I need help deciding which lens!

[Blaze]

OK digital SLR pros out there...

I'm looking at a Nikon D50 kit (I can't justify the D70 yet) with a 2 lens set. I have my choice of either doing the 18-55 Nikon or the 28-80 Nikon as a first lens and both packages come with the Nikon 70-300 as the big dog. My question is this: which would serve better as my small glass? Any advantage of going with one over the other? Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,

Blaze

[buzzsaw]

What type of things will you be photographing? For family shots or closer pics that kit 18-55 is decent... if you plan on shooting birds or other far away objects it will be in your best interest to look at a few lenses and I'd recommend going to:http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/ or http://forum.pbase.com/index.php and read what alot of others have said.

You'll love the D50!! Thats what I shoot!

[Steve Foss]

Hi Blaze:

Remember that with the sensor in the D50 you actually have a conversion factor of about 1.5. So the 18-55 is really about a 27-80. And the 70-300 is a 105-450. Of the two smaller zooms you have to choose from, I'd take the 18-55, because sometimes you need that wider angle. And you've got VERY little gap in mm between the 18-55 and 70-300. If you go with the other small zoom instead of the 18-55, you give up that wider angle capability and don't pick up much value in return.

The 70-300 will be adequate for telephoto, as long as you use a tripod, monopod or some other anchor to eliminate hand/camera tremble. If you find yourself interested in wildlife, sports or other action photography, you may want to explore whether to upgrade to top-grade Nikon glass instead of the kit lenses offered in the package. The top glass is just that, top glass, which means it's clearer and operates more quickly with your camera body, a big concern when shooting action. Also, Nikon's vibration reduction (VR), will help immensely. But unless you're planning to get seriously professional right away, or have a big budget that allows you to afford the thousands of dollars for top glass, the 18-55 and 70-300 are very good starts. I'm a Canon shooter, and the image stabilizer (IS for Canon, VR for Nikon) on my 100-400 mm L-series buys me at least two full stops, and sometimes three, by using a mechanical feature within the lens that operates off battery power and nearly eliminates hand tremble. Coupled with a monopod, IS or VR is a great combination.

Also, don't salivate over the D70 down the line. It's not that much different from the 50, and offers no increase in sensor capability. Set your sights on the D200.

Whichever lens you get, ENJOY EVERY FRAME!

And a P.S. — Post your work here so we can all enjoy it.

[buzzsaw]

Steve nailed it! ...................... again.

[Blaze]

Thanks guys - this is exactly the input I was looking for, and pretty much what I suspected I'd hear. The wider angle of the 18-55 had me thinking that would be my choice, and the 70-300 will be a good "starter" tele until I get more experience and can afford the better glass later on. I'm really looking forward to getting back to an SLR after using a couple point & shoot Canon digitals for the last 5-6 years - the quality of the photos is so much better in my opinion.

No worries, Steve - I'll post some of my work once I get started. We're going to Mexico in a couple weeks, so I plan on taking plenty of pictures on that trip.

Thanks,

Blaze

[Tom Wilson]

Blaze,

I must have completely missed this post, but just to chime in and not seem like I didn't care, I have to tell you that Steve is exactly right. I would add that with most camera gear, you get what you pay for, but for the prices that one can obtain these two lenses, the lenses that I would recommend would not be worth the extra money. I am not recommending high dollar primes, but I do feel like Nikon makes some better quality lenses than these, but you are looking at almost double the amount of these. For instance, The "kit" lens with the D70 (18-70 AFS 3.5-4.5) gives you a stop better light on the top end, and the sharpness and photo quality are quite a bit better. Difference in price $200.00 Is this upgrade worth it--I think it would be, but you have to make that decision. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have, but I don't think you are making a bad choice, and the others gave you some good information.

Tom W

[Blaze]

Tom - understood on the point about quality glass. At this point, budget is a higher priority, so until I get more into the art of photography, the kit lenses will do just fine I'm sure.

FYI - I love the internet! I went to National Camera Exchange and was looking at their D50 2 lens kit: D50 body, 18-55 & 28-200 glass, that's it. No accessories, just the hardware. With tax, it would be $950 + the another $109 for a 1GB card. I just called and ordered the D50/18-55/70-300 with 1GB high speed SD card, camera bag, extra battery, lens cleaning kit, & memory reader from Cameta Camera in NY for under $800 including shipping. WOW - attention bargain shoppers! It's too bad too - I like the people at NCE, but we're talking easily $300+ difference in price.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a new toy to start capturing life with one frame at a time. I'm sure we'll be talking more in the near future!

Thanks,

Blaze

[buzzsaw]

That deal seems so good it's scary. Congrats on the purchase, did you get an extended warranty past the standard one year that it comes with? The other thing I would recommend buying is a good camera case... Hobbydog and Tom turned me onto the Pelican... they are very nice and a good way to protect your asset. Do you live in the metro area by chance?

[buzzsaw]

The Pelican is waterproof but heavy. I visit St. Michael from time to time as I bring my Deer to Dehmers to get processed. I don't know if you know those people but they are quite nice, I'm friendly with Mark over at J&B. Anytime you'd like to get together and take pics just let me know.

Mike

[Blaze]

Buzz - I passed on the extended warranty. Maybe I should've re-thought that...? The camera comes with a Nikon bag with one slot for the body and 2 more for the lenses that come with it. I also have a nice Lowepro (I think?) bag from when I was shooting my old Canon Elan 35MM that would work well, so I should be ok for now. I will look into the Pelican bags just to check them out, though - thanks. I live in St. Michael - NW part of the metro, so a field trip together may be in order, eh?

Along the lines of bags...what kind of bag do you guys use that would be waterproof? I want to bring my D50 with to the BWCA in June, but want to make sure it's protected too. Suggestions?

Blaze