Venus. Goddess of love alone in the marsh.

I actually took this shot with a Canon G2 but the reason I’m prowling these corridors is because I want Santa to bring me an S2 for Xmas. My first jump to dSLR should be a pleasant one and although I worry I have not been a good boy this year, I’m hoping my enthusiasm will make the difference. Over the past year and a half I’ve had a great deal of fun shooting everywhere I go and unfortunately, spent almost no time learning anything about photography. The only thing I know for sure is that the lense on my G2 is too limiting now and just as the advice here led me to a great introduction camera it now leads me again to look this time at an S2 pro.

This is one of my personal favourites not because it's the best but just because of the loneliness it lends to the planet named after the goddess of love. She was the brightest planet in the sky that evning, and the first light seen at dusk.

Great picture ; Santa is bringing you a S2 eh ? Tell him to drop a 28-70 AFs or 70-200 AFs VR to my house .. PLEASE ;-)

Best regards and you will have LOADS of fun with the S2. One advise though : get PREMIUM glass. If you use less-than-top-notch lens with the S2 pictures will be much WORSE compared to your G2. S2 is a Formula 1 car.. a Indy Formula car.. to prove its whole potential you need premium slick race tyres. Fit it with cheap, pre-owned 20$ rain tyres in a sunny day and dont except it to keep up with the... diesel pace car ;-)

Serious, here are some lens you cant go wrong about :

Nikons
AFd 35-70 f2,8
AFs 28-70 f2,8
Afs 80-200 f2,8
AFd 80-200 f2,8
AFs 70-200 VR f2,8
a bunch of primes
105mm macro
180 ED f2,8
200 ED macro

28-105mm 3-4,5 (a bit worse than the "cousins" above, but a bargain at its price )
50mm f1,8 ( one the sharpest. at 80usd you cant miss it )
18-35
12-24 DX

Tamron
90mm macro ( one of my favorites )
28-70 XR Di

I'm forget dozens of lens, but these are a safe start. Get always the best glass you can afford. Bodies ( cameras, cameras... ;-) ) come and go, good lens always stay. If I would stick to this principle I would have a such nice lens collection these days. Instead, I'm still trying to sell the remaining cr$appy lens that I own ;-)

Best regards and happy xmas,

--
Goncalo Proenca - Portugal, Europe
======================
Fuji S2 Pro / Nikkor 35-70 AFD f2,8 / Nikon SB26 Flash
======================
My gallery : http://galerias.escritacomluz.com/_v3sa_/

Great shot. My favorite Nikon lens for the is the 17-35 f2.8. What an awesome piece of glass. The S2 resolves soooo much detail with so little noise it deserves a great lens - and a tripod - and 12 meg raw files.

Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com

Fantastic shot Monster!

You are absolutely worth the S2 ;-)

I would also like to stress like the guy responding below me, that the LENS is what makes or breaks the S2.

The lenses he mentions are all very good, and you can check for yourself on http://www.photodo.com and then check if the lens you are interested in has a score of 3.5 or higher.....best would be 3.9 or higher since that's really shining

Just a general little check if you're unsure wether that bargain you see on the net is really going to be as good as it seems!

kindest regards,
michael

Monster said:

I actually took this shot with a Canon G2 but the reason I’m
prowling these corridors is because I want Santa to bring me an S2
for Xmas. My first jump to dSLR should be a pleasant one and
although I worry I have not been a good boy this year, I’m hoping
my enthusiasm will make the difference. Over the past year and a
half I’ve had a great deal of fun shooting everywhere I go and
unfortunately, spent almost no time learning anything about
photography. The only thing I know for sure is that the lense on
my G2 is too limiting now and just as the advice here led me to a
great introduction camera it now leads me again to look this time
at an S2 pro.

This is one of my personal favourites not because it's the best but
just because of the loneliness it lends to the planet named after
the goddess of love. She was the brightest planet in the sky that
evning, and the first light seen at dusk.

Click to expand...

--

Fuji S2 Pro ~ 24-120VR ~ 70-200 VR AF-S F2.8 ~ 50 mm 1.8 ~ 14mm Sigma ~ http://www.majic.nl

I don’t think I understand why it is that if I don’t buy very good glass, I would be disappointed with shots from an S2 pro in comparison to my Canon G2..? I thank you all for this advice as it would never have crossed my mind to think that the quality of landscape shots taken with a camera like the S2 could ever possibly be out done by the limited capabilities of a G2. When I said the lens on my G2 is too limiting I meant that it forces me pass up shots, that I would otherwise love to have taken, simply because I either could not fit the entire scene into my lens with out backing so far away from my focal point that it would be only a tiny spec in the distance.

This is an example of what I mean. I recognized this scene immediately as a potentially very colourful shot however in order to fit some of the ground and all these trees into the frame I had to be so close to the first tree that I lost most of it’s outer branches and the top as well.



I really appreciate the valuable advice you three S2 owners have given me regarding glass as I would hate to have invested into something that left me disappointed but please… I don’t understand lens specs sooo…. could I get your recommendations on just a good all around lens for a beginner who simply wants to have something better than 3X optical zoom but more importantly, a wider field of view. (and yes, it has to at least outdo what I'm used to on my G2 for quality) I want to start small, buy one lens only and as I gain experience, I can purchase others down the road no?

Nikon glass can be very expensive. For sure I would love to have the very best on my S2, but I have a limited budget so therefore cannot afford what some would call the 'best'. Take for example the Nikon 17-35, without doubt a brilliant lens but the 18-35 at a third of the cost is just as good on the S2, no less a person than Thom Hogan agrees. I have one and doubt very much if I would now go for the 17-35 unless I won the lottery.

The Tamron SP 28-75 Di, winner of the European Lens of the Year. Very plastic in build and a quarter of the price of the Nikon 28-70. I've recently seen a comparison between the two lenses and could not tell the difference, although in this case it was not on the S2.

The most expensive lens I have is the 80-400vr, a lens that I am quite happy with.

The S2 is a brilliant camera but don't think that to get the best out of it you have to get the most expensive Nikon glass. Just one other point, it is worth investing in a quality filter system, especially nd grads and polarisers such as the Lee system.
gibbsy
http://www.pbase.com/gibbsy

--
gibbsy
http://www.pbase.com/gibbsy

Ah, I don't think so!

"Take for example the Nikon 17-35, without doubt a brilliant lens but the 18-35 at a third of the cost is just as good on the S2"

NO WAY! No way. NO WAY! Period. Did I stutter?

Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick here Steve. Had I'd been able to afford the 17-35 I most certainly would have gone for it, having read many remarkable reviews on the lens. But, at 1190 UK pounds it was way over what I could afford. The 18-35 cost 380 UK pounds a staggering 810 difference. We all have to make choices and based on what I read about this len's performance on the S2 I was more than happy to go with it. Is the difference in quality really worth me, a happy go lucky amateur (with a professional grounding on medium format), now that I am retired, paying out that kind of money. If I lived in the States, where every thing seems to cost half the price then, yes, I probably would have gone for the dearer lens.

Now, my friend, if you want to send me your 17-35 to evaluate my address is......................
Merry Christmas.
Gerwyn
--
gibbsy
http://www.pbase.com/gibbsy

I am a glass o holic & thanks be I have the means to get pretty near what I want within reason

for wide angle lenses, I recommend going with a prime & learn to zoom with your feet ...if you don't absolutely need AF, you can get some real bargins with used primes & even if you want AF, I would go this route

I have a Nikkor 24 mm f2.8 af & love it ...very little distortion, small size (takes a 52 mm filter) and quick focus ...I suspect you don't really need af much with wide angle lenses

that said I had the 18-35 Nikkor & it is a good performer and quite handy, but I quickly learned that I tended to shoot it at one focal length mainly

mine at least was subject to a bit of chromatic aberration (zooms are much more difficult to design & prone to variation within even a single model's production) & I really find the extra stops with the 2.8 useful for my photography, so much so that

I am anxiously awaiting delivery from KEH of a Nikkor 28 mm f1.4 af lens which I hope will be ideal for doing candids at indoor affairs ...wide angles are really great for hand holding & with the S2's low light capability this should be a happy pairing
--
pbase & dpreview supporter
Fuji SLRT forum member since 5/2001
http://www.pbase.com/artichoke

--
pbase & dpreview supporter
Fuji SLRT forum member since 5/2001
http://www.pbase.com/artichoke

Thanks... I've been trying to muster the justification I need to acquire a dlsr based on what I've done and what I'd like to do on another thread however so far, I've got anything but. People I find are telling me to stick with my Canon G2 and just buy the add on lenses that are available but these I think are only minimal improvements and not usable on any other future camera. I guess the fact that I've learned so little about photography over the past year of owning my first camera and the fact that I still make composition mistakes has led the more experienced people I've sought advice from to tell me not to spend my money just yet. I really would like to have better than 3X optical zoom and as in the example on page three of my gallery "UBC Oak Tree".... I'd really like to fit more into my frame without having to back so far away that my subject is tiny. I really dont understand lens specs and to be perfectly honest with all... when I said I wanted Santa to bring me an S2 Pro......... the truth is I entered a contest for one based using one of my G2 shots but didn't want to admit to all that I had my hopes that high as to believe I could win but..... if I do not win then I will purchase something, just not as expensive as this S2 Pro. Because I dont know how to read lens specs I was hoping someone could point me at a sound purchase for a beginner that would be an "all around" good lens for a beginner to the dslr world.

Here is the link to the gallery of what I've done so far with my G2.

http://www.pbase.com/monster/low_light

I guess I've seen that UBC Oak tree myself

If you're on a budget and want something to out-perform your G2, the EOS 300D might be good enough. That was my primary candiate when I planned to buy it few months back because of its price and my pleasant experience with Canon consumer digicams (S110 and S30). What steered me to an S2 was its best quality in the class, and my Nikor lens collection and my 10-yr-old Nikon flash. If you get lucky with santa this year to have an S2, I strongly suggest the AFS 24-85 because it's cheap, quick, light, and sharp, and provides a good 3.5x zoom. Not sure if you should go for more zoom range since the bigger range, the worse result. I got this lens and haven't taken it off my S2 for more than a month now.

Here's a great link for Nikkor lens reviews:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm

Good luck!

An excellent link, thanks Derek! I guess I when I said an "all around" good lense I should of also said "for landscapes". Has this lens you mentioned been good to you on outdoor shots?

Your'e welcome!

For a budget wide lens I'm thinking about the 18-35. But due to the distortion and limited wide angle, since I already have the 24-85, I might save up more $$ for the 12-24mm. For sure the Nikkor 12-24 is a killer landscape glass according to many experts advice. Might go with the Sigma 12-24 if can't save up that much cash.

Monster said:

An excellent link, thanks Derek! I guess I when I said an "all
around" good lense I should of also said "for landscapes". Has
this lens you mentioned been good to you on outdoor shots?

Click to expand...

oops! Sorry I didn't answer your question. The AF-S 24-85 has been very good for shooting outdoor scenary because it's very clean and sharp, except the fact that it's not quite wide enough for taking real landscape.

BTW, I haven't seen a real wide-angle

Monster said:

An excellent link, thanks Derek! I guess I when I said an "all
around" good lense I should of also said "for landscapes". Has
this lens you mentioned been good to you on outdoor shots?

Click to expand...

Wow... Thanks Derek, I certainly see what you mean as that photo is extremely sharp! One question about the S2 though, does it not treat blues in the same way I've become accustomed to with my G2? All the examples I've found seem somehow, a little darker or less brilliant.

You are absolutely correct about my best choice being something in the midrange between wide and zoom... this lens does seem like a comfortable compromise.

Derek said:

oops! Sorry I didn't answer your question. The AF-S 24-85 has been
very good for shooting outdoor scenary because it's very clean and
sharp, except the fact that it's not quite wide enough for taking
real landscape.

BTW, I haven't seen a real wide-angle
than 2x, so you might not like the real wide-zoom lenses. A
mid-range zoom lens is probably more useful to start with. The AF-S
24-85 also takes great close-ups and portraits. Here's an example
of the sharpness:

Click to expand...

I like yours!

Here's Venus and the crescent moon setting into the Starit of Jaun de Fuca between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula.

Rather than a goddess, a Tolkien fan like me would say it was Earendil with the silmaril bound to his brow.........



--
Steph's Digitals
http://www.stephsdigitals.com

Fantastic shot Steph, you must have a good camera to have captured the moon so clearly, ever attempt I've made with my G2 has landed me a fuzzy blob in the sky. Do you remember when you took this shot? Last year, during the month of April there was a planetary alignment that takes place only once every 27 years that had five planets all arranged in a diagonal line across the night sky. When I took this photo of Venus over the fishermen’s head.... http://www.pbase.com/image/24007772

I was actually waiting for the sun to drop completely so I could attempt a shot of the alignment. I labeled the larges stars and all five planets afterwards for fun.

Steph41073 said:

Steph wrote:
I like yours!

Here's Venus and the crescent moon setting into the Starit of Jaun
de Fuca between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula.

Rather than a goddess, a Tolkien fan like me would say it was
Earendil with the silmaril bound to his brow.........



--
Steph's Digitals
http://www.stephsdigitals.com

Click to expand...

Monster said:

Fantastic shot Steph, you must have a good camera to have captured
the moon so clearly, ever attempt I've made with my G2 has landed
me a fuzzy blob in the sky. Do you remember when you took this
shot? Last year, during the month of April there was a planetary
alignment that takes place only once every 27 years that had five
planets all arranged in a diagonal line across the night sky. When
I took this photo of Venus over the fishermen’s head....
http://www.pbase.com/image/24007772
I was actually waiting for the sun to drop completely so I could
attempt a shot of the alignment. I labeled the larges stars and
all five planets afterwards for fun.

Click to expand...

I shot mine witha plain old S2 and a tamron 28-200 zoom. It was early last year, but I can't recall the exact date without getting into the exif in my album.

The fuzzy blob phenomenon is due to overexposure, and I usually bracket this kind of shot.

Here's one I took handheld using a Nikon 80-400VR with a 2x teleconverter. It's Wallace Lake, Manitoba in September.



--
Steph's Digitals
http://www.stephsdigitals.com