Pic me a lens

markyboy.1967

markyboy.1967

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Mark Molloy
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My first thread here so be gentle with the newbie.My first post hopefully you guys can help me out so here goes--

Im thinking about getting another lens for my Nikon D50( already have the 2 lese kit that came with the camera ).I need this for wildlife/birds etc. Some pics may be at distance and the subjects may be moving. Knowing the Scottish weather i need something that will be ok in low/poor lighting.

Im new to DSLR`s and just trying to pick things up as i go and wildlife is the perfect oppertunity to keep my interests.

Im ideally looking for a lens no more than £250 but less would be better. I would consider a second hand lens of good quality and perfect condition.

I need something sharp and well built, a lens which i can grow into as i start to learn more and something which will do me for years as i do learn.

So post your ideas and links to where i can buy the lens--UK or overseas ( or is there a warranty issue with overseas/import lenses ).
 
Hi Markyboy and welcome to the forum.
What lenses do you currently have?
 
Your requirements of low light don't go with your budget of £250 unless you are lucky enough to find a old MF 300mm 2.8 on Ebay.

You are not far short of the 70-300 VR zoom though
 
Hmmm .... A lens for birds and wildlife. That means you're looking at something with a long focal length, say 300mm or more.

Hmmm .... Something that will be OK in low/poor lighting if the subject is moving. That means you're looking at something with a big aperture, ideally f/2.8.

But .... Put those two requirements together and you've got a VERY big and expensive lens. The Nikon 300mm f/2.8 VR is nearly £3,000 for example. The 400mm f/2.8 VR is £5,500. The 200-400mm f/4 VR is £3,500+. That's W-A-A-A-AY outside you budget.

As PsiFox mentioned, the Nikon 70-300mm VR zoom is a realistic option. It's about £300, but it's only f/5.6 at the long end so you will struggle with shutter speeds in poor light. The VR will help if the subject is stationary, but it won't be ideal for moving subjects. Other than that, looking for second hand bargains is likely to be your best bet.
 
You may, if your lucky, get a 80-200 Nikon 2.8 off ebay for around your budget. The introduction of the 70-200 2.8 seemed to generate a lot of them for sale. Keep your eyes open on that.

I recently picked up a 2.8 180 prime for very sensible money off the bay, good lenses can be had fairly cheaply if you are patient.Anything over 200mm, if you need a very fast lens, will cost you if you stick with Nikon lenses i`m afraid, could be worth looking at other brands.

Save up for a 300 F4...........:shrug:

Good glass costs brass...........alas.........:)

Best of luck anyway and welcome............:thumbs:
 
markyboy.1967 said:
Thanks to most of you guys who replied, i am able to up my budget a bit , just didnt want to if i could get something decent.I will have a look at the 70-300 VR.
Click to expand...

tbh unless your going to build hides and stay really still for hours! i think you need to up your budget alot, even 300mm i think is sort for wildlife or like i said your planning on building a hide.I spose it depends what wildlife your shooting. And like you said if your in it for afair few years then a good lens would be an investment. :thumbs:
 
Mark, I do a lot of wildlife stuff, I`m no good at it, but I do a lot of it. I do all my work in the wild and these are the lenses that I use:

Nikon 80-400
Nikon 300F4
1.7 TC
My new mystery lens.........;)

This is what I would like, emphasis on like...........:D:

Nikon 400 F2.8
Nikon 600 F4 VR
Nikon 200-400 F4.

:D

Go to www.warehouseexpress.com and price them up........:eek:. I`m afraid that if you want lenses for distance work, it can`t be done cheaply. I am just being realistic mate.
 
Oh go on whats the mystery lens please............................

Oh and i'd like those three lenses at the bottom with a D3 on each please.

Got the 300f4 and a 1.4 TC.
 
PsiFox said:
Oh go on whats the mystery lens please............................
Click to expand...

I have to wait until Thursday, so do you.........:lol:

And Yes the D3 is great on the noise front, but the crop of the 300 suits my needs better.
 
Rats.......... [S2]You're mean[/S2];)
 
Thanks guys, a much nicer response.:lol: So basically i need something around 300mm but not so great in low light or smaller than 300mm which is better in low light.So my question is for the wildlife guys-

What option from the above would you choose?

I have been looking around at the Nikon 70-300VR but would a better option be to buy a 80-200 /2.8 D-ED ( secondhand ) and then later buy a tele convertor?

I do have more to spend but as im just trying to get into it im worried about spending cash for it to sit in a cupboard after a few months.
 
Depends entirely on how near your subjects you can get?
 
I've just been shopping in London and I noticed that you could pick up a good used 300mm f/2.8 (manual focus) for around £650. I know that's some way over your budget, but a 300mm f/2.8 is a seriously good lens whoever makes it, and it would be essentially free of depreciation. Buy it and try it ... If you like it you've made a great investment, and if you don't then you can sell it at (virtually) no loss.
 
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