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Nikon Quality

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A pro might use a Canon 5D (or other full-frame Canon DSLR) and 28-300 IS USM L lens, giving the field of view of a Nikon DSLR and 18-200 VR.

If you shoot hard and often, consumer grade gear of either brand is not a good idea.
El Taino said:
You are trying to earn your living as you say, abusing a consumer
grade lens. I wouldn't do it for those issues although yours seems
like an isolated case.

If you swith to Canon to use consumer lenses, what's the deal. Also,
Canon doen't offer a 18-200VR so far.
Click to expand...
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timslights said:
Interesting, first "pro" I have heard of using a 18-200 vr.
Click to expand...
I bought it for personal use, not professional use, but was so impressed with the versatility and results that I incorporated it into my work bag. And, in the right circumstances, it's a great solution.

I know a lot of other pros who have started to use that lens, including a couple of photojournalists I worked with last week, and a few people who have commented on this thread.

I shot Mario Lopez, the Cheetah Girls, Goose Gossage and Loverboy last weekend all with that lens, and the client, the celebrities and I were all happy with the results. So why not use it?

Here's Goose with the 18-200 VR:



Not great art. But for an on-the-fly portrait under a tent at noon, the lens seems to have done pretty well - at least by my standards.
timslights said:
What was your back plan from the start? As a pro you should know that
you should always have available with you the back up equipment to
fully cover what you are doing.
17-35, 28-70, 70-200, 3 of the best pro lenses that would have been
sufficent.
With 2 bodies it would have meant very few lens changes.
Click to expand...
--
=~ AAK - http://www.aakatz.com
=~ Author of The White Paper
=~ http://www.aakatz.com/whitepaper
 
AAK said:
My 18-200 VR, which I like for assignments like today's, was repaired
two months ago because the creep had gotten so bad that the lens was
no longer usable. Nikon agreed and replaced many parts.

It took five weeks.
Click to expand...
This would make me nervous as heck. I know the build quality on that lens is better than the others covering that same range, but having an issue like that requiring a rebuild would make me nervous when taking it out for a paid gig.

Did you get a chance to run it thru its paces between the time you got it back and the shoot?

I understand your frustration.

chad

--
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AAK said:
I'm not a troll. I'm a professional photographer who's been using
Nikon since the late 1960's, early 1970s. A Nikkormat was my first
'serious' camera as a teenager. And through all those years, I've
come to associate quality with the Nikon brand.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm ... if you've had Nikon equipment since the early 70's, you should know that most modern day prosumer glass needs to be treated as a consumable. Buy in volume. IMO the 18-200mm VR makes the old series E lenses like a tank. :-)

Yup it sounds like you've gotten shorter life than you should have, and it's regrettable, but if your workflow dictates efficiency you should -- as a pro -- know to steer clear of consumable options and stick to your anchor lenses.

Alternately, if you're willing to bet professional IQ for the convenience of a lens that has an 11:1 focal range -- then you might want to factor it in as a one time cost for the project you're working on before dumping it on ebay.
AAK said:
So, does ANYONE make a reliable camera any more? Or has Q/C just gone
down the tubes across the entire industry?

Sorry to be so vehement, but my patience with Nikon is just about gone.
Click to expand...
The bar for quality has changed. If you earn your living with "good glass", buy well packaged "good glass" to keep in your toolbox, and treat the rest as a one-off that you can dump on the market when the project is over. Never cut corners with your livelihood or you'll also undercut your workflow.

Good luck! :-)

the born 2 opine
design guy
 
I'm no longer surprised to see pros using gear that was presumably designed for "consumers." As if only the very best of every factor were the defining requirement for a professional to deign to pick it up and use it.

The 18-200 is in the hands of a HUGE number of professional photographers. I know several in my local circle. But it appeals to a broader audience, too.

I know pros who have adopted the D40x, too, as the second (or backup, or lightweight travel, or riot coverage) body. The one that doesn't need to employ every gong and oboe. Or might have to be expendable.

-iNova
--
http://www.digitalsecrets.net
 
Both canon and Nikon have taken a slide but their repair rates are pretty low. The 18-200 is an overprices consumer lens that people paying $900 for got duped into thinking was a pro lens.
AAK said:
Warning: rant

I'm not a troll. I'm a professional photographer who's been using
Nikon since the late 1960's, early 1970s. A Nikkormat was my first
'serious' camera as a teenager. And through all those years, I've
come to associate quality with the Nikon brand.

No more.

When I switched to DSLR, of course, I went Nikon. And all went well
until my D200s. The first one went back for 6 major system
replacements (circuit boards, AF assembly, even a new shutter
assembly). The second one went back with a defective lens mount that
had to be replaced, and which apparently damaged my 70-200 f/2.8 VR
which also had to be rebuilt (new mount, new motor).

My 18-200 VR, which I like for assignments like today's, was repaired
two months ago because the creep had gotten so bad that the lens was
no longer usable. Nikon agreed and replaced many parts.

It took five weeks.

Today, I'm shooting an outdoor assignment: a Latin Festival with four
rotating bands and thousands of attendees.The 18-200 is perfect for
gigs like that. I can shoot a closeup of a performer and then spin
around, zoom to wide-angle and shoot the dancers behind me.

That is, until the damned lens fell apart. Won't zoom all the way to
tele. Falls back about 1 1/2" in an uncontrolledslide when you go
wide and lands with a bad clunk. No autofocus. In fact, no manual
focus.

The lens is hosed. It's obviously gone off the rails.

And ruined my shoot. Try shooting several thousand people in an
audience with a 70mm lens! So I'm using my backup camera for the wide
and absolutely steaming about the obviously very badly deteriorated
quality of Nikon equipment.

I'd switch to Canon tommorrow, because reliability is an absolute
requirement in order for me to earn my living, but it seems like
Canon is having more than its share of quality issues!

So, does ANYONE make a reliable camera any more? Or has Q/C just gone
down the tubes across the entire industry?

Sorry to be so vehement, but my patience with Nikon is just about gone.

--
=~ AAK - http://www.aakatz.com
=~ Author of The White Paper
=~ http://www.aakatz.com/whitepaper
Click to expand...
--
http://picasaweb.google.com/pismobeachdpreview/D200Shots
 
I only signed up to this forum yesterday to gather information about the D200 and the 18 - 200 VR lens because I was thinking of buying my first DSLR.

I have been using a Canon Powershot G5 for the last few years but its lack of control is driving me mad especially in difficult shooting conditions. (It has been reliable though!)

I am not a pro but have owned a couple of Contax bodies and various Contax T* lenses for over 30 years with no problems.

The discussion here puts me off. I'm not likely to be using the camera in the rough and tumble of the professional arena but I do expect good performance, feel and accuracy.

What am I to do?

Break out the trusty Contax and start buying film again?

Can anyone give me a grain of confidence in investing in the Nikon kit? At the age of 62 I was expecting it to be the last camera I would ever buy.

Help!
--
James P
 
Sorry about the assumption. At least it sounds like Nikon has been taking good care of you. Have you thought about grabbing a D2X yet? Like I said, I love mine and actually that body has been through hell and high water with me a couple times. Actually it has survived slight submersion on one shoot and still came out firing. Hopefully things get better and all these problems in QC you are having are resolved in what ever model replaces the D200.
 
JameP said:
I only signed up to this forum yesterday to gather information about
the D200 and the 18 - 200 VR lens because I was thinking of buying my
first DSLR.
Click to expand...
JameP said:
Can anyone give me a grain of confidence in investing in the Nikon
kit? At the age of 62 I was expecting it to be the last camera I
would ever buy.
Click to expand...
Hi James,

I am just a few years less in age than you and bought a D200 in March 2006
with the 18-200 and have not had a single issue (ok, it creeps a little,
but that does not bother me). I have not read all the posts to this thread
but I think that the D200 is the best camera I have ever owned (and
I bought my first Nikon F in 1965.) It allows me to shoot pictures that
I could never have done before (like sports, birds, etc). I have over 25K
shutter actuations and I would estimate that at least half of those
were with the 18-200VR lens.

You can probably find negative comments about any camera/lens
regardless of brand.

I don't think you will be disappointed with your choice. My only
problem is that I succomb to lens lust by keep adding to my gear - lol.

Best of luck. I hope the D200 is not the last camera I ever buy tho!

--
Lou

http://loutent.smugmug.com/
 
Yes, its tough.

You will find stories like this for most makes.

Some people seem to never have problems with Nikons like me, and I have used them like you over different models and 200s today.

Hope you get off the lemon stuff soon so you can continue shooting.

--
Peter

Persuasive Marketing Systems -
inc Copywriting, Design & Photography
 
Jason Chan said:
Jason Chan59347 said:
I have never seen an 11 X pro Zoom on the market, there must be a
reason.

On it's own and used carefully, the 18-200 will lead to superb
results but the limitation shows when you need it for "pro"
assingments
Click to expand...
In general, I agree with your above statement, but Canon used to make
a 10x pro zoom, the 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM which I believe, is
considered a "pro" lens by the L-designation. OK, it's 10x and not
11x but who's keeping track ;)
Click to expand...
Don't forget about the 28-300mm f/3.5-f/5.6L IS which is a full frame lens. Yup, you pay.
http://cameras.pricegrabber.com/slr-lenses/canon/m/2860485/details/
 
Well, I have kept recommending Nikon for the quality, both picture- and build-. Then in rapid succession my architect seeing the d70s over my shoulder mentioned that his brother-in-law's new D80 just kept hunting for focus and wondered if I could take a look at it. It told him to tell the guy to bring it back to the retailer's.
Then 2 of my wife's friends wanted DSLRS and I recommended the D40.

They both arrived down here for their holidays with brand new D40 and D40x (one of them let herself be talked into the x, against my advice, mind you) and the D40 just wouldn't open the shutter more than half way. I spent a many agonizing hours trying to fix this by "rebooting" etc . Holidays for the D40 one were diminished.

Thing is it seems like quality control on the consumer grade products is left up to the consumer. Not a Nikon specific problem, I'm sure.

My D70s keeps rockin and rollin. Probably the reason why I keep looking for the obvious upgrade path, the D300 or D200s/x.
--
Toby L
 
Canon and Nikon. I've never had a failure with either .... YET. But the horror stories from both camps are scary. Quality control seems to be a lost art. My lemons have been in different technologies but the overall picture is the same. The warm fuzzies we used to have, having a product which was the byword for reliability, is a lost feeling. Having said that, Alan has, indeed, had more than his share of bad luck. Let's hope that his streak is at an end, he's a good guy and a valuable member of these forums.
Regards,
Kurt
 
How many people is it you know that have canons, that every single one of them has sent them in for repair?

Must be a fairly limited sample space, as I've owned a D60, 10D and 20D (plus a couple of Ixus'es and a coupld of G series) and none of them has had any problems despite being used all over the world in rainforests, deserts, on boats, in cities etc etc. And I certainly don't "expect regular lockups"... neither do my friends who happen to have 30Ds. So I'd say that's a pretty sweeping and to be honest, inaccurate statement...

just fyi. :)
Andrew said:
FWIW looking around in the real world I hear
a lot more problems with canons, to the point that regular lockups
are expected, and everyone (except for a guy with a 350d) I know with
canons have had to send them in at least once.
Click to expand...
--
warren prasek
web design ~ interactive media ~ photography
http://www.wprasek.com/
gearlist: a camera and some other stuff.
 
James, if your experience will be anything like mine, dSLR will open door to a whole new world. Yes, cameras do break down and lens too. In particular, with the 18-200 VR, if you are not too rough with it, it should last a long time. You don't have to worry about D200 at all. I don't expect much from plastic lens with big zoom like 18-200 VR. Distortion aside, I believe extending the lens (zooming) will draw dust into the lens barrel. I don't believe it has much environmental seal to protect it from the elements (esp given the amount of rocking the front element can do fully extended). I much prefer (and love) 17-55, 17-35, 28-70 or 70-200. Yep, they are all metal bodied built with quality in mind.

Time doesn't stand still for anyone. Just go and make your purchase and start taking pictures with it. Spend the time and energy looking for photo opportunities or book for the next holiday instead.

All the best.

David
 
I considered the D2x. It has a lot of features that would be valuable to me.

But, to be honest, I was never able to get my "hands" right with it, if you know what I mean? The D200 was a godsend, it was like it was designed to fit my hands, and within the limitations of my infirmities.

Believe it or not, that was my primary reason for going with the D200. When a tool feels right to me (pianists say a great piece "lies under the hands well") it allows me to take better pictures with less thought about the camera.

I will revisit it, however, when the new cameras are released.
Jake Loves Good Glass said:
Sorry about the assumption. At least it sounds like Nikon has been
taking good care of you. Have you thought about grabbing a D2X yet?
Like I said, I love mine and actually that body has been through hell
and high water with me a couple times. Actually it has survived
slight submersion on one shoot and still came out firing. Hopefully
things get better and all these problems in QC you are having are
resolved in what ever model replaces the D200.
Click to expand...
--
=~ AAK - http://www.aakatz.com
=~ Author of The White Paper
=~ http://www.aakatz.com/whitepaper
 
CM PHoto said:
This would make me nervous as heck. I know the build quality on that
lens is better than the others covering that same range, but having
an issue like that requiring a rebuild would make me nervous when
taking it out for a paid gig.

Did you get a chance to run it thru its paces between the time you
got it back and the shoot?
Click to expand...
About 5 weeks worth. It didn't feel exactly right. It seemed to "click" a bit when I zoomed, but the pictures were fine, focus was fast and all seemed right with the world.

Until, of course, it didn't.

--
=~ AAK - http://www.aakatz.com
=~ Author of The White Paper
=~ http://www.aakatz.com/whitepaper
 
I read this thread at work today and smugly thought to myself "My 18-200VR has been working great for over a year with no problems"...

Well, tonight I was at a Hermins Hermits concert at the fair shooting Peter Noone with the lens on my D200 and after about 34 photos the lens locked up and I couldn't zoom out past 50mm...Arghhhh!! I thought of your post and said that ba$tard cursed me!!...(I really did think that... ;> )

Got home and took the lens off and got it to zoom back out to 18mm but somehting is rattleling inside really bad....

Off to Nikon it goes. I hope I get it back in time for vacation in two weeks!...

Oh well, I still love Nikon and realize this could have happened with any manufacturer...

Weird coincidence though...

Bob
--
If caskets had bumper stickers:

'My child is an honor student...orphan'

'Lose weight quick...ask me how'

'If you can read this you're a groundhog'

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