I just picked up a used D7200 and need some advice on accessories. So I need some recommendations. I can take care of the bag but I think I need the following;

1. Extra batteries and potentially a charger. It just comes with the OEM charger and 1 x OEM battery.
2. LCD screen portector(s).
3. UV filters for the 55, 18-55 and 55-200 AF-S lenses it is coming with.
4. Memory cards. I assume I should not go over 64 gb. These are on sale but B&H has both the 95 mb/s and the 300 mb/s Extreme Pro versions for a bit more money. What speed for an SD card is overkill?

I think that is it for accessories for now but any suggestions would be appreciated.

I would get 1 extra OEM battery depending on how long you will be away from recharge. The battery life is good.

Why LCD screen protector? I’ve never used them. I guess could help a little on resale.

Don’t waste money on UV filters. Biggest scam in photography.

I use some 256 GB cards. Size for you really depends on personal needs. It is a dual card body. I write RAW to first card JPG to second. So 256 GB for first card, 64 GB for second.

What speed cards? Any reason to go above Extreme to Extreme Pro?

I use the Sandisk Extreme Pro (95 MB/s).  The camera cannot take advantage of cards faster than that.

What kind of photography are you going to do? If landscape, I'd say an L bracket and a good tripod.

Also, make sure you buy from a reputable seller.  So if from Amazon make sure it is sold by Amazon.  Other good places can be B&H Photo and Adorama.

Honestly, not sure. Likely focus on landscape but I am going to start with field expedient ‘placement’. I do intend to get a remote for it, how is the ‘Amazon Basics’ one?

Also, how do folks feel about mono pods versus tripods? With hiking and such I think the mono would be better and more responsive.

For landscape, even while hiking, you will want a sturdy tripod.  For landscape snapshots you don’t need the monopod or tripod.

I like them on my lenses mainly for protection purposes.  They help protect the front element from damage.

I have had to replace chipped up UV filters from jet blast on tarmacs.  

Skip to 7:45 in the video.

https://youtu.be/YcZkCnPs45s



I understand what he is saying about polarizing and ND filters but I don’t completely agree with him.

I totally agree with him on UV filters.

A good flash unit with a bounce/swivel head is a MUST. It doesn't have to be super-expensive, but the very first picture you take while using it will justify the expense.

Hmm.

Interesting.

I was always under the impression that a damaged front element can cause some light aberrations.

Thanks for that.

I have watched a lot of the Northrop videos.  I don't remember ever seeing that one.

I stopped watching that video after he said it took him "most of a minute" to attach a polarizer.

Depends on the level of damage.  Surface scratch?  Either won't be visible or can be taken care of in post.

Chunk of glass missing?  Yeah, that's going to cause some optical problems.

But Zack is correct; your front element is 10 times stronger than a UV filter, and most UV filters are going to introduce their own aberrations.  People slap that filter on, drop their camera, see the busted filter, and think "wow!  That could have been my front element!" when the front element would have just shrugged it off.

I was a die-hard UV filter user until I really started reading up on it.

A better way to protect your front element is to use a hand-strap and keep that hood on the lens all the time.  The hood will absorb a lot of punishment and acts like a pretty damn good shock absorber.  It also provides a recess for the front element, keeping things from getting too close.

Oh, and for me the L-plate is an absolute necessity, but I do a lot of tripod work.

D500 + RRS Plate + MS3 Sling by FredMan, on Flickr

D500 + RRS Plate + MS3 Sling by FredMan, on Flickr

Here's how I have my setup; though I rarely use the sling; that's really for times I'm spending a lot of time walking around and might want to have both hands free.  The hand strap is the shiznit.

I beat my head against Zack for a while on the same thing.  Long story short, unless you're somewhere that lens element damage is likely to happen (blowing sand for example) skip the UV filter.  Now when they are available in the US, I'll give the Nikon Arcrest filters a try.  They're basically a flat FL lens element that's hard multicoated, oleophobic, hydrophobic, etc, for a couple bucks more than regular B&W filters.  Supposedly 0.01% or less image degradation and no extra flaring or halos.  We'll see, but I'm intrigued to say the least.

But they'd still only get used when the odds of a lens getting hit hard by something are likely.  (Like photographing the muzzle blast from a M82A1M where rocks were whizzing by my head.  Not really much you can do on positioning vs getting the shot on that one.)

The D7200 should get 1000+ frames per charge, so long as you aren't running liveview or holding down the shutter halfway and letting VR go crazy.  An extra battery is good though.  Personally I can't use a camera without a battery grip these days.  I had one of the MBD-15 grips (KEH $192 used EX+ condition) because it gives you the extra charge without battery swapping, you can run AA batteries in a pinch, etc.  Plus it helps balance bigger/longer lenses a lot better since it changes the center of gravity back towards your hands more.

Mine never came off my D7200 when I had it.

Considering LCD screens can get squished pretty easily, I always put a protector on my cameras.  Larmor does some solid ballistic glass ones for pretty inexpensive.  Amazon $9 for back and top protectors.

The guys already touched on SD cards, so I'll leave that be.

Amazon has a good set of Lens Pens for $17.  They are disposable cleaning tools, so if they get used a lot remember to order more and toss as needed.  They work great for getting smudges or dust off of lenses, but the carbon 'scrubbie' end does get that crud stuck into it.  Eventually you'll risk scratching your lens, so just remember to toss them on occasion.

A rocket blower for general cleaning.  $9 is good for one.  Personally I use a Visible Dust Zee Pro ($32) but I'm neurotic about keeping my gear spotless.  Built in one way valves and HEPA filter to keep from blowing dust into the camera.  Unless you're going hardcore into getting your camera banged around and dirty/dusty, you'll be fine with the $9 one.  JUST read up or watch Youtube videos on how to properly use one.  It's not hard, there are just some spots that you don't point it, etc.

Honestly, when you get to sensor dust that a blower can't get off, make a post asking how to clean it.  Wet cleaning is a different beast entirely.  Pretty simple to do, but will overcomplicate things here.

Understanding Exposure 4th Edition $15 is THE book for learning photography.  I'm not sure of your skill set so I'm including it.  Hell, I still page through mine as a reference.

And a decent camera bag or something really.  Lots of those on sale this weekend though.

Tamron150-600 by FredMan, on Flickr

I use the 64g extreme pro cards as well.

NorthPolar how long do you get out of the grip battery pack?

I just picked up a second battery,  curious if its worth the investment.

It literally just doubles the battery life in the camera as you’ll have a battery in the camera and in the grip.  I was easily hitting 2200 frames if not more on a charge.  Mind you, I don’t use live view often, have WiFi and the other goodies turned off, etc.

What’s your method of deploying filters quickly?

I know when I am out, let’s say hiking, and I need to deploy filters that it can take me quite a while to dig everything out of my bag and attached to the lens prior to taking photos.

Normally this isn’t too big a deal for me because I also have to setup a tripod, decide on composition, etc. and am trying to be more deliberate.  But I tend not to walk around with a polarizer attached so I can see where this might be an issue when speed to deploy is needed.

What are your thoughts on UV filters?  Since you couldn’t make it past the polarizer issue, his feeling is that UV filters are useless, do you agree?

What about ND filters?

I personally find that taking a bunch of photos and creating the ND in post is an okay substitute in a pinch but is a pain.  I like getting the results in camera at the moment.

@Zardoz

I should have been at least a little clear, sorry.

The guy's perceived need to install filters quickly at all is what kinda bugged me. Maybe it's just me but filters, by their nature, just aren't something you get in a hurry to use. The types of pics that I typically use filters for are usually planned and I usually get the camera setup for beforehand anyway, so it just struck me as odd.

I've never used a UV filter, and view them as a waste of money. With the advent of digital cameras and editing software, any benefit they had when using film is gone, IMO.

I use ND filters all the time. The g/f is always dragging me to waterfalls, and wants pics of them with the the cascading effect that we often see. As I understand it, those types of pics are possible to obtain by combining several different shots in photoshop, but it strikes me as probably a time-consuming PITA. Like you, I'd much rather get whatever effect I'm going for IN the camera. It's usually a lot easier and quicker that way.

So, got my used D7200 today. The thing looks immaculate. However, I think I can tell that the three lenses it came with are ‘kit lenses’, or at least I assume so. They are so light compared to the lenses for the Nikon loaner camera I used during my photography class.

What can you guys tell me about these lenses?

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The 50mm f/1.8 is a solid little prime for the money. The rest are the basic kit lenses that fake with the D7200 or other cameras around 5 years ago. Nothing special but they work decently without dropping more money on lenses.

What NP said.  The 18-55 is surprisingly sharp, but has poor build quality.  Mine broke about a year into it.

They'll keep you running until you take out that second mortgage for glass.

And the 50/1.8 is a great lens.  That or the 35/1.8 is a prime everyone should have.

First things first, remember to update the firmware and lens correction data on the camera.  Nikon has the ‘how to’ and download links on their site.  If you’re wanting more range than the 55-200mm kit lens and if they have them in stock next time Nikon refurbs go on sale, snag one of the FX AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF ED VR lenses.  They’ll run $400 or so without the discount and $360 with it.

IMO one of the best sub $1000 telephoto lenses Nikon made.  The new FX AF-P 70-300mm is a better lens, but hit and miss on older cameras like the D7200 since they changed the AF system from ultrasonic to stepper motors.  It’ll work on the D7200 with the firmware update with some caveats, but IMO the older one works great on the D7200.  I used the hell out of mine.

What will I experience using an FX lens with a DX camera?

IMO a bit sharper images as you'll be using pretty much the 'sweet spot' of the glass since it was designed for a full frame sensor.  Beyond that, until you get to pro glass they are pretty on par with each other.  Throwing a 70-200mm f/2.8 on my D850 gives me a 70-200mm f/2.8, but if I were to put it on a D500, it would give the perceived focal length of 105-300mm f/2.8.  So you can use the lenses on both, you'll just get a bit longer on DX, but wider on FX.

Honestly if you have no interest in going to a FX I wouldn't worry about it though.  Nikon does make high end DX glass as well.

Set the camera to save in RAW. The 7200 has an option to save in RAW and jpeg at the same time. Jpeg is useful for quick viewing, sharing etc. RAW is much better to post process to get the most from your photos.

I actually use 128GB cards (95MB/s Extreme) in my 7500. A single 128GB card will store 1.9k RAW+jpeg photos. When you start thinking about bracketing, and maybe using continuous mode you will realize that you can eat up card space fast.

You will want something to post process your photos. I would have suggested Lightroom, but since Adobe reneged on their promise to keep the perpetual licenses and now require a subscription, fuck Adobe, and instead take a look at Affinity Photo:

https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/

For $50 its really good. Starting from scratch, it doesn't have the baggage that Photoshop has, so is much more "regular" in its interface.
There are a set of tutorials on how to use it:

https://vimeo.com/channels/affinityphoto

Lastly, I will echo the suggestion of a decent flash. The built-in one is better than nothing, but a real one can make a huge difference.
Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-SB-700-Speedlight-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0042X9L6A

I just picked up a used Nikon Nikkor 18-105mm AF-S VR lens because I had this lens in my photography class and I found it to be very useful in a wide variety of situations. For $150 I thought it was a good deal.

Thoughts?

That lens was my first lens purchase when I was starting to really get into photography.

It was a kit lens with the D90, and build reflects that (plastic mount).

Used it for years, still have it, but it's been supplanted by the 24-120.

It's a little soft in the corners wide open at the shorter zoom ranges.  But it's a very useful zoom range.

Particularly for $150, you'll get a lot of good use out of it until you upgrade.

Pink Double Rainbow 20120601 by FredMan, on Flickr

DSC_0532-BL22 Oblique Front by FredMan, on Flickr

This book is worth every penny.  Picked it up based on this recommendation.

I bought that book also as well as the field guide for the D7200.

So I now have four kit lenses. How do I tell the difference between kit lenses and actual high quality lenses (metal build, etc)? Keep in mind I am buying my equipment used from EBay, Craigslist, Adorama, B&H, etc.

Bueller?

Sorry for taking so long to respond, I've been under the weather lately.

Honestly, the easiest way to tell would be to look the lens up or ask here.  Given the folks on here, I would be surprised if there wasn't an answer on it.  There's a lot of great lenses that are pretty darn inexpensive that easily beat the kit lenses without breaking the bank, but it can be hit and miss.  Beyond that, you can't go wrong eventually working up to the gold ring lenses but those are $$$.

Until you get to the high end lenses, they'll all be some kind of reinforced poly body for the most part.  But that's not a horrible thing either really as they save weight and will work fine unless you're abusing the shit out of it, but for less money.  Even their high end stuff is a hybrid in some places, like my favorite 14-24mm f/2.8 as some things are just cost prohibitive to do in metal.  IMO, if it has a weather sealing gasket/lip on the back of the lens, it's a higher end lens than the kit ones.  Even the 50mm f/1.8 has one and is a fantastic lens for the $150 sale price.  Hell, I use one on my D850.  The other way to tell is by what rear lens cap comes with the camera, type of lens hood, etc.  Basically look for cost saving measures like a clear plastic generic cap, $5 lens hood, etc.

That said, what are you looking at a lens to do?  Personally, I'd strongly look at getting FX lenses as they are usually a bit sharper optically in general, but on a DX camera you're using the 'sweet spot' of those lenses as well.  Plus if you decide to get a FX camera later on, you're already set for glass.

If you need more reach or just better long glass, I'd strongly recommend the FX AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IF ED VR for $400 refurb or $350 (or so) when on refurb sale.  Fantastic lens for the camera, and mine pretty much lived on my D7200.

Without breaking the bank, wide/super wide glass will have to be a DX lens though. The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X PRO DX II for ~$400 (it goes on sale for less occasionally) is insanely hard to beat.  The only reason I upgraded was that I went to the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, which is a 'holy trinity' lens.