I'm getting dangerously close to GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), as I've just purchased a dream lens (the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR), and now I'm thinking hard (probably too hard) about whether I should sell a couple other lenses and get a nice f/2.8 wide angle zoom lens.
The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 is an amazing lens (D3, 70-200mm @ 70mm).
Image taken with my fiancée's little P&S camera. Felt so sad compared to the luxurious slap-chang of the D90... even more so to the substantial thwap of the D3's 11 fps shutter!
I was simply running and gunning around my condo in very dim lighting this evening, and I am continually amazed at the sharpness, the clarity, and the beautiful colors that come out of the D3. Granted, pairing it with the amazing Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is much akin to pairing cream and a doughnut... but still:
ISO 3200, extremely dim lighting, Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 1.4, 1/40 second exposure (!)
I tried the same picture with the D90, and not only could I not get critical focus (it was hard to get it to focus on the central chain without guessing and moving forward/backward between shots), but even when I was close, there was nowhere near the sharpness or clarity afforded by the D3's FX-size sensor.
I have one word for the D3: want.
It's my semi-annual love affair with the world's best SLR. Plus, a hefty but amazing 70-200mm VR zoom lens (it's the older model, but still incredible). I get to use this killer combo, along with a Canon 5D mark II (what a combo!), every year for deacon and priesthood ordinations. My poor D90 gets left home alone. I hope it doesn't perform any shenanigans.
The kit I'll be wearing at the Deaconate Ordination Mass this coming Saturday. Afterwards, I'll run to the back chapel, where I'll snap some shots with the D3 and a nice kit of SB-26 remote flashes!
Is anyone selling a used D3 for cheap? I gotta get me one of these cameras!
Gear pictured above:
I'm going to use the 70-200 on my D90, as the D90 has a smaller image crop, meaning the 200mm will be more like 300mm in practical use. The D3 + the 1.4 lens is a killer combo for in-the-dark shooting (the Cathedral is very dimly lit). I can still get 1/100 shutter speed at ISO 1600 and f/1.8!