Lense Quandry for Nikon and Canon

So....in my continual quest to purchase a New DSLR (Not to mention save for one....I have run into a few obstacles)

First. Is the 18-70 F3.5 lenses that comes in the D70 kit better for sports photography in low light then the Cannon Kit lens 18-75 F4.0, or should I just get a external flash and negate the whole comparison....

I guess the nuts and bolts of my question are......If money is not an issue which is the best Kit lens to go with w/o External flash for low light (indoor) photography? Do the .5 F-stop differences really make a difference?

Suggestions are welcome, for my question, or a different lens all together....my goal would be to get a 17-85, or a little larger with a Good F-stop, so that I don’t need a external flash in the beginning

-Brad

P.S. Dare I mention the Nikon Nikon Zoom Super Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR II Autofocus Lens coming in December for my application? or am i dreaming

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Originally Posted by peplogic

First. Is the 18-70 F3.5 lenses that comes in the D70 kit better for sports photography in low light then the Cannon Kit lens 18-75 F4.0, or should I just get a external flash and negate the whole comparison....

I guess the nuts and bolts of my question are......If money is not an issue which is the best Kit lens to go with w/o External flash for low light (indoor) photography? Do the .5 F-stop differences really make a difference?
...

P.S. Dare I mention the Nikon Nikon Zoom Super Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR II Autofocus Lens coming in December for my application? or am i dreaming

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Canon don't make a 18-75 f4.0, you're probably talking about the 17-40 f4.0 or the 17-85 f4-5.6. And the Nikon kit lens is an 18-70 f3.5-f4.5. So to try to answer your question anyway:

For indoor sports photography with flash a half-stop difference in maximum aperture either way is not going to make a lot of difference. If you're using a D70 set to 800 ISO with flash the camera will automatically set the lens aperture to at least f5.6 anyway. If you're absolutely at the end of your flash range you can set the aperture manually but you can also boost the ISO..

However the 17-40 is probably not suited to most sports. The 40mm focal length is almost a "normal" focal length and you usually need at least a small telephoto for sports like a 70mm.

From what I've heard the Nikon 18-200 won't be available in December. It will probably be offered first in a kit with the D200 and it usually takes months to satisfy the demand.

Charles

If money is no object, don't buy the kit lens. Buy the camera you want and the best lens you can afford. You can make your decision based on the camera body, the ideal lens, or the system you prefer. I think considering the system is most important if you plan to buy more gear. If not, then make your decision based on the best one lens.

I don't think that 1/2 stop is going to make too much difference. If you can live with a 50mm focal length, pick up a 50mm f1.8 (from whichever brand you go with) for under $100. This lens and the kit lens would be a pretty good combination - but again, 50mm is pretty short for sports. Prices go up from there...

I agree with both of you.
I had 18-70mm and 70-300mm but I sold them.
Now I have a 50mm f/1.8 (Iow light or fast shoot) and I'm waiting for 18-200mm VR.

Until I change to 50mm f/1.8, I didn't know what I was missing.

Yes, get the lenses that you need! And read about reviews on lenses as well.