PballQhead
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I have some disposable income these days, so in a effort to rekindle my photography hobby (I'm apparently kinda decent at it) I bought a lightly used Nikon D7100 (right) for a very reasonable price. Got it today, put my budget Tamron 18-270mm lens (left, on my old D5100) on it and took it out for a walk…got back, uploaded the images and panicked because I thought I had bought a bad body, not a single one was in focus.
After a minute of reflection—I bought from a VERY reputable used-gear site, if they graded it Excellent-Plus it is 100% in perfect working order—I put my Nikon 35mm/1.8 on it and everything was perfect.
So now I'm out even more than I spent for the body on a real Nikon 18-300, which after checking reviews can actually make sharp images on a 7100.
I know photography is one of the most expensive arts but this is just annoying.
UnitConversionBot
270mm ≈ 10 5/8 inches
PballQhead
Awww, you're back lil' buddy!
jnmjnmjnm
I had a D90 back in the day and a box of old lenses from film cameras. I sold the body and gifted the lenses before I moved overseas.
PballQhead
My grandfather was an avid photographer with a lot of spare money…I still have his Niikkormat EL and a pile of 60s/70s lenses…they are a little annoying, being completely manual, but omg the quality of the Nikon gear from that era is just incomparable. If someone tried to steal my film camera I could literally fracture their skull with it.
cuttysark
you should see the pricing for astrophotography.
HeresYourSauce
Lol. That's my hobby!
Renting lenses is a great option for that, but wow there isn't an amount of money I would struggle to spend.
PballQhead
I said "one of the most", sheesh ;)
cuttysark
I only mentioned it because I just got a setup.
Coins are another expensive hobby
PballQhead
Stamps too, so I hear
OldBikerDude
And Nikon glass can be PRICEY!
PballQhead
It is, but for the most part it's worth it. Canon may make better bodies, but there's still no Japanese company that can make a better lens if they put their mind to it.
OldBikerDude
It all can be very subjective. I shoot Canon, but mostly as much as I like Nikon glass, I just felt it was a tad overpriced. Shooters choice
PballQhead
"Subjective" doesn't even begin to describe photography XD
HeresYourSauce
Not a single one was in focus? How not in focus? That lens has pretty good reviews. Why doesn't it work?
PballQhead
It's just too soft, even at f8, for a 24mpx sensor without an antialiasing filter. I'd expect it would be just as bad on any other modern camera, the 7100 was one of the first to ditch the filter.
Source, I tested this myself with some tripod mounted hand focused shots at home. Tamron, no good (well, not unusable. but no higher quality than my D5100 so why bother), 35mm very good…and my Micro-Nikkor PC 55mm/3.5 was mindblowing, but that is one of the finest lenses ever made.
PballQhead
To be clear, it was a great lens on my D70 and later my D5100 and I am keeping it, but at the end of the day it is a budget option; it was ~$400 new compared to the ~$1200 Nikon equivalent.
It just doesn't work to the limits of the D7100.
HeresYourSauce
Makes sense.
.I was thinking out of focus like obviously blurry, not a bit soft.
PballQhead
Fair point. It was just soft, but it went beyond "a bit soft" into "so soft I can't sharpen it" on the 7100.
Not even being argumentative, but if you'd like to see my test shots I'll absolutely post them.
CaptainYesterday
Got a 7100 years ago. Came with a 18- 140 and a 55-200. Takes some great photos still
PballQhead
Oh, it's amazing with the 35mm, but the Tamron is just so crap that it can't work with the better sensor. And I need more than just the prime, even though it is a great lens.
CaptainYesterday
I'll give you a small tip. The 7100 does amazing night photography. This is an amtrak train going through one night. Even without doing long exposures, even the default "auto" mode does lovely night stuff.
PballQhead
So I've heard, it's supposed to storm tonight so I can't go out but I am looking forward to dark pictures with the 1.8. My 5100 is actually pretty good at that too, ISO6400 looks like ~ISO400 film
CaptainYesterday
Ive had the 7100 for over 10 years now. The night shots always came out pretty damn good. Same location as the amtrak train. I was just experimenting with the different light modes and loved how the sky went brown with this one.
PballQhead
Looks very sepia, I like.