Yet another lens thread !
Discussion
And, yes, I have searched (before anybody jumps on me !!!)
Looking for a lens with a bit more zoom for my new D50. I'm very confused as to what all the numbers/letters mean and what sort of quality I'm looking at.
Yes, I also know that the VR lenses are good but some of use don't have a very large budget to work with. Got approximately £150 ish to spend.
After doing a bit of research I've some up with a list of 4 but don't know what the difference is between any of them.
Can anybody please help?
Nikkor 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S DX ED
Nikkor 70-300mm F4-5.6 AF-S D ED
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
Currently have the stock lens which came with the camera (18-55mm F3.5-5.6 G ED) but looking for something with a bit more zoom. Main uses will be for motorsport and probably wildlife shots. Is there much difference between the 55-200 and the 70-300?
Any help would be great as I'm going round in circles trying to work out what all the letters etc mean.
Looking for a lens with a bit more zoom for my new D50. I'm very confused as to what all the numbers/letters mean and what sort of quality I'm looking at.
Yes, I also know that the VR lenses are good but some of use don't have a very large budget to work with. Got approximately £150 ish to spend.
After doing a bit of research I've some up with a list of 4 but don't know what the difference is between any of them.
Can anybody please help?
Nikkor 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S DX ED
Nikkor 70-300mm F4-5.6 AF-S D ED
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
Currently have the stock lens which came with the camera (18-55mm F3.5-5.6 G ED) but looking for something with a bit more zoom. Main uses will be for motorsport and probably wildlife shots. Is there much difference between the 55-200 and the 70-300?
Any help would be great as I'm going round in circles trying to work out what all the letters etc mean.
Unless you need the macro function for close up work the lens for motorsport will be the Nikkor 70-300mm F4-5.6 AF-S D ED - I've used one for many years and it's a corker. It'll get you closer to the action than the 200.
Steve
edit to add 750 limit is squashing them horribly!
Steve
edit to add 750 limit is squashing them horribly!
Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 19th October 13:05
the AF-S is nikons silent wave motor like canons USM or sigmas HSM. the sigma lenses you have listed are not as fast focusing or as quite as the nikons. the DX is a digital only lens so can only be used on a crop sensor camera, the ED/AP is a type of glass for reduding chromatic aberations and the DG means it has coatings on the lenses specifically designed to reduced ghoasting and flare on digital camera's. the nikon 70-300 would be my choice
Looking for a lens with a bit more zoom for my new D50. I'm very confused as to what all the numbers/letters mean and what sort of quality I'm looking at.
After doing a bit of research I've some up with a list of 4 but don't know what the difference is between any of them.
Can anybody please help?
Nikkor 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S DX ED
Nikkor 70-300mm F4-5.6 AF-S D ED
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
Currently have the stock lens which came with the camera (18-55mm F3.5-5.6 G ED) but looking for something with a bit more zoom. Main uses will be for motorsport and probably wildlife shots. Is there much difference between the 55-200 and the 70-300?
Any help would be great as I'm going round in circles trying to work out what all the letters etc mean.
CarMac said:
Looking for a lens with a bit more zoom for my new D50. I'm very confused as to what all the numbers/letters mean and what sort of quality I'm looking at.
After doing a bit of research I've some up with a list of 4 but don't know what the difference is between any of them.
Can anybody please help?
Nikkor 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S DX ED
Nikkor 70-300mm F4-5.6 AF-S D ED
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super
Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
Currently have the stock lens which came with the camera (18-55mm F3.5-5.6 G ED) but looking for something with a bit more zoom. Main uses will be for motorsport and probably wildlife shots. Is there much difference between the 55-200 and the 70-300?
Any help would be great as I'm going round in circles trying to work out what all the letters etc mean.
I have a sigma 70-300 APO macro that I don't use any more.
You can have it for £80, about £150 new from what I can gather. It's pretty much as new, send me a mail if you want it.
It's this one: www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/telezoom/70-300mmAPO.htm
You can have it for £80, about £150 new from what I can gather. It's pretty much as new, send me a mail if you want it.
It's this one: www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/telezoom/70-300mmAPO.htm
I've had the 70-300mm APO for a while after a post on here as from what I found on the web it seemed to beat the Nikkor (which there is also some doubt whether Nikon make it) lens and build is better in my opinion after having a play with each.
Did ok here if you ask me... taken on my D50.
Did ok here if you ask me... taken on my D50.
angrys3owner said:
I've had the 70-300mm APO for a while after a post on here as from what I found on the web it seemed to beat the Nikkor (which there is also some doubt whether Nikon make it) lens and build is better in my opinion after having a play with each.
Did ok here if you ask me... taken on my D50.
Did ok here if you ask me... taken on my D50.
Is this the one?
www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/telezoom/70-300mmAPO.htm
edit: didn't see the link above.
Edited by Platinum on Wednesday 25th October 18:51
Yep that link is for the one I got... think I got it from www.ajpurdy.co.uk in the end because they had one and it was a good price, can't really complain, yes it's noisy when focusing and the auto focus probably isn't as good as my brothers Nikon 18-200 VR jobbie, however when looking at the price difference something has to give.
Also some of the comments I found on the web are totally wrong, people complaining that the macro switch didn't work correctly etc. it's because you're not at the right focal length you muppet so it won't let you switch back etc if the focusing is in the range only used by the macro you can't just switch back.
Also some of the comments I found on the web are totally wrong, people complaining that the macro switch didn't work correctly etc. it's because you're not at the right focal length you muppet so it won't let you switch back etc if the focusing is in the range only used by the macro you can't just switch back.
as the 18-55 lens I got with my D50 is no good for far away stuff. I found the stock D50 lens very restrictive trying to get some good rally shots at the weekend.
I suppose it depends what size bag you've already got and whether you'll be carrying both lenses/spare batteries etc all the time. Not sure my D50 will fit my bag with the longer lens fitted. I'll have to try it out once it arrives.
I suppose it depends what size bag you've already got and whether you'll be carrying both lenses/spare batteries etc all the time. Not sure my D50 will fit my bag with the longer lens fitted. I'll have to try it out once it arrives.
I wanted to carry both and have a bit of room if I wanted to get another lens / bits so got one of the bigger crumpler bags... it's great (maybe should have got the even bigger one though). It's the long schlong (I think) and seems to be almost perfect for the D50 and maybe 2/3 other lenses with accessories (batteries and cables).
As someone who's about 6 months ahead of you, I'm finding myself wishing for a better 'walkabout lens', with a wide range of zoom.
I've got the stock Canon 18-55 cheapo lens
I've got a Canon 75-300 for motorsport and similar...and you DO need at least -300 for motorsport, trust me on that!
...but I'm finding there are occasions where 75 is just too much and I don't want to keep swapping lenses, or 55 is far too wide and again I'm loath to keep swapping lenses (didn't worry with the old film SLR, but everyone moans about dust-on-sensor.
There've also been occasions where I could have used another stop or two of exposure...lens was only stopping down to 5, maybe 4.5, which meant the shutter speed was too slow.
So the three things I would suggest:-
- at least a -300 for motorsport. Beyond that things get pricey so -300 is fine.
- if you can afford it a lens which does say 28-125 or 28-200 as a general-purpose 'walkabout' lens...Tamron and Sigma do 28-300 lenses which are essentially all-in-one jobs. Tamron has a decent rep I understand, but not used one.
- the lower the f-number you can get, the better for shooting at high-zoom or in low-light (esp. both combined!). But f2.8 gets very pricey, sadly. Will be out of your budget for now.
Consider 2nd-hand lenses off eBay and similar...I bought the 75-300 from there as a stop-gap until the IS lens finally arrives (next year now I reckon!
), and it's been just fine!
I've got the stock Canon 18-55 cheapo lens
I've got a Canon 75-300 for motorsport and similar...and you DO need at least -300 for motorsport, trust me on that!
...but I'm finding there are occasions where 75 is just too much and I don't want to keep swapping lenses, or 55 is far too wide and again I'm loath to keep swapping lenses (didn't worry with the old film SLR, but everyone moans about dust-on-sensor.
There've also been occasions where I could have used another stop or two of exposure...lens was only stopping down to 5, maybe 4.5, which meant the shutter speed was too slow.
So the three things I would suggest:-
- at least a -300 for motorsport. Beyond that things get pricey so -300 is fine.
- if you can afford it a lens which does say 28-125 or 28-200 as a general-purpose 'walkabout' lens...Tamron and Sigma do 28-300 lenses which are essentially all-in-one jobs. Tamron has a decent rep I understand, but not used one.
- the lower the f-number you can get, the better for shooting at high-zoom or in low-light (esp. both combined!). But f2.8 gets very pricey, sadly. Will be out of your budget for now.
Consider 2nd-hand lenses off eBay and similar...I bought the 75-300 from there as a stop-gap until the IS lens finally arrives (next year now I reckon!
), and it's been just fine!Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff