Older lenses on new(ish) bodys

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Ozymandias88

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Fabian
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Hi folks,

Just contemplating a little about my gear: I have a Nikon D5300 with two lenses 18-55 and 55-200 which really do everything I need at my level. However, some time ago I really wanted a fast lens and after much research mainly on Ken Rockwells page I settled for a Nikkor AF 50mm 1.8D which I got for under 100 bob. I'm fine with focusing manually and the 75mm length on my cropped sensor; I became actually really fond of it over the past months.

I'm not looking to buy anything else at the moment but wondered whether it would be worth doing the same again when I decide I wanted to get another lens. The thought process behind it is, the older lenses tend to be cheaper to buy and will then also fit a full sensor camera should I wish to "upgrade" in the future saving me to fork out on a new set of lenses.

What's your thoughts on that please? Worth considering or is it nonsense?

Thanks,

Fabian
 
There's nothing wrong with using older lenses, provided they are good. The 50 f1.8 is a decent lens, but some of the older consumer grade Nikon lenses like the 24-120 variable aperture and 28-200 are very poor, whatever Mr Rockwell says. ;)

Before buying do your research on more consistent sites (try Fred Miranda for one) and then enjoy.
 
That is called future planning;) and maybe in the long run will save you money if and when you upgrade to a full frame camera.

Lenses like this are worth your consideration as at 28mm focal length, giving you 42mm with your currant camera very usable,then a nice wide angle lens when you upgrade.

The vivitar lens is made by Komine a very good quality lens manufacturer ,I have had two or three and each performed very well.

www.ebay.co.uk

Vivitar 28mm F/2.8 Wide Angle Lens -Nikon F/AI Mount | eBay

Lens Condition. Included: Lens with front. I will generally respond to you within 24 hours and do my best to help you out! Haze : None detected.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
@ancient_mariner @medwaygreen

Thank you! I haven't come across Fred Miranda yet an will have a look around there it's always good to diversify resources

Same for the Vivitar, never heard of them but are absolutely going on the consideration list at those prices.

Thanks again,

Fabian
 
100 bob for that 50/1.8D. you mean you got it for a fiver? good show! Then I wondered why you were using it manually then I remember that many of the budget Nikon cameras don't support anything other than AF-S...

I'd suggest something along the lines of the Sigma 30/35 1.4 EX (can't remember the exact focal length) which should give you another perspective at an affordable price. At the time Sigma quality was improving and it should focus automatically (I think).
 
Ozymandias88 said:
Hi folks,

Just contemplating a little about my gear: I have a Nikon D5300 with two lenses 18-55 and 55-200 which really do everything I need at my level. However, some time ago I really wanted a fast lens and after much research mainly on Ken Rockwells page I settled for a Nikkor AF 50mm 1.8D which I got for under 100 bob. I'm fine with focusing manually and the 75mm length on my cropped sensor; I became actually really fond of it over the past months.

I'm not looking to buy anything else at the moment but wondered whether it would be worth doing the same again when I decide I wanted to get another lens. The thought process behind it is, the older lenses tend to be cheaper to buy and will then also fit a full sensor camera should I wish to "upgrade" in the future saving me to fork out on a new set of lenses.

What's your thoughts on that please? Worth considering or is it nonsense?

Thanks,

Fabian
Click to expand...

Absolutely! Join in with this thread:

www.talkphotography.co.uk

Vintage Lenses

I've always loved vintage lenses. I love using them, handling them, photographing them.. Having begun my foray into photography in the late 80s, many of the now vintage Nikon lenses bring back a real sense of nostalgia for me but I also remember how good some of them were and how good they still...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
 
For me it's a yes and no.
I started off with an aps-c dslr and then started buying full frame lens in case i moved to a full frame.
Well, i moved to a full frame and then i realized the bloody thing is too big for my liking.
Apsc and full frame differences are not visible nowdays (i'm talking about printing).
The only big difference between Full and crop is the viewfinder size, which in my opinion is the only reason i would choose a full frame.
The two zoom lenses you have cover anything as you said, and the quality is not going to be noticeable unless you look at a computer screen with 100% zoom.

So, my opinion is to get whatever makes you happy, because if you're happy with your gear it makes you want to take more pictures.
Do you need the old lens?Probably not.
Are they fun to use?Oh yes.
I think they're more fun to use because they're made out of quality materials unlike the cheap zoom lens.
One invites you to shoot and the other not as much.
Have fun whatever your decision is anyway!
 
Just to bring a little balance to the above, if the only criteria on which you assess an image is resolution then there may not be much difference between full frame and crop when printing at a moderate size. However for some of us there are other qualities that result from using a larger sensor that make it worthwhile: increased dynamic range, greater sense of depth, reduced haloing, better control of depth of field to name a few. Some of these aspects will not be obvious using kit zooms, although some will.

Personally I'd use medium format if money were no object, but I'm glad to have full frame and some nice fast lenses available. If you buy older model lenses then that can also make fast lenses available at lower cost.
 
Ozymandias88 said:
What's your thoughts on that please? Worth considering or is it nonsense?

Thanks,

Fabian
Click to expand...

If you are ok with MF and if you like well made lenses you could have a look at film era manual lenses. I have some Nippon Kogaku primes which are beautifully made and look and feel like they'll last a lifetime. I also have later AIS manual lenses but old metal and glass ones are IMO even lovelier.

qyp3xPL.jpg


:D
 
The older lenses did not have as much coating as modern lenses. In particular the sensor side of the lens is now usually multi-coated. The reason for this is that the sensor surface is more reflective than film so there is more light scatter. The net result is lower contrast but the multi coating improves this significantly. On the other hand, if you add filter to your camera lenses, then you are probably not worried about obtaining the highest quality image anyway.

Dave
 
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