lens upgrade/ shopping list

[Rorie]

Evening all,

My current line up for my D7100 is as follows

Tokina 11-16mm F2.8
Nikon 50mm F1.4
Nikon 18-105 F3.5-5.6
Nikon 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR

I am off on a holiday of a lifetime around Sri Lanka. I posted some time ago and was suggested the Tamron 150-600 F/5-6.3 was the lens i wanted. I agree! I was going to buy it and sell the 70-300.

However! I was then looking at other options. I quite like the idea of the Nikon 18-300mm 3.5-5.6. It covers so much range and would merge two lenses into one. But then i have a lot of cross over if i buy the Tamron….

My 18-105 is my default lens. I then generally move to the 11-16 when i need the speed. I hardly ever use the 50mm… Then of course, if i need reach i go for the 70-300. Hence i think getting an 18-300 would be a good move….but i don't know what to do for my 'super reach' for safari etc which is where the Tamron comes in.

Any thoughts / suggestions?!

 

[gqtuazon]

Evening all,

My current line up for my D7100 is as follows

Tokina 11-16mm F2.8
Nikon 50mm F1.4
Nikon 18-105 F3.5-5.6
Nikon 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR

I am off on a holiday of a lifetime around Sri Lanka. I posted some time ago and was suggested the Tamron 150-600 F/5-6.3 was the lens i wanted. I agree! I was going to buy it and sell the 70-300.

However! I was then looking at other options. I quite like the idea of the Nikon 18-300mm 3.5-5.6. It covers so much range and would merge two lenses into one. But then i have a lot of cross over if i buy the Tamron….

My 18-105 is my default lens. I then generally move to the 11-16 when i need the speed. I hardly ever use the 50mm… Then of course, if i need reach i go for the 70-300. Hence i think getting an 18-300 would be a good move….but i don't know what to do for my 'super reach' for safari etc which is where the Tamron comes in.

Any thoughts / suggestions?!

Hello Rorie. Excellent collection of images from your website.
I have not tried the 18-300mm but typically, a general rule,most super zooms tend to become less sharp on the longer FL. You may havenoticed this with your 70-300mm VR lens once you use 270mm or longer. I can seewhy you are opting for the 18-300mm since it will save a lot of room in yourcamera bag. As long as you know that you will need a lot of light to get betterimages at f8, the lens will be ok since that will require a similar settingsfrom your 70-300mm VR zoom lens.
If it was me, I would buy and get the Nikon 16-35mm f4 VR and70-200mm f4 VR zoom lenses to cover just about everything and possibly includea 1.4x TC just in case for your travel photography.

 

[Bill16]

Just my opinion, but I'd also recommend a 35mm instead of the 50mm or to go with! The 35mm will give you the real nifty fifty view, and that is a great viewpoint in my opinion to have!

But my buddy Glenn there really knows his gear!

 

[skene]

There is no one lens that will properly cover everything. Imagine you go on the trip of a lifetime, get the shot of a lifetime, go to the hotel to process the image only to know that it is extremely soft and you lost the shot. There are a reason that certain lenses are made for certain jobs, and if you can live with knowing that there is a possibility that you may miss the shot because you made a sacrifice on a full range zoom, go for it.
There is no right or wrong though as it all comes down to budget. So if the 18-300 is really the way you want to go, I would try the lens out quite possibly by renting first before you make the purchase and it fails with IQ when you needed it most.

 

[Rorie]

Thanks for the replies folks.

I guess the 35mm prime would have been a better bet as i am working on a DX camera. Perhaps one for a change later on.

I know having gaps in my focal range isnt a problem, but having over lap is not ideal. So perhaps i am better looking at the Nikon 18-200mm. Smaller range, so hopefully staying sharper, and also lighter weight!

The other option is that i spend a bit more money and get somethign faster. Are there any faster lenses that cover more of a range? I am guessing not due to sharpness etc

Glen, i like your idea, but what i really want to get away from is having a camera bag when out traveling on day trips. the ideal would be taking my camera and perhaps chucking my wide angle in the bag, so not sure that would work ideally for me.

The other point about sharp photos.... the other way to look at it is that I could well miss that photo when changing lenses

 

[Horoscope Fish]

The other point about sharp photos... the other way to look at it is that I could well miss that photo when changing lenses...

I don't worry about shots I can't get or "might miss" since those are inevitable; always have been, always will be. What I do worry about is getting the best possible shots I can with the lens I have on. On a DX body I'd be good to go on this trip with a 35mm prime and a 70-200mm f/2.8 or f/4.
....

 

[Rorie]

So, i have decided…i think…. to sell my 18-105 and 70-300 and replace it with an 18-200 (pretty good reviews and one review suggested its actually sharper than the 18-105!

I have just purchased my 150-600mm!

I am also thinking i should sell my 50mm 1.4 as i never use it. Then i may buy a 35mm at a later date...

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Bill16]

Congrats on the new plan! I hope the new lenses workout great for you! I may buy a Nikkor AF 50mm f1.4 ed lens myself when I get the chance! If I was you I'd keep it for portraits as it works out to around an 80mm on the DX cameras!

Anyway, I hope you'll end up loving your new lenses!

So, i have decided…i think…. to sell my 18-105 and 70-300 and replace it with an 18-200 (pretty good reviews and one review suggested its actually sharper than the 18-105!

I have just purchased my 150-600mm!

I am also thinking i should sell my 50mm 1.4 as i never use it. Then i may buy a 35mm at a later date...

Thanks for all the help!