Nikon lens selection, advice please.

digipix

digipix

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I have a Nikon D80, I purchased a Sigma 10-20mm this week.

Aim interested in landscape, close-up/product shots (my son has an on line shop), people,

I was thinking about a Sigma 17-70 and perhaps a 150mm macro?

Would the 17-17 do as a standard lens or should I consider a 50mm also?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Digipix
 
i have the d80 kit with the nikon 18-70 lens which offers a good range suitable for both landscape and simple portraits, i'm not sure about macro or what would be best there, but i'd suggest not spending any money on a prime lens within the range of what you already have unless you specifically need something with a larger aperture range which a good quality prime may provide.
for me at the moment minimal lens changes are an advantage, my plan is to stick with this one lens and see what i struggle to do with it before i decide on any extra lenses (do i want something wider for better landscapes or something longer for wildlife / portraits?)
hope thats of some help to you
 
Like Andyt70 I have the D80 with the standard Nikon 18-70 and am quite happy with just that - for the moment. As I'm into landscapes I am considering a wide angle zoom and will probably end up with the Sigma 10-20. I have the Sigma 17-70 on my Canon 400D and Pentax K10D and it's proved to be an excellent 'walkabout' lens - for me anyway.
 
The 18-70 range is an excellent & useful range - my Nikon version stays on my camera most of the time and is the lens I use in my studio

The famous nifty-fifty is, IMHO, pretty much a waste of time as that focal length is never the one you need in a fluid (i.e. changing) situation

Whether you need a macro or not is purely up to you, but it's very much a specialist lens and unless you really want to go after flowers & bugs, a bit of a waste of money (he says, glancing over at the dust 2" deep on his 90mm macro :lol:)

As ever though, when you've decided on a lens type - buy the very best you can afford :thumbs:

Quick funny about a camera club mate of mine - he used my 12-24 Nikon on a day out together a few years back, and even though at the time it was £800, he decided to buy one (again at the time it was rated the world's best at that focal range); just then, Sigma launched one of the same focal length for half the price, not as good he told me, but good enough for him(???); when he went to buy it the sales assistant offered him yet another alternative, similar focal range but for only £90 (yep just £90, and I've no idea what make that could have been). Delighted by the potential £700 saving overall, his words were 'Put it in the bag love' and he proudly boasted his purchase at the next club meeting - a month later he binned the £90 thing and bought the Sigma

Cheap glass is NOT a saving
 
Thanks for the advice so far, perhaps go steady and buy a mid range as suggested,giving it plenty of use and see what it's capable of doing before proceeding to the next one!

digipix
 
Just checked on warehouse express.

Is the Nikon 18-70mm you both refer to the f/3.5-4.5G AF-SIF-ED-DX (67mm) selling for £169.00 plus delivery!

thank you
digipix
 
digipix said:
Thanks for the advice so far, perhaps go steady and buy a mid range as suggested,giving it plenty of use and see what it's capable of doing before proceeding to the next one!

digipix
Click to expand...

It doesn't sound like you need a full blown macro lens unless you want to get into "proper" macro like plants & bugs etc - a close up filter like the Canon 500D would do your product shots etc - I took this one of a watch to test my 500D ...

tag_senna_800.jpg


... but I haven't used it since & have it up for sale if you're interested (sorry if that sounds like a blatant plug!)

Paul ;)
 
PaulBoy said:
It doesn't sound like you need a full blown macro lens unless you want to get into "proper" macro like plants & bugs etc - a close up filter like the Canon 500D would do your product shots etc - I took this one of a watch to test my 500D ...

tag_senna_800.jpg


... but I haven't used it since & have it up for sale if you're interested (sorry if that sounds like a blatant plug!)

Paul ;)
Click to expand...

Is that not for Canon only!
digipix
 
digipix said:
Many thanks for that!
digipix
Click to expand...

Like MK says it fits any camera / lens setup - I'm a Nikon user too and used the 500D with my D200 for the above pic (not sure which lens as I have changed gear recently)
My D500 is 77mm so you just use it with a step down ring for any lens you like (I tried my 70-300mmVR & 18-70mm which both were 67mm iirc)
RRP is iro £100 & I was after £60 for mine (?)
Paul ;)
 
PaulBoy said:
Like MK says it fits any camera / lens setup - I'm a Nikon user too and used the 500D with my D200 for the above pic (not sure which lens as I have changed gear recently)
My D500 is 77mm so you just use it with a step down ring for any lens you like (I tried my 70-300mmVR & 18-70mm which both were 67mm iirc)
RRP is iro £100 & I was after £60 for mine (?)
Paul ;)
Click to expand...

Thinking of buying Nikon 18-70 (67) does the price include a step down ring,delivery etc!

digipix
 
If you plan on using close-up lens like the 500D, make sure the glass you screw it on is good.
I have it with on a Sigma 70-300 mm APO DG macro and it's decently usable at 300 mm at F13 or more (smaller aperture), even though the lens itself seems to be quite fine at 300 mm even at F5.6.

Sigma 70 mm macro lens is regarded as one of the best macro lens and it's a fairly recent lens too, might be worth a look. Messiah Khan has a 150 mm HSM Sigma macro lens and it seems to be very good.
 
Slapo said:
If you plan on using close-up lens like the 500D, make sure the glass you screw it on is good.
I have it with on a Sigma 70-300 mm APO DG macro and it's decently usable at 300 mm at F13 or more (smaller aperture), even though the lens itself seems to be quite fine at 300 mm even at F5.6.

Sigma 70 mm macro lens is regarded as one of the best macro lens and it's a fairly recent lens too, might be worth a look. Messiah Khan has a 150 mm HSM Sigma macro lens and it seems to be very good.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for your advise, just visited your website,well done lots of info.
digipix
 
digipix said:
Thinking of buying Nikon 18-70 (67) does the price include a step down ring,delivery etc!

digipix
Click to expand...

Delivery yes but I sold the three step down rings I had - They're pretty cheap though less than a fiver new - I'll knock a fiver off if that'll seal the deal for you (?)
Paul ;)
 
PaulBoy said:
Delivery yes but I sold the three step down rings I had - They're pretty cheap though less than a fiver new - I'll knock a fiver off if that'll seal the deal for you (?)
Paul ;)
Click to expand...

I'll buy the 18-70 Nikon lens first see if it does what I require,thanks anyway!
digipix
 
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