Toronto Photography Meetup Group

That is the one thing you will notice when you buy pro quality glass - its big and heavy! And if you think the 17-55 is heavy, it's probably one of the lightest of the 2.8 zooms out there, since it was designed for DX. But at any rate congrats on the new lens!

J.

congrats

Thanks! took some pics today for test at pmall.. i have to say, I'm impressed! Now back to zero for the body to complete my first DSLR combo, I'm so excited, but my wallet's feeling light.. haha it's all worth it in the end, and I wanna take my lil bro out to shoot

What do you guys think of a D300 vs D7000? In terms of image quality, I'm very impressed with the D7000, but I like the "pro" status of the D300 with the 51 AF points, mag. body, and size.. and also the price (seen it for $650) which gives me room for a flash; which I believe is more important than having high ISO capability AND without flash. Thinking to settle down with the cheaper "pro" body and getting a flash though.

$650 for a used d300? I would be questioning the condition of the camera, that seems low for a d300!

Don't get too caught up with the "pro" body. Unless you absolutely need the faster frame rate or 51 points for AF you will probably be better off served with the d7000 and it's newer sensor.

At first I thought maybe this is in a 149,000 shutter count condition but I emailed the seller and they claim that the shutter is under 2,000 and it was used as a back up body for weddings.

The only reason I kind of thinking of the D300 is that with the $1000 budget that i will have, I can get a flash with it too and start strobing away at parties and gatherings.. With the D7000, I get better images overall, but no flash until maybe a month later - from the purchase of the body. May I also add that I got offered to join "The Boss" on his next shoot which is on the 14th.

You may get lucky on the body maybe it is in good shape, but check it out thoroughly, as I said that price seems extremely low for only having 2000 Actuations. You know what they say, if it's too good to be true, it probably is! With that said I would not be surprised if you could find a used 7000 somewhere for around the $800 mark, give or take. Plus you could probably find a used sb600 flash used for under $200. I think that would be a great combo. But if that d300 turns out to be true then go for it! Just make sure you fully check/test it out before u buy it.

Sorry, I don't get this. Didn't you say you had already decided on a D7000 + 17-55? It seems to me that you care more about looking like a pro photographer than actually being a good photographer. If you deliver good images, I don't think your clients will care whether you shot with a D7000 or a D300. Nor will they care that you shot with a "pro" body if your images are garbage. Besides, if you're already worried about having the image of a pro photographer, you'll still have the same reservations with either of those bodies. You'll likely be thinking "oh, I'd look so much more pro with a D4". I'm not well versed in Nikon bodies, but from what I've heard from my Nikonian friends, the D7000 is essentially the best crop-factor body Nikon currently makes.

Having said that, if you are finding a clean D300 for cheap and that allows you to stretch your budget, then so be it. Nobody here can make these decisions for you. To be honest, I think you are enjoying the chase and the attention stemming from it

I guess you're right about this. I agree, I should be focused more on producing better images than worrying about looking like a pro.



I do enjoy having conversations with others about cameras, and the technology they have in them, nothing more. I understand that nobody but myself can make decisions, but I'm not asking for any decisions to be made for me. I'm just asking for opinions from anyone who is willing to share, as I am new to the hobby compared to most people in this forum. I ask for opinions because I have no experience in photography, and the cameras. If you knew me as a person then you'd be familiar with my indecisiveness, you'd also know that I do not like attention, fame, popularity, etc.. That said, I write in this forum the most because so far, I find the community very fun, helpful, and motivating.

Thanks for the feedback though, it helps keep me grounded and focused more on the art of photography, rather than the technology, and "looking like a pro" kind of thing.

No worries, glad you're taking things constructively, it shows you're well grounded. It's a very positive trait.