"What's he been buying now?" © Chris Morse
And to think it started with a simple, seemingly innocuous, dabble with a cheap film camera on eBay...
Here's how it snowballed out of control.
Tired looking F90x + battery grip on eBay comes up on the cheap. I'd been running through a film phase so thought I'd take a punt. One problem though, no lens. Richard volunteers a 50mm prime to get me started [thanks mate] and off I go.
Enjoying the reassuring clunk of the F90x, I pick up another, this time in excellent condition. Now the 50mm is feeling a little restrictive so I go for the 28-85mm as a useful standard zoom. Beginning to pick up the pace now I realise I'd like a telephoto to complete the set and pick up the 70-210mm. Oh, and of course a flash as the F90x doesn't have even a pop up unit, so the SB-24 comes to play.
Having got together a nice little 35mm outfit, this is where I really should have stopped...
Sadly I've never been that good at stopping and curiosity led me to eyeball the old Nikon digital stuff. A D1 for £90? Go on then, I can use it to hammer nails in if it doesn't work properly. Oh, but 28mm isn't very wide on a DX sensor. Better get an 18-55mm too then. Picked one up in faulty condition for £30 and fixed it. [D1 and 18-55mm used to take photo above]. Never really tried my hand at macro stuff so pick up an old Sigma 50mm macro + tubes off eBay next.
Beginning to really motor now, I'm loving the feel and ergonomics of the D1, but not the banding noise at ISO 400 and above. The D1x is next, much superior noise handling - at least it's random in nature.
Oh dear, someone on TalkPhotography wants a paltry sum for a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8. I've always fancied a fast regular zoom. And there's an SB-28DX going for a song too, I'll have that thanks.
Mmmm, the frame rate of the D1x is a little restrictive, considering I like to shoot tennis and Will's football matches. 8 fps should do the trick nicely I reckon, so it's hello D2x and goodbye 450D [sob..].
Richard kindly mentions a couple of killer lenses in the Nikon system, and before you know it the 180mm f/2.8 is in Leicester having been picked up from TalkPhotography again.
It's a great lens, truly sharp, but restrictive for sports. So there's someone on TP flogging a 70-200mm f/2.8 is there? OK then, but I'd better get a 1.4x teleconverter if I fancy a spot of birding with it.
What's left? Well it would nice to go wider than 18mm wouldn't it? After all I could go to 15mm with my Canon outfit. Best add a 10-20mm too then.
Well thanks eBay and TalkPhotography; as a result of a whim purchase and a total lack of self control I now have a rather comprehensive Nikon set up.
There's got to be a moral in here somewhere; be very careful the next time you're tempted by a seemingly innocent purchase, it may not end up being quite as "cheap" as you anticipated, lol!
"What's he been buying now?" © Chris Morse
And to think it started with a simple, seemingly innocuous, dabble with a cheap film camera on eBay...
Here's how it snowballed out of control.
Tired looking F90x + battery grip on eBay comes up on the cheap. I'd been running through a film phase so thought I'd take a punt. One problem though, no lens. Richard volunteers a 50mm prime to get me started [thanks mate] and off I go.
Enjoying the reassuring clunk of the F90x, I pick up another, this time in excellent condition. Now the 50mm is feeling a little restrictive so I go for the 28-85mm as a useful standard zoom. Beginning to pick up the pace now I realise I'd like a telephoto to complete the set and pick up the 70-210mm. Oh, and of course a flash as the F90x doesn't have even a pop up unit, so the SB-24 comes to play.
Having got together a nice little 35mm outfit, this is where I really should have stopped...
Sadly I've never been that good at stopping and curiosity led me to eyeball the old Nikon digital stuff. A D1 for £90? Go on then, I can use it to hammer nails in if it doesn't work properly. Oh, but 28mm isn't very wide on a DX sensor. Better get an 18-55mm too then. Picked one up in faulty condition for £30 and fixed it. [D1 and 18-55mm used to take photo above]. Never really tried my hand at macro stuff so pick up an old Sigma 50mm macro + tubes off eBay next.
Beginning to really motor now, I'm loving the feel and ergonomics of the D1, but not the banding noise at ISO 400 and above. The D1x is next, much superior noise handling - at least it's random in nature.
Oh dear, someone on TalkPhotography wants a paltry sum for a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8. I've always fancied a fast regular zoom. And there's an SB-28DX going for a song too, I'll have that thanks.
Mmmm, the frame rate of the D1x is a little restrictive, considering I like to shoot tennis and Will's football matches. 8 fps should do the trick nicely I reckon, so it's hello D2x and goodbye 450D [sob..].
Richard kindly mentions a couple of killer lenses in the Nikon system, and before you know it the 180mm f/2.8 is in Leicester having been picked up from TalkPhotography again.
It's a great lens, truly sharp, but restrictive for sports. So there's someone on TP flogging a 70-200mm f/2.8 is there? OK then, but I'd better get a 1.4x teleconverter if I fancy a spot of birding with it.
What's left? Well it would nice to go wider than 18mm wouldn't it? After all I could go to 15mm with my Canon outfit. Best add a 10-20mm too then.
Well thanks eBay and TalkPhotography; as a result of a whim purchase and a total lack of self control I now have a rather comprehensive Nikon set up.
There's got to be a moral in here somewhere; be very careful the next time you're tempted by a seemingly innocent purchase, it may not end up being quite as "cheap" as you anticipated, lol!