My gear - boast about your gear here

[Rooz]

yeah the version1's are hard to find in OZ. you;ll be looking a while. there are a few goign in the USA though on ebay. the af-d brand new is around $1100. optics are almost as good, AF speed a notch or 2 slower and no VR of course. still gets you a great quality 2.8 lens though.
the guy on ebay selling a used VR1 for 2200 is kidding himself.

[K1W1]

I just tried to find used ones I can't find 1!!

Just keep your eyes out they crop up regularly. Some weeks there are a couple of sale then there might be none for a while.

[ssil2000]

Cheapest in the us probably 1575 au that's 500 more then a brand new 80-200 is it really 50% better? will I regret an 80-200?

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Hmmm mine's a VR1 that you'll be trying this weekend. My bad for even thinking it.

[Rooz]

Cheapest in the us probably 1575 au that's 500 more then a brand new 80-200 is it really 50% better? will I regret an 80-200?

Tough question. How much did you sell your d80 for ? Is the d7000 really 500% better ? lol

Imho, i think you'll be fine unless you're shooting in lower than optimal light. In perfect light the differences are imperceptile but once that light starts to dip a little and you need the focus aquistion and focus speed to be paramount, it could make the difference between getting the shot or not.

You can always get the cheaper afd, use it for a year, save your money and then trade up. No big loss there.

[K1W1]

once that light starts to dip a little and you need the focus aquistion and focus speed to be paramount, it could make the difference between getting the shot or not.

That of course depends on the subject. For Soccer a 4.30pm in the rain in the middle of winter it makes a huge difference to me (ad I shoot with VR off anyway) but if it's mainly being used for slow moving or stationery subjects and as a long portrait type lens maybe focus acquisition speed won't be such a big thing. I oscillated between the two for a couple of years really and eventually went the expensive route and have had not one regret.

[ssil2000]

I sold the d80 with the lenses for 685 I was happy with that, I am trying dprs 70-200 I am sure that will make my mind up for me

[Sir Les]

Following on from a previous thread about the high costs of OEM after-sales items compared to no-name knock-offs, I thought you D7000 owners might be interested in the following.

I decided that as I do a lot of my shooting in portrait orientation, I would buy an MB-D11 battery grip for my D7000. You can imagine my shock/horror on finding out the price of the genuine article in bricks-and-mortar stores here in Australia is around AU$359, and about AU$250-AU$280 on eBay (imported from Hong Kong or Singapore). A bit rich, I thought.

Of course, there were generic copies on eBay too, and although they were made from plastic instead of magnesium alloy, at AU$55 (including postage) it was hard to overlook them. I took the plunge and bought one.

It arrived after a few weeks, as promised. To my eye it looks identical to the real thing, right down to the mottled finish and slightly sticky rubber grip. I fitted my (genuine) EN-EL15 battery into its holder (the alternative holder which accommodates 6 x AA batteries was also included), removed the terminal covers from the camera and the unit, and carefully mated the two together by means of the large screw. It fitted perfectly, with a rock solid connection and no relative movement. Next came the moment of truth -- would all the functions work? Answer -- yes. Everything - shutter release, front and rear command dials, AE-L/AF-L button, multi-selector - all worked as intended.

How long the grip will go on working as intended only time will tell. In the meantime, it's certainly more convenient for portrait shots, it enables all-day shooting, it looks and feels great, and it's quick and easy to attach and detach as you don't have to remove the battery compartment cover from the camera, as you do with some other models. And it's hard to go past that price! Here's some 'product shots':

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

This thread is so naughty, had to copy you Sir Les and K1W1.

[Sir Les]

Well DPR, if you think that's naughty, how about a 3-head home studio lighting kit for AU$399, available right here and now in Adelaide? The kit contains:

3 x Glanz Mini Pioneer 43 Heads (160WS, GN43@ISO100, 75 Watt halogen modelling light)
3 x 2m high lighting stands
2 x 33" umbrellas (silver/black)
1 x 33" soft light umbrella (white)
1 x wireless radio trigger & receiver
1 x Carrying case.

Each lighting head has an optical slave which fires when it detects a burst of light. The radio trigger slides onto your camera's hot shoe, and you plug the receiver into one of the lighting heads. When you hit the shutter button the lighting head fires, setting off the other two wirelessly. Pretty neat, huh? PM me if you want more details!