Fisheye or sb800/900 for D300

[DAM-Photography]

I'm about to make another purchase for my camera and would like to hear from others before hand.

I shoot with:
Nikon D300
Nikon D40(backup)

Lenses: (all F/2.8)
17-55mm
70-200mm

I mostly do concert photography, but am getting into portraits/weddings. I did my first wedding as backup and had a blast.

I need lots of things: lights, flash, lenses.
I'm working for my next purchase which is probably going to be the SB800/900, Fisheye, or lighting. Any recommendations etc.

 

[iBookG4user]

Are you only going to get a Fisheye or a Flash, or do you want recommendations for what lenses or lighting equipment to get? If the former, get the flash first, it is absolutely necessary for weddings. If the latter, then I would pass on the fisheye and get a fast prime such as the 85mm ƒ/1.8 or 50mm ƒ/1.4 along with the flash.

 

[ChrisA]

I mostly do concert photography, but am getting into portraits/weddings. I did my first wedding as backup and had a blast.

I think you might be able to shoot a wedding without a fish eye, but it would be hard to shoot one without a flash.

However the flash need not be an expensive one. The light looks the same if it came from an SB800 or a $40 used Vivitar H285. If you must have the fisheye lens then get it but first buy and inexpensive flash (like an old Nikon SB24 for $100) For studio style portraits, you can buy stands, umbrellas and two flashes for the price of one SB800. What the SB800 gives you is an "auto" mode that you'd not need in a studio. But auto comes in handy for fast moving subjects

 

[DAM-Photography]

Sorry, I didn't word it correctly. I'm going to be purchasing a flash. Then a fisheye or studio equipment lighting etc. When I did my photography at the wedding I got to use my boss's Sb900 and loved it. $500 is a lot to drop on a flash but I'm willing to shell out the cash for something I'm going to use for quite some time.

Any recommendations on the flashes?

 

[iBookG4user]

You could probably get away with an SB600 or SB800, you don't really need the SB900.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

The fish-eye is fun with Nikon NX2 IMO.... or even alone....

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Some more....

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

And some final ones... do a search here for some of fish-eye examples that I posted before... some were converted under Nikon Capture...

 

[DAM-Photography]

Ive shot with the fisheye before, but it was on my bosses D3. My d300 isn't a full frame but I'm guessing I will still get nice shots with it. looking like the sb900 might be the flash I will go for. As I will be upgrading a to full frame when i can afford it.

 

[JosephBergdoll]

You can get a 10.5mm fisheye for crop cameras... it's considered one of the best fisheyes on the market.

 

[Maxxamillian]

Flash--simply because you will see more use for it outside of the scenario(s) listed.

Nikon's CLS is simple and amazing. Before you know it you will find yourself with multiple flashes...

 

[ckseid]

10.5mm fisheye is awesome...especially since you have DX cameras.
Definitely need a flash for weddings. if you can get a used Sb-800, then great...smaller size than Sb900. I have 3...real workhorses.

 

[iBallz]

I have a 10-20, and hardly use it. However now that I've learned more about how easy it is to use the wireless flash system of the D300, now I use that far more. Off camera lighting will improve your images a lot! And you can get a light stand and umbrella for probably under $100 bucks, and be a little more creative.

 

[jampat]

Buy the flash. If you want the fisheye effect for the concerts, just use a fisheye filter in Photoshop at 17mm. Once you get a flash, you will find it spends most of its time on the camera. The catchlights are nice, fill flash in the sun is nice and on canon (not sure about nikon) the IR lights on the flash really help with AF in low light. When shooting concerts I always have my flash mounted, but set not to fire.

 

[JosephBergdoll]

Buy the flash. If you want the fisheye effect for the concerts, just use a fisheye filter in Photoshop at 17mm. Once you get a flash, you will find it spends most of its time on the camera. The catchlights are nice, fill flash in the sun is nice and on canon (not sure about nikon) the IR lights on the flash really help with AF in low light. When shooting concerts I always have my flash mounted, but set not to fire.

Fisheye is not an effect and cannot be accurately replicated, and the difference between 17mm and 10.5mm is HUGE.

 

[joepunk]

Here's a review from Lenstip.com of the Samyang 8mm f3.5 Fisheye.

Don't really know anything else about the site or the lens. The site seems pretty decent. The review states that it doesn't have any CPU contacts. It's all manual at a budget price of about $299 (stated within the site).