Nikon D70 s

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  • 04-07-2006, 11:32 AM
    Kaelastreet
    Nikon D70 s
    Hi
    I have the chance in the near future to buy a lens for myself, costing not more than about £500.00 GBP

    I want a lens that lets plenty of light in so that I can capture movement and or low light opportunities.

    What, if you were in the same position as I, would you buy?

    My camera is a Nikon D70s.

    Kizz
  • 04-07-2006, 11:45 AM
    walterick
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Kizz,

    First of all I wanted to say "welcome" and I've enjoyed reading your posts on the various boards on pr.com. You're a fun addition to the group!

    I think you'll get a better response to this question in either the Viewfinder or Help Files. It's okay to post q's like this in either board it's not considered off topic to do so.

    That having been said...
    What type of shots are you wanting to take? Wide angle? Telephoto? Close-up? Fisheye? I think focusing on the subect you want to acquire and then picking a lens that gets you there is a good way to go.

    If you want a lens that lets in a lot of light, you'll need a wide maximum aperature. The fastest glass you can buy is in "prime," or fixed focal length lenses. You can get both wide angle and moderate telephoto lenses around f 2.0 that let in tons of light. They're also normally sharper and smaller than zoom lenses. If a zoom is more your speed, the maximum widest f stop you can currently get is f 2.8. Which is still pretty darn fast. Zooms are built a lot better than they used to be, I think most people rely on them almost exclusively now.

    If your budget gets tight, look at Ebay for deals on used stuff along with KEH. Sigma also makes many good-quality lenses at a fraction of the cost of the comparable Nikon lens.

    Good luck in your choice, let us know what you find!

    Rick
  • 04-07-2006, 11:50 AM
    walterick
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Heh, I just realized I failed to recommend my favorite lens: the 50mm f1.8!

    It's very sharp, very small, very light, very cheap, and lets in more light than almost any other lens out here. I bought mine used for $65 USD. On your D70 I think the focal length comes out to about 75mm. If you don't already own one, give it a look. It's a nice addition to any photographer's arsenal!

    Rick
  • 04-09-2006, 01:06 PM
    Kaelastreet
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Hi Rick
    You said ...

    Quote:

    50mm f1.8!

    Sounds like good advise. My partner is getting one for her birthday present on the 15th of this month for the Canon 350D.
    I have given the topic a great deal of thought.

    Real life from a distance is my need, I think. My current telephoto is good, but not fantastic, unless I am close to the subject and the light is all there.

    Conceptualizing a 400 Prime at F1.x sounds like it would meet my needs, but I have only seen lens's like that in the four figure price range.

    At suggestion, I am going to get a f1.8 and see what happens. I would really like to 'try before I buy' but I know thats never going to happen.

    Thanks for the welcome, I will try not to get into peoples way and its not my fault if I rock the Status Quo, if its been like that for too long, it needs changing anyway. Thats what finding islands is all about (horrible cliché huh!)

    OK, heads up, please send your best and favorite lenses to me for testing and I may return them when I have done with them, or I may keep them and let you feel good knowing that your lenses are working for me.
    <chuckles>
    Kizz
  • 04-09-2006, 07:28 PM
    walterick
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kaelastreet
    OK, heads up, please send your best and favorite lenses to me for testing and I may return them when I have done with them, or I may keep them and let you feel good knowing that your lenses are working for me.
    <chuckles>
    Kizz

    Actually, you might have better luck renting them first :)

    If you can handle manual focus, Nikon makes a 105mm 1.8 lens that sounds like it may be what you're looking for. Look also at the autofocus 85mm 1.8. And for the bigger price tag, I *think* Nikon makes a 200mm 2.0, though I'm not sure about that. A nice zoom option is the 80-200 f2.8 lens.

    Good luck!
  • 04-10-2006, 08:21 AM
    another view
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Like Rick said, you'll probably get more responses in Help for something like this but a couple of thoughts:

    Nikon 400mm f2.8 (fastest 400 that's out there) is several thousand USD. The 200 f2 is also well into the four digit range. This is in US$ but probably converts the same way to GBP here...

    Unfortunately a long fast lens in that price range is really kind of a contradiction. Take a look at used Nikon 300 f4 AF-D instead of the current 300 f4 AF-S. It's probably very close to that price range. I had an older manual focus version of this lens and it was excellent. I keep thinking about replacing it... Another good one is the 180 f2.8 AF-D which should be well within reach.
  • 04-10-2006, 09:22 AM
    Kaelastreet
    Re: Nikon D70 s
    Hi

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by another view
    Like Rick said, you'll probably get more responses in Help for something like this but a couple of thoughts:...

    Many thanks, that certainly gives me lots to look for now and I will see what comes of my searching.
    As soon as anything is announced, I will sure share it with you all.

    Thanks <grin>

    Kizz