Nikon D-200 - recomended lenses

I m moving over to digital SLR and the Nikon D-200. For a start im considering bying the nikon 60 mm and the 10, 5 mm lenses. Is this a good choice for a beginning or should i go for something else?

Im thankfull for any advice

Lasse

Oslo, Norway

yep, 2 good choices

my top four lenses are:

105mm

10.5mm

those two get the majority of work, followed by:

12-24

60

i prefer the 105 over the 60 as i like to go to 1:1 and the 60 puts me too close and scares critters away imho for that stuff (at least around here)

Excellent choice (I have the same )

As Mike wrote the 105 can be better for small and shiny creatures, but on the other hand the 60 is much more versatile and can be used to fish portrait, also since its AF is much better it superior in low light situations.

Be aware also that the 10.5 is an extremes lens, its great for very wide situations, check that its feets your style of shooting, the zoom lens like the 12-24 are more versatile but of course have their own problems and can't be compared at the super wide side.

The Sigma 15mm is easier to use than the 10.5 ( less work and a higher initial rate of 'keepers' ).

But a good picture with the 10.5 takes some beating.

If your local waters are a bit murky then the 'extra' camera to subject distance with the 105 may be an issue though Mike's point about scaring the critters with the 60 is equally valid.

They are all good lenses and a lot of fun whichever way you go.

Paul C

Yep, good choice, just ad a wide zoom somewhere and eventually a 105mm, then you won't be able to blame the equipment

Thank you guys!

I think i will go for the 60 mm and the 10,5 in the beginning and ad som of the others if (when) i feel the need.

Lasse

I've been shooting with a 10.5mm on a D70 for three years: I had a Sea&Sea 180-degree fisheye on my Nikonos, and found the 10.5mm quite easy to adapt to. Get close, use two strobes on low power angled outwards, shoot where there's good ambient light, that kind of thing. I'm a newbie to macro and have been getting used to a 60mm, where the images are fantastic, but only if you can get really close.

What I have found, though, is that I'm increasingly using the 12-24mm despite the concerns about edge sharpness: with well-framed images I can use the softness in the composition, and it doesn't worry me (a LOT of the wide-angle images in famous collections and underwater photography manuals have soft edges, too).

I'm suffering from port excess, though, and trying to give up the habit. I've got reasonable results from the glass Nexus 12-24mm port with a +2D diopter, again, despite concerns all over the web and have found that this dome is spectacular with the 18-70mm zoom and +3D (a Hoya is too thick, but a B+W works fine). I've only got test images of poolside tiles, but hope to bring back some results from the Sudanese Red Sea next month. Nexus' dedicated 10.5mm dome is just amazing, though too small for split level shots except in flat calm conditions. That's still three ports to cover four lenses, though the 10.5mm dedicated dome will work with a 16mm if the rear filter is left off the lens.

Thanks to Steve at Ocean Optics for lending the 12-24mm port (as he knows, I'm going to convince myself to buy it, along with a D200 housing, soon).

Tim

B)