Nikon SLR Cameras

Lenses & Filters for Nikon dslr?

Guest
Guest

I'm planning to buy Nikon D7000. Please guide me if this selection is fine:

Selected following lenses:

Macro lens: sigma 105mm F/2.8 lense for Nikon d7000
Wide angle: Nikon 10-24mm AF-S Nikkor f/3.5-4.5G DX ED
Standard lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Telephoto lens: Nikon 55-200mm VR AF-S f/4-5.6G ED

Based on the maximum size of the filter thread i.e. 77mm of above lenses, I'm planning to get all filters of 77mm with step up rings
Filters selected:

Tiffen 0.6 graduated neutral density
Hoya UV filter
Hoya Circular Polarized filter

Now, assuming that i'm a novice. Please guide, whether the selection is right or you will suggest some improvements.
Further, what else you will suggest to be bought. As I need to get all this from US, and getting it time and again is not possible (cost difference from where I live is like 30-40%).So do provide suggestions

fhotoace
fhotoace

Each lens will need its own UV filter. Its job is to protect the front element of the lens from sticky fingers or blunt force trauma. Like this:

Polarizing filers are only practical on "normal" lenses like 35 mm and 50 mm lenses if your goal is to enhance the northern or southern sky. The best use is when your camera is pointed at 90 degrees to the suns arc. Its other use is to reduce reflections in glass, water and other reflective surfaces outdoors.

Any step-up or step-down rings will cause vignetting on your 10-24 mm lens

The graduated and filter is a specialty filter and will probably be used on just one of your lenses, probably the 10-24 mm and as mentioned, vignetting can be an issue when using any filter that is attached to a step-up or step-down ring

For now buy a UV filter for each of your lenses. The other two filters are rarely used, so you can wait to buy them until you can adjust your budget to include those.

10-24 mm = 77 mm
35 mm f/1.8 = 52 mm
55-200 mm = 52 mm (I would suggest the 55-300 mm for its extra reach = 58 mm)
Sigma 105 mm macro = 58 mm (I suggest you look hard at the Nikkor 105 mm lens. It has VR and Crystal lens coating = 62 mm).

NOTE: Unless you have extensive experience using different focal length lenses, spending a lot of money on a whole bunch of lenses may not be such a good idea. What can happen is what in theory might be a good lens length, could end up being a lens you rarely use.

I suggest you buy the D7000 and a 18-55 mm or 18-200 mm lens and use it for a few years. By then you will know exactly which lenses you actually need to shoot the subjects you find you shoot the most.

While the 10-24 mm lens is an excellent lens for shooting spectacular landscapes and architectural subjects, it is one you may only use about 5% of the time.

BriaR
BriaR

No point just getting 1 UV filter. The main purpose is to protect the front element of your expensive lens so you should get 1 for each lens.

Using a step ring plus a polariser on the 10-24 may cause the filter to encroach onto the image at the 10 end causing vignetting

Jens
Jens

Do i understand you correctly that you wish to buy all the gear at once as you can get it cheaper in the US, and won't get the opportunity to buy it there piece by piece?

If that's the plan, then be aware that you may be hit by customs duty when you try to get with the stuff to where you normally live, thus negating much of the advantage. Furthermore, much of the warranties will only apply to the region in which you bought it. So you may end up paying nearly the same but without valid warranties.

Also, if just one of the more expensive lenses in the selection turns out not to suit your needs, then that too will negate much of the savings. And the problems are further excarbated by the likelyhood that at least one of the lenses will have issues (quite a good chance to get one dud among four lenses), which you at first will have neither the time nor experience to check out properly, and in the end you won't be able to return it to the store anymore.

Other than that, the 10-24 and 35/1.8 are solid choices. I don't know anything about the sigma macro lens (to use macro you absolutely need a tripod!). The 55-200VR is ok-ish, but utterly outclassed by better telephoto lenses.

Anyway, my main point is that what you probably are up to has serious drawbacks that can backfire quite a lot.