IQ quite alot tho lol
plan 1st before go for any shooting, check the area available for u to take pic, check the lighting as well, then only decide which lens and gears to use

the 17-55 is defiantly worth to buy. even if you sell, if its in good condition the price wont dip too low. But I see from your signature, you already have so many primes. you sure you want a 2.8? From my experience those with many primes dont usually play zooms xD

Buy Nikkor 18-70. Cheap and good
Tamron is lousy ! f4 still quite soft
@bold
17-55 personally i don't really fancy it. My friend using it for 1yr+ then when touch 24-70, straight sell 17-55
Tho, not that wide but he got UWA to compensate la.
If your situation, you have flash, f/2.8 is not a must. Why not opt for something cheaper eg Nikkor 18-70 ? Tamron, personally i feel the color is wash out. If you compare side by side with nikkor lens.
Nikkor 18-70 used only cost about 600

How long will it take for your to switch to FF? Later you get the 24-70 you still find not wide enough and need to step back and no space, end up you may want to sell it.

If you got a kit lens, just use it. It's good enough and can save you money to fund your FF or next lens. For group photos and if you have flash, you don't really need f/2.8, most likely you'll be using smaller aperture to get more DOF.

If you want a f/2.8 and don't want to spend too much, then the Tamron is good enough, a 2nd hand unit is much cheaper below RM800 (without VC), and even if you sell it later, the price is just around there. Sharpness and IQ wise, it's comparable to Nikon's (provided you get a good copy), but the main issues is the accuracy and speed, e.g. if you want to track subject (e.g. wedding walk-ins in low light, kids running) and here's where the big different between Nikon's 17-55mm vs the Tamron's 17-50mm; but if you're just using for group photo, portraits, there's no issue, not really worth spending few thousands on another lens, in fact your kit lens is also good enough.
Fact is, you can show people photos taken from the kit lens, Tammy 17-50 or Nikon 17-55, who can actually tell the difference? I've shot with both lens and deliver photos taken by both lens, nobody knows the lens is different just by looking at the photos; only yourself will know when you use it, with the Nikon's, you'll find the accuracy, speed and silent focusing; of all, the accuracy is the primary and most important especially you're shooting action/moving subjects and in low lights.

If you want to get the Nikon's 17-55mm, then the 2nd hand is much more worth it considering the BIG dip in price from NEW, it's really not worth to get a new unit; the problem is to find a good copy 2nd hand unit and if there's problem, prepare to break your wallet because the repairs may not even worth to pay, but then you have purchase the lens. This lens is actually big and much heavy compared to the Tamron, less convenient and more worrying if you want to carry it around for normal/casual shooting.

Actually why not direct go FX... its an eventuality      d800 maybe ?

I love the build quality of Sigma 35/1.4
Like CZ
UWA is the lens I will get first whenever I go travel.
Others can put aside.

DX lens have to find new owners lo.. maybe sell to your brother la hahaha

I think your too worried about wat lens to bring to travel. This could only mean one thing. you shoot not enuf! go out shoot a lot and you will know what you want. Get more experience with your current lenses their limitations then is easier dy... anyways for the most part if your not going alone or with photo kakis you wont have much time to shoot epic travel photos most of the time. My last trip to jpy w/ my uncles who day day wan go shopping malls... not bad also la.. can cucimata but not much photos xD

shutter count a lot is good (I have no idea wat my d300 shutter count is, maybe should check)... Dont get me wrong im not putting you down. or say i very good or what. just my observation. Or maybe if you cannot decide you can borrow friends with UWA and cuba 1st. see how u like it. till date I still have not bought a UWA. Not my go to lens like die die must have. But in some situations I need I borrow from friends.

UWA also can shoot portrait le... hahaha ask celciuz  he does it very nicely. not only for scenery...

my d300 long lor... antique ah... then again I used to do a lot of time lapse xD

yea.. UWA also can shoot nice portrait, can include the background also

maybe in this comparison, the aperture factor will come to play.. 11-16 F2.8 can produce sexay potrait with nice bokeh background i guess

18mm and 11mm in DX diff alot
the placing of object is depends on ur composition liao

distortion mostly at all 4 corners

try d 90% will buy later    but 18-105 + flash is really versatile for events shooting.

Just came back from Nikon store at Alamanda and made my first lens purchase.
50mm f1.8G



forgive the lousy pic, took it hurriedly.
my next target is a tripod 

lol no I don't have coolpix. mine is just a humble beginner's D3100. They used the coolpix bag I don't know xD

oh yeahhh tested it before buying and loving the bokehhh actually   very excited coz I was stuck with kit lens before this and it just wasn't very satisfying.

the bokeh quite creamy compare to the D version

no choice lo.. for poor ppl like me can only afford the D version.. haha

aiya... D or G version... nvm one la
as long as can shoot enuff already

luckily im still in uni, all free. request only

ya la.. student memang poor one

Me also in uni 

Good my scholarship provide money for my hobbies 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9098..._2_8_DG_OS.html

wooootss

Well, get Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art
2.8k only. Build like CZ, sharpness better than Nikkor.
Even DxO Mark quoted that the best 35mm f/1.4 so far !
Penang ada
Can. Why not.
I shoot using 24mm on FF
See photo below.
Depends how you compose. Creativity at your own.
85/1.8 or 1.4 too bokeh.
No sense of letting people guess what's behind. I prefer Wide angle bokeh

To be honest, it's so NOISY at ISO 1000 ! 

I can get much cleaner images at ISO 1600 with my D7000. 

Build looks good definitely, just the AF capability of the 35mm Sigma. Not the speed, but the consistency to nail the shot. Sensors like 36MP of D800 really demanding...

24/1.4G

Sigma launching 24mm 1.4 for APS-C soon btw.
Sigh all the new ART series lens for crop only.
Saving up for the 35mm 1.4 though.