Should one have two camera systems? - Lens (price) issue ...

Well, you could, but it's going to be costly to have two different brands of camera, and equipment to support them.

Think of different batteries, memory cards, etc. Although memory cards are a bit silly anyhow since even Nikon uses CF or SD depending on the model of camera.

I think most people rely on a single lens type given the cost of lenses. I'd say many people may have multiple bodies but they're from the same manufacturer, i.e., Nikon, Canon, etc

Rather than the D5100, could you stretch to the D7000? That will solve the issue of autofocus with non AF-S type lenses?

It's a damn good camera too.

Most *real* photographers own many different cameras. Just sayin.

Bonch said:

Most *real* photographers own many different cameras. Just sayin.

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From the same manufacture I bet.

MaxxTraxx said:

From the same manufacture I bet.

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yeps.. most professionals tend to stick to a single brand but many bodies.

Personally, since you already have the lenses on the Nikon brand, I would get a D7000, maybe even used from a reputable dealer like Adorama. Or even a D90 which also autofocuses with non AFS lenses.. D90 produces very nice images.

The Tokina lens is spectacular and very very crisp and sharp. But is it good for architecture... I don't know. It is wide but as far as I know it DOES have distortion.

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igmolinav said:

Hi,

At the moment I have a Nikon camera. I was looking at a lens like this one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/300490-GREY/Nikon_2147_17_55mm_f_2_8G_ED_IF_AF_S.html

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By the way, I don't know what the obsession with that 17-55 is nowadays. It is very dated already. It i every good, no question but purely from image quality, other manufacturers have caught up or supposed that lens. I wouldn't be surprised if they would come out with an update soon on that. For Example the Canon version has IS, something that the Nikon lacks. I understand brand loyalty, I myself have only one 3rd party lens, but that lens does not really appeal to me and the Tamron 17-50 is also a spectacular performer where people are extremely happy with it and take awesome shots at a third of the price .
personal opinion, that's all..

Considering to switch brands because of one lens is stupid, there will always be that lens that »the other« manufacturer has and you want. If you're a Canon guy, perhaps you lust after Nikon's 14-24 mm. Or if you are a Nikonian, you'd like a small, light-weight, high quality 70-200 mm f/4 zoom for 600 €.

Also, the announcements by Canon and Nikon are rarely done concurrently. So if Nikon announces a new camera first, then Canon's equivalent camera looks older. But so what? You should free yourself from the silly gear lust and buy equipment when you need to. I upgraded from my D80, because I killed it on a vacation, plain and simple. I don't have the type of money to replace my equipment whenever Nikon decides to announce a new camera. And it'd be silly, my camera isn't one bit less capable, just because it is superseded by a new model.

From a photographer...

Hi,

I am a professional photographer, here's my thoughts on this camera/lens thing:

In the past I've owned 3 different SLR brands – Minolta, Nikon, Canon. In 2003 I switched to a Canon 5d because at the time I wanted "full frame". If a Nikon full frame had been available, I would still be with Nikon I guess.

Looking at the two big brands, I've noticed that Canon and Nikon often position their gear "between each other". Canon might have a higher Frame-Per-Second rate on one model, where Nikon might have higher resolution, or other features. Better/worse AF-system, bracketing,...
One model up or down (in price reange) it might be vice-versa.

The Canon f4/24-105L IS (for full frame) was, for a very long time unmatched by Nikon. I couldn't live without the 24-105: image stabilized, it's a great walkaround lens for travel. One example: Nice for some candid low-angle shots, at 24mm and 1/4 second from street level, to get blurred traffic / car lights.
Now Nikon has a 24-120 lens. And sometimes I wish Canon had one too
BUT!!!! Just because of that, I won't change systems.

Regarding cameras:
The reason why professionals usually have 2 cameras is: to have a back-up. I just can't afford my camera breaking whilst I'm doing a job –*an unhappy customer won't come back.
Or (for journalists): each body is equipped with a different lens. 24-105 on one camera, 70-200 on the other camera. Other than that, you don't need more than one camera.

So: Have a look at what you really need (not what you want) in terms of frames-per-second, weight, megapixels,... and then buy a camera that fits your needs. Then look at what kind of work you want to do & buy 1-2 lenses. Journalistic work or street photography – go wide-angle. Wildlife – go tele & macro. If you go tele: different lenses have VERY different focusing speeds. For example, Canon's 2.8/70-200 is way faster than their consumer f4-5.6/70-300.
Then stick with the system & buy new glass whenever you can afford it. I know photographers who shoot with very old lenses, but buy a new body every 4-5 years (some even more often).

OreoCookie said:

Considering to switch brands because of one lens is stupid, there will always be that lens that »the other« manufacturer has and you want. If you're a Canon guy, perhaps you lust after Nikon's 14-24 mm. Or if you are a Nikonian, you'd like a small, light-weight, high quality 70-200 mm f/4 zoom for 600 €.

Also, the announcements by Canon and Nikon are rarely done concurrently. So if Nikon announces a new camera first, then Canon's equivalent camera looks older. But so what? You should free yourself from the silly gear lust and buy equipment when you need to. I upgraded from my D80, because I killed it on a vacation, plain and simple. I don't have the type of money to replace my equipment whenever Nikon decides to announce a new camera. And it'd be silly, my camera isn't one bit less capable, just because it is superseded by a new model.

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Best post ever.....

Damn, I forgot to unsubscribe from this incredibly dumb thread....

UPS... Consider it done...