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Old 11-22-2012, 09:33 AM
KJP KJP is offline
 
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Default Good Zoom Lens for NIKON D50

We have a Nikon D50 camera and the wife wants a new lens for Christmas....if I can get one that would also double for some longer range wildlife photography I could kill two birds with one stone.

Do any of you photography experts out there have any suggestions for me.
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Old 11-22-2012, 09:36 AM
sheephunter
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJP View Post
We have a Nikon D50 camera and the wife wants a new lens for Christmas....if I can get one that would also double for some longer range wildlife photography I could kill two birds with one stone.

Do any of you photography experts out there have any suggestions for me.
What else other than a longer range for wildlife do you want the lens to do? Nikon makes some pretty universal zooms these days
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:23 AM
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kritofr kritofr is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJP View Post
We have a Nikon D50 camera and the wife wants a new lens for Christmas....if I can get one that would also double for some longer range wildlife photography I could kill two birds with one stone.

Do any of you photography experts out there have any suggestions for me.
What's your budget for a new lens? Do you want to stay with a Nikon, or would you look to a Sigma, Tamron or a Tokina?

Would you want to use the lens indoors as well as outdoors? Do you want the new lens to replace what you already have or compliment it?

There are lots of good lenses out on the market, some are reasonably priced others are way up there.

A Nikon 70-200mm f4 (with your camera it would be equivalent to a 105-300mm due to your sensor size)
http://en.nikon.ca/Nikon-Products/Pr...F4G-ED-VR.html

Nikon 18-300mm f3.5-5.6 (again approx. equivalent from a 27mm-450mm)
http://en.nikon.ca/Nikon-Products/Pr....6G-ED-VR.html

From time to time you will be able to find a older generation of this lens on kijiji or a photography forum. This a great lens
http://en.nikon.ca/Nikon-Products/Pr...-ED-VR-II.html

There are lots of other lenses out there, the best thing to do is to be able to answer the questions above and then go into a couple of camera stores with your camera and try a couple of lenses out. I am not sure of your location but in Calgary I really enjoy going into the Camera Store down town Calgary. They are great guys and can speak to you in a language you will understand. Chris Nichols is the fellow I talk to and he is a avid outdoorsman as well.
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:39 AM
KJP KJP is offline
 
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Thanks...there is a lot more to it that just picking a lens I guess. Not sure exactly yet what the wife wants but I know I would like one that I can take longer range wildlife pictures (ie. animals at 100 yards or better).

The lens that we have now is a AF NIKKOR 50mm 1:1.8D...the down fall to this lens is that indoors you cant get far enough away to fit in a family picture per say.

As far as budget goes...well it is pretty limited. Am out to lunch to think that I could get a good lens in that 500.00 range. I know I went to the Nikon site and I see that I could spend up in the thousands for a lens. I am not willing to spend that kind of money on a lens...plus I dont have that much either.

Thanks for the help
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:56 AM
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Your comment about killing two birds with one stone kind of leads one to believe you'd like one that serves more than one purpose.....you need to identify the needs before picking a lens. There are just so many options. I've got an 18-200mm lens that is great for close up work and adequate for wildlife. It's the perfect all-round lens in my opinion and the one that my camera wears most of the time..
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Old 11-22-2012, 11:31 AM
KJP KJP is offline
 
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Sheep, thanks and yes I am looking for one that is multi purpose...How much was your lens?
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Old 11-22-2012, 11:34 AM
sheephunter
 
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Sheep, thanks and yes I am looking for one that is multi purpose...How much was your lens?
If I remember correctly around $650.




Just looked...apparently they are $750 now

http://www.vistek.ca/store/CameraLen...zoom-lens.aspx
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Old 11-22-2012, 12:46 PM
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CantThinkOfAName CantThinkOfAName is offline
 
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This is hard to explain, and it took me a while to find a good website that explains in a way we can all understand.

Nikon cameras come in 2 sensor configurations: Full-Frame and APS-C.
Full Frame cameras are equivalent to the old 35mm cameras.
APS-C are not as good, they take a "picture" of only about 60% of what you are seeing through the viewfinder.
Your camera is an APS-C. Which is also called DX.

Now let us get to lenses. Lenses designated to APS-C cameras are labelled with DX on them. If your current lens is a Nikon it will have a gold DX on it.
A DX lens looks like crap on a Full Frame camera because the lens is too small for the sensor.
But a Full Frame lens with work with an APS-C camera. And it may actually help!

#1. The hardest part to manufacture on a lens is the outside corners. Lenses have to be rounded in such a way that they send the image to your eye that it appears straight, or else you would notice that the picture is wrong. So if you put a Full Frame lens on your APS-C camera, you will only be using the center of the lens! Which is the portion that a lot of people consider to be the best quality section of a lens.
#2. Using a Full Frame lens on an APS-C gives you 1.5 more magnification then the lens specifies! Actually it doesn't, but the camera crops the picture so it looks like a higher magnification. (This is what kritofr was alluding to). This website is the best I've found for explaining the crop factor (http://www.millhouse.nl/digitalcropfactorframe.html). If nothing else look at the first two pictures, the first one is a Full Frame camera, the second is an APS-C. Both pictures used the same lens and focal distance... but our cameras would be "zoomed in" more. This is why you will see different magnification specifications on some websites (http://www.londondrugs.com/Nikon%20A...le=Brand%20A-Z - this lens is a 28-300mm for a Full Frame BUT ITS A 42-450mm equivalent on an APS-C).

And now to the downside. Do not but a Full Frame wide-angle lens! Obviously you would be counter-acting the point of a wide angle if the lens "zooms" in more!
And as we have APS-C cameras, we actually need a wider lens then you would need with a Full Frame camera... instead of a 20mm lens, we would need 18mm.

FYI: I own the lens I linked from London Drugs. I like it, it takes great photos, but I'd also like something with even more zoom for really distance animals.

Last edited by CantThinkOfAName; 11-22-2012 at 12:54 PM.
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Old 11-22-2012, 12:52 PM
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CantThinkOfAName CantThinkOfAName is offline
 
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Hopefully I'm clearer than mud in my last post.

You don't specify where you are located, so I'm just gonna throw out some stores:
thecamerastore.com/ in Calgary
memoryexpress.com in Calgary/Edmonton
vistek.ca/ like Sheephunter already mentioned
And don't be afraid to look thru Best Buy, Futureshop, London Drugs and make them price beat a price you found on-line (just make sure you understand shipping costs cause big box stores probably will tag that into the price)
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Old 11-22-2012, 04:11 PM
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kritofr kritofr is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJP View Post
Thanks...there is a lot more to it that just picking a lens I guess. Not sure exactly yet what the wife wants but I know I would like one that I can take longer range wildlife pictures (ie. animals at 100 yards or better).

The lens that we have now is a AF NIKKOR 50mm 1:1.8D...the down fall to this lens is that indoors you cant get far enough away to fit in a family picture per say.

As far as budget goes...well it is pretty limited. Am out to lunch to think that I could get a good lens in that 500.00 range. I know I went to the Nikon site and I see that I could spend up in the thousands for a lens. I am not willing to spend that kind of money on a lens...plus I dont have that much either.

Thanks for the help
From the sounds of it, you could use a multi-purpose lense.

Nikon just discontinued their 18-200mm Nikkor; if you aren't afraid to purchase used (all of my lenses are used) you can find them in the price range that you are looking for. It is a beautiful lens that once it is on you won't be switching back to your 50mm unless it is a low light situation. (you have a great lens in the 50mm that is a very fast lens and is very versatile- though it is equivalent to a 75mm lens on your camera that is why you find it hard to use in some situations)
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Old 11-22-2012, 04:24 PM
BeeGuy BeeGuy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sheephunter View Post
Your comment about killing two birds with one stone kind of leads one to believe you'd like one that serves more than one purpose.....you need to identify the needs before picking a lens. There are just so many options. I've got an 18-200mm lens that is great for close up work and adequate for wildlife. It's the perfect all-round lens in my opinion and the one that my camera wears most of the time..
X2

The 17-200 is likely the best pick.

It is a great lense, will maintain a high resale value and is extremely versatile.

If you want the best reviews for nikon zoom lenses or any other lense, check out Ken Rockwell's site.
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Old 11-22-2012, 04:55 PM
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https://www.thecamerastore.com/produ...35-56-ed-vr-ii
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  #13  
Old 11-22-2012, 05:47 PM
boounga boounga is offline
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even on a crop sensor a 200mm is NOT enough for wildlife.
https://www.thecamerastore.com/produ...0-mm-f45-56-vr
or the new
https://www.thecamerastore.com/produ...-f35-56g-ed-vr

Since you said multi purpose on a budget the 18-200 is looking like your best bet though..
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Old 11-22-2012, 06:25 PM
sheephunter
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boounga View Post
even on a crop sensor a 200mm is NOT enough for wildlife.
https://www.thecamerastore.com/produ...0-mm-f45-56-vr
or the new
https://www.thecamerastore.com/produ...-f35-56g-ed-vr

Since you said multi purpose on a budget the 18-200 is looking like your best bet though..
I've shot and sold hundreds of wildlife images with a 200mm. While maybe not always the best, if you pick your set ups and places to shoot carefully, it will give a you a lot of great images. It's still short enough that it can be hand held which can be a real bonus too. Obviously not ideal for all wildlife, I wouldn't discount it as a very useful wildlife lens.
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Old 11-22-2012, 09:19 PM
KJP KJP is offline
 
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There sure is alot of info to sort through and figure out what is the best fit for us, but I sure appreciate all of the advise that I have received on this from you guys!

Thanks again for your advise and I will be sure to let you know what I pick. I will hopefully have some photos this winter to share with you folk.

Cheers
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Old 11-22-2012, 09:56 PM
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Lots of info here already but I've got a couple questions for you.

What do you currently have for lenses? NVM i'm blind.

Any idea of ballpark on costs? Once again, i'm blind

Looks to me that the only single lens option here is a used 18-200mm. There are usually plenty to be had but with regards to both the wide-telephoto need and the cost restriction that's really the only lens that will fit the bill.

The other option is to use two separate lenses. One on the wider side and one telephoto. There are some decent options this way as well but you do end up switching lenses more often.

Last edited by jzz30tt; 11-22-2012 at 10:02 PM.
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