Broken Lens 18-105 nikkor

[jjnic]

ok, so i tripped down some stairs, banged my knee and twisted my little finger, but what hurts the most is that i was carrying my camera with the 18-105 lens attached and my best efforts couldn't protect it as it hit the tiled floor :( :( It won't focus properly, wont zoom all the way, the shutter wont always work and looking through it you can see that the iris has detached. I'm thinking that it might just be cheaper to replace. anyone know roughly how much to fix ? going to take it in to the Nikon service place in Adelaide this afternoon. jj

[I @ M]

Doesn't sound good. :(

Do you have any form of household or contents insurance?

Seeing as they are available at under $300.00 new (http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=2289) it may not be an economical proposition to repair.

Maybe it is time to consider upgrading that lens with something else?

[jjnic]

I do have insurance but the excess is $500.

I think i paid about $700 at a bricks and mortar store but under $300 online is tempting :)
What would you suggest to upgrade it with? (lol the rational part of me is telling myself i can't afford it!)

jj

[William]

Come on jj, You know you want to upgrade , This is a good excuse and you wont regret it , By the sound of it , Might be cheaper to replace :D

[jjnic]

Come on jj, You know you want to upgrade , This is a good excuse and you wont regret it , By the sound of it , Might be cheaper to replace :D

lol i have decided to replace it :) going to have fun taking the broken one apart :-)

[old dog]

yep, get a new one and you will have a lot of spare parts:D. I think I`d try and upgrade (easy for me to say I know) but to what suits your needs???

[jjnic]

I just spent a fortune on a new computer so while it is tempting to upgrade the bank balance is not looking too healthy . I just need a mid-range zoom thats not going to cost too much . lol i need to find a cheaper hobby!

[I @ M]

jj, where do you need the focal length?

If you shoot mainly at the wider ends of your current lens it may be worth looking at something like the pretty well regarded Tamron 17-55 F/2.8 (http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=2031) for the constant faster aperture and saving a bit more to fill the longer end of the zoom equation later.

Just a suggestion. :D

[jjnic]

I like to shoot mainly landscapes but it's nice to have the extra reach for the odd kangaroo that pops into view :-)

I was looking at Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f2.8-4D IF Lens (http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=107) but don't know how it will go with the D90
jj

[Photophil2010]

I also broke my 18-105. They are almost impossible to pull apart or repair unless you have the eyes of an eagle and the fingers of inspector gadget.
I ended up replacing the broken lens with a nikon DX 16-85mm which I am very pleased with. The sigma 17-50mm f2.8 is a good lens also. I decided that the wide end of the lens was more useful to me as I also have a 70-300 mm vr lens.

[ksolomon]

Sorry about your lens I know how heart wrenching it can be when you witness a drop. I see your $$ are tight but I would also consider a 18-200mm lens, I upgraded my 18-105 to this lens just over 12 months ago and find it a great all round lens with excellent glass, just another option to consider:)

[jjnic]

I Think i wll just replace what i had as the price is right and i was happy with the lens. I have the long end covered with the 70-300VR and I have the Tamron wide angle lens. 18-105 gives me that bit of extra reach though it would be nice to have somthing a bit faster.. :confused013

lol should just stop thinking about it and do it!

[Pine]

What a nightmare can happen to any of us.
Sorry Dude
Regards

[jjnic]

LOL I am thinking breaking it was the easy part.

Now what to replace it with? I keep changing my mind.

So far looking at the sigma 17-70 f2 Is the f2 at the short end worth the shorter reach? But then it has macro capability.

Or the Tamron 17-50 f2 but not quite as long as the 18-105 Nikon

Or the Nikon 16-85 I chose the 18-105 over this last time because of the extra reach and the price

Or the Nikon 18-105

maybe i should make a poll? :)

[Pine]

I would go for the Sigma 17-70 or 16-85.

Regards

[arthurking83]

If you still want to 'upgrade' and still maintain a bit of reach, then consider this is the best opportunity to do both at the same time.

Going to a 17-50mm f/2.8 is not really an upgrade, per se, as you've lost some reach beyond the 50mm range, and in reality that extra 20mm from 50-70 is not really a decent level of compensation.

Forget this psuedo macro garbage from the likes of these types of zoom lenses.. yeah great it can focus closely, but then again so does the Tammy 28-75mm.. and compared to a proper macro lens, they're usually not worth the marketing hype.

Go with either of the Sigma or Tammy 17-50/2.8's for that faster aperture, and also look into a Nikon 55-200mm VR lens at the same time. This way you still get the benefit of a faster lens at least up to 50mm, and you've no got a cheap go anywhere telezoom lens to play with too.

From a well known grey market source, prices will look like: Tammy 17-50(non VC) - $325, (with VC) - $425; Sigma 17-50(OS) - $575; Nikon 55-200VR - $180

Generally, you don't need image stabilisation(OS,VR,VC) for lenses less than 50mm, but it's handy to have, in a telezoom lens, it's a great feature to have next to you! :th3:

18-105 is a great lens.. not excellent, but certainly one of the best in it's class!

If this were me in this situation, I would use this as a prompt to get into slightly better range of lenses via the thirdparty f/2.8 zooms.

[jjnic]

Thanks Arthur,
I'm leaning towards the Sigma 17-70 - if i can find it at a decent price at a bricks & morter shop. Now i'm going to have to get another CPL filter as the one i have won't fit! lol where was that Money Tree again?
jj

[RRRoger]

When I bought one of the first D5100 bodies, you could only get it with the kit lens.
The AF-S 18-55 VR turned out to be surprisingly good.:)
You can get one for 1/10th the cost of the 17-55.

However, I would replace your 18-105 with the 10-24 instead, and
get a 28-300 to replace your 70-300 in the future.