Essential Accessories?

I'm taking a 2 week trip in about 8 days, and plan to take my D40 along for the ride. I have the D40 kit from the Amazon deal a few months ago

D40
2GB SD card
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
nice carrying bag.

Anything else I should pick up in the next couple of days? One thing I'd like to buy is a lens cleaning kit, if such a thing exists, and maybe a remote.

Bonus points for online links ;)

Unless you're taking a laptop or will have access to a computer to export your pictures, I'd strongly suggest getting another memory card, at least 4GB.

You can get a really cheap, easy to use remote from Amazon. I got one for Christmas, works wonders. Get it with the little lense pen cleaning system. Really handy and very compact

http//www.amazon.com/Nikon-Wireless-Control-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00007EDZG

You can get some really expensive cleaning kits so it depends on your budget. I don't have anything to clean my cam besides the above pen, so David is probably your best bet on that one, but a blower should be on the list.

Yeah, I recommend a Rocket blower, they are by far the best blower out there. Puts the little cheap azz Wal-Mart cleaning kit blowers to shame. I have the Medium model. I don't use a pen, just the Rocket blower, micro fiber cloth (keep it clean!), and pre-moistened eyeglass cleaning wipes (you can buy a box of 50 at Wally for something like $3). Oh and all my lenses have UV filters attached full-time, so I'm never cleaning the lens directly, only the filter. If you scratch a filter, it's a cheap replacement. So that's an accessory I'd strongly recommend for each lens.

I also have an assortment of other filters. If you're going to be shooting outdoors a lot, you might want a polarizing filter. However they can be a pain when shooting multiple shots because they have to be adjusted each time to rotate your lens. Most of the time I don't even bother, but they are indispensable if you're shooting over water that has a glare, for example.

I have the Nikon wireless remote, but be advised that it's not ideal for long exposure type shots, where the cable release works better. The IR sensor is on the front of the camera, so you have to point it at the front to fire it. It's more suited to self portrait type stuff where you're going to be in front of the camera anyway. In a pinch though you can set the shutter delay, point it at the front of the camera, and then get out of the way before the shutter fires.

Ditto on getting a bigger card, although the D40 is 6MP so you might get away with only 2GB. I use a 4GB in my D80, but I shoot HQ JPEG+RAW at 10MP, so I only get about 280 shots or so. I then dump off to my laptop which is always nearby. However I'll be picking up another 4GB card to have as a spare, just in case. I've also thought about one of these external HDD's with the LCD and card reader, made specifically for dumping photos from a flash card.

I also recommend putting on the UV filters to protect the lenses, that's what I use too, and a microfiber cloth. I also have a skylight filter. I had heard good things about that cleaning pen though, and might get it if I need to clean any of my lenses.

If you're gone for 2 weeks, I think you could definitely use more than 2 GBs.

I'm going to get a rocket blower too, I noticed a piece of dust through the viewfinder this weekend and wished I had one of those blowers. It could be just on the viewfinder piece but I didn't take the time to look.

[quote16f1def040="dmorris68"]I have the Nikon wireless remote, but be advised that it's not ideal for long exposure type shots, where the cable release works better. The IR sensor is on the front of the camera, so you have to point it at the front to fire it. It's more suited to self portrait type stuff where you're going to be in front of the camera anyway. In a pinch though you can set the shutter delay, point it at the front of the camera, and then get out of the way before the shutter fires.[/quote16f1def040]

You can also be behind the camera and set it off by holding it directly above the body. That's pretty much the only way I use it.

[quote7db817a213="theysayjump"]You can also be behind the camera and set it off by holding it directly above the body. That's pretty much the only way I use it.[/quote7db817a213]
...but I saw the remote in your hand in those self noodz you sent me.

Those remotes are pretty handy. You can get a knock off cheap from dealextreme but you wouldn't have it in time for your trip.

Hrm, 2 filters, a rocket blower, and some cleaning wipes seem like essentials.

Could someone recommend a couple of filters for the lenses above? I intend to use them for protection of the lenses, more than anything else. However, I'll also be shooting a fair amount of ocean and water shots, so maybe a UV filter would be good too.

Wonder if Amazon would get all that here by Friday...As for the memory card, even at highest JPG spec, I'm getting 1000 shots on the card. My SO has a 1GB card as well that we'll take along.

However, I wonder if a higher-speed card would allow more photos to be taken in burst mode, or at least faster taking of photos?

Thanks for the advice.

I got these
http//www.amazon.com/Tiffen-52mm-UV-Protection-Filter/dp/B00004ZCJG[]http//www.amazon.com/Tiffen-52mm-UV-Protection-Filter/dp/B00004ZCJG

They work fine, but if you are pointing a shot towards the sun you may have to remove the filter to avoid glare. I haven't had any problems with them.

There is also the Nikon neutral clear filters but they are kind of expensive, as are some other brands.

I have several of these that I got in a deal
http//www.amazon.com/Nikon-Micro-Fiber-Cleaning-Cloth/dp/B0007M6GI6[]http//www.amazon.com/Nikon-Micro-Fiber-Cleaning-Cloth/dp/B0007M6GI6
These are nikon branded but you can probably get the same thing unbranded and cheaper at a camera store.

You'll have no problems getting the above filters and cloth by Friday thru Amazon with 2 day shipping, but the rocket blasters on Amazon are sold by adorama and I don't know how fast they could get it to you. I was looking earlier because I wanted to order one like I said. They're in NYC so it shouldn't take that long for you.

Are there any photo stores you could go to in your area? You might save money on shipping and still get the stuff you need, but maybe you got some amazon gc you wanted to use...

[quote7d7494e354="doylnea"]Hrm, 2 filters, a rocket blower, and some cleaning wipes seem like essentials.[/quote7d7494e354]
Yep. BTW I only use the wet wipes (or any wet cleaning solution) when it's a stubborn, dried on spot that can't be blown away or wiped away easily with the microfiber cloth. Be sure to immediately follow any wet solution with the microfiber cloth as well, otherwise it'll leave a residue.

[quote7d7494e354="doylnea"]Could someone recommend a couple of filters for the lenses above? I intend to use them for protection of the lenses, more than anything else. However, I'll also be shooting a fair amount of ocean and water shots, so maybe a UV filter would be good too.[/quote7d7494e354]
I'm assuming you mean polarizing filter for the water shots. The UV filter is left on at all times, regardless of the type of shooting. The polarizing filter cuts glare and deepens colors, especially blue sky.

Any cheap UV filter will work for protection as long as it doesn't detract from image quality, and most won't. I do like the ones made in Japan, such as Hoya's. When I first got my D80 and wasn't sure about how much I was going to invest in photography gear at the time, I bought this cheap Crystal Optics 3 filter set (in black)[=http//www.overstock.com/Electronics/Crystal-Optics-52mm-3-Piece-Glass-Filter-Set/2609153/product.html?]cheap Crystal Optics 3 filter set (in black) from Overstock.com. Given the price I expected them to be cheap junk, but they're actually made in Japan and are of surprisingly decent quality. I leave that UV filter on my 18-55 kit lens, and then bought this Super-Multi-Coated Hoya UV filter[=http//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/23738-REG/Hoya_528032_52mm_Ultraviolet_UV_0_Super.html]this Super-Multi-Coated Hoya UV filter for my 55-200 lens. The extra coating is a little more expensive than plain UV filters but is supposed to improve image quality (which I can't really quantify tbh, and you still see haze in the PC Beach shots I posted).

You will probably want to make sure the UV filter is threaded so you can attach other filters as needed without removing the UV filter first; however if you do that, you want thin bezel filters, because stacking wide bezel filters can introduce a matte effect at the corners of your photos. And thin filters are more expensive.

[quote7d7494e354="doylnea"]Wonder if Amazon would get all that here by Friday...As for the memory card, even at highest JPG spec, I'm getting 1000 shots on the card. My SO has a 1GB card as well that we'll take along.[/quote7d7494e354]
Probably not with their free shipping option, but probably if you pay for the cheapest shipping. I find that once Amazon ships, I usually receive it within 2-3 days. However with their free shipping option, they usually take anyway from a couple to several days to ship. If you can get it shipped same day, it could very well make it by Friday.

B&H Photo out of NYC is where I buy most of my camera gear, and they almost always ship same day and I get it 1-2 days later. However they aren't always the cheapest and their shipping is not free.

[quote7d7494e354="doylnea"]However, I wonder if a higher-speed card would allow more photos to be taken in burst mode, or at least faster taking of photos?[/quote7d7494e354]
Yes, a high speed card will greatly improve continuous (burst) mode performance. The camera has a limited amount of buffer memory for burst mode, and when it fills up, the shutter is inoperable until enough data is dumped to the card. I leave my camera in continuous mode because I often like to snap multiple shots at once to improve my chances of getting a good one. I'm a huge fan of the high end Sandisk cards for this reason, they have faster write times than anybody. I have the Sandisk Extreme III 4GB card in my D80. Note most cards that rate themselves as high-speed, are only fast for reading, not writing. Writing is where you want the speed. Read speed is largely irrelevant for camera work. Sandisk rules in this area. The typical Class 6 SDHC 4GB card is rated around 6MB/s read, and often half that or less for writing. The Sandisk Extreme III 4GB card I have is rated at 20MB/s minimum for both read and write. Not as cheap as the others, of course, but worth it IMO.

Thanks all! I 'll see what I can put together in the next hour or so.

In a decision that really pained me, I bought a Sandisk Extreme III 4GB SD card at a B&M MicroCenter this evening for $47 OTD. I literally cannot remember the last time I a) paid full price for anything electronic, b) paid tax on anything electronic, c) paid more than I could have paid online or d) bought something I knew I didn't really need.

However, as I wrote before, this is the only opportunity I'll have to take these photos for the foreseeable future, and being able to take essentially as many photos as I want, and take them in burst/continuous mode, makes up for the extra $7 I spent.

Good grief I am one cheap bastard, but I do appreciate all of your help and advice.

Now, how important are those filters? They didn't sell them at MicroCenter.

[quotec45dc84693="doylnea"]Now, how important are those filters? They didn't sell them at MicroCenter.[/quotec45dc84693]

At the very least, get a skylight filter for each lens just to protect them. I've never damaged one, but imagine the heartbreak if you busted your 55-200.

$47 OTD at a B&M shop for that card is a very good price. I paid over $80 online for mine less than a year ago. I don't believe I've seen them online recently for much below the price you paid.

Yes, I'd say filters are very important for lens protection. Not so much for image adjustments since technically you could simulate most any filter effect in post-processing (i.e. Photoshop).

I wouldn't get a skylight filter for protection, that's what UV filters are for. At least I've never heard of using skylight filters for full-time protection, but maybe some folks do.. I'd be afraid it might effect other types of shots, but I don't own a skylight filter so I don't know for sure. All I know is UV filters are always suggested as the standard "lens protection" filter.

I have to be honest, stopping at MicroCenter on the way home from my sport was an afterthought. I found the card at the bottom of a stack, behind a pole (hello store employees hiding for themselves) marked $51. There was a sale in their ad for about 6 bucks off; with tax it ended up being $47. Knowing that if I bought one of the two cards I'd scoped on eBay would cost $40, and the numnuts seller probably wouldn't ship for two days, saving the $7 didn't seem so worth it.

I tried one camera shop tonight for the UV filters, and they told me any size filter would fit my lenses. I walked out...heh.

[quotef321de804b="doylnea"]I tried one camera shop tonight for the UV filters, and they told me any size filter would fit my lenses. I walked out...heh.[/quotef321de804b]
LOL. I guess I've seen some semi-clueless employees at Wolf/Ritz, but nothing quite that bad.

If you're still looking, Best Buy carries filters, if you have one near you. At least my local one does.

[quote6bd1d8e10d="hehehhehe"]If you're still looking, Best Buy carries filters, if you have one near you. At least my local one does.[/quote6bd1d8e10d]

Ooh, that's good to know. Thanks.

This is the one[=http//www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7668507&type=product&id=1134701342463]This is the one they have, and you can check out the reviews at amazon[=http//www.amazon.com/SUNPAK-CF-7032-Ultra-Violet-Filter-52mm/dp/B00009W3U2]at amazon. At least you'd be able to check for any defects before you buy.

thanks heheh - I biked over to Best Buy last night, and bought one. There was literally 8 open 57mm filters, all on sale for $7.99, but all of the 52mm were new, and thus $9.99. As everyone says though, $10 is still cheap protection for (relatively) expensive lenses.

Definitely get a circular polarizing filter. Makes your pictures look 10x better. Especially in broad daylight situations of landscapes.

Just got a bunch of new gear for my D80 from Adorama.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF lense
Tiffen UV filter x2
Nikon HR-2 rubber hood for the lense
Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
Extra 52mm lense cap to replace the one I lost for my stock lense
19-in-1 Kingston memory card reader

I held off on getting the 4GB Sandisk Extreme III (class 6) SDHC card for now, but I'm definitely getting it soon. $45 on Adorama which isn't bad at all.

I got all of my accessories and SDHC card for $45 and that thing is ridiculously fast.

I want to get a good 18-whatever or 12-24mm. I saw the 55-200mm for $200 but I need something wider and as fast as my 50mm f/1.8.

[quote0b5ce6b910="theysayjump"]I got all of my accessories and SDHC card for $45 and that thing is ridiculously fast.

I want to get a good 18-whatever or 12-24mm. I saw the 55-200mm for $200 but I need something wider and as fast as my 50mm f/1.8.[/quote0b5ce6b910]

I knew you would love that lens!

[quote631da99c7c="CollidgeGraduit"][quote631da99c7c="theysayjump"]I got all of my accessories and SDHC card for $45 and that thing is ridiculously fast.

I want to get a good 18-whatever or 12-24mm. I saw the 55-200mm for $200 but I need something wider and as fast as my 50mm f/1.8.[/quote631da99c7c]

I knew you would love that lens![/quote631da99c7c]

You were right. D

I haven't managed to take it outside and play with it but I've used it around the house and for portraits it's awesome. Now I want all my lenses to be this fast. D

I got two lenses the other day during a 25% off ebay sale.

AF 50mm F/1.8 Nikkor same as TSJ
70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G AF VR Nikkor lens

to go with my 18-105mm VR lens

I guess I need some filters. On a zoom lens does the focal length matter for the filter? Or is it simply a snap on the lens and it works kinda thing.

also what makes a memory card like you mention TSJ better than one like this

http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211245

its twice the price and 1/4 the space, and they are both class 6.

[quote221a3332b3="justinag06"]I got two lenses the other day during a 25% off ebay sale.

AF 50mm F/1.8 Nikkor same as TSJ
70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G AF VR Nikkor lens

to go with my 18-105mm VR lens

I guess I need some filters. On a zoom lens does the focal length matter for the filter? Or is it simply a snap on the lens and it works kinda thing.[/quote221a3332b3]
I was going to buy a lens too but I had to leave for work when I saw the 25% off work for a short time... I guess we all have that 50mm F/1.8 lens now lol.

[quote8b10c5c27f="justinag06"]also what makes a memory card like you mention TSJ better than one like this

http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211245

its twice the price and 1/4 the space, and they are both class 6.[/quote8b10c5c27f]

People in the reviews for that are saying that the "advertised" read/write speeds are 22/10MB/s, but that you're lucky to get 15MB/s and it's more like 7 or 8MB/s.

My card is 30MB/s, so not only does it take pictures faster but when copying to/from the card to a computer it's almost instantaneous. I think it took around 15 seconds to copy a 358MB folder from the card to my computer.

Class 6 just implies a minimum write performance, it does not indicate maximum performance or read performance.

High-end cards like the Sandisk Ultra and Extreme models are well-known for outperforming just about everyone else.

I have the same 4GB Extreme III in my D80, and it's hella-fast.

I'm actually waiting for the new 35mm DX 1.8 lens to come out, which should be any day now. Whereas the 50mm lenses you guys are talking about are considered "normal" on a full-frame film camera, they are 75mm on a DX sensor -- a bit much for close in shots for my taste. The upcoming 35mm lens aims to be the 11 lens for DX cameras. Should be less than $200 from what I've seen.

I've been so close to buying the 30mm 1.4 sigma lens several times but now I might go for that new 35mm 1.8 lens.

I am ok using the 50mm even though it is a bit close because I used it mostly for portraits (plus I got it cheap used).

The 50mm is perfect as far as I'm concerned. If you think it's too close or too far away, you can just move closer or farther away from the subject.

I want a macro lens and a wide angle (anything from 10-24) but I'm not sure which one to choose between.

[quotea03f63d9f2="theysayjump"]The 50mm is perfect as far as I'm concerned. If you think it's too close or too far away, you can just move closer or farther away from the subject.[/quotea03f63d9f2]
If you're shooting portraits or other "setup" shots, I agree. It's not always so easy for candid shots, from fixed seating (performances, sporting events, etc.), or confined areas where you can't back up very far. So it depends on the type of shooting you do. I wouldn't mind having the 50mm in the bag for when I needed a little more reach, but I'd prefer to get closer to a 11 normal lens.

[quotea03f63d9f2]I want a macro lens and a wide angle (anything from 10-24) but I'm not sure which one to choose between.[/quotea03f63d9f2]
Not really interested in a WA, but I do want a macro. The true macro lenses are too expensive for me to justify. I think I'm going to start with a Canon 250D/500D close-up lens on the cheap, then maybe get one of the Sigma or Tamron zooms that include macro mode. They seem to get decent macro reviews on B&H.

yeah Ive read good things about the Tamron lenses but I tend to do more landscape photography and a good quality WA lens would be sweet. They can get pricey like any good lenses but it'd be worth it.