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advice for buying new camera
- Thread starter waheeb
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Love, love, love my D800. But, if I had $3,000 and a desire to do landscape, I just might get a D610 and use the saved money to buy a good lens. When I bought my D800, the D600/610 was not available. I also think the D7100 is a LOT of camera for the moola. I might go that way and get a lens or two, rather than going the way of the D800 as well. The dynamic range of any of these bodies will serve you well.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Drowsy Shah
Well-known member
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You're asking a question on Nikon's FF forum because you want a FF. Am I correct? If so, a D610 with AF-S 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED and AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR would be nice for your budget and use.
axcentphoto
Senior Member
Within your budget constraints I would go with the D610. I have a D800 but I never use the 36 Mp files anyway.
Photography: Magical Science
Photography: Magical Science
khaledgawdat
Forum Enthusiast
d 610, 24-120 f 4.0 will cover 99% of your needs. enjoy FF
gear1box
Senior Member
i have a somewhat contra-recommendation: a d600 and the rest on lenses and kit. Last month new (not refurb) d600s were going for $1900 with the excellent 24-85VR kit lens. Depending on your tastes, that leaves enough money for some combination of an UWA (Samyang 14mm), super high res primes (28mm or 85mm f1.8Gs), a so-so mid-zoom tele (70-300mmVR) or, with a few more $ a super f4 tele in the 70-200mm.
you might have to clean your sensor on occaision but a late production d600 is probably pretty safe; the refurbs practically guarantee it though.
i just sold my d7000 (same sensor as your d5100) with 16-85 for a d600 and couldn't be happier. For a variety of reasons -- not least being the coarser pixel pitch of the d600's FX sensor -- the camera has higher effective resolution with medium quality lenses like the 70-300mmVR than i expected.
good luck.
-- gary ray
Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.
you might have to clean your sensor on occaision but a late production d600 is probably pretty safe; the refurbs practically guarantee it though.
i just sold my d7000 (same sensor as your d5100) with 16-85 for a d600 and couldn't be happier. For a variety of reasons -- not least being the coarser pixel pitch of the d600's FX sensor -- the camera has higher effective resolution with medium quality lenses like the 70-300mmVR than i expected.
good luck.
-- gary ray
Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.
calson
Forum Pro
IF your stay with DX cameras and lenses it will cut the size and weight of your kit in half. Compare the 10-24mm f3.5 DX lens with the 12-24mm f2.8 lens and a 70-200mm functions like a FX 105-300mm f2.8 lens or the older Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 is an exceptional lens and half the weight of the Nikon or Sigma FX 70-200mm f2.8 lenses.
The D7100 would be worth a look. If going with FX then the 610 would be a good choice but you will need FX lenses. At a bare minimum the 18-35mm and 24-120mm (or 28-300mm) lenses will get you started.
The D7100 would be worth a look. If going with FX then the 610 would be a good choice but you will need FX lenses. At a bare minimum the 18-35mm and 24-120mm (or 28-300mm) lenses will get you started.
S
Still Image
Guest
A Nikon USA refurbished D600 with one year warranty can be had today for $1300, at Rukaten.com (buy.com) and it is supplied by Cameta, which is a pretty good outfit. The Nikon warranty is 90 days, and the remainder of the warranty is from Cameta.
Can you imagine a full-frame camera of this quality for $1300? Actually, with $3000 you could equip it with a Nikon 24-70mm, brand new. You might come up a few bucks short, but it would be close. Or you could get several very good prime lenses and be set.
I know you have to be careful, because some morons poured thousands of shots through these cameras really fast before returning it, leading to all kinds of handling questions. I feel a bit uneasy about a camera handled by people in such a way before deciding what to do, and it is a shame they were allowed to return them after that kind of abuse. But I have no doubt the shutter will be fine. And it has created an extraordinary deal for the rest of us.
If you get the camera and don't like what you see, Cameta has a good return policy, but I would expect it to be like new in every visible way, and a quick look into the memory card and battery compartments with a flashlight can be reassuring. Also check out the connections.
Can you imagine a full-frame camera of this quality for $1300? Actually, with $3000 you could equip it with a Nikon 24-70mm, brand new. You might come up a few bucks short, but it would be close. Or you could get several very good prime lenses and be set.
I know you have to be careful, because some morons poured thousands of shots through these cameras really fast before returning it, leading to all kinds of handling questions. I feel a bit uneasy about a camera handled by people in such a way before deciding what to do, and it is a shame they were allowed to return them after that kind of abuse. But I have no doubt the shutter will be fine. And it has created an extraordinary deal for the rest of us.
If you get the camera and don't like what you see, Cameta has a good return policy, but I would expect it to be like new in every visible way, and a quick look into the memory card and battery compartments with a flashlight can be reassuring. Also check out the connections.
gear1box
Senior Member
Still --
i agree with all your points and personally wrestled with the d600 refurb v new question last month. The net price was about the same as today $1300 v $1600 (net of credits, etc).
The economist in me just couldn't get past the "self-selection problem" of the refurbs; as Thom Hogan sez, it is a gamble . . . so is going new also. I made my choice, but am pretty sure that i could be just as happy with the refurb.
And, as you say, the refurb yields just that much more to spend on glass. In my case i bought the pair of f1.8Gs and the Samyang 14mm f2.8 (well, okay, i bought these three in the past year) in addition to the kit zoom all for a skoosh over $3k. I am deeply satisfied so far.
-- gary ray
Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.
i agree with all your points and personally wrestled with the d600 refurb v new question last month. The net price was about the same as today $1300 v $1600 (net of credits, etc).
The economist in me just couldn't get past the "self-selection problem" of the refurbs; as Thom Hogan sez, it is a gamble . . . so is going new also. I made my choice, but am pretty sure that i could be just as happy with the refurb.
And, as you say, the refurb yields just that much more to spend on glass. In my case i bought the pair of f1.8Gs and the Samyang 14mm f2.8 (well, okay, i bought these three in the past year) in addition to the kit zoom all for a skoosh over $3k. I am deeply satisfied so far.
-- gary ray
Semi-professional in early 1970s; just a putzer since then. interests: historical sites, virginia, motorcycle racing. A nikon user more by habit than choice; still, nikon seems to work well for me.
hewhosculpts
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OK, I'd go for a a D610 (about $2000.) Now, as far as the lens choice I'd get either a Nikkor 28-300mm F3.6-5.6 or the Nikkor 24-120mm F4. They are normally about $1300 but the rebate for a 28-300 is $300 when purchased with a camera.
Most of the differences in these lenses are obvious but the 24-120 is sharper. The 28-300 is clearly sharp enough to be a good walk around lens for a 24MP full frame sensor camera but if you ever got a D800 or one of it's successors with greater than 24MP then you'd not be as happy with the 28-300 (even though some people use that combination now.)
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hewhosculpts
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The D7100 needs some really expensive glass to get anything even close to what its 24MP APS-C sensor can deliver so I recommend the D610 over it for that reason alone.
Gordon Ripley
Leading Member
Check out the new Nikon 18-140 lens. I understand it is great and has VR.
Of course the all time most popular I think is the 18 - 200mm although you might
consider it to be too heavy. Very popular though and you hardly ever have cause to remove it so you would not be getting dirt on your sensor.
I think the D610 is a good idea.
Good luck.
Gorodn
Of course the all time most popular I think is the 18 - 200mm although you might
consider it to be too heavy. Very popular though and you hardly ever have cause to remove it so you would not be getting dirt on your sensor.
I think the D610 is a good idea.
Good luck.
Gorodn
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