Choosing the Best Lens
Nov 30, 2014 13:40:55 #
Now that I have received much excellent advice from all of you regarding the choice of a camera body, I would be interested in your opinions on lens selection. As I noted in my other post, I currently have a Canon T4i with the 18-135mm USM IS lens. Although I have always used Canon equipment, I am open to switching to Nikon if the camera/lens combination makes more sense for my needs.
I am an avid amateur and am interested in getting the highest quality and sharpness possible. Nikon does offer higher resolution than Canon, but comments in my earlier post suggest that it isn't necessary to go whole hog and get the D810 although the images I have seen are amazing.
If my T4i is good enough and could be improved with a quality lens or lenses, I could stay with Canon and always upgrade the body in the future. However, if a high quality lens would be limited by the quality of the T4i, I would rather upgrade the body as well.
On the other hand, I could make the decision to commit to Nikon which is also excellent. Both the D750 and D810 seem to be great cameras, with the D810 offering amazing resolution. This could be very useful if I wanted to crop a horizontal image to vertical to fit a magazine cover format. The D750 + 24-120 lens combo is on sale now at an attractive price, but perhaps there is a better lens choice for my interest in landscape and fly fishing photography. The two pictures I just posted in my other thread are the type of shots I usually take. I rarely shoot outside of the 24-120 range, although a wider angle lens would be nice at times.
Any advice would again be much appreciated. Thanks.
Phil
I am an avid amateur and am interested in getting the highest quality and sharpness possible. Nikon does offer higher resolution than Canon, but comments in my earlier post suggest that it isn't necessary to go whole hog and get the D810 although the images I have seen are amazing.
If my T4i is good enough and could be improved with a quality lens or lenses, I could stay with Canon and always upgrade the body in the future. However, if a high quality lens would be limited by the quality of the T4i, I would rather upgrade the body as well.
On the other hand, I could make the decision to commit to Nikon which is also excellent. Both the D750 and D810 seem to be great cameras, with the D810 offering amazing resolution. This could be very useful if I wanted to crop a horizontal image to vertical to fit a magazine cover format. The D750 + 24-120 lens combo is on sale now at an attractive price, but perhaps there is a better lens choice for my interest in landscape and fly fishing photography. The two pictures I just posted in my other thread are the type of shots I usually take. I rarely shoot outside of the 24-120 range, although a wider angle lens would be nice at times.
Any advice would again be much appreciated. Thanks.
Phil
Nov 30, 2014 15:23:48 #
Since there are quite a few of you already responding to my "Ready to Upgrade" thread, I decided to move the lens discussion there as well and just posted this there. I would delete this one to avoid duplication, but can't seem to figure out how to do that. My apologies.
Phil
Phil
Nov 30, 2014 15:48:49 #
I shoot Nikon D700 & D7100 a bunch of lenses some Nikon, Tamron & Sigma have a look at my flickr site below for a sample
Nov 30, 2014 16:45:37 #
chemdoc wrote:
Since there are quite a few of you already responding to my "Ready to Upgrade" thread, I decided to move the lens discussion there as well and just posted this there. I would delete this one to avoid duplication, but can't seem to figure out how to do that. My apologies.
Phil
Phil
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CANNOT DO
Nov 30, 2014 17:05:11 #
chemdoc wrote:
Now that I have received much excellent advice fro... (show quote)
First, I think you need to decide how much you are willing to spend. In your previous post you mentioned keeping the lens around $1000. That will not even get you a top tier prime lens outside the normal range, let alone a top tier zoom. And you are considering camera bodies that run close to $3000.
Second, you need to nail down your focal length requirements in full frame equivalent. Note that your 18-135mm lens is an APS-C only lens that is 29-216mm. You can cover most of that range with the two Nikon lenses, 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 for $4300. But then, if you want really top quality, consider primes. You can get a D810, 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, and 85mm f/1.8 for $5000. Canon pricing is similar.
Third, you need to decide whether you will stick with Canon or move to Nikon or consider other options (Sony, Fuji, etc.). The one reason for staying with what you have is if you intend to keep your existing camera and get lenses you can use on it as well as on a new full frame body.
You mention the D750 with 24-120 f/4 lens. Good combo; on sale for less than $3000. Not highest quality, but very good (I have it). If you are limiting yourself to one lens, then that is a good choice. If you have telephoto aspirations, then I would recommend a second lens rather than a single lens (the 70-200 f/4 is a good match, or the 70-200 f/2.8 if you want to consider teleconverters).
You have similar options for Canon. I shoot Panasonic, Olympus, and Nikon, so I can't comment.
Nov 30, 2014 17:42:19 #
Those are good things to consider. Perhaps I am focusing (pardon the pun) too much on the body and not enough on the lenses. My budget is sort of whatever I can talk my wife into. She is currently getting our bathroom remodeled, and with my 60th birthday coming up in a few months, I am hoping to stretch the budget as far as possible.
Dec 1, 2014 08:46:53 #
Bear in mind that much of the quality you see in images is due to the knowledge of the photographer knowing their equipment and how to use it properly. Just getting a new lens or camera won't automatically make your pictures better if you don't know their limitations...
Dec 1, 2014 10:46:00 #
Phil, similar questions to yours are not uncommon in these forums. New photographers seem to be obsessed with sharpness.
All lens manufacturers have access to the same technology and I can guarantee you that it will be most uncommon buying a modern lens that will not give you excellent resolution unless you do not do your part.
The lens you presently own is a very good optic based on what I know since I am a Nikon shooter and to give you a good idea, the late Monte Zucker, an extraordinarily good wedding and portrait photographer used a 28-135 lens for many of his wedding portraits.
Your camera has 18 megapixels and I bet it has all the pixels you need. Believe me, you do not need 36 megapixels.
Your camera is a crop type sensor so when you talk about the Nikon D750 or the D810 you are talking about full frame cameras, a different story.
The combination of the D750 with the 24-140 f4 lens is a very nice combo but if I were in your shoes I would stick to what you have unless the camera is not fulfilling your photographic needs.
I see no reason whatsoever to spend more money buying new gear that actually you do not need. You can do very well with your Canon and lens although if you want to expand your wide angle photography a wide angle lens is obviously justified.
Just my opinion.
All lens manufacturers have access to the same technology and I can guarantee you that it will be most uncommon buying a modern lens that will not give you excellent resolution unless you do not do your part.
The lens you presently own is a very good optic based on what I know since I am a Nikon shooter and to give you a good idea, the late Monte Zucker, an extraordinarily good wedding and portrait photographer used a 28-135 lens for many of his wedding portraits.
Your camera has 18 megapixels and I bet it has all the pixels you need. Believe me, you do not need 36 megapixels.
Your camera is a crop type sensor so when you talk about the Nikon D750 or the D810 you are talking about full frame cameras, a different story.
The combination of the D750 with the 24-140 f4 lens is a very nice combo but if I were in your shoes I would stick to what you have unless the camera is not fulfilling your photographic needs.
I see no reason whatsoever to spend more money buying new gear that actually you do not need. You can do very well with your Canon and lens although if you want to expand your wide angle photography a wide angle lens is obviously justified.
Just my opinion.
Dec 1, 2014 11:08:39 #
"fly fishing photography" = a sports/action based camera. It becomes about fast and acurate focusing and that is a camera issue. The 7DII would take you there with the lens you have.
Dec 1, 2014 12:00:42 #
Screamin Scott wrote:
Bear in mind that much of the quality you see in images is due to the knowledge of the photographer knowing their equipment and how to use it properly. Just getting a new lens or camera won't automatically make your pictures better if you don't know their limitations...
Agreed.
Trust me when I say; you have a fine camera, it will do whatever you need it to do.
Lens also.
I've spent literally 10,000+ on gear and have finally realized that it's not the gear...it's gear-lust.
Plain and simple.
Dec 1, 2014 13:32:16 #
rpavich wrote:
<snip> ...it's not the gear...it's gear-lust.
Plain and simple.
Plain and simple.
You say that like it's a bad thing. :wink:
Dec 1, 2014 13:36:37 #
dsmeltz wrote:
You say that like it's a bad thing. :wink:
Lol...my mistake :)
Dec 1, 2014 15:54:13 #
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