Ok, so I got the D40 & 18-55 - what other lenses do I need?

[Raparperi]

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

The problem is that with every change, you'll be shoving a bit of dirt onto your sensor.

I change my lenses all the time and up until now all it's taken me to keep the sensors of my cameras clean is to give them a "blow" maybe once a month from a handy pocket blower like this:



Of course it helps if you remove the lens first, unlike in the picture... and while blowing the sensor, keep the camera pointed down, so the dust can fall out instead of just flying around inside the camera.

And the use of common sense while changing lenses is highly recommended. Turn the camera off, make sure you're not in the middle of a sand storm and try to keep the camera pointed down if you can. I've had my D200 for over a year and the sensor is still clean as new, and the pocket blower is the only cleaning I've given the sensor during that time. A couple of the older cameras I had earlier (a D1 and a couple of D1X's) had some proper dirt on the sensor (thanks to the previous owners) and those had to be wet wiped (did it myself and saved a big pile of euros).

And to get back on topic, I'd rather get the 55-200 VR and keep the 18-55 lens, that's a very light and a versatile combo. And if you're worried about not having the right lens for the right moment -> experience will teach you. Once you are in the situation that you _have_ to change lenses to get to different focal lenghts, you begin to think ahead about what might happen and which lens you might need. Wide range zooms just make you lazy And remember, you can usually "zoom" with your feet as well

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by Raparperi

I change my lenses all the time and up until now all it's taken me to keep the sensors of my cameras clean is to give them a "blow" maybe once a month from a handy pocket blower like this:

I've seen such a blower in the cam bag of my workmate who basically brought me into photography. That's a gizmo to get in the future.

Originally Posted by Raparperi

And to get back on topic, I'd rather get the 55-200 VR and keep the 18-55 lens, that's a very light and a versatile combo.

To your and my delight, I have just bought the Nikkor 55-200 VR for 195 Euros.

Originally Posted by Raparperi

And if you're worried about not having the right lens for the right moment -> experience will teach you. Once you are in the situation that you _have_ to change lenses to get to different focal lenghts, you begin to think ahead about what might happen and which lens you might need. Wide range zooms just make you lazy And remember, you can usually "zoom" with your feet as well

I agree that experience will make me know what to use when. However, looking back to my holiday, I remember quite a bunch of situations where I would have no - and I mean no - chance to swap the lenses in time, simply because I had to make pictures during guided tours. For that, a 18-200 VR lens simply would be perfect.

[rootrider]

Originally Posted by LeVeL

18-55 seems like a decent all-rounder and the telephoto will come in useful for races and such

this is true, however the Nikon 18-55 lenses are much better all-around than the Canon 18-55 lenses.

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by rootrider

this is true, however the Nikon 18-55 lenses are much better all-around than the Canon 18-55 lenses.

Yeah, I also read that the Canon 400D is an excellent camera, but let down by the weak lens in the kit, while the Nikon D40 has quite a good lens.

[the Interceptor]

Okay, so as my Nikkor 55-200 is on the way, I've encountered another question you can probably help me with.

Together with my D40, I got the 18-55 kit lens. There also is a newer version of this lens with VR, which has raised the question whether it is worth to sell my bundled 18-55 and get the VR one. Picture quality wise they seem to be equal, and in low light wide angle shots (like in a church or something), the VR might be helpful.

Opinions?

[Solberg]

There is no doubt that the new lens is better.

It's just the money part and that's up to you.

How much can you get for your 18-55? How much will the 18-55 VR cost?

The Vibration Reduction feature will help you snap sharper photos than with your lens, especially while shooting hand held.

It is said, as far as I remember, that with Nikon’s VR system you can take pictures at shutter speeds up to three stops slower.

[the Interceptor]

Well the 18-55 VR is available for 140 Euros, and my 18-55 goes new for 100, so I may be able to sell it for 60-70, as it is only weeks old.

[Solberg]

Well, are you happy with the sharpness of your lens?

Will slower shutter speeds be useful for you?

[the Interceptor]

Well, let's put it like this: I have made photos that were exposed correctly, but a little shaky, and I think that a VR would have eliminated that shake. Here's an example:



The pic is unaltered besides the minimal JPG (quality at 95%) compression and the size reduction to 1/2 of the original, shot at 55mm, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/3 sec by hand.

[Solberg]

Well, I would go for it then.