THANKS!! I've chosen lenses...

[bcumsky]

Yes, I bit the bullet. I live in the woods far away from a photo store (B&H is 3 hours away). And I'm trying to put together a comprehensive S2 package for myself. Funny thing is I bought the lenses first. The camera is a given and will be bought new, but the lenses... that's a different story. I've read every thread three times and studied all of your shots (THANK YOU!). And I listened to Igor and got them all on e-bay. While they are all "on their way" and my fingers are crossed (you said you were never dissapointed, didn't you Igor), here is the selection I settled on:
1) 50mm 1.8
2) 28mm 2.8
3) 85mm 1.8
4) 35-70mm 2.8
5) 60mm 2.8 Macro

Total for all 5 lenses was $1049 + shipping. Pretty good. (2xExcellent and 3x Mint - two with one year full warranty).

I decided to wait on the wide angle. I'm torn between the Nikon 12-24(cost), Tamron 14 (does it fit and operate as well?), and the Sigma 15-30(please tell me of the quality of shots).

I am trying not to overlap (except for the 60mm, but Wayne LOVES it, and the Macro shots I see are beautiful!).

The 105 macro was on the radar, but you can't have everything. And I can hear you saying you should have bought the 24-120, but I went for primes, and wouldn't need the distance anyway.

Sooo, now how did I do??? The best part is that I can re-sell easily and not get hurt considering the prices I paid. It becomes a cheap way to practice with many lenses. Thanks again!

(PS: What does BOKEH mean?)

[S_Leeper]

A very good inventory, that should serve you very well. Your inventory is very complete, unless you should decide to go wider or longer, as you discussed above.
With your selection I don't think you could have done better.
Bokeh is the out of focus region of the photo, often used to help the photographer focus the viewer's attention on the subject.

[HulaMike]

B,

I live remotely as well. Closest decent camera store is a plane ride away to Honolulu. I've sold and bought a ton of lenses over time on eBay with no problems whatsoever. The only thing I hope you did was study the feedback of the sellers you chose. A reputable ebay seller will generally have no negative feedback if under 100 transactions. Some of the big ebay sellers with thousands of transactions might have a few but that's ok as the law of averages applies.

[bcumsky]

Absolutely. I went through each one and checked out what they were selling before, to see what their normal business was all about. I couldn't be more thorough unless I knocked on their doors. You've got to reduce the risk as much as possible! Thanks- Bruce

[Igor]

I agree, good choice. I have #1, 2 and 3, all are great lenses.
My 28/2.8 is somewhat inaccurate in color reproduction under artificial light, but works fine in sunlight.

As for the wide-angles, you probably know my obsession with Tamron 14mm (it fits fine!), unfortunately I can't compare it to 12-24, but I never read a bad review on this one so I assume it's a great lens either. I'm not sure the wide angle zoom is as important as mid-range. Probably you'll mostly shoot at more dramatic 12mm, so why pay $300 more if you can have a great Tamron and loose only 2mm ?

If you ever decide to go tele, DO NOT hesitate to invest in 70-200mm VR. You won't regret a single cent you paid!!!

And thanks for considering my advices! Glad you value my opinion :)
Be sure to post your impressions when you have all the lenses tested.

[petej]

Nice selection---- i love my 35-70 2.8 it superb-- enjoy

Peter

[Sneakyracer]

Good choices. Of those i woulve passed on the 28mm and 85mm and gotten a 20mm or save for the 12-24mm.

I rarely use the 85mm f1.8. I have it just to shoot indoor events like concerts and the like.



The 35-70mm is also as sharp as the 85mm. I tested them side by side. The 50 is also excellent. Remember the 1.5x factor. the 50 is like a 75mm f1.8 on the fuji so 1/60 sec and up speeds are in order handheld. The 85mm i suggest 1/125 and up.

[bcumsky]

Sneaky- The 1.5x is why I bought the 28mm. For $100 it was hard to resist, and it becomes a 45-50mm on the S2. A 24mm would have been better, but it wasn't in the budget. I really squeezed a budget to get as much breadth and clarity as possible. That 12-24 is costly! I'm tempted by a wide Sigma instead, later on. Any thoughts? Yes, the 24-120 VR will join the rest eventually.

[Sneakyracer]

Originally posted by bcumsky
Sneaky- The 1.5x is why I bought the 28mm. For $100 it was hard to resist, and it becomes a 45-50mm on the S2. A 24mm would have been better, but it wasn't in the budget. I really squeezed a budget to get as much breadth and clarity as possible. That 12-24 is costly! I'm tempted by a wide Sigma instead, later on. Any thoughts? Yes, the 24-120 VR will join the rest eventually.

yea for $100 u might as well keep it. :)

btw, the 35mm is the "normal" lens on an s2. I am considering the 35mm f2 for that purpose but its too close in speed to the 35-70mm.

With what you have you can do most profesional work short of sports and interiors. For interiors u need something sharp and the 12-24 nikon delivers. if on a tight budget consider the 18-24mm nikon or the sigmas.

for sprts one really needs an 80-200mm f2.8 (the non afs version is sharp and <$800) although the 24-120mm is very usable for that.

[bcumsky]

The 12-24 is on my wish list. Not another lens for a few months or my wife will kill me (she doesn't know about the 5 I bought, yet).

[S_Leeper]

Originally posted by bcumsky
The 12-24 is on my wish list. Not another lens for a few months or my wife will kill me (she doesn't know about the 5 I bought, yet).
Best be careful there & start taking some beautiful photos of her &/or for her, since that is the only reason you got so many lenses.

[Ron Friedman]

Originally posted by bcumsky
What does BOKEH mean?)

You selected some nice lenes. I too have a Nikon 85mm f/1.8, but from what I understand the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 is far better for its bokeh (you liked that didn't you?). However, the 85mm f1.4 is over $1,000 and the reason I selected the 85mm f/1.8 instead. The 35mm-70mm f/2.8 is a sweet lens also ...constant aperture throughout the zoom range so it reamins just as fast. I'm sure it'll end up being used the most!

To answer your question, BOKEH, a Japanese term, relates to the quality out of focus. What?? Better yet, there is good (neutral) and bad BOKEH. It's based on the construction of the aperture inside a lens and some lenses produce images with better, more "natural looking" out of focus elements in an image. It's all very scientific and based on laws of optics. I really don't understand it completely myself, but I'm sure you can search the web for additional information.

To each is own, but be careful buying used lenses. Here in the Southeast the high humidity can produce mold inside a lens and repairs for removing it can eliminate any savings you anticipated.

Have fun with your new toys - Ron