Need Help buying lense for D800

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crycocyon

Senior Member
Definitely the 24-85 because you need the kind of flexibility from a lens if you will have just one lens at this point. I was going to suggest the 50 mm 1.4 G or 1.8G as a starting lens but since you are already going to be shooting for others then you'll need more flexibility a zoom would provide. Sounds like it will be trial by fire for you, hehe. A high end camera for a beginner shooting big events....whew! :cool:
 
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Yepiz92

New member
crycocyon said:
Definitely the 24-85 because you need the kind of flexibility from a lens if you will have just one lens at this point. I was going to suggest the 50 mm 1.4 G or 1.8G as a starting lens but since you are already going to be shooting for others then you'll need more flexibility a zoom would provide. Sounds like it will be trial by fire for you, hehe. A high end camera for a beginner shooting big events....whew! :cool:
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Thanks for your reply and I know it will be a trial of fire for me but I like a challenge trust me I'll get the hang of it quickly
 
GeeAirMo

GeeAirMo

Senior Member
I would say the 24-85 since the range would be great. I would also suggest a 50mm 1.8 as well. It's a fixed focal length, but it would allow you get some low light shots without costing a ton of money.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
Yepiz92 said:
Well hello I'm new to all this and its also my first post, I'm planning on buying a D800 but I dont know which lense to buy since I'm a beginner can anyone help me decide and explain why should I buy it, thanks.
Here are the 2 lenses
AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED (4.3x)

I would be doing indoor and outdoor photshoots like graduations, weddings, etc, so which of these 2 is better for this?.
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Since you'll be a pro in no time, why not start out with a pro lens to match the body? Go with the Nikon 24-70 2.8, you'll save money in the long run.
 
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Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
The 24-85 only since it is close to my 24-70 mm f2.8 (you really should consider this lens) which has almost a permanent mounting on my D800.
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
Yepiz92 said:
Well hello I'm new to all this and its also my first post, I'm planning on buying a D800 but I dont know which lense to buy since I'm a beginner can anyone help me decide and explain why should I buy it, thanks.
Here are the 2 lenses
AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED (4.3x)

I would be doing indoor and outdoor photshoots like graduations, weddings, etc, so which of these 2 is better for this?.
Click to expand...

I have not tried the Nikon 24-85mm lens but if it was me, I would get the Nikon 24-120mm f4 VRII which is lighter and slightly cheaper than the 24-70mm f2.8. Pretty sharp lens and it offers a better range.

Second lens that I would get would be the Nikon 70-200mm f4 VRIII. Get a prime lens if you prefer but these two zoom lenses and a SB 910 should be able to cover all of the things that you've listed. These are probably above your budget or maybe not, but if it was me, these are the two lenses that I will use. Of course, I have just about every lenses that I want and no one said that you are limited to just two lenses. :D

Welcome to the forum.


Nikon mid zooms by gqtuazon, on Flickr
 
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98kellrs

Senior Member
Out of curiosity why would you buy a semi pro body and put a very average consumer grade lens on it? Does not make sense..

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
98kellrs said:
Out of curiosity why would you buy a semi pro body and put a very average consumer grade lens on it? Does not make sense..
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I was going to ask the same question but the OP made his decision already. My suggestions are more of a future proof and it will minimize or even eliminate buying and selling later on down the road.

However, we should respect his decision.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
My personal take on that answer is that I believe the 24-70mm is due for a VR upgrade in the near future, so I'm happy to wait on that. I got my 24-85mm with my D600 (it was practically a free throw-in) and had the intention of upgrading rather quickly if it was just OK. I'm super happy with it and happy to use it. DxO rated the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 very high with the D800, and having both I can say that I am no happier with the Sigma than with the 24-85. In fact, I prefer the images I get from the Nikon.

Even if I get the 24-70mm 2.8 down the road I can't see ever parting with this lens. Perfect low profile walkaround that I'm not going to lose sleep over if something happens to it.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
If you want the best quality, why don't you go with primes. 28, 50 and 85 1.8 will surpass any zoom in that range. This combination cost less than the Nikon 24-70. If you then want the zoom, get the 24-85 or an older Tamron 28-75, or 28-200.

The possibilities are just limited by the dollars you want to invest into photography.
 
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Geoffc

Senior Member
I'm going to be a bit radical here and ask why you are buying a D800. I have one and it is undoubtedly good for some things, but having said that I've enjoyed using my D300s again recently while the 800 was in for repair. The images are nice and manageable and everything looks sharp without trying.

The reason I ask is that if you are actually new to the DSLR thing the D800 may not give you the best results straight away unless you use it in a fairly disciplined way. Personally I didn't like the images off mine when I first got it due to my technique. I think all I'm saying is that the D800 does not equal the best pictures just because it's an expensive body. It's a bit like a high performance car, it's not the best tool to learn on. Just a thought if you haven't already bought the body.
 
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Puzz1e

Banned
I personally wouldn't recommend either of those lenses on a D800. Would you buy a Ferrari and put $50 tyres on it?

Not that these lenses are horrible, but they are not doing the sensor justice IMO
 
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98kellrs

Senior Member
Epoc said:
I'm curious, have you ever used this lens?
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No I haven't. I do own the 24-70mm f2.8 though and I think that is the lowest calibre lens I would ever consider pairing with my D800's monstrous sensor. If he wants to do that he is more than welcome, I was just interested in his train of thought.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 using Tapatalk 2
 
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Yepiz92

New member
To answer everyones question I'm buying the D800 because I'm gonna need it for future work and I find better to buy the pro body first then the lense maybe I'm wrong but I plan on buying a pro lense later on also I'm opening my own studio so I'm on a really tight budget for now, hope you all understand and thanks for your feedback.
 
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jwstl

Senior Member
You won't be happy with those lenses on the D800. As others have said, that body requires premium glass. You can get by with those on the D600 but not the D800...unless you shoot it in DX mode. I have the 24-85 and the 70-300 and I use them on my DX bodies but not on the D800e...not good enough.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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Epoc

Senior Member
Maybe Jake could comment here as he has actually used this lens on a D800 rather than people making assumptions.
 
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