D7000 question.

Hello all, first timer here and I'm seeking some professional advice/opinions.

I've been Point and Shoot user because of its convenience but always wanted to own a DSLR. Once I purchase DSLR, I would like to use it at least 7 years without upgrading so I was debating between D3100, D5100 and D7000, and I narrowed it down to D7000. However, here is where my dilemma starts.

Question 1: Not sure if choosing D7000 is good choice since I've never owned a DSLR.

After reading many reviews, seems like KIT lense, 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED Nikkor Lense has major problem with its Plastic mounting and even under waranty, Nikon refuses to repair it for free because it's not manufacture fault.

Question 2: Should I just purchase D7000 with KIT knowing above issue and perhaps purchase zoom lens down the road (70-300)?

Question 3: D7000 body only with 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor (according to some reviews, this lens has some focus issue?). This option is appealing since I dont have to switch to different lens. I know this option defeats the purpose of owning DSLR...

Choice 4: D7000 body only with 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikor + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor?
Or your suggestion?

I love going on cruises and take many pictures by sea/beach, indoor, mountain. For my needs, which one would you recommend? Thank you for all your help.

I have the D7000 andI love it, I also have the 70-300mm you will love this combo.
My advice is learn as much as you can about the camera you are getting before buying it.
Try them out for feel. But I highly recommed the D7000 you will not have to up gradefor a long time with this camera.
The 70-300mm is a fantastic lens you will not be sorry buying this lens.

Hi and welcome to the Nikonites Community. I have been shooting with the 18-105mm "kit" lens for going on two years. Photo wise it's a great lens and it's my go to lens for most shooting sessions. (I have five lenses.) I have never had a problem with the plastic mount. If you are careful in handling the lens and body, which you should be anyway, it will give you good service. I also second the comments by Curt on the 7-300mm lens.

Just to clarify, there is no such lens as the 18-300. There is a 18-200 wHich is a very good all along walkabout lens for the D7000. There is also a 28-300 that would cover the FX format as well. This latter lens might have more reach on the telephoto side, but you would miss the wide side from 18-28.

For travel, the 18-200 is probably your best bet. Now if you want to read all critics and pros & cons on the internet, you will get very quickly confused because this lens is not the best for image quality (IQ). But, it's the most practical for travel purposes. It has VR, is decently sharp and will get the picture.
You have to remember that a picture with a little lower IQ is better than the picture that was never taken because you had to switch lens and you missed it.

And, don't worry too much, you will want to buy more lenses as time goes by… Don't even ask me how I know.

TeddyBear said:

Question 1: Not sure if choosing D7000 is good choice since I've never owned a DSLR.

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Welcome to the site!

I honestly wouldn't want my first camera to be the D7000. But if you want to not buy another camera for a while, the D7000 may be a good choice. Personally I would get the D5100 first, and then graduate to the D7000 after you learn more about photography. You'd save $300 (that could go towards a lens) and get most of the same features. See my post on the differences between the two: http://nikonites.com/d5100/2500-d5100-vs-d7000.html

Hello and welcome.

Since you say you're not going to consider an upgrade for 7 years (interesting number - why not 6 or 8? ) then the D7000 - while having a reasonabley steep learning curve - would be the one I'd recommend. Although keep in mind that once you enter the world of DSLRs, that 7 years can quickly be whittled down to 2 years or less!

TeddyBear said:

Question 1: Not sure if choosing D7000 is good choice since I've never owned a DSLR. After reading many reviews, seems like KIT lense, 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED Nikkor Lense has major problem with its Plastic mounting and even under waranty, Nikon refuses to repair it for free because it's not manufacture fault.

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The D7000 is a wonderful camera and would make a very good choice for most people.

There is not even a small issue let alone a "major problem" with the 18-105 or any other lens with a plastic mount. Frankly I don't blame Nikon for not repairing it for free as any damage to it would almost certainly be due to owner abuse or neglect. Unless you treat your lenses/gear with great harshness, then you will not have a problem. Period.

TeddyBear said:

Question 2: Should I just purchase D7000 with KIT knowing above issue and perhaps purchase zoom lens down the road (70-300)?

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Again, there is no issue with that lens. On the contrary, it is an excellent lens so do not be mislead by it being a "kit" lens. It is very sharp and provides a highly desirable focal range making it an ideal walking around lens.

The purchase of another zoom lens down the road like the 70-300 would not preclude the purchase of the 18-105. In fact it would make an ideal combination.

TeddyBear said:

Question 3: D7000 body only with 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor (according to some reviews, this lens has some focus issue?). This option is appealing since I dont have to switch to different lens. I know this option defeats the purpose of owning DSLR...

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As noted above, I believe you meant to refer to the 18-200. I'm not a big fan of this lens but it's certainly tough to beat it for convenience. You point our quite correctly that getting a DSLR is all about having various lenses at your disposal and not just having a jack-of-all trades lens like the 18-200. Having said that, it would make for an attractive travel lens when you don't really have the time or inclination to swap out lenses.

TeddyBear said:

Choice 4: D7000 body only with 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikor + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor? Or your suggestion?

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This isn't a bad option but instead of the 18-55VR I'd get the 18-105VR along with the 70-300VR and the D7000. Just add the 35mm 1.8 and you'll have a camera and a set of lenses that will address the vast majority of a person's shooting needs.

TeddyBear said:

I love going on cruises and take many pictures by sea/beach, indoor, mountain. For my needs, which one would you recommend? Thank you for all your help.

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Usually 2 general schools of thought on vacation photography:

• The travel light folks who don't want to lug around a bag full of lenses and prefer a one (perhaps 2) lens solution like the 18-200 and say the 35 1.8.
• The "once in a lifetime" folks who want to capture the best possible pictures with their highest quality gear. No sacrifice is too great to get those breathtaking landscapes or architectural wonders.

So you see it would be difficult to advise you as to which lens to get for your vacation unless you provide further information on how you view photography vis-à-vis a vacation.

Best of luck with your decision.

You say you have been a P&S user because of the convenience but now you are thinking about DSLR's...what kind of photography do you want to do? Any of the latest Nikon DSLR's are capable machines and will all probably still be capable of making first rate pics even 10 years down the road assuming they are very well taken care of. There are some pro level Nikon P&S cameras that are fixed lens units but also fantastic cameras...see my point? What kind of photography are you wanting to do?

Go check out the P7000...heck there is even a new P&S that has a F1.8 lens...that is downright mean!!!

If you go with the D7000, or the D5100 for that matter), i would stay away from the 18-105mm. It's over priced and soft in the corners at both ends.
The 18-55mm is half the price and out performs the 18-105mm.
The 18-55mm.(28-105mm on the cropped sensor) will give you WA,portrait, and macro. Combine it with the 70-300mm (105-450mm. On the cropped sensor).
And you have it all covered with just those two lenses.
The money you save by not buying the 18-105mm. you can put towards the 70-300mm.

Just my thoughts on it..lol.

I just shot a whole wedding (320 shots) with an 18-55mm VR lens. They all came out great. All shot outdoors for the most part. The shots indoors (reception) were also done with the 18-55 and an SB-700 flash.

The beauty of the Nikon 18-55mm. is you get three lenses in one, and under $200.00.
It macro focuses better then any of the other non-macro lenses.
It’s a nice portrait lens, and in the bottom end (18-35mm area) it’s a great landscape (wide angle) lens. Looking at the specs. its sharp all the way from top to bottom.
Its half the price of the 18-105mm. and a better lense, So you take the money you save on the 18-105mm. and put it toward the 70-300mm. and Bang! You have a full range from 28mm. to 450mm. on the cropped sensor (DX). How can you go wrong?
I think those will be the two lenses I will use the most? The others are more for Macro & low light. But for general use all you really need are those two lenses, 18-55mm. & 70-300mm.

I took these today with my D7000 w/ 18-55mmlens.

Curt said:

If you go with the D7000, or the D5100 for that matter), i would stay away from the 18-105mm. It's over priced and soft in the corners at both ends. The 18-55mm is half the price and out performs the 18-105mm.

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Curt, I would love to have some of what you're smoking! LOL! I have a feeling someone has been reading a bit too much Ken Rockwell for their own good!

The 18-105 is one of the very best bang for your buck lenses Nikon offers. It is certainly not over-priced (the 16-85VR is an example of an over priced Nikon lens) and it is a super sharp lens! Is the 18-105 perfect? No, but very few lenses are - especially kit lenses. The biggest problem with the 18-105 is a bit of distortion at the wide end and some CA can rear it's head from time to time.

Outperforms the 18-105?? Well if you mean that it can focus closer that the 18-105 then yes it "outperforms" it. However the 18-105 covers a much larger and more convenient focal range, has a better build and balances very nicely on the body (I like a lens with a bit of heft).

Along with the fact that the MTF charts are almost identical, here is a head to head comparison using test charts of these lenses (at 24mm, f/5.6) - the 18-105 looks better to my eye but practically speaking there is no real world difference in IQ between the two (scroll over the image to flip between the lenses - note the directional arrow on top) . http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=614&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=1&APIComp=2

I'm not sure if you have any 1st hand experience with the 18-105 (do you?) however I do own the 18-55, 18-105 and 17-55 2.8. I can say with absolute confidence - from 1st hand experience - that while the 18-55VR is a beauty of a kit lens, I'd take the 18-105VR over it any day of the week and twice on Sunday!

Curt said:

The 18-55mm.(28-105mm on the cropped sensor) will give you WA,portrait, and macro. Combine it with the 70-300mm (105-450mm. On the cropped sensor). And you have it all covered with just those two lenses. The money you save by not buying the 18-105mm. you can put towards the 70-300mm.

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Actually your math is off on that one Curt. The 18-55 does not give a 35mm equivalent of 28-105 - it gives one of 26-83mm. The 18-105 will give an effective range of 26-158 - almost *double* that of the 18-55 on the long end. A huge advantage!

Minor overlap between lenses is not something to be avoided - it's desirable in many cases. With the 18-55 and 70-300 you will have a gap in the 55-70 range and you will likely have to change lenses more often. Having the 18-105 and 70-300 (which I do) offers a much more complete coverage.

Well 18-105 and 18-55 obviously do WA the same but for portrait, the 18-105 again is the clear winner here. The ranges that offer the most common and appealing choices are beyond 55mm - 85mm or 105mm (effective) are best in terms of allowing for a flattering perspective for head and shoulder shots (no weird facial distortions). In terms of macro - well neither lens does macro but since the 18-55 is the closer focusing of the 2 lenses, the nod will go the 18-55 (but it's certainly not a macro lens).

This is just a grab shot (poor composition etc.) taken sometime ago with my old D40 but the 18-105 is a sharp lens!

Curt said:

Just my thoughts on it..lol.

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We may have to agree to disagree!

James, it sounds like I have offended you, if so I meant no disrespect?
I was only stating my thoughts.
You are right I have not owned a 18-105 mm. But I have had friends that have, and didn’t like it.
I guess you are right, we will have to agree to disagree..lol.
I am glad you are happy with your 18-105mm. I guess you will always find people who like or dislike a product.

Oh, BTW very nice shots James .

Curt said:

James, it sounds like I have offended you, if so I meant no disrespect?
I was only stating my thoughts.
You are right I have not owned a 18-105 mm. But I have had friends that have, and didn’t like it.
I guess you are right, we will have to agree to disagree..lol.
I am glad you are happy with your 18-105mm. I guess you will always find people who like or dislike a product.

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Hey Curt! No...you didn't offend me at all! The internet makes is so difficult to get an accurate feel for what's being typed. Sorry if I sounded offended - not in the least!! Actually I find it humorous when I see people on various photography forums defend certain brands or specific lenses, etc. like it was a family member. I think my posts may be subject to sounding too "strong" I suppose as I basically write strongly worded reports and letters at my day job - hard to break the habit! LOL!!!

Differences of opinion are a good thing - I like debating the pros and cons of various issues, etc. It's certainly not like one of these lenses is terrible and the other perfect - they are both very good lenses - no doubt about it. I do know we both agree 100% on the 70-300VR being an amazing lens!!

Curt said:

Oh, BTW very nice shots James .

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Thanks very much Curt!! Have a good night.

I was in your situation about a month ago considering which camera to buy among D3100, D5100 and D7000. I liked D7000 the most but for budget reason I decided to buy D5100. Unfortunately, D5100 was out of stock in all camera stores in my city, and I had to wait for at least one week. Couple of days later, one store had a sale on D7000 for only $1300 with the kit lense and I bought it.
Needless to say I love the D7000 and I like the lense 18-105. I think it's better than 18-55 lense and all the reviews I've read confirmed it.
I'd like to have 35mm prime lense but the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 is "made in China" lense and I don't buy Chinese stuff. Instead I bought Tokina 35mm f/2.8 macro lense, which is a better lense according to the reviews. For some reason that I don't understand all the photos I've taken with that lense turned out too soft compared with the kit lense. I returned the Tokina lense 2 days later.
I'm thinking of buying 70-300mm lense but at the moment I don't need more zoom than 105mm (I don't take pictures of birds or wild animals).
I'd recommend you to buy D7000 with kit lense and don't buy additional lenses until you really need them, and of course after reading a lot of reviews of those lenses.
If your budget is good, a better option is to buy D7000 body and 17-55 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses.
Good luck.

There you go, another difference of opinion …lol.
Some think an 18-105mm matches best with the 70-300mm.
While others think the 18-55mm. does.
It’s all good.
The best thing to do is give them all a test drive and see which you prefer.

First of all, thank you all for your warm welcome and replies. I feel like I started "which lens is best?" thread, and sorry about that. Prior to my actual purchase, I'm still doing researches and reading lots of reviews, and how-to-guide on D7000.

I will be making my final decision soon but ran into 1 question. What's your take on 70-300 vs 55-300? Amazon is having special sale so at the end, D7000 with 70-300 or D7000 with 55-300 is same price till end of July. I'm leaning toward D7000 Kit since, less need for lens change required but how's indoor shot quality with Kit lens and under low light condition?

I will be going on Alaska cruise in Aug and European cruise in Nov, so I think zoom lens will come in handy.

Well I can't speak for the 55-300mm. But I have the 70-300mm. and I love it.
Here is a shot I just took a few minutes ago out my window with my D7000 w/ 70-300mm lens.