Help old nikon lenses witch Camera Body

[pvilela]

Sorry i post it on the wrong place 1st

Hello to all
First congratulations for this great forum.

I need your help, in the past i use to be a free lancer on surf photos and on other sports
So i still have my old gear that i post it bellow:

2 X Nikon F90X
Nikkor ED 400 mm F2.8
Tamron SP 300 mm F2.8
Nikkor AF-ED 80-200 F2.8
TOKINA ATX-PRO 70-80 mm F2.8
Nikkor AF 50 mm F1.8
TAMRON 20-40 mm F2.7-3.5
Nikkor TC16A, TC-14B, TC-201
2 speed light SB26 and SB28

To much gear to be on a bag!!!!
I thinking to invest on a digital camera Body, and i whant to use some of my old lenses, that quality was the driven purpose for having all these f2,8 mm.
What should be the camera body to buy??, i will apreciate any comment, of course price is a must ,as i am not selling photos anymore to live

sorry for not writing in French, i am very rusty

Pedro Vilela
Portugal

[Verso92]

Hello Pedro,

I think that D700 will be great for your use. A sort of F90x (or F100), but digital !

(except for the speedlight*, which must be used in computer mode : no TTL !)

;-)



*and, I think, the TC-16A : maybe it doesn't work with D700...

[alain2x]

hi Pedro

Sorry not to be able to speek portuguese, so I'lll do it in english.

With all the lenses you got, it seems to me that a D700 or a D3 should be the right camera to pick up.
You could get a D300, but then you'll have to get used to all the new viewing angles from APS-C format, and also get a nice wide angle zoom.

The big drawback is you'll have to buy a new flash, since SB-28 & 26 are not at their best on D series cameras.

Now, be also prepared to have to learn lots of new things, but I'm sure you'll like them.

Bye

[pvilela]

Thanks
quick answer, i apreciate.
now lets see the euros +/-2500 in Portugal for a D700

[JCR]

But you can get it in London for a lower price around 1900€

[Verso92]

Thanks
quick answer, i apreciate.
now lets see the euros +/-2500 in Portugal for a D700

I bought it 2500€ in France in september. Now, I think it's near 2200~2300€. But London is less expansive, indeed...

[pvilela]

Thanks , to all
And what about D90 or D300, a smaller budget, is needed

[chti_bobo]

The D300 is great!!! This is the same body than the D700 (same grip, same battery...) but with a smaller sensor (APS sized => *1.5), so your 400mmf2.8 will "frame" like a 600f2.8 which might be great for Surf, but your 20-40 will be like a 30-60 (no wide-angle anymore).

The D300 is great for sport as it has one of the best AF in the world (only the 4000€ D3 might be slightly better): very fast, lots of options for different use-cases, and the 51 focus-point are spread all over the screen (not only in the center).

The D700 has a better image quality at 1600iso and higher (you can use 6400iso for sport images), but no differences really visible at 400iso.
The price is also really nicer on the D300

If the price is still too expensive (because you may want to include a standard 16-85mm or a wider 12-24mm, and why not an sb600 flashgun*), the D90 will deliver quite the same image quality as it's exactly the same sensor than the D300, but with a smaller body, not as fast when it comes to frame/sec or AF with non-AFS, but OK for sport anyway. The AF chip is the one of the D200, so it's a bit an older model, but it was the best of its time too (2 years ago!!!).
 Just have to point out that it can't measure light with non-AF lenses (not sure if your 300 and 400 lenses are AF?), and more plastic than the D300 (but good plastic! feels better than a Canon 1000D )
 On the D90 you'll also have the video mode, if it's important to you (not a real camcorder, but nice with low light, shallow dof and long lenses)

(*): the flash is not so important today, with a D90/D300 that can shoot up to 1600iso with correct IQ, especially with f2.8 lenses, but of course in very low light it's still mandatory (or you need D700 + f1.4 or f2 fixed focal lens).

[chti_bobo]

By the way, I don't know the Tamron 20-40 but I'm not sure it will give you the best IQ of these 12MP sensor as they require a very good definition, so even a cheap "given-with-the-D90-as-a-kit" lens like the 18-105vr or the 15-55VR might give you better results (at f4-5.6 of course! keep your lenses for the days when f2.8 is mandatory, like when shooting indoor sport...)

The new Nikon 17-55mmf2.8 is also a must, but APS only, so you can find it on the used market since a lot of pros are going full-frame (ie 24*36 sensor)

-------

The 50mm is still very good, and the longer lenses are usually less inclined to suffer from a digital update (but I don't know the exact models of your 80-200 (push-pull zomming or 2 rings model) and 400mm (manual Ais, heavyAF-I, newest AFS?))

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/telephotos/400mm.htm

[René]

For me, the D300 is better for surf photos and sports than the D90 because his robust construction.
The D300 value in the second hand market is around 900€

[pvilela]

 In the past , surf Photos were always with a light meter or A priority with a correction, two much white
i use to apreciate strong camera bodies, salt spray simple ruins a camera, so more "tropicalized" the better.
i use to use velvia or 100 iso films, so 1600 iso, is something that i rarely used, normaly more on black and white for the grain.
Were it is an example, i think it was 400 mm with a TC-16A ( makes autofocus with manual lenses), scan on a coolscan Ls-30
i hope you like it

[chti_bobo]

800/1600 iso is great for indoor sport (Hockey, Gym, Handball, Basket), except when the hall is a professionally lighted one

Of course, it's not needed for surf (especially with 400f2.8 )

[FotoPlanet]

Why not both ?

A D700 to conserve the 1 ratio  and to use lenses on their nominal value.
A D300 To expend at 1.5 ratio and by the way to have a back up in case of problem
on one body.

Depending your usual subjects and also your range and quality required as printing.

In case of max required you have to climb one step above and sight D3 Or D3 X.

As wrote above the D300 Is a very good body.

Good luck

[chti_bobo]

He said that the D700 is too expensive and he hesitates between D90 and D300, so I don't think he'll buy D300 + D700

[FotoPlanet]

I never used D90, data sheet looks very good.

I use since it arrival D300. No complain at all. Nice camera.

Have a  look on the web shop of Robert Withe. The UK£ to € is roughly 1.14

Don't forgot to add 15% for the UK V.A.T.

Good luck

[pvilela]

chti_bobo 

great article, that is my lent
beutifull results in every situation i use it