amehta...You are totally correct. Nikon primes are totally awesome. They remind of the quote that "Nikon lenses are the reason you buy Nikon." Yes, my 28-300mm has it's use. I can put it on the camera and never take it off on a day trip or vacation and it will give me "good" photos. I've been taking "good" photos all my life...starting with my Canon ftb. However, looking at the photo you posted taken with your 800 and a prime, it shocks me about what is actually possible with an "excellent" lens. I have one, the 50mm 1.8D. I haven't used it much, but I'm going to put it on my 800 one day and go out and shoot it for a day and see what I get. Budget wise, though, I had to start with the camera. I have another question, though. How do you compare the primes to the trinity? I've heard excellent things about the trinity, and the zoom aspect, again, provides convenience.

I totally understand about budget constraints.

I meant to suggest using the 50mm f/1.8D for your next "family shoot". I had the previous incarnation of the trinity: 17-35mm f/2.8, 28-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR I. As you saw, I've sold two, and the third has been used once in a year and a half. I found I used the zooms at the "edges", so getting primes at 14mm, 24mm, 85mm, and 300mm seemed to fit what I was doing with the zooms.

I did rent a 24-70mm f/2.8 for a wedding last Nov, and while the 24mm and 85mm would have given better IQ, the versatility of the zoom was helpful in the venue. That wedding was also when the 70-200mm was used.

Sadly, no, I appreciate my primes with the D800. The problem with digital pictures is that it's so easy to just click on the picture for 100% magnification, and on my little laptop, that still effectively shows a portion of a 3' wide picture, viewed from less than 2' away. So I know I'm looking too close, but I prefer it sharper.

I know we're completely off topic, though if the OP is still interested in what FF can do, talking about the D800 is almost relevant. :-)

This shot was taken with the Nikon 85mm f/1.4, but the 85mm f/1.8 should be very comparable, and it's relatively inexpensive (given the scale already defined by the D800 ;-) ). It is cropped to basically the same size as the crop of your son. Granted, this was a studio portrait session with a friend, but outdoor shots with the 85mm are just as sharp. And, since nobody wants a portrait to be quite that detailed, the second shot is after post processing (DxO Optics Pro + Portrait Professional).