The NIKON Thread (Talk About Nikon Stuff here)

[OverlordXenu]

If you have to crop, you're not getting close enough.

Damn people...Get a good art/photography book instead of another lens or a good camera! Don't lose site of what really matters...

[dj_mocok]

Honestly, for me at least, getting the perfect crop straight out of camera is actually quite difficult - might be because of environment, lack of time to compose, etc.. or maybe I just plain fussy when it comes to final result.

But cropping is something that I often do, even if it's just a little bit. I think instead of cropping, I consider it as 'tidying up' the picture a bit.

[lan]

Originally Posted by M0T0XGUY

but I will say that I'm totally unimpressed by the D200's proprietary grip. It creaks, it rattles, its fairly unergonomic (the dual command dials are recessed, making their movement difficult)

Yeah I've heard the D200 grip isn't great and that the D300 one is vastly improved. That's a shame since these things aren't that cheap.

---------------------------

While I believe it's just best to get everything done while in camera, everybody works differently, there maybe financial restraints, and there might not be time in some cases.

Going out to 200mm is normal and cheaper to do but let's say you want to go out to 300 or 400. It might be financially possible but you wouldn't use it enough so it may not be worth it. In those cases you have to crop. Also some people might need more than 400mm and in that case, there's hardly any cheap and good options.

There are sometimes fleeting moments where there's no time to compose and move to a better position. Either with animals or a person's posing or doing a facial expression, etc.

[milkpowder]

Originally Posted by dj_mocok

But cropping is something that I often do, even if it's just a little bit. I think instead of cropping, I consider it as 'tidying up' the picture a bit.

Exactly! Cropping is about as "destructive" to the photo as changing the contrast, black/white levels, etc... I can imagine people saying, "Why didn't you get the exposure and lighting perfect in the first place?"

I was at a camera shop with a friend a while ago. My friend was considering a alpha350, 450D and D60. The subject of lenses came up and I quite blankly said there are more lenses available to Nikon and Canon than Sony. The salesperson didn't agree with that and went on to talk about how Sony has every focal length covered, etc. My knowledge of Sony lenses is very limited, but was there any truth in what the salesperson said?

[lan]

If you consider old lenses, sure there are hundreds of lenses for Minolta/Sony mount. That is including all 3rd party lenses. Nobody will really consider hundreds of lenses on any system though. Most average people don't own that many lenses. I think a lot of things can be done with about 6 (walkaround, telephoto, macro, wide, lowlight, and some other variation of above). If that is the case then any of the system are just fine. Lens selection isn't as big of a deal for general photography IMO.

[M0T0XGUY]

Originally Posted by milkpowder

Exactly! Cropping is about as "destructive" to the photo as changing the contrast, black/white levels, etc... I can imagine people saying, "Why didn't you get the exposure and lighting perfect in the first place?"

I was at a camera shop with a friend a while ago. My friend was considering a alpha350, 450D and D60. The subject of lenses came up and I quite blankly said there are more lenses available to Nikon and Canon than Sony. The salesperson didn't agree with that and went on to talk about how Sony has every focal length covered, etc. My knowledge of Sony lenses is very limited, but was there any truth in what the salesperson said?

Sony has a decent selection of new lenses, but nothing particularly exciting outside the Zeiss series of primes and zooms. From a marketing perspective, though, the salesperson is correct - Sony has new wide-angle lenses, many a standard zoom, and a few telephotos. 90% of these lenses are, however, strictly consumer grade; whereas Nikon or Canon lineups feature the same cheap walk-around type lenses, as well more exotic and professional models.

Personally, unless your friend is looking to spend a $1700 on a solid Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8, I think Canon and Nikon's systems are still a better value overall.

[Towert7]

Sony is not a photography company. Nikon and Canon are.
In terns of lenses in our current age, it seems best to stick with Nikon, Canon, and Leica.

I have a friend who purchased a Pentax and loves the little camera, but the poor guy has no choices in lenses. He can try and find old USED lenses, but I like the feeling and piece of mind I get in owning a brand new lens (I pamper my equipment).

Let's be honest, you're getting a SLR for the lenses. I wouldn't consider any kit other than those 3. For the common hobbyist photographer, Nikon and Canon are the logical 2 choices. I wouldn't touch the sony kit with a 10 foot stick.

[Edwood]

Funny thing is I love Pentax lenses more than Nikon or Canon. Pentax's Limited series of Primes are simply awesome. But, that said, Pentax bodies are quite lacking. Even the K10D and the current K20D just weren't enough to keep me from going Nikon.

I do still have my Pentax *ist DS.

-Ed

[Towert7]

Originally Posted by Edwood

Funny thing is I love Pentax lenses more than Nikon or Canon. Pentax's Limited series of Primes are simply awesome. But, that said, Pentax bodies are quite lacking. Even the K10D and the current K20D just weren't enough to keep me from going Nikon.

I do still have my Pentax *ist DS.

-Ed

That's nice to hear that the Pentax Limited lenses were good. I checked on bhphoto and found 3 different types of Limited lenses. Do they have more that you know of? I would assume so.

[milkpowder]

Thanks for the info. The Canon 18-55IS feels like a joke by the way and the focus "ring" was clearly an afterthought On the other hand the Sony 18-70 felt the best out of the three kit lenses (third lens: Nikon 18-55VR).

Isn't VR on a 18-55mm lens a bit of a gimic?

The Pentax Limited lenses look very nice, a bit like Leica and Zeiss.