NikonUSA had fall discounts that were supposedly available only for a few days last week, but now they've decided to extend them through November 27th.
In the interest of helping you keep track, here are the current DSLR offers (all links are to this site's exclusive advertiser, B&H). First, the DX (APS-C crop sensor) products:
- D3400 — US$100 savings on kit, US$350 savings on double and triple lens kits. Not all dealers have D3400 inventory left, so you may not be able to find this offer locally. B&H, for example, does not currently have D3400 inventory.
- D3500 — US$100 savings on kit, US$400 savings on double lens kits (extra US$50 from November 7 to November 10!). If you want a highly competent DSLR kit for under US$500, this is the one to look for. Image quality is excellent, feature inclusion is limited, the usual Japanese low-end formula. Note the 70-300mm lens is without VR.
- D5600 — US$200 savings on body, US$250 savings on kit, US$550 savings on double lens kit. I'm kind of meh on the D5600. It's a "straddle" model whose one big claim to fame is the swivel rear LCD.
- D7500 — US$200 savings on body, US$400 savings on body+18-140mm kit, US$670 savings on body+16-80mm kit, US$500 savings on double lens kit. If you're a D70 type of shooter, this is the current camera for you. Highly competent, and a better set of features than the D3500/D5600 consumer cameras get. The current body price is mind-bogglingly low.
- D500 — US$200 savings on body, US$670 savings on body+16-80mm kit. A great camera, but Nikon has offered better discounts in the past on it (including the battery grip, for example). I still think that the D500 is one of the clear options for someone coming out of college who wants to shoot sports (or wildlife) and not get stuck with even more debt.
- 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR — US$30 savings. A surprisingly competent lens for a very reasonable price. This lens is small, light, and brings VR to the table. All good things for a DX user. Yes, optically the corners are a challenge, but they are on almost all the alternatives, too. Stop down.
- 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G — US$100 savings. Basically my third choice among Nikon DX wide angle zooms, and even further back when you consider the Sigma and Tokina offerings. So for far more money than the 10-20mm, you get a barely better lens. Not interested.
- 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR — US$60 savings. Sorry, but if you have a 16mp or higher DX DSLR, you're going to find this lens a little on the wanting side. I don't know why you'd buy it. This is a popular lens for the convenience crowd, but frankly, there are better options.
- 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G VR — US$100 savings. A better choice than the previous one if you're looking for a true convenience lens, but still not the kind of top performer than 20/24mp sensors are looking for.
- The 18-140mm (US$200) and 70-300mm DX lenses (US$150) have an additional discount if purchased with a body.
Next, the full frame products:
- D750 — US$500 savings on body, US$1100 savings on body+24-120mm f/4 lens. A surprisingly old camera that performs surprisingly well compared to current models. This is Nikon's new "entry" full frame camera with this aggressive pricing. Compare this to a Canon 6D or a discounted RP, or a Sony A7 m1, basically. In that case, I'd pick the RP or the D750.
- D810 — US$1000 savings on body, US$1600 savings on body+24-120mm f/4 lens. As I've written recently, the D810 still is a convincingly good choice for many with an excellent 36mp sensor and plenty of feature/performance capability. Nikon's pricing the remainder of the D810 inventory very aggressively for its capability vis-a-vis the competition.
- D850 — US$500 savings on body; you also get a free MB-D18 Multi-Battery Power Pack. Still the best all-around ILC you can buy, mirrorless or DSLR. This is a Last Camera for many that throws in the vertical grip at a very discounted price.
- D5 — US$1000 savings on body. If you need it, you need it. At this point, though, all eyes are on what the D6 will add/change/improve when it comes out in early 2020.
- 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E — US$150 savings. If you do any kind of fisheye work, this is the lens you want in your gear bag. A truly solid performer at a thankless task, and capable of excellent results even on the D850.
- 14-24mm f/2.8G — US$300 savings. A solid performer on the DSLRs, though it's starting to be eclipsed by some of the mirrorless equivalents. Still, the price is compelling for those sticking with the F-mount.
- 16-35mm f/4G — US$100 savings. I'm not a big fan of this lens. While it's fairly recent, it's feeling outdated compared to other wide-angle zooms that have appeared since. On the other hand, it is the curtain "bargain" wide-angle zoom for full frame F-mount. Read my review carefully. Linear distortion is the big drawback to this lens.
- 20mm f/1.8G — US$80 savings. Probably my favorite of the f/1.8G's. A nice solid performer at a focal length I use a lot.
- 24mm f/1.8G — US$70 savings. Like the 20mm: solid performance, this time at a focal length a lot of people use.
- 24-70mm f/2.8E VR — US$ 500 savings. A monster of a lens physically, it does deliver the goods optically, plus it includes good stabilization. Like the 14-24mm, this lens is compelling for those sticking with the F-mount that need a fast aperture zoom.
- 24-70mm f/2.8G — US$350 savings. While this lens used to be a workhorse in the F-mount, that ship has sailed. Nikon's proved that they can make far better mid-range zooms now (in all their mounts). I'd say that the Sigma and Tamron offerings should be looked at before buying this lens from Nikon.
- 28mm f/1.4E — US$200 savings. A lot of people like this lens, but it's an expensive optic in a focal length that isn't what a lot of folk want. I do like this lens a bit better than the 35mm f/1.4G, though.
- 28mm f/1.8G — US$70 savings. Focus shift is the downside of this otherwise good lens. If you can live with that and need a 28mm prime, you'll like the lens.
- 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G — US$100 savings. Notice that all the convenience zooms show their issues on the newest, higher megapixel cameras. Back when a D700 was state of the art, this lens didn't look bad. On a D850, well, be prepared to see that it's not up to the levels of the other lenses you use.
- 35mm f/1.4G — US$150 savings. I wanted to like this lens more than I did. It's an expensive optic for "just a little bit better," in my opinion.
- 35mm f/1.8G — US$30 savings. This lens feels appropriately priced to me. A decent performer that's somewhat better than the venerable 35mm f/2, it would be my choice of Nikon 35mm primes on the DSLRs at the moment.
- 50mm f/1.4G — US$70 savings. After seeing what the 50mm f/1.8 S does on the Z bodies, this lens should be whimpering over in the corner asking for a remake.
- 50mm f/1.8G — US$40 savings. If you really need a fast normal lens for the F-mount, this is the lens you should probably get, and it's all about price/performance. You pay little to get some. Which is better than paying more to get little.
- 58mm f/1.4G — US$150 savings. This lens is an acquired taste, it seems. I use it as a short portrait lens, and I really like the way it renders. But it's an old-school rendering, not a crisp Zeiss Otus type rendering (which is why I like it as a portrait lens). A pricey lens, so it's not for everyone. Still, I haven't been able to let go of mine.
- 70-200mm f/2.8E VR — US$650 savings. Just buy it. It's the best 70-200mm f/2.8 I've ever encountered across any mount. It works fine on the FTZ adapter, too.
- 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E AF-P — US$50 savings. This is a great lens that was already well valued, so the discount just makes it even more of a bargain given its performance. It works fine on the FTZ adapter, too.
- 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR — US$200 savings. This lens is showing its age now. While it's a convenient telephoto zoom, I prefer the 70-300mm AF-P coupled with something like the 500mm f/5.6E PF if you truly need more reach.
- 85mm f/1.4G — US$150 savings. I wasn't impressed by this lens. Not to say that it isn't good, but you pay an awful lot for that extra part of a stop compared to the next lens.
- 85mm f/1.8G — US$50 savings. No, it's not quite as good as the f/1.4G when you're shooting wide open, but still this is the portrait lens most people should be buying, as its still quite good and very appropriately priced.
- 105mm f/1.4E — US$300 savings. Like the 58mm f/1.4G, this is another F-mount prime I just don't want to let go. It renders really, really nicely. My only complaint, and its minor, is that I wish it would move all that focus glass a little faster. This lens is appropriate for some sports, but it's also more sluggish than the 70-200mm f/2.8 in initial focus lock.
- 105mm f/2.8G VR — US$90 savings. The classic macro lens that should probably be in every Nikon DSLR users' gear closet. A solid performer.
My Nikon DSLR current camera reviews can be found here.
