Im looking at purchasing a Nikon D7100 and was wondering if anyone could advise me on some good lenses for it. I'm told and have read the 18-105mm that comes with it is quite good, but I also want a macro, a wide angle and a 70-300mm. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
My good friend has the 7100 and he loves it! I've also tried it out for a week, accompanied with the 70-300mm vr & 105mm macro, both lenses are killer on that body, I can't believe just how sharp the photos were! Airplanes with the 300mm are so crisp and highly detailed too, you would love it!
Recommend the 105mm f/2.8 macro lens as well.
For a wide-angle lens, you have a few options. For my D90 (a model that was replaced by the D7000), I have a 10-24mm zoom lens, which was great when I got it for wide-angled shots. I've since moved on to a 24mm f/1.4G, but the 24mm is quite pricey, so you may want to consider the 28mm 1.8G - it's cheaper than the 10-24mm wide-angle zoom and MUCH cheaper than the 24mm, while still maintaining a wide-angle view.
I bought the D7100 (body only), and far and away my favorite lens is the Nikon 105 mm (macros, portraits, and bird shots in the tree just outside my window). I have a Nikon 35 mm which takes very nice pix (roughly equal to a traditional 50 mm on this camera). I have a wide angle that I haven't used much (10-20), but nice to have in my bag of tricks. I have a big, heavy zoom I'm still learning how to use (and it's a built-in workout). I also got an 18-250 Sigma for an everyday walking-around all-in-one lens when I don't want to haul everything with me (I use this one often). Depending on what kind of photography you like, you might want to start out with one or two and go from there. I love my camera!
@featherstone Thanks Sue, I had a play with my brothers D7000 and loved its ease of use and sharp focus. Im not planning on getting all the lenses at once but eventually will have the full stock hopefully. Its great to hear you love the camera and thanks for the advice on the lenses.
Another thing to consider is getting some of the older Nikon mount lenses (AF or MF). A lot of the new Nikon bodies can't handle them, so you can find some of them fairly inexpensively. Also, the Nikon 50/1.8 is a fantastic fast lens that is really inexpensive, it's worth picking up one of those if you don't already have a fast lens.
The 10-20 f/3.5 Sigma works well for me for a super wide angle zoom.
The Nikkor f/2.8 105 Micro or the Sigma f/2.8 105 Macro, both full frame lenses, are excellent choices for a macro lens. I find I handle the mild telephoto much easier than shorter lengths.
For telephoto zooms, I would recommend the superb f/4 70-200 Nikkor, albeit a not inexpensive US$1,300 but superbly sharp and crisp, and none or imperceptible distortion throughout the aperture and focal length ranges. The f/2.8 70-200 Nikkor is an excellent faster lens but expensive and HEAVY! The Sigma f/2.8 70-200, though, has more distortion than I could live with for that price though. If you want to extend the Nikkors to 340mm, the x1.7 Nikkor teleconverter worked well for me when I tried it for a weekend, especially in good light. I have not tried the Sigma teleconverters.
With these superb lenses, I think you would be disappointed in the "usual" 70-300 Nikkor zooms. Only average, just as you would expect from the MTF charts and less than $600. The D7100 deserves better. I can't speak for Sigma or Tamron glass at this range. If you really must have a native lens out to 300+, the Nikkor 80-400 is a superb lens. It weighs under 4 pounds and handles beautifully. VRii as well for hand holding. It costs a hefty US$2,600 though, twice what you will pay for the D7100 body. I have the Sigma 150-500, but I wish I had saved up for the Nikkor though.
I have the 18-105 with my d7100 and its excellent, I seem to have a very sharp copy. My other favourite lens which is an excellent bargain is the 50mm 1.8, most of my favourite shots have been taken with this and it's very light weight. It's my go to lens in low light situations as well. My advice is to try them all out on the camera, weight is a big issue for me, I don't like lugging round a lot. My next purchase will be the 85mm 1.8 or the 105 2.8, which seems to be the best macro. For wide angle I hear the sigma 10-20mm is brilliant. It's a superb camera, have fun!
I can also vouch for the Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D being a superb lens: light, fast, sharp and it will also work on full-frame. I have a Tokina ATX-Pro 11-16mm f/2,8 which is superb: very sharp, very wide and built like a tank.
@jetpics Only downside to the Tokina is that it's strictly for DX (croppped-sensor) cameras. I have a Nikon D300 so right now my upgrade path (not that I'm in a hurry to do so) would be to FX, a D800 for instance, so that lens would then have to go :(
@smalbon Yes lenses can be a problem when upgrading. Im hoping to have this camera for a while, my advice has been to invest in good lenses and Im hoping the D7100 is a good choice of camera.
@jetpics Oh yes, the D7100 is an excellent camera and might very well be all that you ever need. Plus I can't imagine Nikon ceasing to make cropped-sensor cameras any time soon.
My favorite lenses on my crop sensor are: 70-300mm and 105mm macro. With those and the kit lens, you're pretty well set for anything. You could down the road get a 35mm prime so you have the equivalent of a 50mm walkabout for low lighting, but you won't go wrong with either of those two. Everyone I know who has the 7100 loves it.
When I was shooting NIkon crop. My favorite lens by ALOT was the 35 1.8. It is pretty cheap about $200, and VERY sharp. The 1.8 helps with low light and is great for learning and using depth of field.
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For a wide-angle lens, you have a few options. For my D90 (a model that was replaced by the D7000), I have a 10-24mm zoom lens, which was great when I got it for wide-angled shots. I've since moved on to a 24mm f/1.4G, but the 24mm is quite pricey, so you may want to consider the 28mm 1.8G - it's cheaper than the 10-24mm wide-angle zoom and MUCH cheaper than the 24mm, while still maintaining a wide-angle view.
The Nikkor f/2.8 105 Micro or the Sigma f/2.8 105 Macro, both full frame lenses, are excellent choices for a macro lens. I find I handle the mild telephoto much easier than shorter lengths.
For telephoto zooms, I would recommend the superb f/4 70-200 Nikkor, albeit a not inexpensive US$1,300 but superbly sharp and crisp, and none or imperceptible distortion throughout the aperture and focal length ranges. The f/2.8 70-200 Nikkor is an excellent faster lens but expensive and HEAVY! The Sigma f/2.8 70-200, though, has more distortion than I could live with for that price though. If you want to extend the Nikkors to 340mm, the x1.7 Nikkor teleconverter worked well for me when I tried it for a weekend, especially in good light. I have not tried the Sigma teleconverters.
With these superb lenses, I think you would be disappointed in the "usual" 70-300 Nikkor zooms. Only average, just as you would expect from the MTF charts and less than $600. The D7100 deserves better. I can't speak for Sigma or Tamron glass at this range. If you really must have a native lens out to 300+, the Nikkor 80-400 is a superb lens. It weighs under 4 pounds and handles beautifully. VRii as well for hand holding. It costs a hefty US$2,600 though, twice what you will pay for the D7100 body. I have the Sigma 150-500, but I wish I had saved up for the Nikkor though.
I shot for almost a year with the 35MM on my D90.