Annoying Gear Poll

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I don't shoot nearly as much as I did in school, even though I'm not paying $5/roll of Tri-X and a dollar or more for every sheet of 11x14 paper I fucked up. Trying to work on giving myself more projects and get insurance so I can carry everywhere without worrying about getting mugged. Selling off everything but one body and one lens, the way I started shooting.
Primary lens/body for the last couple of years has been D700+24-70G zoom - which is a fine lens, but weighs a ton on its own and is pretty awkward to carry. I've also still got my 5D Mk I in desperate need of cleaning and a 35L

35mm is far and away my favorite focal length and my old 35L is the best lens I ever used, so that's the focal length I'm running with.

I see three options:
D700 plus new Nikon 35/1.4G - paid for with the proceeds of finally selling everything else, keep the D700's high ISO capability
5D II plus 35L - paid for by selling the Nikon kit and 5D - lose some ISO capability plus AF ability (though I really only use the center point and recompose), gain awesome video (though, honestly, I don't need another diversion) and more megapixels for cropping and enlargement (bonus - it's amazing how cheap and easy 16x24 and 20x30 prints are today - I can't imagine what it would have been like doing those in the chemical darkroom on a regular basis)
cleaned 5D and 35L, bank what I get for selling everything else, buy the 5D III or whatever comes out next year

None of these is an obvious choice, tbh. My favorite digital images were largely shot with the 5D+35L, but I think that has more to do with carrying the combo more than I have D700/zoom. D700/35G would weigh pretty much the same as Canon/35L.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
5D II + 35L	2
D700 + 35G	1
5D I + 35L + upgrade to 5D III or whatever comes out later	0

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 03:45 (fourteen years ago) link

sell it all and get a Leica X1

― dayo, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 03:49 (fourteen years ago) link

― dayo, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 03:50 (fourteen years ago) link

I actually have an M7/35 'lux ASPH - gambling winnings bought it right before the big digital switchover and I dropped out of school (ixnay on the arkroomday) the first time. I could sell all my worldly possessions, get an M9 and have the 35 chipped! (or I could finally sack up and sell it and have less crushing debt)

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 03:53 (fourteen years ago) link

keep the M7/'35, get a epson v700 for $400, boom!

― dayo, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 04:51 (fourteen years ago) link

just looked up the nikon 35/1.4. yeesh, that's a big lens! if you're gonna be using the D700 which has a reputation for being a darkeater, do you really need that extra stop? could you get by w/ the 35/2 which is 1/3 the weight of the 35/1.4?

― dayo, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 04:54 (fourteen years ago) link

If I ever shoot film again on the regular, it'll be because I have access to an actual darkroom. It's worth the hassle and cost to get a real fiber print, but given scan quality and effort it's not worth it for the Internet/inkjet prints.

The 35/2 is a pretty mediocre lens on digital - if I'm going one lens I want it to be outstanding and as capable as possible. The 5D/35L never felt awkward to me - it's not so much about weight as, uh, length.

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Tuesday, 4 January 2011 16:25 (fourteen years ago) link

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/662716-REG/Zeiss_1767_824_Distagon_T_35mm_F_2_0.html

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 03:46 (fourteen years ago) link

think if you sold your M7/'35 lux you could probably bring in at least 5K, no?

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 03:50 (fourteen years ago) link

check that - if yours is the current version of the 'lux, then you could probably get at least 4.5k for it? the M7 would probably go for at least 2K, I think

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 03:52 (fourteen years ago) link

prior version

I've actually thought about renting one of those. Manual focusing on the D700 viewfinder is pretty blah in my experience (the MF turn on my 50/1.4G and 24-70G is long and kind of gritty) - but I'm guessing the Zeiss lenses work a whole lot better.

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:48 (fourteen years ago) link

It's also only 3oz lighter than the 35G, shockingly

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 04:48 (fourteen years ago) link

yeah, all metal construction and glass is not light

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 05:27 (fourteen years ago) link

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/733916-REG/Zeiss_1871765_35mm_F_1_4_Distagon_T.html

this one weighs more than the 35G!

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 05:29 (fourteen years ago) link

you could probably install a split prism focusing screen in yer D700 tho

― dayo, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 05:29 (fourteen years ago) link

What I might be tempted to do:

Get the 5D Mk I cleaned.
Buy 5D Mk II + 24-105L kit (knocks about £300 off the price of that lens in the UK)
Sell 5D Mk I + 24-105L for $$$.
Attach 35L to 5D Mk II and be happy forever.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 6 January 2011 15:31 (fourteen years ago) link

(Oh, and sell the Nikon gear as well, obv. Not saying this is necessarily the absolute best way to go for image quality, as I know the D700 is pretty special, but the lure of video would be too tempting for me...)

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 6 January 2011 15:47 (fourteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― System, Monday, 10 January 2011 00:01 (thirteen years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― System, Tuesday, 11 January 2011 00:01 (thirteen years ago) link

two months pass...

Just sold my D700, leaving my only remaining Nikon product a SB-900 flash. Ordering a refurbished 5D II through the Canon Loyalty Program (send in a broken camera, get an awesome deal on a refurb/demo straight from them - I bought a broken compact off Ebay for $8) this week.

― boots get knocked from here to czechoslovakier (milo z), Sunday, 13 March 2011 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link

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