My last holiday season living with my parents (next year i will be in college).... I can't really think of a reasonably priced gift to ask for....
here's my current set up:
G10
D90
Tokina 12-24
Nikon 18-200 VR
Nikon 50 f/1.8
Flash: SB-600
Bag: Crumpler Five and Seven Million Dollar Home
Tripod: decent but heavy manfroto with ball head.... (my dad's but i use more than he does)
What I want vs. What is reasonable.
Ideally, the 17-55 f/2.8 is about the best nikon glass made specifically for DX. However, it cost about $1150 (ballpark). If I sell some of my stuff, spend my summer employment earnings, combined with my Hanukkah spoils, this is a realistic possibility. Is it worth it?
I am not to jazzed by Nikon's 35mm.
The jump to the d700 is expensive and leaves me without FX lenses.
The thing I kind of want is a light tripod with a good head. Mine is too heavy to carry around everywhere i want thus i use it less than i would like to. Of course i've heard great things about Gitzo but are they worth the money (around $500) for a "traveler"? What is a step down alternative?
Again this is my last holiday season with my family and also the last one when i am not paying for all of my food/rent/expenses/etc..
I hope a couple of gear heads and amateurs alike step up and help me out!
Having been in a pretty similar situation to you I asked for a manfrotto tripod. I got the 190xprob although that's not all that light to be honest. Gitzo are great but I've always found manfrotto to be perfectly fine for my needs. I wanted the canon 17-55mm or something like it but there's no way I can justify the price tag. I also switched from an 18-200mm to a sigma 18-50mm F2.8 although the 18-200 was a sigma too and pretty bad at that. If it helps, my next purchase is going to be a sigma 30mm F1.4. I hear varying reviews and opinions on it but I don't particularly like anything in that range by canon, similar to you with nikon.
Bearmann,
Does nikon make a reasonably priced anything?? haha
I think their 85 mm lens is pretty steep and i can't justify spending over $500 for a fixed focal length....
i know that might cross a few people but being someone who hasn't found their favorite niche in photography as well as being someone who rarely buys lenses/makes big purchases and when i do so, i put a ton of thought into it.
I usually get to borrow stuff from friends before buying but i dont know someone with the 17-55.
my budget.... lets say $500 from relatives/parents/sibs for holidays, then i have some money i COULD spend from my summer jobs but im stingy when it comes to my hard earned money....
I COULD acquire that 17-55 but i need price justification before i part with my funds.
my other idea was some sort of home brew kit..... my physics teacher recently brought in home brewed ginger ale.... best soft drink ive ever had....
I learned many years ago not to get equipment as a gift. The problem is that A) it's all so expensive and B) I tend to sell stuff and buy new stuff relatively often... and people tend to get offended when you sell that lens, or flash, or whatever else. Or at least I feel bad when I do it.
?? haha