Help me Choose

[prince]

Hello!!
I have a $2000 budget for my birthday and anniversary gift combined..

I have Nikon D40 w/ kit lens and 70-300 Tamron lens. I want to upgrade to

Option 1: Nikon D7000 w/ 18-105 kit lens for personal photos and 85mm f1.8D for portrait work, and may be get a 35mm F1.8G after few months for events photography

Option 2: Nikon D300s w/ 85mm F1.8D or 50mm F1.4G

I read a lot of reviews on both cameras as well as "vs" comparison but still confused. I wanted to get D300s but am leaning towards D7000 for its dynamic range and better ISO performance.

Which is a better "long term = 3yrs" option for portraiture work?

EDIT: PLEASE VOTE before leaving comments to give me a quick summary of what the popular option seems to be. Thanks in advance. I am benefiting from the comments as well

[prince]

Knock Knock!! Anyone out there reading this? Please please help..

[graciousness]

Better lens is the better option.

[prince]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Better lens is the better option.

Thanks Graciousness for being gracious with your comment I think so too but... again but... I want to make sure the body is a good investment as well.

[graciousness]

I'm a canon user so I'm not really qualified to give advice regarding Nikon stuff. However, looking at the reviews on both products, it sure does look like the D7000 wins handsdown for the price value, etc. More buck for your buck.

If you're planning on upgrading after 3 years, anyway, get the D7000 as that will give you more room for your budget to get better lens.

Kit lens. Meh. If you're already desiring for a little bit more with your gear, then find a deal with the D7000 that will include non kit lens but better lenses. That's what I would do. So option 1, but not with kit lens. I'm sure you'll find a deal somewhere with a desperate sales man that will give you better lens for your $2K. Keep shopping around.

[OsmosisStudios]

Depends.

What kind of light do you most often find yourself in? I can comfortably shoot my D300s at 1600iso, but it requires some heavy processing to get rid of the noise: the D7000 does a better job at higher ISOs.

[prince]

Originally Posted by graciousness

I'm sure you'll find a deal somewhere with a desperate sales man that will give you better lens for your $2K. Keep shopping around.

Thanks. I will look around, but the only reason or real use for the 18-105mm is going to be for personal occasions or family trips.. Plan to use 85mm for portrait work.

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Depends.

What kind of light do you most often find yourself in? I can comfortably shoot my D300s at 1600iso, but it requires some heavy processing to get rid of the noise: the D7000 does a better job at higher ISOs.

I usually get into like evenings when the light is low. Of course, now I am comparing this to my D40, which is no where close to either. Also, better iso performance for indoor events like birthdays, receptions, etc. where light is going to be very very low. Thanks for you input.

[Doug Sundseth]

I use a D300S at work and a D7000 at home. The ergonomics on the D300S are a bit better (though the D7000 is still very good). I prefer the weight of the D7000 and the high-ISO performance is very good.

Given the choice, for the kind of shooting I do, I would buy the D7000 if the prices were the same.

HTH

[prince]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

I use a D300S at work and a D7000 at home. The ergonomics on the D300S are a bit better (though the D7000 is still very good). I prefer the weight of the D7000 and the high-ISO performance is very good.

Given the choice, for the kind of shooting I do, I would buy the D7000 if the prices were the same.

HTH

I looked through your Flickr stream and looks like you do landscape style more. Since you are using both the cameras, what lenses you use most often of both? Do you see any difference in the dynamic range of both cameras? IYO, D7000 is the pick since it is almost $400 cheaper than D300s, correct? Thanks for your comment.

[SwissJon]

The D7000 is newer technology. The D300s is a nice camera, and you'd be happy with both, but I went for the D7000 and am very happy with it, I wouldn't swap it for a D300s. A D700 maybe but I like the D7000.

Either way, you're looking at a cracking camera, but looking at the options you've presented, the D7000 is the better buy in my opinion..

I wouldn't bother with the 18-105, I would get the 16-85 VRII, it's a much better lens and can be bought as a kit lens. If necesary, hold off getting the prime. The 16-85 covers the same focal length, meaning you can get your head into whatever you're doing, before shelling out the hard earned on something you may or may not need. You've got the 35mm in there too, so in a couple of months, you can get yourself a 105 f/2 or a 80-200 f/2.8 second hand and have a really nice portrait set.