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long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 6th 07, 06:25 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
maya
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 49
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

hi,

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some
feedback.. www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not
100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days (didn't know
firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a
decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..

thank you very much....











  #2  
Old February 6th 07, 06:49 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
David Ruether
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 495
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?




"maya" wrote in message . com...

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some feedback.. www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not 100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days
(didn't know firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..


If you ***MUST*** make a quick decision (unfortunate, and you
MUST allow time to check out the gear, particularly any zoom lens,
for defects while you can still exchange them. The D40/50/70/80/100/200
bodies all have DREADFUL viewfinders compared with the F2, which
had one of the best ever, but the D80 and D200 are not as bad as the
others. Avoid the D40 - it doesn't even AF with non "S" lenses (ridiculous!).
None but the D200 will meter with non-AF lenses, but it is the most
expensive of the group. The D80 is the likely best choice for you if price
is an issue, but DO NOT attempt to mount non-AI/AIS lenses on it!
For a single lens, the 18-70 or 18-135mm Nikkors may offer the best
performance for the price, though they are not as good as the best
non-zooms... (the FLs are multiplied by 1.5 to get the 35mm-camera
equivalent FLs, so 18mm = 27mm - but there are very few good shorter
FL lenses available for digital, unfortunately, and all are large and
expensive). You could look into the Sony R-1, which has the equivalent
of a 24-120mm lens...
--
David Ruether


http://www.ferrario.com/ruether


  #3  
Old February 6th 07, 07:12 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
jhthurman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 15
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

If you're used to an F2AS, do yourself a favor and get the D200 with, maybe,
the 18-200mm AFS VR or the 12-24mm wide zoom. You'll have a camera much more
like what you're used to and it will make full (with exception of auto-focus
on your older ones) use of your existing lenses.

"David Ruether" wrote in message
...



"maya" wrote in message
. com...

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some
feedback.. www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not
100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days (didn't know
firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a
decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..


If you ***MUST*** make a quick decision (unfortunate, and you
MUST allow time to check out the gear, particularly any zoom lens,
for defects while you can still exchange them. The D40/50/70/80/100/200
bodies all have DREADFUL viewfinders compared with the F2, which
had one of the best ever, but the D80 and D200 are not as bad as the
others. Avoid the D40 - it doesn't even AF with non "S" lenses
(ridiculous!).
None but the D200 will meter with non-AF lenses, but it is the most
expensive of the group. The D80 is the likely best choice for you if price
is an issue, but DO NOT attempt to mount non-AI/AIS lenses on it!
For a single lens, the 18-70 or 18-135mm Nikkors may offer the best
performance for the price, though they are not as good as the best
non-zooms... (the FLs are multiplied by 1.5 to get the 35mm-camera
equivalent FLs, so 18mm = 27mm - but there are very few good shorter
FL lenses available for digital, unfortunately, and all are large and
expensive). You could look into the Sony R-1, which has the equivalent
of a 24-120mm lens...
--
David Ruether


http://www.ferrario.com/ruether




  #4  
Old February 6th 07, 07:13 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
maya
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 49
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

David Ruether wrote:
"maya" wrote in message . com...

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some feedback.. www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not 100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days
(didn't know firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..


If you ***MUST*** make a quick decision (unfortunate, and you
MUST allow time to check out the gear, particularly any zoom lens,
for defects while you can still exchange them. The D40/50/70/80/100/200
bodies all have DREADFUL viewfinders compared with the F2, which
had one of the best ever, but the D80 and D200 are not as bad as the
others. Avoid the D40 - it doesn't even AF with non "S" lenses (ridiculous!).
None but the D200 will meter with non-AF lenses, but it is the most
expensive of the group. The D80 is the likely best choice for you if price
is an issue, but DO NOT attempt to mount non-AI/AIS lenses on it!
For a single lens, the 18-70 or 18-135mm Nikkors may offer the best
performance for the price, though they are not as good as the best
non-zooms... (the FLs are multiplied by 1.5 to get the 35mm-camera
equivalent FLs, so 18mm = 27mm - but there are very few good shorter
FL lenses available for digital, unfortunately, and all are large and
expensive). You could look into the Sony R-1, which has the equivalent
of a 24-120mm lens...


thank you very much for your response, David.. it's not such a rushed
decision, I've been thinking about it for a long time, it's just that
the closer I get to actually making the purchase the more nervous I
get!! just found another great review of D80 here,
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D80/D80A.HTM.. it really seems
like the best bang for buck..

thanks again..




  #5  
Old February 6th 07, 07:19 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
tomm42
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 682
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

On Feb 6, 12:25 pm, maya wrote:
hi,

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some
feedback..www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not
100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days (didn't know
firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a
decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..

thank you very much....



Look at the D200, has the best feature set of non pro Nikon DSLRs. It
has a build quality like your F2. Can use manual focus lenses too,
but they have to be Ai or AiS, they have "feet" on the aperture ring.
An older non Ai Nikkor can damage the camera's aperture connection to
the lens. Older lenses can be converted.
Focusing with a WA is a bit of a pain with these cameras, I use a 24
f2 with a D200, with a 105 micro I'm fine. The other problem you will
run into is that the sensor is smaller, so your lenses act similar to
lenses 1.5 their focal length. A 24 becomes a 36mm, a 17mm = 25mm.
Takes a little getting used to, all Nikons DSLRs have this. I have 4
lenses 3 primes, a 17mm Tokina, a nice lens, the 24 f2 Nikon, a 55
micro, and a 70-210 f4 zoom, the set isn't perfect but works for me
and cost less than a grand. If you want to use zooms, somehow they go
with digital, the 18-70 Nikkor kit lens is good, but may not be wide
enough for you, the 17-55, and the 17-35, the latter could be used on
your F2, are excellent lenses with fairly high price tags. For wide
angle lenses there are 12-24 Nikon and Tokina, and 10-20 Sigma, a 17mm
Tokina is also a good choice .

Tom

  #6  
Old February 6th 07, 07:42 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
maya
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 49
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

tomm42 wrote:
On Feb 6, 12:25 pm, maya wrote:
hi,

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some
feedback..www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not
100% sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days (didn't know
firm travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a
decision double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..

thank you very much....



Look at the D200, has the best feature set of non pro Nikon DSLRs. It
has a build quality like your F2. Can use manual focus lenses too,
but they have to be Ai or AiS, they have "feet" on the aperture ring.
An older non Ai Nikkor can damage the camera's aperture connection to
the lens. Older lenses can be converted.
Focusing with a WA is a bit of a pain with these cameras, I use a 24
f2 with a D200, with a 105 micro I'm fine. The other problem you will
run into is that the sensor is smaller, so your lenses act similar to
lenses 1.5 their focal length. A 24 becomes a 36mm, a 17mm = 25mm.
Takes a little getting used to, all Nikons DSLRs have this. I have 4
lenses 3 primes, a 17mm Tokina, a nice lens, the 24 f2 Nikon, a 55
micro, and a 70-210 f4 zoom, the set isn't perfect but works for me
and cost less than a grand. If you want to use zooms, somehow they go
with digital, the 18-70 Nikkor kit lens is good, but may not be wide
enough for you, the 17-55, and the 17-35, the latter could be used on
your F2, are excellent lenses with fairly high price tags. For wide
angle lenses there are 12-24 Nikon and Tokina, and 10-20 Sigma, a 17mm
Tokina is also a good choice .

Tom

oh my gosh, two people say I should look @ D200 instead... ok, what
are main differences, please, between D200 and D80 that will make it
worth it (i.e., justifiable) for me to purchase the D200..

thank you very much..



  #7  
Old February 6th 07, 07:55 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
HankB
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 31
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

On Feb 6, 12:42 pm, maya wrote:

oh my gosh, two people say I should look @ D200 instead... ok, what
are main differences, please, between D200 and D80 that will make it
worth it (i.e., justifiable) for me to purchase the D200..


One of the biggest is that the D200 will meter with non-AF lenses. If
you have a large investment in Nikon glass that you would like to use
with the DSLR, they will be easier to use with the D200.

And of course, the D200 is overall a better camera with metal body and
more features. I don't own one, but IMO the only way to go wrong with
it is to spend the $$$ and not use it.

If the $$$ are a concern, then consider the D80. Depending on the
subject matter, metering may not be an issue. You can instantly review
the captured image and use the graph (struggling for the correct
term... Histogram! That's it) to review exposure.

I have a D50 and could not be happier. Well... I suppose a D200 would
make me happier. But I honestly have to say that I have plenty of room
to improve with the D50. (IOW, I am not skillful enough to take better
pictures given a better camera. Yet.

HTH,
hank

  #8  
Old February 6th 07, 09:27 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
jhthurman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 15
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

Hank has a good point: to a great degree, the camera doesn't matter...it's
the skill and imagination of the photographer that makes the difference! A
better camera will just make it easier to take whatever quality of picture
the photographer is currently capable of.

I have a D200 and 90% of the time, my 18-200mm AF-S VR allows me to get the
pictures I'm looking for. Once in a while I'll use some of my older Nikon
glass...particularly my 55mm micro Nikkor, which is not auto-focus but works
really well with the matrix metering in the camera. I like having a slightly
sturdier, weather sealed camera when I go out, and the extra build quality
and more flexible metering was worth it to me.

On the other hand, I bought two D40s for Christmas for my adult son and
daughter and tried them out before giving them as presents. Even the D40
with the kit 18-55mm lens does a great job. If using non AF-S lenses is not
an issue, and you don't really care about having more megapixels (actually
good 6MP cameras can make great photos) then you can really save yourself
some money by going with the D40. It just depends on your needs. All of the
latest DSLRs are pretty damn good.

"HankB" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 6, 12:42 pm, maya wrote:

oh my gosh, two people say I should look @ D200 instead... ok, what
are main differences, please, between D200 and D80 that will make it
worth it (i.e., justifiable) for me to purchase the D200..


One of the biggest is that the D200 will meter with non-AF lenses. If
you have a large investment in Nikon glass that you would like to use
with the DSLR, they will be easier to use with the D200.

And of course, the D200 is overall a better camera with metal body and
more features. I don't own one, but IMO the only way to go wrong with
it is to spend the $$$ and not use it.

If the $$$ are a concern, then consider the D80. Depending on the
subject matter, metering may not be an issue. You can instantly review
the captured image and use the graph (struggling for the correct
term... Histogram! That's it) to review exposure.

I have a D50 and could not be happier. Well... I suppose a D200 would
make me happier. But I honestly have to say that I have plenty of room
to improve with the D50. (IOW, I am not skillful enough to take better
pictures given a better camera. Yet.

HTH,
hank



  #9  
Old February 6th 07, 10:42 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Apteryx
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 55
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

"maya" wrote in message
. com...
tomm42 wrote:

Look at the D200, has the best feature set of non pro Nikon DSLRs. It
has a build quality like your F2. Can use manual focus lenses too,
but they have to be Ai or AiS, they have "feet" on the aperture ring.
An older non Ai Nikkor can damage the camera's aperture connection to
the lens. Older lenses can be converted.
Focusing with a WA is a bit of a pain with these cameras, I use a 24
f2 with a D200, with a 105 micro I'm fine. The other problem you will
run into is that the sensor is smaller, so your lenses act similar to
lenses 1.5 their focal length. A 24 becomes a 36mm, a 17mm = 25mm.
Takes a little getting used to, all Nikons DSLRs have this. I have 4
lenses 3 primes, a 17mm Tokina, a nice lens, the 24 f2 Nikon, a 55
micro, and a 70-210 f4 zoom, the set isn't perfect but works for me
and cost less than a grand. If you want to use zooms, somehow they go
with digital, the 18-70 Nikkor kit lens is good, but may not be wide
enough for you, the 17-55, and the 17-35, the latter could be used on
your F2, are excellent lenses with fairly high price tags. For wide
angle lenses there are 12-24 Nikon and Tokina, and 10-20 Sigma, a 17mm
Tokina is also a good choice .

Tom

oh my gosh, two people say I should look @ D200 instead... ok, what are
main differences, please, between D200 and D80 that will make it worth it
(i.e., justifiable) for me to purchase the D200..

thank you very much..


I've also had a F2AS for nearly 30 years, although I've only shot 2 rolls of
film on it since getting my D70 3 years ago, and don't think I've used it
all since upgrading to a D200 just under a year ago.

I'm assuming you have a collection of AI manual focus lenses to go with your
F2AS. If so, then the chief advantage of the D200 is that is will meter with
them. You could still mount them on the D80, but would need to carry a
hand-held meter if you planned on using them extensively. If on the other
hand you plan to replace all your AI MF lenses with modern AF lenses, then
the price advantage of the D80 will help you do that.

You will probably need to buy at least one new lens (18-70, 18-200, or
12-24mm) because one any Nikon DSLR, your 24mm will only have the angle of
view that a 36mm would have on your F2AS (though as such it is still pretty
useful, and my MF 24mm is possibly the MF lens I use most often on my D200).

--
Apteryx


  #10  
Old February 6th 07, 11:18 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Adrian Boliston
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 308
Default long-time Nikon F2AS user -- which SRL digital is best?

"maya" wrote in message
. com...

I'm getting ready to purchase a digital camera; for a while was
considering a point-and-shoot for the time being to save money; however,
none of them have wide-angle lenses.. and the vast majority of what I
shoot these days (actually for years now) is with a wide-angle; my
"normal" lens is a 24mm.. have barely touched my 50mm in the last six
years or so.. (am putting together a photoblog, would appreciate some
feedback.. www.francesdelrio.com/photoblog/.. thank you..)

I have been using a Nikon F2AS for about thirty years, so this is where
I'm coming from.. am considering either Nikon D50, D70, or D80 (is
it true the D40 has a different lens-mounting system from the others?
why would they do that?) I think I'm going with Nikon D80.. but not 100%
sure yet... am traveling to India in about four days (didn't know firm
travel-date till now, trip is job-related..) so need to make a decision
double-quick..

this is a big investment and I want to make sure to invest wisely...
thus would appreciate opinions from knowledgeable folks here..


I'd say look at the D50 & D70s if you don't mind the rather small
viewfinder, or the D80 if you want a viewfinder that uses a glass prism.

Nikkor AF-D primes seem to get expensive any wider than the 20/2.8 which
would act like a 30mm with film, which *might* be OK for you. This lens is
certainly the next one that I want to get!

If you are a keen wide angle shooter then the 12-24/4 would seem an obvious
choice if you don't mind being limited to f4. There is always the 14/2.8
AF-D once you have a bit (I mean a lot!) more money.

Have fun! Cheers adrian www.boliston.co.uk


 




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