Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-08-22)

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 41

http://www.parkcameras.com

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NikonAF-S

70-200mm
f/4.0EDVR
£729

from

excellentcondition

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PARK CAMERAS

If youwouldlikea

wideanglezoomwitha

fastmaximumaperture

at a reasonableprice,

thisexampleis wortha

look.It’snotquiteas

wideasNikon’sAF-P

10-20mmf/4.5-5.6G,

butis robustlymadefora

lensthatfeaturesa

predominantlyplastic

construction.Tokinahas

madeit a practicalsize

withoutbeingtoobulky

andit benets froman

internalfocusing

mechanismand

one-touchfocusclutch

mechanismthatenables

photographersto switch

betweenAFandMFby

snappingthefocusring

forwardforAFandback

formanualfocusing.It

doesexhibitvignetting,

distortionandchromatic

aberration,butthiscan

becorrectedduring

post-processing.Tamron’s

10-24mmf/3.5-4.5Di II

VCHLD(£279in good

usedcondition)is

anotheralternativeif

you’dlikeyourlensto be

weather-resistantand

offeropticalimage

stabilisation.

Nikon lenses

Pair this prime with an

APS-C DSLR camera like

the D7200 and you’ve

got a fabulous

combination that provides

a 75mm effective  eld of

view that’s well suited to

capturing  attering

portraits and attractive

reportage-style images.

Its maximum aperture

lets you dial in faster

shutter speeds than a

standard kit lens when

you’re challenged in

low-light situations, plus it

creates a lovely shallow

depth of  eld that helps

pick out subjects from

their surroundings. Nail

the focus and you’ll be

enthralled by its

sharpness, which it backs

up with good contrast. It’s

not opposed to vignetting

at f/1.8, but corner

shading quickly subsides

as you stop down. The

front element is recessed

quite deep inside the

lens making it a little

harder to clean, so you

may also want to buy a

protective skylight  lter

with a 58mm thread.

Tokina ATX 1120mm f/2.8 PRO

● £349

Nikon AFS 50mm f/1.8 G

● £109

. As

has

s

NIIKKOR AI (non-CPU) lenses and can be

used with Nikon’s MB-D15 battery grip

that’ll set you back an extra £60 in used

condition. A bene t of the D7200’s body

size compared to smaller mirrorless

cameras is its large battery that’s rated

at 1,110 shots – more than enough to

last a day of casual shooting. Its shell is

made from magnesium alloy with a

polycarbonate front, and the camera is

dust and weather-sealed throughout to

enable photographers to shoot in

adverse conditions. There’s a good

number of physical controls spread

across the body too, making it feel like a

much more serious camera in the hand

than Nikon’s entry-level DSLRs.

Despite being  ve years old, the

D7200 still produces lovely images and

users will  nd they’re able to shoot up to

ISO 6400 for less-critical purposes. If

you happen to own an ageing entry-level

DSLR and a selection of DX-format

lenses, it makes a sensible upgrade.

Equally, if you’re after a camera that’s

enjoyable to use, reliable and easy to

learn with, you’re likely to get great

service out of a second-hand D7200.

At a glance

● Sensor 24.2MP CMOS,

23.5x15.6mm

● Sensitivity ISO 100-25,600;

ISO 100-102,400 (extended)

● Autofocus 51-point phase detection

● Continuous shooting 6fps

(7fps in 1.3x crop mode)

● Video Full HD up to 60p

● Rear display 3.2in, 1.23m-dot fixed

● Viewfinder Optical, 100% coverage,

0.63x equivalent magnification

A sample image of

Chiddingstone Castle

taken in the D7200’s

standard picture style

Nikon D7200, Nikkor AF-S 18-105mm

f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, 1/800sec at f/5.6,

ISO 100