Nikon SLR Cameras

What DSLR gear for 1.200$?

Cagatay
Cagatay

I'm a novice photographer (been shooting for 4 years) and have just started shooting weddings and births. I need a fast lens but have a limited budget.

I would love to get an N series Nikon but the prices are a little high so I thought maybe I can go for Sigma or Tamron.

Since wedding photography is about details and sharpness I thought I would need a tele lens. Which would also give me great bokeh.

So a 70-200mm f/2, 8 lens kicks in.

However this lens doesn't have macro capability which I might also need for shooting rings etc.

So here I think about the Nikon 105mm f/2, 8

But this lens scares me because its a fixed focal length which might not be very useful

They say that the 24-70 f/2, 8' s are also sharp.

Well as you can tell I'm all confused.

To cut a long story short, I'm interested in;

Sigma 24-70 f/2, 8
Sigma 70-200 f/2, 8
Tamron 70-200 f/2, 8
Nikon 105 f/2, 8

I also have a manuel flash but wouldn't mind a TTL.

So questions are:

1)Do you think I should get 24-70 and a SB700
2) get a 70-200 f/2, 8…
3)If I should get the 70-200, should it be the Sigma or the Tamron?
4)Or should I get the Nikon 105mm f/2, 8?
5)Would you suggest any other lens instead of these?

nuclearfuel
nuclearfuel

I'd say your flash is a first priority, without sufficient light there won't be much to shoot whatever lens you're using. Nikon's fast pro lenses carry a horrible price tag, but they're worth every penny IMHO.
As for your questions (I'm assuming you're using an FX body): if you're into wedding photography I'd definitely go for the 24-70 (wide-angle for group shots, medium tele for everything else) and an SB700.

Fast, long(ish) telezooms are very useful but less versatile when it comes to wedding photography as you always need a certain minimum distance between you and your subject, which can be hard in confined spaces such as churches, wedding venues etc.

The 105 mm is a dedicated macro lens, and although useful for portraits and stuff, it's not a lens I'd consider for people and reportage photography.

As for alternatives: you could also consider Tokina lenses, less expensive, and some of their models seem to perform surprisingly well.

Eric Lefebvre
Eric Lefebvre

The typical minimalist wedding kit is:

Two DSLRs
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8
50mm f1.4
General purpose lens as a backup like a 24-105 f4
2 TLL flashes

If you don't have this, you shouldn't be doing weddings. If you don;t have backup gear you shouldn't be shooting for a client at all.

Starting a photography business is just like starting any other business, you need some capital to purchase the gear you need to work. If you don't have the money now, get a small business loan.