The two should bring in the neighborhood of $1000. The 18-200 lenses seem pretty stable at around $5-600 while the D200s have been dropping in price (hastened by Best Buy selling new D200 bodies for $599 recently).
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeAAttle
I am thinking of selling my 18-200 and D200 since I now own a D700. Any idea what the D200 + 18-200 would go for? The camera store offered me $650 on a trade in - I said no thanks and just bought the D700.
I was one of those people rushed out to buy the Nikon D100 when it first came out, I liked it a lot, it travelled all over the world with me, it was followed by D2. However, for me, there is always this problem of unable to use my 17-35mm as a ‘superwide’ as it should be (on DX cameras it becomes a (approximately) 30mm-70mm), there were times when I wish I could use a ‘superwide’.
The D700 solved that problem, now the 17 mm can be used as it should be. One should not under estimate the low-light capability of D700, not just that it can take photos in low light, but the usability of the photos. The photos (without flash) taken at 6400 is nothing short of sensational (to me anyway), and the test shots at ISO 25600 (6400 + 2EV) produced a usable print.
One function on the D700 tipped the balance for me is the Image sensor cleaning function.
IMHO, the D700 is probably the best all round camera today (taking into account of price, functions, capability, size and build quality). There are other cameras can perform better in some areas, but at a price, and not all in a neat (albeit somewhat heavy) package.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by icedancer
Thanks, nova474 for the link to the Ken Rockwell site. The amount of information he has is mind-boggling.
Ken's opinions are sometimes also mind-boggling. He once published a couple of images proving two cameras were "identical" where there were obviously resolution and color differences. When I wrote him he basically replied "I don't see it". I've pretty much dismissed any of his opinions since. And I'm not the only one.
Ken is a love or hate guy. Just like every other reviewer, he has a bias, abiet a stronger one. Thus, it's up to the reader to do his/her research and compare Ken's opinion with other reviewers.
One thing you can't deny is that Ken has a very respectable database of lens.
...My thought at the moment is to get the D300 kit with the 18-200mm VR lens, AND the 50mm f/1.4 for low-light indoor stuff. Does this seem redundant? The 50mm would be my at-home lens for pics of the baby, ....
The Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 I had on order at Amazon finally arrived. For $200, it's another option since it gives you about 55mm equivalent coverage for the 1.5x crop cameras.
I was surprised to find a metal mount and gasketing at this price. I haven't had a prime lens for a while other than my Canon manual focus film SLRs. Not having the zoom ring made the lens seemed quicker. Mounted on a D40, it is tiny.
While often inspired by actual products and events, just like any other good news organization, I like to make things up and stretch the truth if they make an article more fun. In the case of new products, rumors and just plain silly stuff, it's all pretend. If you lack a good BS detector, please treat this entire site as a work of fiction.
I offer no warrantees of any kind, except that there are many deliberate gaffes, practical jokes and downright foolish and made-up things lurking. While this site is mostly accurate, it is neither legally binding nor guaranteed. The only thing I do guarantee is that there is plenty of stuff I simply make up out of thin air, as does The Onion.
Ugh...I think I'm more undecided now than I was when I asked the question
My thought at the moment is to get the D300 kit with the 18-200mm VR lens, AND the 50mm f/1.4 for low-light indoor stuff. Does this seem redundant? The 50mm would be my at-home lens for pics of the baby, and the 18-200mm would be my go-to for travel. The question in my mind is whether I take enough photos in big, dark places where the need for excellent low-light capability and >50mm zoom is needed to justify the extra expense of the D700.
On a side note, I have no interest whatsoever in video capabilities.
I think your combo of the D300 with the 18-200 and a 50mm is great. There are two 50mm 1.4 and a 1.8 as well. I have the Classic AF model (~$330 USD). There is the new AF-S version (~$470 USD) and another AF 50mm f/1.8 (~$135 USD).
A lot of people like the 1.8 for the value it represents and it should open up nicely for those shots in the dark. (Links and prices from B&H)
While often inspired by actual products and events, just like any other good news organization, I like to make things up and stretch the truth if they make an article more fun. In the case of new products, rumors and just plain silly stuff, it's all pretend. If you lack a good BS detector, please treat this entire site as a work of fiction.
I offer no warrantees of any kind, except that there are many deliberate gaffes, practical jokes and downright foolish and made-up things lurking. While this site is mostly accurate, it is neither legally binding nor guaranteed. The only thing I do guarantee is that there is plenty of stuff I simply make up out of thin air, as does The Onion.
I must admit that the above is a little (more than) over the top, but he doesn't want to get sued because someone followed his advice and then didn't like the outcome. You need a filter to interpret the disclaimer just as you do with everything else. But I am in complete agreement that whenever opinions are being discussed, it helps to have more than one source
I must admit that the above is a little (more than) over the top, but he doesn't want to get sued because someone followed his advice and then didn't like the outcome. You need a filter to interpret the disclaimer just as you do with everything else. But I am in complete agreement that whenever opinions are being discussed, it helps to have more than one source
Ken Rockwell is an idiot, a huckster, and a piss-poor photographer to boot.
He might just as well paste "This way to see the egress" on his homepage.
I am sure though that he greatly appreciates any click-through/page hit revenue that is generated by people hitting his site to read his latest "review" on equipment he has never even seen let alone used.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anrkitec
Ken Rockwell is an idiot, a huckster, and a piss-poor photographer to boot.
He might just as well paste "This way to see the egress" on his homepage.
I am sure though that he greatly appreciates any click-through/page hit revenue that is generated by people hitting his site to read his latest "review" on equipment he has never even seen let alone used.
Ah, Ken, the PT Barnum of photo gear.
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Well this is certainly a timely thread as I keep bouncing around the idea of a D300. Special thanks to Thalassa & Nova who basically address the issues I'm presently wrestling with.
I've not touched my old film Minoltas in years ( SRT101 & X700 with a set of old rokkor lenses - a 28mm, a 135mm & 55mm -- expensive glass in their day ). So my dilemma is which lens to go with. I'll likely start with a moderate zoom but want to invest in quality as this lens is where I'll mostly work doing landscape and street candids. But I also like the idea of a solid fixed lens for low light. Economics may delay this purchase, but not for long. But once again quality is important since this platform is likely my last major photography investment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thalassa
. . . there are persistent (and credible) rumours about an updated D300 with pretty much the same spec but added movie mode . . . . The cameras won't be available until Q4 most likely but the announcement could affect pricing of older models.T.
Yeah, I saw some talk on DPreview of this but did not know the details you speak of. Just another reason to wait to see if D300 prices drop. It would be nice to grab an "old" D300 at a better price as I'm not overly enthused about video capability in D-SLRs ( it's a nice feature to have for an on-the-fly capture, but I have a dedicated HD Sony video cam for that stuff and can capture full 1080 res). I'd love to capture a price break since I'm still luckless in the lottery .
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdxer
mind-boggling is not the word i'd use . . . While often inspired by actual products and events, just like any other good news organization, I like to make things up and stretch the truth if they make an article more fun. In the case of new products, rumors and just plain silly stuff, it's all pretend. If you lack a good BS detector, please treat this entire site as a work of fiction . . .
Interesting quote by Mr. Rockwell. Then again, one must always evalute the certitude of what we read and post in this virtual world. All assertions are not necessarily equal. Context is a difficult entity to divine in this virtual sphere. I've read his postings and definitely could feel his free spirit. No surprise that he cautions the veracity of his own words, but a bit surprising that he is so glib. Then again, even this seems consistent with the context by which he writes and acts. Still, Rockwell offers an authentic photographic point of view which added to other resources along with one's own photo instincts creates a more wholesome photo acumen.
I'm gonna keep digging on the resources mentioned by folks here while I let the clock run and see what happens with the D300. My final obstacle will be sneaking my new toy past my wife when the day of reckoning finally comes.
My wife is the photographer in our family and I bought her a D700 last year for her birthday when they came out. She had used the D300 a few times and quite liked it (she owned only the D80 at the time), but her love of the D700 for it's amazing abilities in low-light is what completely sold her on it.
Per UPS, my D300 and all of the assorted accessories are "Out for delivery". The feeling of anticipation is overwhelming . I'll try to weigh in on the D300 after I've had a chance to play with it.
Also, pdxer, thanks for the link to the Tom Hogan site. Interesting stuff there as well. I would say that his writing style is a bit dry (less "edgy"?), but more comprehensive and perhaps better organized than Rockwell. I really like how he lays out the pros and cons of each camera and who should buy it.
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icedancer - Thom has yet to lead me wrong. His eBook guides for Nikon cameras are the manuals Nikon should be including in their boxes. He's also got much better cred with working photogs, based both on his writing and on his actual photography.
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OK, here's one of my first test shots. (My daughter). Taken with the 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor lens. Taken at f/4.0, ISO 200, 1/60 sec exposure. No white balance correction. Cropped from original. Lighting is from the window.
Join the 
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. I'll try to weigh in on the D300 after I've had a chance to play with it. 
