The price to performance of used cameras is absurd. My view is that digital photography tech hit maturity in 2008 with the release of the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700.
There is an overwhelming amount of professional gear out there at rock bottom prices. Consumer gear can be a blast when it’s cheap enough. The right camera for a style of shooting is going to be better than whatever the newest camera happens to be. (Unless you’re doing sports/action/wildlife. AF tech is getting absurd.)
Third Party Battery Paranoia
I have had batteries fall apart, fail within months, and with a capacity far below what’s on the label. It’s difficult to find good quality third party batteries.
There is an easy way ANYONE can inexpensively capacity test camera batteries. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to capacity test camera batteries. It is a simple DIY project that only requires, ~$30, a screwdriver, and pair of wire strippers.
Picking Out Vintage Lens Winners
All lenses aren’t equal, especially when it comes to vintage and early digital camera lenses. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.
On the other hand, many vintage lenses are not good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects such as haze, fungus, balsam separation, or degraded grease, that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.
I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning. These are popular film cameras that recieve frequent lens questions.
If you know the focal length of Nikon lens you are looking for, find out about the best lenses for the Nikon D100 below.
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If you know the type of Nikon lens you need, find out about the best lenses for the Nikon D200 below.
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Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH and Adorama. More can be found on the Affiliate Disclosure page.
If you know the type of Nikon lens you need, find out about the best lenses for the Nikon D200 below.
Affiliate Advertising Disclosure
Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH and Adorama. More can be found on the Affiliate Disclosure page.
This list of the best Nikon D300 lenses covers all types of photography. From portraits to sports and wildlife, every photographer will be able to find the right lens to show of the high image quality of the D300.
Affiliate Advertising Disclosure
Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
This list of the best Nikon D300 lenses covers all types of photography. From portraits to sports and wildlife, every photographer will be able to find the right lens to show of the high image quality of the D300.
Affiliate Advertising Disclosure
Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The D40, and other cameras in that series sold millions of units. Everyone stuck with the kit lenses. People that bought these cameras did not buy more lenses.
Nikon didn’t produce a large variety of DX lenses, which were designed for APS-C cameras. This was also done to push hobbyists into the more expensive full frame (FX) lenses and camera bodies.
F-mount lens compatibility is a mess. Not even all DX lenses are compatible with the D40. The newest AF-P lenses are not fully compatible! Only buy a Nikon lens if you see AF-S.
