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Lens for a D3000?
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I’m sure this has been asked a million times already but I recently got a D3000 and the kit lens isn’t doing it for me! Any recommendations for a nice lens? I like macro but I think zoom would be a big factor as well (I know two opposites!!), any help would be appreciated as I am a bit clueless!
What Kind of Photography do you be doing?
Im a Canon man and I do sports photography and landscapesFor the sports i use a Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6, its a good lens, quick focus.
From 200mm to 300mm it has a switch for macro, for the couple of macro shots i have it is very very good.For the landscape pictures i still use my kit lens 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS. very good light lens.
I also have a 50mm F1.8 prime lens, i absolutley love this lens, its perfect for everything, well almost seeing as it has no zoom.
I’d recomend a Sigma 70-300 mm lens with macro function as your next lens. Can be picked up quite cheap 2nd hand, mine was e130 second hand.
any questions jus pm me or answer back here, ill keep an eye on this thread. and i’m only new to photography myself.
Jamie
Thanks for that Jamie, I’ll have a look into all of them :) I’m no pro just more of a project person. 2nd year of my 365 but most of this year was taken on an iPhone because my camera broke. Ideally a good zoom would be my main priority. Recommend any sites for lens? Google is my worst enemy!
You haven’t mentioned 2 important factors here. Fistly, what is it about your kit lens that’s not doing it for you and secondly what is your budget?
If you’re on a budget I’d certainly recommend the relatively slow but excellent value Sigma 70-300 that Jamie just mentioned (have a look at the flower close ups on my website for examples of what it can produce) but it will leave you a bit stuck for more general shots, especially landscapes. Also, it doesn’t have VR and being 4 – 5.6, you might find a lot of your handheld shots suffering from blur, depending on lighting conditions. By the way it’s not a true macro lens, it’s ratio is 1:2 not 1:1. Still great though.
I recently purchased a Sigma 17-70 which is a lot quicker (2.8 – 4). Quality is very good and it’s great for landscapes. It also has VR which is handy for handheld shots. Note; always turn off VR if you’re using a tripod. I personally would consider it a decent “walkabout” lens. As far as I can remember, I paid just over €400 for it online from http://www.parkcameras.com/ as I found them to be the best deal between cost, delivery charges and trustworthiness.
I’d also look at http://www.warehouseexpress.com/Home/default.aspx. Wish I could support an Irish supplier but for the most part I’d end up paying a good 20% more and as lenses rarely give problems, aftersales service shouldn’t be an issue.
If you wanted to chance a secondhand one you might find what you’re looking for on either http://www.donedeal.ie/find/cameras/for-sale/Ireland/ or http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/photography/196/You could end up getting a hundred different recommendations for a good lens though unless you specify a budget and why you’re changing.
Best of luck with your purchase. I’m just about to progress onto my first prime lens. Scary prospect having to move my legs to compose :DMark.
Thanks Mark, it’s just the basic lens 18-55mm kit. The zoom bothers me on this kit, although I wouldn’t be taking much landscape it’s just everyday photos. I’ll have a look into the sigma, budget wouldn’t stretch too far but if I’m spending €100 may as well spend €200 and get a decent one.
OK, to a point, the old adage – “You get what you pay for” applies here but there are always a few exceptions I suppose. If you’re looking for a lens that does everything from wide angle landscapes to street photography to candids then you’ll be looking a long time for one that’s within the budget of the average millionaire :D . Many times I wished I had one of those top quality macro lenses that also does a decent landscape shot, and a maybe slip in a sneaky candid from a hundred yards as well but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. After years of working (struggling) with an 18-135, I finally accepted that this was (or could be) an expensive hobby and that I’d have to buy different lenses to suit what I was shooting for a half decent result. Still working on that :D If you want to do macro, buy a lens that is geared specifically for macro. The http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamron-AF-90mm-2-8-SP/dp/B0002232ZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305340129&sr=8-1 isnt suppsed to be bad and has the bonus of being a supposedly decent portrait lens as well.
I’m still not sure what you want though… Is it something from 18-300 that has good quality in macro, “walkaround” capabilties and allows you to zoom into someone across a crowded street? I’m sure it’s out there but I aint remortgaging my house for it :shock:
My advice (as an amateur) would be to buy a decent lens that suits the majority of your needs for now and learn to work with it. Don’t expect a lens to make you a better photographer either- get to know what you like to shoot and build on that. As the years go on, you build up a collection of lenses for your own specicific needs, whether that be Macro, Street, Landscape, Portrait or Sports etc. I only have 2 lenses after 8 or 9 years doing this but with a wedding coming up I’m buying a 35mm, 1.8 prime as I know it’ll serve me well on the day and hopefully it’ll be used at more wedding in the near future. My point is, I bought it ’cause I knew I needed it!!!Again, budget might get a few more suggestions for you and might consider selling your kit lens to subsidise your new lens as well – might ease the pain of your new purchase.
Thanks just it Mark. Thanks for the reply, I’ve weighed up my options and think long term I would benefit more from just a better zoom than a 55m. Feeling really now I should join a photography group because I’m in way over my head!! Ideally a budget of (don’t laugh!) something under €200 would be preferred because I couldn’t justify spending more when it’s just a hobby taking photos of everyday
If you’re not happy with your 18-55 then I’m not sure my previous recommendation of 17-70 will bowl you over either as it’s not a huge increase.
If you want a decent zoom range then maybe the link below to an 18-200 would do.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-18-200mm-f3-5-5-6-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0011GGNQ2/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
I can’t comment on it’s pros or cons (apart from it being obviously slow and with no macro ability) but it’s certainly close to your budget. Shop around and you may do even better.
Do keep in mind that with larger zooms, there will almost inevitably be compromises on quality such as chromatic aberration or various types of distortion at the edges but I doubt that these issues will be a major concern for you starting out – I presume you’re not planning on submitting images to Stock Agencies just yet :D
Best of luck with whatever you purchase and do check out reviews online for anything you’re thinking of purchasing. Don’t forget to allow for accessories like filters, spare batteries etc. by the way. If you find you’re doing more and more landscapes then a Polariser will be invaluable.
Cheers,
MarkYou never know…I might be starting a career in photography :) Love your flickr Mark, amazing talent you have!
I’ll keep looking around, I seem to want to be jumping in head first but appreciate all your help!
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