Struggling between 105mm Micro and D7000 -- which one to go?

[Benny Pan]

Sorry i put this post at the wrong place accidentally so I just moved it to where it meant to be:
I have been saving up to get a 105mm micro on my D40 for 3 reasons:

1. My 18-55mm and 50/1.8D are too short to shoot in conference and theatre play
2. Manual focus on 50/1.8 is just too hard to do in party and theatre play as it's dark and people are moving
3. I love micro work and 105mm can AF on D40!!

Since D7000 is released I have a dilemma to decide . . . if i sell my D40 I would pay roughly the same money to get D7000 or 105mm micro (~$900USD)

D7000 can solve problem number 2 since it can AF on pretty much ALL lenses only but give a few bonus:

• Way better high ISO performance (on D40 photo quality greatly compromised on ISO800)
• I can pretty much dump 18-55 and just use 50/1.8 all the time

So it's hard to weigh between these two products. I love shooting animal as well so I think 6FPS (cf 2.5 on D40) on D7000 can give me a nice ground to buy a tele lense in the future.

I just want to hear more ideas from any photographers out there.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

I replaced my 18-55mm with the 35mm f/1.8. Autofocuses and all. That said, the 105mm will be my next purchase for my D40. (Digital's made us start thinking that ISO800 isn't enough, but with film, 400 is the highest most go without getting too much grain anyways).

I'd go for the lens, but I'm probably just saying that because it's what I intend on doing.

[Benny Pan]

Originally Posted by Almond.Butterscotch

I replaced my 18-55mm with the 35mm f/1.8. Autofocuses and all. That said, the 105mm will be my next purchase for my D40. (Digital's made us start thinking that ISO800 isn't enough, but with film, 400 is the highest most go without getting too much grain anyways).

I'd go for the lens, but I'm probably just saying that because it's what I intend on doing.

I have done some extensive research and looked @ quite a few portrait test shots using 105mm Micro. The result is gr8 in terms of sharpness and optical quality. In terms of macro work, this lens is no doubt born to shoot macro. Due to its flexibility I have been saving up for it.

Actually i always want to try film. But will wait until I master lighting and exposure coz every shot in film counts. digital has made shooting pictures rediculously easy compared to film.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Ehh- I dual shoot now. Medium format film (Bronica ETRSi, YashicaMat, and Holga) + D40 iPhone for digital. You don't have to have exposure nailed to shoot film. Film is a slower medium- makes you think a bit more, but if you have your dSLR with you (or an iPhone 3Gs or newer), you can use your digicam to get exposure readings (and try again and again until you have the right combo) and then use the film to capture the magic like only film photography can.

Now then- back to the 105mm: keep in mind that you'll be using the best portion of the 105's image circle on your DX body since it was made to work with 35mm/FX cameras too.

[ravncat]

I'm going to assume that you want both the camera and the lens, and if you intend to eventually buy both, I think it makes sense to get the lens now

1 the lense price is not likely to vary much with time, it will change, butnot so much

2 the camera price will fall with time, and the camera will be easier to find in stock n the future

that's how I'd go anyway, new glass is a new way of seeing

[Benny Pan]

Originally Posted by Almond.Butterscotch

Ehh- I dual shoot now. Medium format film (Bronica ETRSi, YashicaMat, and Holga) + D40 iPhone for digital. You don't have to have exposure nailed to shoot film. Film is a slower medium- makes you think a bit more, but if you have your dSLR with you (or an iPhone 3Gs or newer), you can use your digicam to get exposure readings (and try again and again until you have the right combo) and then use the film to capture the magic like only film photography can.

Now then- back to the 105mm: keep in mind that you'll be using the best portion of the 105's image circle on your DX body since it was made to work with 35mm/FX cameras too.

That's actually a bright idea!!! I'v never thought that you would bring a dslr and a film together to shoot pictures.

What do you mean by the best portion of 105mm on a DX? is 150mm a perfect zoom or something?

[Benny Pan]

Originally Posted by ravncat

I'm going to assume that you want both the camera and the lens, and if you intend to eventually buy both, I think it makes sense to get the lens now

1 the lense price is not likely to vary much with time, it will change, butnot so much

2 the camera price will fall with time, and the camera will be easier to find in stock n the future

that's how I'd go anyway, new glass is a new way of seeing

You are quite right!!! being so tempted I actually want BOTH!! Yeah I get told glassware like lens depreciates less slowly than DSLR body. Probably 105mm is the first choice to get so far.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Benny Pan

Actually i always want to try film. But will wait until I master lighting and exposure coz every shot in film counts. digital has made shooting pictures rediculously easy compared to film.

True and not. Film stock varies. Wildly.

Some films have some very wide latitudes when it comes to exposure. But some have NO latitude. Velvia 50 and Kodachrome were notorious for being picky films, but most BW film is crazy good. It really depends on what you plan on using.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

Originally Posted by Benny Pan

I'v never thought that you would bring a dslr and a film together to shoot pictures.

It's a good solution until I can afford a proper light meter, but the use of a second camera or Sunny 16 takes care of me fine for now.

Originally Posted by Benny Pan

What do you mean by the best portion of 105mm on a DX? is 150mm a perfect zoom or something?

The little fall off the lens does have at the corners on full frame won't show up on the center portion of the image circle that the DX sensor uses. Distortion, falloff, vignetting all are decreased at the center of the image circle (on the lenses that have them anyways) so FX lenses will generally look better on cropped sensors.

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Some films have some very wide latitudes when it comes to exposure. But some have NO latitude.

Very true. Generally, black and white has wider latitudes than color. Also, in terms of processing, the tiniest temperature offset will throw colors off. Black and white developers work at room temperature (68F or 20C), so there's no worries there.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Almond.Butterscotch

Very true. Generally, black and white has wider latitudes than color. Also, in terms of processing, the tiniest temperature offset will throw colors off. Black and white developers work at room temperature (68F or 20C), so there's no worries there.

You conveniently left out the rest of my post where I explained exactly that

WHen I use my medium format (it has no meter), I use my FE (which does) as a meter. Works great too, because it means I can have one bag be my entire film kit.