Advice required regarding DSLR purchase.
Discussion
I am now seriously considering purchasing a DSLR. The Nikon D70 with the 18-70 lens kit seems to be the best deal at the moment.
Problem is, with my current camera I have an 8x zoom lens, which IIRC equates to a zoom of around 240mm. My previous camera had a zoom of 160mm.
I am used to having a good length and feel the 18-70 will not suffice my needs, can anyone on here point me towards a good lens around the 300mm area. I know the 18-70 is a good lens but I feel I will be disappointed with the limited reach.
Does anyone know any deals with a good quality long lens or would it have to be purchased separately? I don't mind extra expense to make me happy with my purchase. What I do mind is massive extra expense, which will make me reconsider the DSLR route.
Problem is, with my current camera I have an 8x zoom lens, which IIRC equates to a zoom of around 240mm. My previous camera had a zoom of 160mm.
I am used to having a good length and feel the 18-70 will not suffice my needs, can anyone on here point me towards a good lens around the 300mm area. I know the 18-70 is a good lens but I feel I will be disappointed with the limited reach.
Does anyone know any deals with a good quality long lens or would it have to be purchased separately? I don't mind extra expense to make me happy with my purchase. What I do mind is massive extra expense, which will make me reconsider the DSLR route.
Zetec - have you looked at Sigma lenses? I've used a Sigma 75-300 APO with my 35mm EOS for years. Not the greatest glass in the world, but well made, tough and capable of good results. IIRC it was less than £250 new.
Let me know how you get on. I ordered a D70 with the 18-70 last week and will be looking for a longer lens before long.
F'nar f'nar
...I'll get my coat
Let me know how you get on. I ordered a D70 with the 18-70 last week and will be looking for a longer lens before long.
zetec said:
I am used to having a good length
F'nar f'nar
...I'll get my coat
zetec said:
I am used to having a good length and feel the 18-70 will not suffice my needs, can anyone on here point me towards a good lens around the 300mm area. I know the 18-70 is a good lens but I feel I will be disappointed with the limited reach.
Does anyone know any deals with a good quality long lens or would it have to be purchased separately? I don't mind extra expense to make me happy with my purchase. What I do mind is massive extra expense, which will make me reconsider the DSLR route.
If you're happy with 70mm as a breakpoint, then adding a 70-300mm is very logical and not stupidly expensive. Nikon make two, the 'G' which is cheap (£100) and the 'D-ED' which is good (£250). Or you can get an 'indy' lens as already suggested. Generally, you get what you pay for, and remember that you might keep a lens for longer than the body....
Don't let lens costs put you off SLRs. A major point of SLRs is that you can build a system up as you need/can afford it. As of today, you don't know what you'll need/want in a few years time - it grows with you and what you want to do with it. You can also buy lenses second hand in very good condition and save money too. Browse eBay for ideas.
as the man says :- "the ... Nikkor 70-300... 'D-ED' is good (£250)"
Took this a few days back from about 20 yards - it's a great lens for shallow depth of field/wildlife/trackdays etc and surprisingly good optically (IMHO)... you just have to accept that on dull days you'll have to 'push' the ISO to 400 or so.
Steve
>> Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 6th February 16:00
>> Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 6th February 16:16
Took this a few days back from about 20 yards - it's a great lens for shallow depth of field/wildlife/trackdays etc and surprisingly good optically (IMHO)... you just have to accept that on dull days you'll have to 'push' the ISO to 400 or so.
Steve
>> Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 6th February 16:00
>> Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 6th February 16:16
Just adding here that the lens I keep on as a 'jobbing lens' (which covers most occasions that suddenly present) is the 28-200/3.5-5.6G IF-ED Zoom-Nikkor (£225).
It's not quite as sharp at the edges - and it's a bit heavy - but 28-200 (read digital = 42-300) means I'm going to be able to capture most stuff without the faff of changing lenses.
I use the more expensive wide angle nikor lenses when I'm doing grown up tripod landscape work. (like I'm grown up!)
Steve
It's not quite as sharp at the edges - and it's a bit heavy - but 28-200 (read digital = 42-300) means I'm going to be able to capture most stuff without the faff of changing lenses.
I use the more expensive wide angle nikor lenses when I'm doing grown up tripod landscape work. (like I'm grown up!)
Steve
zetec said:
Thanks for the advice chaps all suggestions have been taken in.
However, one looks at some of the pictures on here and wonders. Those who take pictures of birds (the feathered kind) seem to prefer a longer lens like this.
http://tinyurl.com/6m3pt
Now this is serious money for me. As a keen ornithologist I find my camera lacks the sharpness and speed at full zoom in by back garden.
For example:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=109&h=0&t=146780
The pictures on this thread are what I want to be able to take, do I have to spend over twice as much on a lens as I do on a body kit??
... to be honest, the 70-300 is not in the ball park for wildlife... but for that you need £4k lenses. As for the 70-300 ... well it does this:
Link: www.stevecarter.com/notsowild/notsowild.htm
Steve
GetCarter said:
... to be honest, the 70-300 is not in the ball park for wildlife... but for that you need £4k lenses. As for the 70-300 ... well it does this:
Link: www.stevecarter.com/notsowild/notsowild.htm
Steve
Wow!
Love the pic of the cow rubbing up against the pole...
stuh said:
... to be honest, the 70-300 is not in the ball park for wildlife... but for that you need £4k lenses. As for the 70-300 ... well it does this:
Link: <a href="http://www.stevecarter.com/notsowild/notsowild.htm">www.stevecarter.com/notsowild/notsowild.htm</a>
Steve
Wow!
Love the pic of the cow rubbing up against the pole...
God you people on broadband have it so easy!... before The post had been posted there was a reply!
(and before you ask... no, I can't get it here).
Steve: Am I right in thinking that the pictures you have linked to have been taken using a lens like this,
http://tinyurl.com/5q3zy
At that sort of price??
http://tinyurl.com/5q3zy
At that sort of price??
zetec said:
Steve: Am I right in thinking that the pictures you have linked to have been taken using a lens like this,
http://tinyurl.com/5q3zy
At that sort of price??
The exact lens (with a digital SLR - so in real life it's a 105 - 450)
Steve
guess I asked for that.Why is it that this lens,
http://tinyurl.com/46xpa
Is so much more expensive?? People on here rave about the Canon version and I am sure that this one gives the same results.
Is it really much better than this,
http://tinyurl.com/5q3zy
Is it worth the extra £1000??
http://tinyurl.com/46xpa
Is so much more expensive?? People on here rave about the Canon version and I am sure that this one gives the same results.
Is it really much better than this,
http://tinyurl.com/5q3zy
Is it worth the extra £1000??
zetec said:NIkon make their own lenses. And they start with the glass. SO that's great news over any other manufacturer. I don't know the complete who's who, but it used to be that there were only a couple of glass foundries that supplied all the lenses you would find bearing the "Made in Japan" label. Therefore all the subsidiary manufacturers had to take a bigger tolerance on the quality front.
Why is one Nikon lens apparently better than another?
Anyway. Nikon make lenses for professionals and lenses for consumers. You just have to pick up one of each to know that they are as different as chalk and cheese.
So profesional build quality, lower tolerances on optical quality, more complex design and a vibration reduction function. A lot more goes into the more expensive lens.
Will it give results which differ by a factor of four or five? No! or at least: Not necessarily!!
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