say used is good? Opinions? Im worried about getting a lemon if I buy used.


VR isn't only useful for allowing lower shutter speeds of static subjects, it also helps stabilize the viewfinder which can be very useful for subject tracking or panning. It won't help freeze motion, however.

The 70-200VR1 's downfalls (mostly corner sharpness and vignetting) are not really present on a DX camera since the sensor is only using the center portion of the lens designed for a full frame sensor. The 70-200VR2 is a slightly better lens regardless of DX or FX, but the differences are much smaller on a DX body than FX.

Nothing wrong with well cared for used equipment, and you're much better off buying from the buy/sell section on a forum like FM than eBay or Craig's List. That being said, a lot of people seem to be asking the same for their used lenses as they cost brand new, so just make sure you're getting a fair deal.

To answer your question about buying in Canada, the go-to place is henrys.com. It is a reputable, brick & mortar store in Eastern Canada that will ship to the USA for around $15 via USPS. You shouldn't have to pay any additional fees (confirmed by several members on here), not even state tax. Your first year of warranty is valid in the USA, and the remaining 4 years are still valid in Canada - you will just need to ship it a little further North if something happens, which is an extremely minor inconvenience considering the savings, and the very low likelihood of anything requiring warranty work.




Mar 31, 2015 at 06:48 PM
Two23
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


I shoot similar things and had a D7100. I'm going to suggest to you a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 OS and a Nikon 70-200mm f4 VR. The problem with something like the 70-200mm f2.8 VR (I have one) is they are pretty big and bulky. I just don't see this as a good fit at all. Remember, there is no "best" lens. The idea is to fit the gear to the use. I'll add that I buy virtually everything used, either from here or ebay. I saved thousands of dollars last year.


Kent in SD



Mar 31, 2015 at 08:02 PM
InlawBiker
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?


Ditto, I use the Sigma 18-50 2.8 OS and Nikon 80-200 2.8 AFD. I would rather have the Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR but I mostly shoot action so I don't really need VR and saved a few bucks with the 80-200.

Mostly I like to shoot sports and considered switching to Canon just for the 70-200 f4 L, which is very cheap and a great lens. The existence of the Nikon 80-200 2.8 D cancels that out, it is a truly great lens that is actually affordable. If you need the VR I would not hesitate to buy the VR1. But if you really want f/2.8 and don't mind the weight then the 80-200 is really something else.



Mar 31, 2015 at 08:13 PM
Mar73
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Which lens to buy for my d7000?




CanadaMark wrote:
If you want to add something more on the wide end, I'd keep the 18-105 for mid-range stuff, and buy an ultra-wide like a 10-24 for those tractor and landscape shots.


I agree with Mark. Keep the 18-105 now and pick up an ultra-wide. I love my sigma 10-20. It is my second favorite lens. My favorite is the 70-200.



Mar 31, 2015 at 09:33 PM





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