D80 Accessory Suggestions

Hey All,

I have been browsing this site for years and finally decided to take the plunge on a dSLR setup. Hopefully I can get you guys to give me some advice. ;o)

I am coming from a Sony Cybershot 5MP camera that I bought years ago. It works well, but the zoom is only 4x and is very slow. Worthless for much of anything other than full light scenics or some indoor flash type pictures.

What I use it for:
Kids sports (mainly football)
Kids plays/theatre
Family Events/Parties
Vacations (going to hawaii this December)
Scenic pictures (mountains, nature, etc.)
Portraits

Budget: ~$1600

What I need:
Camera - D80
Lense(s) - 18-135mm & 70-300mm VR or 18-200mm VR
Tripod - Use it for video and camera.
Flash - SB600? Not sure if this is over kill.
Bag - Something functional to keep all my gear in.
Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help? 4Gig a good size?

I need the most help with the lense choice, I really have no clue other than reading these forums the past week. I am very familiar with Photoshop and am your typical computer geek.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

-Jason

get the D80
get the 70-300mm VR
get a nikon 18-70mm
get a sb-600

maybe
get a sigma 10-20
get a nikon 50mm prime

--
http://berlinguyinca.blogspot.com/

Glad you know how to make decisions, I have been bouncing around not knowing what to do.

Thanks! ;o)

Mind elaborating on why the 10-20mm and 50mm? What will it do that the other lenses won't? What situations are they ideal for?

For kids' sports and theater and for family events, I think you're going to want a faster lens than the 18-135. Look into the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. The 50mm f/1.8 is a must for all SLR owners, but I like my 35mm f/2 better and now never really use the 50 much anymore.

70-300 VR is a great lens, you can't go wrong there.

A flash is great, but you won't be able to use it at either the sporting events or the theater events.
--


http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_graceful/

JJSmith said:

Lense(s) - 18-135mm & 70-300mm VR or 18-200mm VR

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Go for the 18-200 VR if you can afford it. You will want the 300mm for sports.
Also get the 85mm f 1.8 for plays as there dark.

JJSmith said:

Tripod - Use it for video and camera.

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JJSmith said:

Flash - SB600? Not sure if this is over kill.

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Yes get a good flash. If you can afford it go for the SB800.

JJSmith said:

Bag - Something functional to keep all my gear in.

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JJSmith said:

Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help? 4Gig a good size?

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4 GB is plenty for most if you can dump your card to a laptop at the end of the day when you travel. Otherwise you may want more.

You don't have to purchase everything at one time Jason. You can make some choices once you are going and see how you feal.

Morris

--



http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~morris/POD

I'll stay away from lens advice as there are better qualified people here. But on accessories, I'll tell you about my choices and current shopping/wish list.

JJSmith said:

What I use it for:
Kids sports (mainly football)
Kids plays/theatre
Family Events/Parties
Vacations (going to hawaii this December)
Scenic pictures (mountains, nature, etc.)
Portraits

Budget: ~$1600

What I need:
Tripod - Use it for video and camera.

Click to expand...

Yep, along with lens hood and external flash these would be at the top of the basic accessories list.

JJSmith said:

Flash - SB600? Not sure if this is over kill.

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External flash is IMHO a high priority - the D80 builtin flash is very good but external is a quantum improvement on any camera.

I have an SB600 it is overkill unless you're planning on seriously developing your flash photography. Otherwise a lower model would suffice for general purpose family occasions etc.

Bounce flash is the key feature of the 600, along with greater power/reach.

If you're getting a flash that will swivel/bounce, buy a diffuser (if the flash doesn't come with one - the SB600 doesn't include a diffuser). The diffuser will produce immediate improvement in the lighting for bounce flash, without any effort (my experience to date).

JJSmith said:

Bag - Something functional to keep all my gear in.

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My choice is a large bag that holds ALL my gear, instruction books, etc. Plus room for non-photographic basics like sunglasses, phone, PDA etc. Mainly it stays at home! But it is handy to be able to throw all the gear into the car in one hit, especially for travelling (which is where the non-photographic part is handy, it turns into a general travel bag that just happens to include mainly photographic gear!)

You might want a smaller bag for "regular use" ; that is next on my shopping list but not a high priority as I rarely go on "field trips" where I want to take less than everything but more than just the camera.

I also use a snoot case for the D80 with 18-200 lens mounted, for "walking around".

JJSmith said:

Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help? 4Gig a good size?

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Other suggestions:

• Second battery. You'll get 600-1000 shots out of the D80 battery depending on how much builtin flash, AF, VR and LCD preview you do. But it takes several hours to fully recharge and of course if it fails you're gone. So a second battery should be high on the list, even if you're not planning major expeditions where you'll take over 600-700 shots on a single battery.

• Plus of course once you have the second battery, this gives you an excuse to buy the ultra-cool MB-D80 grip

• Expodisc or similar grey card.

• Microfibre cloth. I have one in my bag, plus a thing called a "Spudz" which is a cloth that stuffs into a little pocket about 1cm square, and hangs off the camera strap so I've always got it with me. Sort of like one of those travel bags that stuffs into a small pocket. I love it.

Hope this helps.

--

Arrowman said:

Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help?

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In most cases, a faster memory card is of no use in the camera. Even the slowest card will keep up with your shooting unless you're shooting raw at 3fps for 100 shots in a row. And even then....

The speed of the card is more significant when you are uploading your pictures to your computer. But even then, it may be just a cup of coffee's difference

The first 2 cards I bought were Sandisk Extreme III - the fastest they make. But my next purchase was a standard Sandisk card. It's noticeably slower for download to the computer but no big deal. And cheaper; I think it's better to have more cards, than a few faster cards.

Arrowman said:

4Gig a good size?

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if you're shooting raw, yes. Maybe 2GB. Again, I think more smaller cards is better than fewer larger cards so I would think twice before buying a 4GB card instead of 2x2GB cards.

OK, so you have to change cards more often. You also run less risk of losing a whole bunch of photos, or not being able to take more photos, because a card failed (ie you're more likely to have a spare on hand).

PS Use Nikon certified cards such as Sandisk. Why take risks?

--

Thank you for all these suggestions, some things I haven't though about before.

When I bought my camera + lens I was focused on that, and budget constrained, so I didn't think much about accessories.

Since then I've made a little list and put it in order of importance (to me). And every now and then I buy myself a present

It helps if you take a bit of a long term view and promise not to buy a new accessory until you have mastered the last one bought! And see it as a long and enjoyable journey.

Have fun!

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Your list looks very good to me. Start with the D80 and the 18-135mm as a kit it is hard to beat the value of this combo. Add the 70-300VR. Even having both of these lenses you will generally save over the 18-200, plus have more range and better quality within their respective zoom.

I initially thought external flash was overkill, but it is definitely worth it. Buy the Sb-600 (about $180) and the extra battery from some place like http://www.bhphoto.com

Any decent memory card will do. I have been buying 2GB Sandisk Extreme III's on special. I would rather have a few 2GB cards than 1 4GB card for safety.

Don't buy a small camera bag, because it will fill up quickly. I would recommend a small backpack from one of the major brands (Lowepro is a good start). Check out this site: http://www.cambags.com

Tripods are important, but you'll want to start an entirely separate thread for this one as the topic is much more involved than you can imagine.

Of course, leave some money for a few books and decent software (ex. Adobe Lightroom).

Trust me...it gets expensive, but don't feel like you need to do it all at once. In fact, it is probably best if you take your time. The D80 kit and the extra battery is a good place to start.

--
Doug

yatesd said:

Your list looks very good to me. Start with the D80 and the 18-135mm
as a kit it is hard to beat the value of this combo. Add the
70-300VR.

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Assuming that he buys mail-order, that puts him up to $1,600 (his budget) plus shipping. I hope he already has some SD cards and a camera bag (granted, two high-speed cards and a medium-size bag would only add $100 - $150 or so).

yatesd399606 said:

Buy the Sb-600 (about $180) and the extra battery ..

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Good choices, but now you see how the budget-busting begins!

morris said:

Member said:

Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help? 4Gig a good size?

Click to expand...

4 GB is plenty for most if you can dump your card to a laptop at the
end of the day when you travel. Otherwise you may want more.

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Fast cards are pretty cheap. I paid something like $41 each for 2 GB Extreme IIIs; Ultra IIs (which might have been plenty fast) would have been only $6 less.

If you buy 4 GB cards, make sure they are SDHC cards -- and that your computer's card reader is new enough to support both the SD and SDHC formats. I've read that non-SDHC "SD" cards with more than 2 GB of memory are non-standard.

JJSmith said:

Portraits

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It's hard to beat the cost/benefit ratio of the 50mm 1.8 and an external flash. The lens is tack-sharp and fast enough to give you some great DOF options; the flash has better diffusing options than the built-in (I use ABBC - I like it better than the Lightsphere I used); and a CLS flash like the SB-600/800 opens up a whole world of options.

JJSmith said:

Tripod - Use it for video and camera.

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Critical for landscapes - panning, long exposure, multiple exposure (e.g. HDR). Make sure it's one you want to carry to all those great locations you're shooting.

JJSmith said:

Memory Card - Does a faster memory card really help? 4Gig a good size?

Click to expand...

I've never had a memory card that wasn't faster than me. I got mine (3x2GB, 2x4GB) free, or almost (

JJSmith said:

I need the most help with the lense choice, I really have no clue
other than reading these forums the past week.

Click to expand...

... and we don't know exactly what you're going to be doing, or how much you value lens speed vs. size vs. cost vs. zoom versatility vs. .... My advice is to start with a good, general purpose lens like the 18-135 (a great deal as a kit lens) and go shooting for a while. You can best judge what you're missing.

I never have been good at keeping my budget, it will likely inch up to $2000 within a month. ;o)

Shooting RAW (no JPEG) a 4 gig card gives me 320 + frames per card and a 2 gig card only 130, so a bigger card is cost effective IF your computer's card reader is SDHC capable. Faster cards make very little difference except for burst shooting.

If you are happy to carry a bag the 18-135 + 70-300 VR is an excellent combination, but you need a bag for the 70-300.

Les Olson said:

Les Olson said:

Les Olson said:

"Other suggestions:

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Les Olson said:

Les Olson said:

Les Olson said:

• Second battery. You'll get 600-1000 shots out of the D80 battery

depending on how much builtin flash, AF, VR and LCD preview you do. But it

takes several hours to fully recharge and of course if it fails you're gone. So a

second battery should be high on the list, even if you're not planning major > > > expeditions where you'll take over 600-700 shots on a single battery."

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Couldn't agree more. Fortunately you have a stand-alone charger that comes with the camera so one battery is charged/charging while you're using the other. it's a must.

Don't forget filters in your list. At a minimum a good UV or protective filter for each lens. Cheaper to replace a scratched filter than the whole lense if damaged. Secondly, I personally think a circular polarizer is a must if you do any outdoor photography. The impact on the sky is immediate, likewise reflections.

For cases I have the Lowepro "snoot" bag as described above for my D80/18-200 and it's perfect for walkaround protection. I also bought the Lowepro Sling AW-200 for carrying everything but I've already found the error of my ways in that it's filling up quickly. The AW300 might have been a better choice. Best thing to do for storage is to go to a well stocked camera store and eyeball the bags. Picture how you would fill them with your present and future gear. And try them on to see which is comfortable and which is not, check how you access your gear (does the whole thing have to come off or can you reach in on the fly). There's some great stuff out there from Lowepro and Tamrac. Kata seems to have some nifty bags as well but I don't see them as much.

UV filters? Polarizers? So any downside to these, and other than the obvious scratch protection, how much do they really help?

Thanks again for the feedback, pulling my list together nicely.

-Jason

I agree with getting a good prime lens though. Depending on what kind of focal length you're looking for. A 35mm f/2 is great all purpose and decently on the wide end for most events. Where as a 50mm f/1.8 is just amazingly cheap for it's quality, and a 85 f/1.8 is still fairly cheap if you need a longer reach.

Some events/plays etc will limit the use of a flash and a good fast lens is usually needed. The 18-70 and 70-300 will work great. Up until the point where you have less light to work with (indoors mainly). These low light shots are where the Kit lenses have problems, especially without flash.

If you can afford the SB-800, do so. It's been so much fun to work with. The Sigma 10-20 isn't needed right off (or any other Ultra wide angle lens) if you're sticking to a budget. At 18mm you can still get a wide enough view to get a good landscape shot.

After buying you're camera though, you'll learn a lot and be interested in getting quality glass, and putting more investment into you're lenses. I bought a 50 f/1.4 after a week of getting my D80. A Sigma 10-20 after a month.. And then replaced the 18-70 Kit lens with a 17-55DX and added an SB-800 after about 3months. And plan on getting a 70-200VR.. Fairly expensive but addicting little hobby heh.

--

First shot may not be the last; but it's usually the first shot that counts the most.

An extra cost per lens for the UV/protector. Extra cost per different lens diameter for circular polarizers (if you want to use them on all of your lenses. You lose an insignificant amount of light with a UV or protector filter (at least with the good ones). The circular polarizer when in full effect will take 2 stops of light. Do a search on circ polarizers and see the difference they make. You'll be hooked. And while you can deepen the sky with Photoshop you can't recover what's otherwise lost from glare or reflection.

The only other downside I can think of with a circular polarizer is that if you use ultra-wide lenses it can create an uneven light/dark/light sky. This actually looks pretty cool and can be used to creative effect but may also get in the way of how you want an image to look.

JJSmith said:

UV filters? Polarizers? So any downside to these, and other than the
obvious scratch protection, how much do they really help?

Thanks again for the feedback, pulling my list together nicely.

-Jason

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Check out these comparisons with and without a circ polarizer:

http://www.tiffen.com/polarizer_pics.htm

Tiffen's site happened to be the first Google hit. But you can see immediately the benefit of this filter. Its greatest impact is when you are shooting at a 90 degree angle to the sun.