Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC OS HSM vs Nikon 18-55 kit

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donegalphotographer

Senior Member
Hi guys need a bit of guidance I'm buying the d5100 and was going to get it with the kit lens but after a bit of research I've came across the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC OS HSM and I'm think of getting the camera body only and purchasing that

Now this was my plan camera and kit lens and a sb 700 flash
Now this is my second plan camera and sigma with yangnuo yn 468ii flash

Do you think that's a better idea ?? I would only use the flash for portraits of my new baby boy and the sigma will have better focal length for this and better bokah

Many thanks guys

PS I live in Ireland but buy from Amazon UK



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Vinnydude

Senior Member
I've got the D5100 and am using the sigma 17-50mm 2.8 lens and it is a HUGE improvement on the kit lens it came with. The main thing with buying new lenses for the d5100 you need to be aware of is the focus motor, it doesn't have one in the camera body so you need to keep an eye out for that. The lens you are looking at is HSM (hypersonic motor I think) so yeah, you are safe with that :)

Also, I got the Yongnuo 560III. Although I've not used an sb700 flash, I can say that the yongnuo 560III has been great so far. Don't forget to get a diffuser too, that really helps soften the flash up! They are only a few quid though :)

Hope that helps!
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I'd suggest option two, the D5100 with the Sigma 17-70mm and the Yongnuo 468-II. That's a pretty sweet combination. The Sigma 17-70mm is faster, sharper and has more zoom than the Nikon 18-55mm so that's really a no brainer, IMO. Since you'll be using this lens pretty much all the time it seems like the best place to sink your cash to get started.

The SB-700 is a great flash but the Yongnuo 468-II is as well and you could buy three of them for the cost of one SB-700. I've had a 468-II for a while now and it's been awesome. Throw this Sto-fen Omnibounce diffuser in your cart (fits like it was made for the 468-II) and you're set my friend!

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Ironwood

Senior Member
Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I like your 2nd option better. I did quite a bit of research on the sigma 17-70 when I was hunting for a lens for my D7100, I almost went with that one, but ended up with a Nikon 16-85, mainly because of the slightly wider range.

I also have the Yongnuo 468 flash, while I have no experience with the Nikon flash, so cant offer any comparison. I will say that the YN468 has been everything I expected, it seems very easy to use, and I got pretty good results using it from day one. I bought this one because of the HSS, which has been great for my macro shots of insects etc.

​Thats my thoughts anyway, you can take them for what they are worth.
 
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donegalphotographer

Senior Member
Horoscope Fish said:
I'd suggest option two, the D5100 with the Sigma 17-70mm and the Yongnuo 468-II. That's a pretty sweet combination. The Sigma 17-70mm is faster, sharper and has more zoom than the Nikon 18-55mm so that's really a no brainer, IMO. Since you'll be using this lens pretty much all the time it seems like the best place to sink your cash to get started.

The SB-700 is a great flash but the Yongnuo 468-II is as well and you could buy three of them for the cost of one SB-700. I've had a 468-II for a while now and it's been awesome. Throw this Sto-fen Omnibounce diffuser in your cart (fits like it was made for the 468-II) and you're set my friend!

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Thanks for the detailed comment mate, I'm really thinking the sigma and yangnuo is the way forward :) what's the TTL like on the yangnuo ???

Thanks

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donegalphotographer

Senior Member
Ironwood said:
Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I like your 2nd option better. I did quite a bit of research on the sigma 17-70 when I was hunting for a lens for my D7100, I almost went with that one, but ended up with a Nikon 16-85, mainly because of the slightly wider range.

I also have the Yongnuo 468 flash, while I have no experience with the Nikon flash, so cant offer any comparison. I will say that the YN468 has been everything I expected, it seems very easy to use, and I got pretty good results using it from day one. I bought this one because of the HSS, which has been great for my macro shots of insects etc.

​Thats my thoughts anyway, you can take them for what they are worth.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comment mate, I didn't think the 468ii had HSS ?? How do you find it is on TTL mode ??

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Vinnydude

Senior Member
The reason I went for the 560III was for the built in wireless receiver (even though i've not used it yet :p) I'm a control freak so TTL wasn't something I was looking at at all. The controls on the flash are that simple anyway that manually adjusting it is so simple and quick anyway.

I've been really happy with it. Unfortunately I've not used the 468ii or the sb700 so I can't really compare them all.

Which ever you go for, diffuser is a must! :p
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
donegalphotographer said:
Thanks for the comment mate, I didn't think the 468ii had HSS ?? How do you find it is on TTL mode ??
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TTL is pretty much the only way I use this flash and I find it works as well as any flash I've used.

Whatever flash you decide on, though, be prepared for there to be a bit of a learning curve. It's not always as easy as slapping the unit on your camera and just shooting blindly. While you *can* take that route, if you're after really good exposure consistently, you're going to need to learn the ins-and-outs of increasing and decreasing flash output at a minimum.

Bouncing your flash off the ceiling or a wall is always nice but for times when that's not convenient (or impossible, as it sometimes will be) a diffuser really *is* a must. Just suck up the fact you're paying $10 or $15 for a small piece of injection molded plastic and get the Sto-fen Omnibounce I linked you to in my previous post. You'll be glad you did.

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donegalphotographer

Senior Member
Horoscope Fish said:
TTL is pretty much the only way I use this flash and I find it works as well as any flash I've used.

Whatever flash you decide on, though, be prepared for there to be a bit of a learning curve. It's not always as easy as slapping the unit on your camera and just shooting blindly. While you *can* take that route, if you're after really good exposure consistently, you're going to need to learn the ins-and-outs of increasing and decreasing flash output at a minimum.

Bouncing your flash off the ceiling or a wall is always nice but for times when that's not convenient (or impossible, as it sometimes will be) a diffuser really *is* a must. Just suck up the fact you're paying $10 or $15 for a small piece of injection molded plastic and get the Sto-fen Omnibounce I linked you to in my previous post. You'll be glad you did.

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Perfect well that's decided then :) yn468ii with diffuser

Thanks for your time mate and thanks to the other guys that replied :)

So in my basket is
D5100 body
Sigma 17-70
Yangnuo yn 468ii
Diffuser

Also just took delivery of the Manfrotto 055xprob tripod and 498rc2 head :)

Now to wait for the camera and get practicing

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cadomniel

Senior Member
I wish I got the Sigma 17-70mm as well when I bought my D5100 but I didn't know as much as I do now so I bought it with the two kit lenses
 
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