D80 & Nikkor 18-200 zoom lens

[Brother Nikon]

OK... I have been looking at the Nikon line of DLSRs and I have pretty much settled on a Nikon D80 with the Nikkor 18-200 VR zoom lens. My history in photography is mostly mid to higher end film camera ameture experience with some pro shooting and darkroom work. I had a Leica/Leitz and Nikon film camera collection (F5, M3, etc.) that I have since mostly sold off, and I am looking into diving into digital cameras now after they seem to have evolved to overtake film cameras.

I used a D40X with the 18-55 & 55-200 VR lenses and shot a few thousand photos and concluded that the camera/lenses are too limited for what I want to shoot. I plugged through auto and all the other shooting modes, taking the same 100 shots over and over about 20 times and comparing them. I got a few photos that popped, but mainly using vivid mode in bright light, and some in landscape mode, and some in auto mode. I also felt that the camera is too light and small for my hands. It also was hard to get to autofocus on what I wanted it to focus on at times.  

I also looked at the D300 with the 17-55 lens, and WOW! What a dream system. The body seems a tad complex, and that is a lot of glass for my needs at this point. But nice clarity in the view finder and shots that I took at a camera store last week. Also that is well up in the $$$$ range, and beyond my skill level at this point in time I think.

My first attempt to buy the D80 and 18-200 was thwarted after getting hosed down in an online bait-and-switch scheme at ExpressCameras. I was called to verify some info on my CC, and the guy drifted into asking me what I was shooting and said that the 18-200 lens was being returned a lot, that it was made for the D3 and not the D80, yadda yadda, and that I should buy another lens that they had. I said "No thanks." The body and lens were subsequently dis-ordered the next day, with some BS statement that they were back-ordered for more than 30 days. I did an online search and figured out that this was a multi-front low-price bait-and-switch online store-front scheme.  

So... I have decided to re-order this system online from Adorama, which seems to be a more reputable place. Though... I thought I would run it by this place first to see what people think of that palce and the camera/lens combination. Price-wise they are OK, about $1,500+ for the pair. I am avoiding the 18-135 after reading a lot of bad press about it, and I want a single lens solution. I shoot a lot of random stuff in outdoor farm settings, and I want to do some landscape photos, plant photos, as well as some arty stuff.

[Michael LS]

For the needs you've described, you will probably be very pleased with the D80/18-200 combo. If I were buying now, I'd get the D300, but I quite understand you don't wish to spend that extra thousand dollars. The D80 is capable of producing excellent quality, especially if you develop from RAW and have a good workflow. The 18-200 VR is a great "walkaround" lens, always ready to capture what you see, with its wide-to-tele and close-focusing ranges. It stays sharp till around 175mm, then gets a bit soft, although still quite usable, especially if you use proper sharpening in CS3 or Lightroom. I have this camera/lens combo, and it never fails to make me smile, provided I do my job as photographer. It has yielded many stunning A3 prints. I'm sure it will remain a useful combo in many situations, even after I get a full-frame Nikon or Canon in mid-'08.

As for Adorama, they are very reputable, and I've ordered from them with no problems, although I purchased the above combo from Ritz, who has also been great. If you wait a few months, you might save another $200+- as D80 bodies should drop into the $500 range after the D300 has been around awhile. Such is life, and prices, in the technological age...hard to believe the new uber-sensor $$$ wunder-cams (like what I'll be foolishly buying) will also be dinosaurs within a few years   ! Anyway, good luck with your decision, and enjoy!