Camera Labs

Not too bad, beren23! Did you support the cam/lens or were you free-standing?
ANother way to increase the probability if a "hit": shoot three pics in a row

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

Hi, thank you both for your comments.

I was free-standing at my house's balcony. Now that you mention it, I could have tried to lay a bit on the barandal for better support. Half a second without tripod is perhaps way too long time even for stabilized lens, I think it was a lucky shot, but I don't think I would've been so lucky without VR.

It's definitively a good tip what you say about taking three shots in a row, next time I'll put the camera in continous shoot mode and see how I fare.

If I can think of a "but" for this lens is the aperture at full telephoto, F/5.6 is not too bad but I think that low light performance would have been a lot better if it had F/4 as it does at 55mm, but then a lens with greater aperture maintaining image quality would have been a lot more expensive. Anyway I think it's a great step-forward from the non VR version, maximum aperture in the older model is the same so there's no improvement in DOF, but at least VR will allow to miss less shots because of long exposure times.

Speaking of DOF, given it's limitations this lens does give a very nice bokeh. Here is another picture I took yesterday, the zoom was at 65mm and the camera was in portrait mode (f/4.2, 1/125s and ISO 450)

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Nikon D90 | AF-S 18-200 VR II | AF-S 35mm f/1.8 | Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 | SB-600 | Gorillapod + Manfrotto 484RC2

Whoa, freestanding 1/2 sec at 200mm! That is incredible (plus a little luck)!!

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

That picture shows nice bokeh beren - Nikon did very well with this lens considering the smaller number of blades (from 9 to 7)...

The max apertures are pretty common for a consumer lens... larger ones would have made the lens bigger, heavier and more expensive

Darrin

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Nikon D40 | Nikkor 18-55 VR | Nikkor 55-200 VR | Voigtländer Ultron 40mm SL-II | Nikon Speedlight SB-400

it seems we have followed the same path, as I too upgraded to D40 from a Kodak 12x super zoom. I also am picking up the 55-200mm vr on friday and plan to ge tthe SB-400 in like 2 weeks. But I also hope to get the D80 within the next 3-4 months if not the D200 instead.

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

Hi Nathan, and congrats on your purchase. If you are sure about the D80 or D200 I would suggest the SB-600. Those bodies can use its additional features, and the small size of the SB-400 will no longer be that important

Darrin

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Nikon D40 | Nikkor 18-55 VR | Nikkor 55-200 VR | Voigtländer Ultron 40mm SL-II | Nikon Speedlight SB-400

SB-400 doesn't really look like to much of an upgrade from the built in flash to me, Id rather dish out for the SB-600

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Nikon D80 | 18-135mm Kit Lens | 50mm f/1.8 | 4GB 150x Card | SB-600
http://flickr.com/photos/antmanisfubar

yeah i will probably just wait and get the sb-600 and i am more than positive i will get the d80 because i can buy the body. mb-d80, and another lense for the same price as the d200, also i figure i should wait to get such a serious camera i have only been shooting for 6 months and owned a d40 since 7-7-07 but i know how to use and basically only use the PASM modes so i think i am ready for the D200 but i will wait and just use the d80 for awhile. i am only 15 but it seems i am really advanced for only been shooting seriously for such little time.

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

Now that the D300 has been anounced Nikon says that they intent to keep the D200 in the market, you can expect it to become a bit cheaper once the D300 hits the shelves in a couple of month.

I'm personally in love with the D40, I like to use the PASM modes every time I can, the more since I'm trying to improve my skills, but having the pre-programmed scenes modes comes in very handy while traveling when you just have to get the camera ready quickly unless you want to risk missing the "kodak moment", and my experience with the D40 is that it's extremely difficult to go wrong with its scene-modes.

By the way everybody, I just came back from 9 G O R G E O U S days in Bavaria and I plan to publish some of the photos along with a short user review of the D40, the 55-200 VR and the Lowepro Slingshot 200. I'll get to it the moment I find a bit of free time. I hope you like it.

Bye!

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Nikon D90 | AF-S 18-200 VR II | AF-S 35mm f/1.8 | Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 | SB-600 | Gorillapod + Manfrotto 484RC2

Yeah but I plan to take my career in photography to perhaps a real career. I am in love with photography and don't use preset modes only the PSAM, so I fell I should upgrade, being that I am so young it is hard to come up with that kind of cash though, but when I do have about $1500 I will see what I should do a D200 or a D300(bodies only).The D40 is a great camera, and is good for people who want great quality photos but not for professional at all. I plan to upgrade within the next few months, hopefully by December or January.

The Nikkor 55-200mm VR is great, I love using it as an all means lens, I keep it on the camera instead of the 18-55mm Kit now, but I still have use of it for landscapes and panorama purposes.

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Canon EOS 5D + 50mm f/1.8

http://flickr.com/photos/nathan_ward

Bah, you should have come visit me That would have been cool

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

Well, my sister lives around there (at Donauwörth at present) so I'm likely to go back there, and more than once. Next time! It is only now that I've noticed that you live in Bavaria anyway...

Another great excuse to have YET another delicious beer there (Good lord, you guys do know how to make it great, most mayor Bavarian beer brands are available here in Spain, but they taste even better while seating in a biergarten )

Oh well! I'm already nostalgic of my holydays and I just came back!!

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Nikon D90 | AF-S 18-200 VR II | AF-S 35mm f/1.8 | Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 | SB-600 | Gorillapod + Manfrotto 484RC2