Choosing Lenses for your New Camera
Aug 01 '01 (Updated Jul 01 '02)
The Bottom Line Choosing lenses for your new 35mm SLR need not be intimidating. Taking the time to decide what sort of pictures you want to make will help.
You've done the research and decided which camera you want to buy, now comes the hard part...which lens/lenses do you need? Ask yourself a couple of questions before you start researching that lens purchase. What do you plan to photograph? How much money do you want to spend?
The answer to the first question is probably family/vacation/travel photos. almost ninety per cent of the photographs taken by Americans every year are Family/Vacation/Travel/ photos. Ninety five per cent of these are shot on color print film. If this sounds like you, then the search is going to be much easier. The percentages listed are based on data from major American film processors. Ninety per cent of all the film processed in the United States is handled by "Overnight" type film processors like Walmart, K-Mart, and Fox Photo.
For folks who shoot color print film and take mostly family/vacation /travel/ photos the first lens purchased should be an inexpensive "consumer" zoom in the 28-70, 35-80 35-135, or 28-105 range (more than seventy per cent of the color print photos taken in the U.S. are shot between 35-80mm) These mid-range lenses are often included with the camera in "kit" form (usually with a roll of color print film, a small camera bag, and a camera strap). These kit deals are a bargain for most consumers since the total price for the basic kit is usually less than the sum of the individual items. Canon, Nikon, Minolta, and Pentax offer "kit" deals with many of their entry level auto focus cameras like the Canon Rebel 2000, and the Nikon N80 & N65.
"Consumer" level zooms usually have a maximum aperture of f3.5 (this is the largest lens opening available) at this setting the maximum amount of available light is allowed through the lens to expose the film. Smaller maximum apertures such as f4.0 or f4.5 would only allow 2/3rds or 3/5ths as much light through the lens as the f3.5 lens. Faster lenses (like f2.8) usually cost more and they are generally heavier. In terms of picture quality, IF you are shooting color print film, there is little noticeable difference between a faster (f2.8) lens and a slower (f3.5-f4.5) lens.
OEM (original equipment manufacturer) lenses (made by Nikon, Pentax, Canon, Minolta) are usually more expensive than those made by "aftermarket" companies like Tokina, Tamron, Sigma, and Vivitar. Should you purchase only OEM lenses for your new Nikon/Canon/Minolta/Pentax camera? Camera sales people (who get a higher commission from OEM lenses) will tell you that OEM lenses are better made, more durable, and have better re-sale value. For "consumer" level zoom lenses the only part of this that is completely true is the better re-sale value claim.
Now, you have decided on the camera that you want and the 35-80 or 28-70 (35-135, or 28-105 if you want a little extra room on either end) do you need another lens? Many people get talked into buying a 70-210 or a 75-300 because they think they need a telephoto. But do you? Telephoto zooms tend to be heavier and more expensive than mid range zooms (35-80/28-105) and they are used far less. My advice would be to wait and see if you need a telephoto, buy one if you find that you are constantly coming up short. Consumer Telephoto zooms tend to have maximum apertures of f3.5 to f4.0 (70-210/75-300) this is actually pretty slow. In order to use one of these zooms handheld (rather than mounted on a tripod for shake free shooting) you will have to use a faster speed film like ISO 400 AND shoot at the maximum aperture, this is OK as long as you stay with 3 1/2 x 5 prints, but if you want to enlarge that Buffalo from Yellowstone National Park to 8x10...the results are probably going to be pretty discouraging.
What else do you need to buy before you start shooting with your new camera and lens? Purchase a skylight or UV filter to screw over the front lens element. This will protect the lens from smudges, fingerprints, dust, moisture,and scratches. Buy a rigid lens hood for each lens you own. Lens hoods help improve your pictures by cutting glare and reflections, in addition rigid lens hoods offer additional protection for the front lens element. Lens caps (front and rear) should be included with any new lens purchase.
Listed below are several lens reviews that may help you narrow your choices.
Nikon
Prime Lenses
Nikon AF ED-IF 180/f2.8 Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/content_50492313220
Nikon 105/f2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-ED0-62442B1-393AA9F1-prod5
Nikon 85/f1.4D AF IF
http://www.epinions.com/content_23241199236
Nikon 85/f1.8D AF
http://www.epinions.com/content_29370191492
Zoom Lenses
Nukon AF 28-80/f3.3-5.6G Nikkor Zoom
http://www.epinions.com/content_67788770948
Nikon AF IF 24-85/f2.8-4.0D Zoom Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/content_40820510340
Nikon AF IF 28-200/f3.5-5.6D Zoom Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-61AC-14E291B-3909BCF6-prod5
Nikon AF 75-240/f4.5-5.6D Zoom Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/elec-Photo-Lenses-All-Nikon_75-240mm_f_4_5-5_6D_AF_Zoom-Nikkor
Nikon AF 70-300/f4.0-5.6D ED Zoom Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-4C5A-1489077-3909AEA3-prod5
Nikon AF 80-200/f2.8D IF-ED AF-S Zoom Nikkor
http://www.epinions.com/content_38412717700
Sigma Lenses
Sigma Designs AF 17-35/F2.8-4.0D EX HSM Zoom
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-4C46-145B3FFF-39CE2ADE-prod3
Sigma Designs AF 28-70/f2.8D EX Aspherical Zoom
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5C92-1C455245-39CE9F60-prod6
Tokina Lenses
Tokina AT-X 20-35/f2.8D PRO Zoom
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E59-2F3F6C0-390C5EB2-prod3
Just “cut and paste” the URL into your browser’s address bar/window
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Howard_Creech
|
 in Electronics |
 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 10 |
|
Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 333
Trusted by: 1274 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.