Nikon D40

[vg-photo]

I upgraded from the D50 to the D80 and have no regrets. I got mine at Canoga Camera for $874.

The 18-200 is a good lens, but will definitely be too short for anything in the air. You want at least 300, and that will come up short for some things as well. I started with teh 70-300, which served me well until I upgraded to the Sigma 50-500.

[Bluedharma]

I just got the package from Amazon. I hope put it through the tests this weekend.
I just got the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor Lens. I know it may not be as good as a 300, but I
have to use the camera for kids/holidays and such, so I went with a good all around lens.
Hopefully, by the end of this year or the start of the next, I may be able to upgrade a bit. I will see how it goes. Anything will be better than the Kodak Z7590 Zoom I had.

Regards,

[vg-photo]

From what I have read, the Nikkor 18-200 VR lens is a sweet lens. I plan on picking one up in the next couple of months. I want a little more reach for my air-to-air lens and that should definitely do it.

[Nathan]

From what I have read, the Nikkor 18-200 VR lens is a sweet lens. I plan on picking one up in the next couple of months. I want a little more reach for my air-to-air lens and that should definitely do it.

As I have learned the 200mm lens will not get you the results you will desire. The 70-300mm is the way to go.

Good luck with it,
Nate

[Pat]

From what I have read, the Nikkor 18-200 VR lens is a sweet lens. I plan on picking one up in the next couple of months. I want a little more reach for my air-to-air lens and that should definitely do it.

As I have learned the 200mm lens will not get you the results you will desire. The 70-300mm is the way to go.

Good luck with it,
Nate

VG-
I disagree with Nathan's statement; the 18-200 lens should be great for air-to-air shots...maybe he's thinking of ground-to-air, where 300mm would be a bare minimum.

-Pat

[Bluedharma]

vg-photo and Pat,
Thanks for your messages! And I think you are correct.

Nathan,
I agree that the bare minimum is 300 if you are doing ground to air shots. However, many of my shots are up close as well as distant.
I needed a good all around lens to handle everything.
I didn't want to be changing the lens in a dust filled environment at air shows all the time.


I really think I made a great choice. At this point I am definitely at amateur status.
Once my hobby matures, I think the 300mm - 400mm will be the way to go. As for now, the 18 to 200 should work just fine with the air shows in the area.

However,
Nathan, I want to thank you for your advice on the D80.
I used your posts in the past as a guide to what I was going to get.
I think I will be very happy with the D80 camera body.
Whatever the lens, I think the D80 will be great!
Best Regards,

[mustangdriver]

So I just got an 18 -200 lense. How well is that going to work for ground to air. Anyone have any examples?

[Bluedharma]

I tried out my D80 this weekend.
I think I have a winner.
Much better image quality. The Kodak picture was the best picture I could get.
The D80 picture had to be reduced in quality just to post it on here.
Can't wait to get some warbirds with this!

KODAK PICTURE


D80 PICTURE Nikkor 18-200 VR lens

[mustangdriver]

So I got to ask, which is better the old D-50 that I had, or the new D-40?

[Bluedharma]

Good question.
I test drove a friends D-50 prior to my D-80 purchase.
The D-50 is a great camera.
I don't know if D-40 vs. D-50 are about the same or not.
I think the D40 has 10.2 megapixel, but the older D-50 only had 6.1 megapixel???

[John H]

Hi Guys, Have been listening intently on your conversation about cameras and lenses and such for a while now. As I am new to this forum stuff I have been slow in jumping in and having a go. But here goes. As I live downunder I have limited access to warbird shows, but the scene is growing slowly. To take my warbird shots I began with a nikon 401s 35mm with 70-300mm lens. Took great shots but after useing 30 rolls of 36 exposure film in 3 days at Wanaka NZ I took the plunge to digital. A D70s with a 70-300mm lens was my choice, excellent results only draw back 6.1mp was a tad small for A3 prints. Santa bought me a D80 nikon plus a sigma 170-500mm lens and to cap it off a nikon 18-200vr lens. The sigma goes on the D80 for Ground to air and the 200 on the D70s for all ground shots. Let you now hows it all works next week. Cheers John

[Neal Nurmi]

The 18-200 Nikkor is a superb "walking around" lens, but the quality drops off a bit out toward 200 mm, at least on my example. My standards are very high, as I shoot for publication, but I consider this lens for my purposes more like a great 18-150 lens with 200 mm available in an emergency. The newest version of the Nikkor 70- 300 is getting good reviews and is relatively affordable. Just make sure you are looking at the one labelled VR and AFS.

Excellent and respected reviews of lenses and Nikon cameras here:

http://www.bythom.com/nikon.htm

70-300:

http://www.bythom.com/70300VRlens.htm

300 mm F4 -- more specialized and expensive, but a truly superb lens:

http://www.bythom.com/300AFSlens.htm

[John H]

Thanks for the heads up on the 18-200. I have just in the last week started playing with it, mostly around 70-120 focal range.  I hope to be over in canada next year as my brother and I will be going to Duxford and Biggin Hill and stop over in Canada. Do you know if Hastings and London (canada) still have their shows? If yes do you know  the time of year they are held?   cheers John

[John H]

Thanks for the heads up on the 18-200. I have just in the last week started playing with it, mostly around 70-120 focal range.  I hope to be over in canada next year as my brother and I will be going to Duxford and Biggin Hill and stop over in Canada. Do you know if Hastings and London (canada) still have their shows? If yes do you know  the time of year they are held?   cheers John

[John H]

Thanks for the heads up on the 18-200. I have just in the last week started playing with it, mostly around 70-120 focal range.  I hope to be over in canada next year as my brother and I will be going to Duxford and Biggin Hill and stop over in Canada. Do you know if Hastings and London (canada) still have their shows? If yes do you know  the time of year they are held?   cheers John