NEW GEAR ON ITS WAY

[Vintage Racer]

Gave all my gear to my daughter a few years ago, when she started university (Falmouth, Marine & Natural History Photography).

It's taken some time to save up again, but I now have the following arriving this week:

NIKON D500
Nikon 200-500
Nikon 70-200 f4
Nikon 18-55 VR11
Tokina 11-20 f2.8

Can't wait to get back out and start shooting again. - Excited is an understatement!!

[DibblyDobbler]

Good work - look forward to seeing some results

[RobDickinson]

Thats a serious new haul!

[Vintage Racer]

All arrived and WOW!

For anyone wondering, I bought it all from HDEW Camera's who's service was impeccable with HUGE savings. - Standard warranty on lenses and 3 year warranty on body.

Now looking for a decent backpack for it all...............any suggestions at sensible money?

[DibblyDobbler]

Sounds good!

I have a Lowepro bag - it is decent and not silly expensive.

[Vintage Racer]

DibblyDobbler said:

Sounds good!

I have a Lowepro bag - it is decent and not silly expensive.

Yes, it definitely looks like a Lowepro to me. Having blown the budget on the gear, I am thinking of either a VERTEX 3AW, or the Flipside 500 AW

Needs to be a reasonable size, to cover the 200-500, but i'm certain any spare space will soon be filled with something.

- Very jealous of your 'macro' work!!

[DibblyDobbler]

Vintage Racer said:

- Very jealous of your 'macro' work!!

Too kind

[DavidY]

I would also look at the Tamrac Anvil's, I have one and its very comfortable to wear and lots of useful pockets.

[Lynchie999]

Vintage Racer said:

DibblyDobbler said:

Sounds good!

I have a Lowepro bag - it is decent and not silly expensive.

Yes, it definitely looks like a Lowepro to me. Having blown the budget on the gear, I am thinking of either a VERTEX 3AW, or the Flipside 500 AW

Needs to be a reasonable size, to cover the 200-500, but i'm certain any spare space will soon be filled with something.

- Very jealous of your 'macro' work!!

I have the flipside trek 450... not "cheap" (£170) but a great bag! especially if you are out and about walking etc... space for lunch too ...

[damianmkv]

Am sure you'll love the d500 - mine arrived last week with the 16-80. I got mine from Panamoz, with a 3 year warranty and saved £720 over uk prices. The lens had a particle in so I emailed Panamoz along with a photo on Friday night, a courier collected the lens Tuesday morning and they have despatched a replacement today.

Am saving for other lenses ( I picked up a new 35 f1.8 for £120 ), keep dallying between a 70-200 2.8 and f4 and lastly a tokina 11-20 as you have

Enjoy

[Vintage Racer]

damianmkv said:

Am sure you'll love the d500 - mine arrived last week with the 16-80. I got mine from Panamoz, with a 3 year warranty and saved £720 over uk prices. The lens had a particle in so I emailed Panamoz along with a photo on Friday night, a courier collected the lens Tuesday morning and they have despatched a replacement today.

Am saving for other lenses ( I picked up a new 35 f1.8 for £120 ), keep dallying between a 70-200 2.8 and f4 and lastly a tokina 11-20 as you have

Enjoy

I spent weeks researching the 70-200 f2.8 v's 70-200 f4 and at the end of the day, the f4 won out due to 'realistic' use and a 'huge' difference in price.

The Tokina 11-20 has really impressed me.

Would love a set of 'top-end' primes, but I reckon that 'at my level', I would not do them justice (apart from also needing a lottery win).

Still tempted with a TC-14E III converter though.

[damianmkv]

Doesn't seem that the v3 TC is any Great Leap Forward over the v2 does it ? ( unless we talk about money.. )

[tuffer]

Vintage Racer said:

damianmkv said:

Am sure you'll love the d500 - mine arrived last week with the 16-80. I got mine from Panamoz, with a 3 year warranty and saved £720 over uk prices. The lens had a particle in so I emailed Panamoz along with a photo on Friday night, a courier collected the lens Tuesday morning and they have despatched a replacement today.

Am saving for other lenses ( I picked up a new 35 f1.8 for £120 ), keep dallying between a 70-200 2.8 and f4 and lastly a tokina 11-20 as you have

Enjoy

I spent weeks researching the 70-200 f2.8 v's 70-200 f4 and at the end of the day, the f4 won out due to 'realistic' use and a 'huge' difference in price.

The Tokina 11-20 has really impressed me.

Would love a set of 'top-end' primes, but I reckon that 'at my level', I would not do them justice (apart from also needing a lottery win).

Still tempted with a TC-14E III converter though.

I managed to pick up a 70-200 F2.8 in Singapore for £1600 so a pretty good saving, saw the same in Japan last week. If anyone is traveling it may be worth the effort, interestingly the new D850 was £2500 - £2700 as opposed to the £3300 in the UK, that was before haggling or tax off. I didn't buy one.....Yet. Some big savings on Nikon 200 - 500 as well, about £900.

[R1 Dave]

damianmkv said:

Am sure you'll love the d500 - mine arrived last week with the 16-80. I got mine from Panamoz, with a 3 year warranty and saved £720 over uk prices. The lens had a particle in so I emailed Panamoz along with a photo on Friday night, a courier collected the lens Tuesday morning and they have despatched a replacement today.

Am saving for other lenses ( I picked up a new 35 f1.8 for £120 ), keep dallying between a 70-200 2.8 and f4 and lastly a tokina 11-20 as you have

Enjoy

Good to know re warranty, I’m about to order a D500 myself to replace my 10yo D200 and I was going to order from a company on eBay called ‘KachaShop’ but think I may go with Panamoz after your recommendation and positive experience.

How do you find the 16-80 lens? The only reason I haven’t yet ordered the camera is I can’t decide whether or not to spend the extra to get the lens too! I’m currently using an old Nikon 18-70 that came with my old D70 plus a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 (plus the obligatory 50mm f1.8) but I’m not sure if any of those lenses will actually work on the D500 (I’m sure a lot has changed in 10 years!) and in any case I’m sure the newer lens is miles better than any that I already own!

[toohuge]

R1 Dave said:

Good to know re warranty, I’m about to order a D500 myself to replace my 10yo D200 and I was going to order from a company on eBay called ‘KachaShop’ but think I may go with Panamoz after your recommendation and positive experience.

How do you find the 16-80 lens? The only reason I haven’t yet ordered the camera is I can’t decide whether or not to spend the extra to get the lens too! I’m currently using an old Nikon 18-70 that came with my old D70 plus a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 (plus the obligatory 50mm f1.8) but I’m not sure if any of those lenses will actually work on the D500 (I’m sure a lot has changed in 10 years!) and in any case I’m sure the newer lens is miles better than any that I already own!

The 16-80 has excellent reviews and everyone I have spoken to, who has the D500 and the 16-80 rave about the combination.

I looked online and the price difference appears to be circa. 450 for the lens, which looks like good value for that particular lens.

If you think you'll use the focal lengths then go ahead and get it. I can't comment on the sigma - but some of the reviews online are mediocre - it'll be leagues ahead of your 18-70.

[R1 Dave]

toohuge said:

The 16-80 has excellent reviews and everyone I have spoken to, who has the D500 and the 16-80 rave about the combination.

I looked online and the price difference appears to be circa. 450 for the lens, which looks like good value for that particular lens.

If you think you'll use the focal lengths then go ahead and get it. I can't comment on the sigma - but some of the reviews online are mediocre - it'll be leagues ahead of your 18-70.

Thanks. From doing a bit of research it appears that the Sigma doesn’t have an in built AF motor and relies on the one in camera, which I don’t think the D500 has so I suspect it won’t work! That’s pretty much made my mind up to do with the 16-80 kit

[toohuge]

Glad you’re going for the kit. The d500 has an internal focus motor - so the whole Nikon AF line will work.

As an upgrade though - you can’t go wrong with the 16-80 and the d500 - you’ll love it.

[R1 Dave]

toohuge said:

Glad you’re going for the kit. The d500 has an internal focus motor - so the whole Nikon AF line will work.

As an upgrade though - you can’t go wrong with the 16-80 and the d500 - you’ll love it.

Thanks, I’ve ordered it

Can’t wait for it to arrive!