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First Lens selection
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Just wondering..would the two following Lenses be a good starting point in conjunction with a Nikon D80 body for all round general photography.
Sigma 70-300mm DG F4-5.6 APO
Nikon Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D Lens
Cheers
Robbie
8)I can’t comment on Nikon gear but what is it you want to shoot with your new purchase?
I have both of these lens. The 50mm 1.8 is a terrific lens, super sharp. Everyone should have one.
The 70-300, well I have the APOII Red Stripe one, which I think they’ve updated since.
My one seems to be hard to get these days. Its the best of the 70-300 Nikon fit lenses
(don’t know about the new Nikon 70-300VR lens). A good few people have being using it here
with some definite success.Oh I might be selling it soon ;)
At the moment I’m still experimenting Aiden, trying all kinds of photography..and I imagine still will be when I’ve got the money together for the D80.
I suppose what I am really asking is ..along with the 50mm 1.8 Prime…what is the best all round budget lens that will give me fairly decent zoom for shooting from a distance. I’ve gotten used to the 10 x Zoom on the S5600 (17 x with the converter) and would still like to be able to achieve some sort of zoom with whatever lens I go with. I know people will say buy a quality lens now..but the D80 alone is gonna take a fair chunk of whatever monies I will have available.
Robbie
8)And I guess I am AF …well..along with the 50mm 1.8 which I am fairly keen to get…I’ve seen the sharpness and DOF achievable on that one and I think that is something I’d really like to be able to produce.
Only comment I’d have on them being your only lenses is I hope you don’t wanna take any landscape shots!
Not sure about those lenses in particular, as I use Canon, but I probably use my 17-40 more than my 70-200, so the combo alone wouldn’t do it for me. Both lenses are very useful focal lengths, but are you SURE you’ll not need anything wider than 50mm?
Personally, I’d buy a wide angle before a telephoto, but that’s me – depends what kind of shooting you’ll be doing.
Tim
Thanks Tim… that’s the kind of comment I’m looking for to be honest…I know next to nothing about lenses..amd sometimes I get totally bamboozled with all the different number bandied around. But you’re right..I will want to take landscape shots…so do I take it that there isn’t really a budget type lens that can do landscape and telephoto?..Probably looking for way too much.. :wink:
What would be a good beginner landscape/wide angle lens?
I’m not the person to ask about Nikon. But…
I use a 17-40mm lens for landscape. I’d like a shorter lens (12mm or something) but can’t afford it..
Anything much longer than about 18mm is going to get restrictive for landscape shots.
A 50mm lens is nice to have, and are normally quite cheap. The main reason they’re good to have is that they are normally very fast lenses (i.e. wide aperture, i.e. F1.4 or something). This means they let in a LOT of light, so can be used in dark situations without flash, compared to a F5.6 lens, for example, where you would struggle handheld. Great for indoor portraits, weddings etc.
Telephoto lenses (e.g. 70mm+) are great for wildlife, candid shots etc. For any serious focal length (over 300mm) you’re talking BIG cash. Yes you’ll find “1200mm” lenses on ebay for a couple of hundred euro, but they’ll be A) terrible, and B) really slow (F8 or higher). To take a shot using a long lens, you need a fast shutter speed. If you have a small aperture (say F8 ), you can’t use a fast shutter speed, unless you’re in the brightest bright place on the brightest day of the year. Look at the differene in cost between a 400mm F2.8 lens and a 400mm F8 lens – there is a reason for this!
Hope this all makes sense, and wasn’t to patronising!
With any luck, will be some food for thought.
Decide what you want to do MOST with your camera and pend your money here. ALWAYS spend as much as you can afford on good lenses, and don’t worry so much about the camera. You can take great shots on a cheap body with good glass. I challenge anyone to take a good shot on a pro body, using a jam jar as a lens!!
Tim
Thanks Guys :D
Would I be right in saying that something like this would be a better choice starting off then?
http://www.digitalrev.com/en/product_details.php?item_id=284
If landscape/urban/etc is your primary type of shooting then a wide lens is the way to go. A 50mm on a typical DSLY sensor (cropping which appears like 1.6x zoom) makes a 50mm lens act like an 80mm lens. This actually makes the 50mm less usable for landscape. Annoying, eh? I’ve a Canon EF 50 F1.8 (cheap and sharp!) but don’t get to use it as much as I would like. A buddy of mine dumped a lifetime of Nikon to get a Canon 5D because his head worked purely around the maths associated with film/full frame sensors.
Anyway, back to the point …
Forgivr me for not knowing Nikon gear, but does the D80 come with a kit lens? If so, maybe stick with that until you outgrow it? If you do then maybe look at the Nikon equivilent of the 17-40L.
An option for a “walk around” lens is the Tamron 28-75mm. It’s got a good reputation and comes at a decent price.
If you do want reach then ask yourself how much you’ll use it first. There’s some decent Sigma glass which is economic compared to Nikon/Canon but real quality only comes at a price unfortunately.
Ok, if this is your *only* lens, I would definitely get *something* that starts in the 18mm range… The 18-70 is an absolutely FANTASTIC lens, and if it’s your first SLR (I’m assuming) then it’s a good lens to get for starting out – more zoom than the 18-55, and higher quality than the 18-135. You won’t notice any of the minor flaws that it has. Of course, if you could afford it, you’d do *very* well to get the 18-200VR lens, but not only is it hard to find, it’s a bit pricey when you’re already picking up the D80 as well. For much less than the 18-200, you can pick up an 18-70 and 70-300 and be VERY happy with your results for some time to come.
Excellent..thanks…that’s some great pointers and I appreciate it :D
I have what is probably a stupid question now…(okay..I know..no such thing as a stupid question..but this just might qualify).
On the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 G DX Zoom…is the f/3.5-4.5 part referring to the rnge of apetures? Surely it doesn’t just go from 3.5 to 4.5?
See…I told you it was a silly question… :wink:
Robbie
8)It will be f/3.5 at the short range,
and will head toward f/4.5 as you zoom in-
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