Choosing the right gear: a guide to Nikon gear purchasing:

The following section is designed mainly to appeal to beginners through to serious amateur photographers, looking for guidance on which gear purchases. It is broken down into Body and Lens sections, beginning with DX format and following on to FX format.

DX format Nikon Bodies – suitable for Nikon’s Range of DX lenses as well as FX lenses.

Nikon D90:

The Nikon D90 represents very good value in the DSLR market. For many, the D90 represents a sufficient quality level to rival more expensive counterparts such as the Nikon D300, and in terms of quality/value considerations, it even offers an attractive compromise for much more expensive [FX] models such as D700 and D3. Offering the same sensor size and resolution as the D300, the D90 features a smaller [less solidly built, yet still of a robust build quality] body than the D300, while achieving an image quality which is comparable, and arguably better than the D300 in such situations as low-light, while at the same time offering HD video options and Live View.  

Currently I use a D90 myself for everyday photography, and find that after downgrading from the much more expensive Nikon D3, that the D90 offers 80-90% of the performance in most everyday circumstances, for a quarter of the price.

The D90 is available as follows

 - D90 Body Only: http://camerapro.net.au/product_info.php?products_id=228

-  D90 + 18-105mm VR, a good lens which offers a good value walk-around package with the D90 body: http://camerapro.net.au/product_info.php?products_id=70

- D90 + 18-200mm VR: the perfect lens for “all in one” purposes, offering a zoom range from relatively wide-angle through to good-telephoto reach, with fine optical quality throughout http://camerapro.net.au/product_info.php?products_id=69

Further review information can be seen on Ken Rockwell: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90.htm

Nikon D300:

When the D300 was released just under 2 years ago, it rocked the photography world, having brought a breakthrough in image quality and performance for professional or serious amateur photographers, for a reasonable price. It shattered the once well-regarded D200, offering far superior image quality, performance, and an improved AF system. While now getting towards the end of its “product cycle”, having in many ways been overtaken by the D90, the Nikon D300 still represents solid camera performance in a professional-grade, well weatherproofed body. Personally, having used both the D300 and the D90, I find the D300 more comfortable to hold for larger hands, with the faster frame rate [of 8FPS with optional MB-D10] being more suitable for people wishing to capture action shots.

The D300 can be found on our website at the following: http://camerapro.net.au/product_info.php?products_id=57

Further review information on the D300 can be seen at: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d300.htm

Nikon D5000:

The newest in the Nikon DSLR lineup, the D5000 offers an interesting set of features. The D5000 is essentially the sensor, AF and image processing of the D90, in a body almost as small as the D40, with a new feature as yet unseen in any Nikon DSLR’s of having a flip-out LCD screen. While offering impressive image quality, the D5000 is lacking many of the controls of the D90, which more serious photographers are going to miss.

FX format Nikon Bodies – suitable for Nikon’s Range FX lenses.

D3:

D3X:

Nikon Lenses:

The following is a thorough, although not exhaustive, list of common recommendations for Nikon lenses.

Nikon 18-200mm VR:

Common recommendations for Body + lens solutions:

The most important things to consider when deciding on a camera + lens + accessories package, is to know your budget, know your desired usage, and know your level of experience. For those starting out, there will be perhaps just as much joy to be had from experimenting with lower-mid range bodies and lenses, where equipment is unlikely to greatly limit your final result, with the upper to mid range bodies and lenses much better as a reward for oneself once you have thoroughly exceeded the capabilities of lower end gear.

Budget up to $1500:

Budget up to approx $3000:

For around the $3K mark, it is possible to start looking at getting quite a respectable kit for a range of photographic purposes. I generally would recommend – as I have done – building this kit around a Nikon D90 body, with a choice of 2-3 lenses to complete the kit. For those looking at a kit suitable for travelling and general lugging around the place, without wanting to carry 5-10kg of camera gear, I generally tend to recommend the 18-200mm VR lens to perfectly compliment the D90 for a compact yet high quality and affordable solution. By getting a lens such as this, you cover most common zoom requirements, without sacrificing image quality. Obviously this lens is not going to be of the same caliber as spending $7K-$8K on F2.8 glass, however for most purposes it is going to offer a quality which is more than adequate for most uses. Having a lens such as this, I recommend complementing it with something along the lines of a Nikon AF-S 50mm F/1.4G, a BEAUTIFUL lens for portraiture and general low-light shooting.

Other options would be to go with the D90 + 18-105mm VR package, which is a good all purpose lens to go with the D90, which leaves more room in the budget for a high quality flash unit such as the Nikon SB900, and possibly the cheaper 50mm F/1.4 variation, the Nikon AF-S 50mm F/1.4D. By choosing to go with either the 18-105mm kit, or even the 18-55mm VR kit, the perfect compliment for such an option in the telephoto range is the Nikon 70-300mm VR lens, which offers excellent quality in the telephoto range [a little better than the 18-200mm VR in the 70-200mm range, and with better reach, but of course lacking completely the 18-70mm range, which means its necessary to change lenses every time you want to switch between wider angle and telephoto shots].

Pushing the limits of $3k Budget:

For those macro fetishists amongst us, Nikon offers two excellent options, in the form of the award winning AF-S Micro 105mm F2.8G IF ED [see Micro 105mm Wins best professional lens in Europe, 2006] and the AF-S Micro 60mm F2.8G ED lens. Personally, I tend towards the 105mm Micro for Macro photography, whether shooting with Full Frame FX models, or cropped frame DX models. On DX models, the 105mm Micro offers better reach [as well as overall superior image quality in my opinion] to the 60mm Micro, resulting in greater magnification – note that in some cases, the narrower field of view may be too narrow on this lens, and the 60mm should be considered.

Budget of $5K or higher:

Once moving towards a budget range of around $5K or higher, we start to see great flexibility in the choice of options at hand. Once again, it is generally my recommendation, given the great value for money of the Nikon D90, to look at keeping this option in the way of bodies, and having more money to spend on expanding your range of lenses. Personally, it would not be until we looked at a budget in the range of $8K-$10K total that I would start recommending the D700 or above in the way of bodies.

Even at $5K budget, I would still recommend considering having an 18-200mm VR and AF-S 50mm F/1.4G in your arsenal for anybody who likes to travel, go on extended hikes, and so on [and what kind of photographer doesn’t love travelling J]. If you really like, you can keep the 18-200mm only to bring out when you are going on trips, and keep it locked away for where you are wanting to look at more impressive lenses such as the F/2.8 series Nikon range to show what you are really made of, without having to incorporate a special training regime just to be able to handle the carrying of your camera gear!

Some exceptional lenses to consider adding to this bundle:

Nikon AF 85mm F/1.4D - one of my personal favorites. To slightly contradict what I was just saying on budgetary and FX vs DX options, this lens is absolutely perfect on a Nikon D3 body, offering almost unmatched sharpness, clarity and contrast. I found this to be a personal favorite walk around lens on my D3, offering superfast focus, and combined with the huge F1.4 aperture, this lens should be part of the arsenal of any paparazzi aspiring photographer, offering great opportunities for shooting street-scenes. When coupled on a DX body such as the D90, this lens works really well for night-time shooting, I personally have used this lens for shooting bands and general night-life shots, with the F1.4 combined with ISO 3200 offering workable shutter speeds in most conditions.

To be continued….