Help on what lenses to buy for a D50

[philwojo]

Ok so I have decided I am going to go with a Nikon D50, now I just need to decide what lenses I want to get with it.

I am totally open as I do not have any lenses at this point. I am going to be doing mostly vacation type stuff with some mild sports (nephews) and some indoor stuff, but nothing to low-light and not all that often for the sports or indoor stuff.

I am looking at the following options, but am totally open to suggestions, and I will probably be going with the SB-600 flash as well.

1. The 2 kit lenses from Nikon 18-55 and 55-200.

2. Nikon 18-55 and Sigma 70-300

3. Nikon 18-200 VR lens

I am really not sure what to do here, it is going to be a travel camera for vacation stuff so I like opt #3 for conveinence, but I want to get the most for my money. I like the "VR" function, but don't know if I truly need it, although I am not the most "Stable" person, so it may help keep blurring to a minimum for me.

Thanks for any input.

Phil

[coldrain]

If you want the IS, the 18-200 vr of course is the best idea.
You could also consider the Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5 with Sigma 70-300 APO DG, or even the Sigma 18-200, which is a lot less expensive than the Nikon, but of course lacks the VR.

I'd skip the 55-200, as it is not a great lens at 200mm. Another lens to consider would be the very inexpensive Nikkor 50mm f1.8, a nice lens with good low light possibilities.

[philwojo]

Are there any other lenses to consider with the "IS" technology in them that would fit what I am looking at right now that will work with the D50?

If not, what would you opt to do, go with one of my options for a 2 lens combo (or even your 2 sigma combo) or go with the single Nikkor with the VR?

thanks,
Phil

[coldrain]

I personally would go for 2 lenses, since I do not like the 18-200 lenses (they are not super optically, just convenient all in one lenses).

Other lenses with VR like the 70-200 f2.8 VR are very expensive and heavy.

Only Canon has a few lenses with IS I would consider: the 70-300 IS USM, the 17-55 f2,8 IS USM.

[philwojo]

OK one last thing then, let say my budget for camera, lenses, flash, and bag, with maybe a mono-pod is from $1,200-1,500 what would you do assumming I am going to go with the D50.

Phil

[coldrain]

Well, the thing is that what I would do might not be the best choice for YOU, that is personal.
But I would get the D50,
Tokina 12-24 f4,
Sigma 24-70 f2.8,
Sigma 70-300 APO DG with 1:2 macro mode,
Nikkor 50mm f1.8

That means you get to lug around 4 lenses though, and that is a personal choice. You might well choose an all in one conveniece option like the Nikon Nikkor 18-200 VR or Sigma 18-200, instead of the 24-70 and 70-300 (and even 12-24). My choice would be for the better optics.
Keep the 50mm f1.8 in the list though, you will like what it can do for such a little price.

[philwojo]

Is this a good lense then:

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=SEARCH&Ntt=nikon&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=nikon&No=40&Ntk=All&product_code=51946501&Pn=28_300mm_f_3_5_f_6_3_DG_MACRO_Lens_for_Nikon_Di gital_SLR_Cameras

Combine that with the Nikon kit 18-55 and the D50, would that be a good start?

Phil

[coldrain]

The Sigma 28-300 is a good lens for its price, and combined with the kitlens to add some cheap wide angle you cannot really go wrong for the money.

Do not expect amazing optical results though. And I still would advice you to consider the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 because it is good, very affordable and good in lower light conditions.

[philwojo]

Thanks for the quick reply, I might be able to pick that lens and maybe the Nikon 50mm you speak of and the camera body and kit lens up at a compuse locally that is going out of business and get like a 15% discount.

thanks again,
Phil

[jcon]

Phil, I second the suggestion on the Nikkor 50mm 1.8D I just received mine and WOW!! I almost cut my fingers on the first picture I took with it because it was so sharp!;)

[steelersfanincal]

Well, the thing is that what I would do might not be the best choice for YOU, that is personal.
But I would get the D50,
Tokina 12-24 f4,
Sigma 24-70 f2.8,
Sigma 70-300 APO DG with 1:2 macro mode,
Nikkor 50mm f1.8

That means you get to lug around 4 lenses though, and that is a personal choice. You might well choose an all in one conveniece option like the Nikon Nikkor 18-200 VR or Sigma 18-200, instead of the 24-70 and 70-300 (and even 12-24). My choice would be for the better optics.
Keep the 50mm f1.8 in the list though, you will like what it can do for such a little price.
what is your opoin on the nikkor 18-200mm ED VR lens?

[coldrain]

I am not very impressed bty the results I have seen from the 18-200 VR. Not the colour/contrast, not the distortion. But others really like it, especially for its convenience. Or even others like its performance. So, it is personal, what you expect from a lens.

I'd consider a Sigma 18-200 for convenience, but for the price of the Nikon 18-200 VR I'd look beyond the one lens solution, even though the Nikon has teh VR advantage.

[eduardofrances]

10x zoom lenses while versatile they have some nasty problems, with softness, vignetting and chromatic aberrations, due to the low cost optics and coatings and the focal lenght..(even the 700 nikkor version is not free even when it behaves better than those found in the competition) a two lens solution is better if you want two good lenses go for the Nikkor 18-70 and the tamron 70-300mm Macro LD DI or the Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro Super II -be careful with sigma, they are quite hit or miss, their product quality varies a lot while one lens is uber sharp the next one in the line of production can be soft and bad-

the Nikkor 50m f/1.8 AF-D is a jewel, this lens is a must, dirty cheap for its super sharpness and low light usage!

[Honest Gaza]

The Sigma 28-300 is a good lens for its price, and combined with the kitlens to add some cheap wide angle you cannot really go wrong for the money.

Do not expect amazing optical results though. And I still would advice you to consider the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 because it is good, very affordable and good in lower light conditions.

Coldrain....when you suggest "do not expect amzing optical results".....how bad should one expect from this lens.

I am trialling a D50 with the Sigma DG 28-300mm Lens....and if shooting anything at the 300mm mark, the results are awful. When focusing on the target, the viewfinder is exceptionally clear, but the photo is almost like it is out of focus (possibly due to camera movement ?)

When compared to my FZ20...the D50 is losing....and that is not the result I was expecting.

Any hints on what to try on the D50 in relation to settings....as changing the lens is not an option during this trial.

[jcon]

Could you post some samples with EXIF? Myself and others would be able to see whats going on much better with those two key pieces. As I mentioned in another reply to your post, I am guessin its too slow of a shutter for 300mm.

[Honest Gaza]

Could you post some samples with EXIF? Myself and others would be able to see whats going on much better with those two key pieces. As I mentioned in another reply to your post, I am guessin its too slow of a shutter for 300mm.
Yep...more than happy....but what is the best way to do this.
Both cameras were saved in JPG directly from the respective cameras.

If I resize the photos to a size permissable on this forum....how do I ensure the images retain quality.....and what do you mean by "EXIF" (sorry, have seen it referenced many times...but beats the crap out of me)

[Honest Gaza]

Hope I have done the correct thing here.

Resized to 800x600 and set compression option to 160K within Software

[Honest Gaza]

Resized to 800x600 compression set to 200k in Software.

I do not know what is meant by the "EXIF"

Both photos were taken with "Auto" modes of cameras....within 2 mins of each other.

[coldrain]

It is hard to see what is going on with the D50 photo. A 100% crop says more than scaling down. But 2 things seem to be going on, the lens seems to not have focussed on the front houses and it seems not to be sharp. I can not see if you moved it too much, maybe a 100% crop can say more. It does not look good, but the lens should be able to do better than that photo. The EXIF data in your posted photo does not show ISO used and shutterspeed/exposure time, how come? Do keep in mind that Panasonic applies a lot of in camera sharpening when you judge photo sharpness. And a DSLR can/will have a shorter depth of field, especially with bigger apertures (like the f6.3 you used) How are the results from less long focal lengths?

Keep in mind that it is very hard to make a lens with such a big focal range for a small price. Your Panasonic may seem to have such a big focal range, but it doesn't. The much smaller sensor makes the lens design be much simpler and shorter.

You will be always better off with a 2 lens solution on a DSLR to get the same zoom range as an ultra zoom, that is a decision you have to make for yourself. Compact and limitted, or a DSLR with bulk (and higher price).

Here the result of the D50 with abit of USM applied, which makes me want to see 100% crops:

[K1W1]

.....and what do you mean by "EXIF" (sorry, have seen it referenced many times...but beats the crap out of me)

Exif = Exchangeable image file format

It is the electronic data that is recorded with EVERY digital image to tell the camera and any software exactly what it needs to know to display and manipulate that image correctly.
Exif data can be viewed in all image processing programs and in many dedicated Exif viewer programs. In the simpilest example use Windows Explorer and click on the "advanced" tab to view the data.

BTW. A simple Google search on "exif" would result in over 30 million pages of information so it's not hard to find out what it means if you really want to know.

[jcon]

CR sait it best. One thing though, posting on here, the best thing to do if you need the full sized image available, I suggest using a hosting site, like webshots.com or something similar. There are many free sites out there and you can directly link to the photos here. Everything looks ok but as you said, the focus. K1W1 explained EXIF the best. I right click the image and select advanced.

Knowing what your shutter speed and focus area were, would help alot!

[Honest Gaza]

Nikon D50 photo :

Exposure 1/500secs
F Stop f/6.3
Metering Mode Pattern
Focal Length 300mm

Panasonic FZ20 photo :

Exposure 1/250secs
F Stop f/4
Metering Mode Spot
Focal Length 72mm ????????

....does this help ???

[Honest Gaza]

Visited the local camera shop at lunchtime today and took one of their D50's for a test drive with the standard 28-55mm kit lens.

All pictures turned out beautifully.....so it must be my mate's Sigma 28-300mm lens, that is a bit dodgy.

As a result....if I go the way of the DSLR.....I won't be buying that particular lens !!!!!!!!

[coldrain]

As you can see from the 72mm, the FZ does not have a 420mm zoom lens, it is a lot smaller but they say over 400mm to compare it to what field of view you get compared with a 35mm full frame camera.

And as you can also see is that the lens is a lot bigger. To make these bigger lenses, and also make them with a huge zoom range, for a very moderate price, is hard and will show some compromises. Even taking that into account , his copy of the Sigma 28-300 seems a bit soft, how does it perform at lesser focal lengths? It also seems to not be focussed on the center building.

It is hard to find a good lens with huge focal length range, only Canon has one of that breed (28-300 IS L) and it is not cheap!. So when you go the DSLR road you should be looking at more than one lens to cover the same range as an ultrazoom like a Canon S3 IS, Sony H2 or Panasonic FZ20 can offer.

I personally would look at the new Canon EOS XTi/400D, with a Canon EF-70-300 IS USM, the 18-55 kit lens and a Canon EF 28-105 USM II, or a Tamron 28-75 f2.8, or a Sigma 24-70 f2.8.

On the Nikon route a D50 (or a D80, but it is a bit more noisy at higher ISOs) with a Sigma 70-300 APO DG, or the yet untested Nikon 70-300 with VR, and the kitlens (18-55) or Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4 or the new Nikon 18-150.
Or just one lens in the Nikon 18-200 VR, which will reach a bit less than youa re used to on your FZ20.

[Honest Gaza]

As if tossing up between the D50 and the 350D isn't enough.....now there's another model to consider ?????:( :(

My head is beginning to hurt too much.

Rumours on this forum suggest an announcement on 24th August.....I guess I can wait one more day.

[philwojo]

Cold, I have been reading in another part of the forum that the Sigma 18-200 does not really reach out to 200mm but stops at about 135 except at infinity, does this also apply to the 70-300 APO from Sigma?

thanks,
Phil

[coldrain]

It apparently stops around 180mm, not being a true 200. And no, that is not that way with tha 70-300. A lot of lenses are not exactly what their focal range says, but those 18-200 lenses are a bit extreme i guess.

[FishFace]

By way of explanation, what is happening with the sigma is that in order to focus on closer objects, the focal length is actually being reduced. This is basically dependent on how the focusing system works, so a different lens with a different system will have different characteristics. I expect but don't know, that almost every lens should have some change in focal length with focusing, but how much obviously varies.

By the way, coldrain, do you happen to know how good those ultrazoom lenses are, exactly? Are they pretty good compared to ultrazooms on dSLRs, or do the imperfections in the rest of the camera hide any lens defects?
I assume the ball-game is slightly different, because you can devise what is actually a very short FL lens, with a small image circle.

[philwojo]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the prompt responses. I am new, but I understand that it is a range and it will have limitations to it. There is no "perfect" lens or everyone would be using it and there would be no need for multiple lenses then.

phil

[philwojo]

Well I put in a pre-order for the new Nikon 70-300mm VR that was announced with the D80, so I will see how long it takes to get it, but I have a trip in Mid Nov. so if I don't have it by mid Oct, I will probably cancel that order and get the Sigma 70-300mm APO DG.

Later,
phil

[VTEC_EATER]

I picked up the Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2. Im pretty happy with it. But I dont have much experience in this photography game just yet. For my needs its great, but for someone who does this for a living, it may be sub-par.