Camera Labs

Having shot D80 for a few years, thinking about a new DSLR.
Held D300s, D7000 and D700 - looks like it'll be D700.
I still have 50mm 1.8 and 70-300 VR. Should I sell those and get better lenses. May be 24-70 or 28-70?

I bought the 70-300mm VR with my D90, and now use it on the D700 - it's terrific on Full Frame for sports etc.

As the price for the new 50mm f1.8G is very reasonable, I'd be tempted to upgrade from the D (I presume that is what you have)

The 24-70mm is insanely good, and an ideal all purpose/walkabout lens but it all depends on your budget and use really. If you're into landscapes and travel, then a 16-35mm VR might be ideal with the 50mm slotting in the middle.

You'll have to elaborate further on budget, subjects you shoot, lighting conditions you shoot in (i.e. are you going to need the f2.8 of the 24-70, or will the f4 of the 24-1?? 'do'?)

The D7000 and D700 will open up new avenues for you - shooting wide open at night with high ISO is very liberating and you'll be able to do things you couldn't before. I'd strongly consider a 35mm prime as well (the f2 is good, the f1.4 very very good but pricey and the f1.8 is DX only really)

If you're moving to Full Frame from a D80 and are used to the 50mm focal length, then you'll possibly be more into an 85mm focal length. If you're not fazed my manual focus, then the Samyang 85mm f1.4 can be had for a bargain, otherwise the Sigma 85mm f1.4, Nikkor f1.4G or Nikkor f1.4D are worth a look. There's the cheaper and slightly slower f1.8D as well.

I still don't understand why 50mm 1.8G better then D version?
24-70, or 28-70(cheaper) would be useful for low light indoor(nightclubs) and general walk-around(may be 24-1xx will do too?) 50mm on DX always seemed "not wide enough" to me - I used film for over 25 years and switched to digital only 3 years ago.
I guess my only question would be now if 24-1xx f4 is any good.
24-70 is a bit pricy and 28-70 goes for about a 1000 on flea bay.

16-35 sounds like a good idea for an upcoming trip to Israel, but so is a 12-24. I was thinking of saving $$ by getting Sigma EX lenses, but I hear that they aren't very good.

50mm f1.8G = Better focussing, better bokeh, sharper. If you go down the D700 route try the 50mm though as the difference in focal length will probably breathe more life into your lens

24-70mm may be cumbersome in a nightclub, and f2.8 may not be fast enough in really low light - there's no substitute for f1.4 in that situation, even on a D700 with its good high ISO capability. I'd rather have an only slightly less cumbersome 24mm f1.4 or 35mm f1.4 in that situation, but both of those may be out of your price range. 24mm f1.4 will be next in my bag.

24-120mm is supposed to be reasonably good, maybe coupled with a SB-700 for off camera flash as your low light indoor kit when f4 isn't fast enough.

Personally I wouldn't put a Sigma wide angle on a Full Frame Nikon. I'd put a Sigma 85mm f1.4 on happily, or a Sigma 150mm macro. I've had Sigma wide angle experience in the past, and the build quality was OK, sharpness OK, contrast poor, corners very soft and colour rendition poor - shots needed a lot of PP to make the most of them. I can't comment on the 12-24mm, but as soon as I could I got a bargain mint condition 14-24mm Nikkor and the improvement in image quality is breathtaking.

I would wait until the launch of the 5D Mark 3 first

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II