Lens for Nikon D80

Hi everybody just joined the site. I am from Melbourne, Australia.

I will be purchasing the new Nikon D80 in the next month or so. I need some good advice please.

I have the option to purchase the Nikon (body only) or packaged with the Lens 18-70mm or 18-135 mm. Lens

Photography I enjoy are landscape, candid, macro and architecture.



My intention is to purchase a telephoto lens and a macro lens - and of course I need a lens for Landscape.

I would like to keep my costs down as much as possible - but am prepared to pay for the best lens for the job that could cover Landscape and candid photography

There seems to be so many options re lenses on offer

eg. 18-200mm

55 - 200mm

18-55 mm

- I like to photo the texture and essence that a good macro can produce.

Mindfield its it?


What are views on purchasing lenses from other manufacturers that fit Nikons?

My feeling is to buy body only and purchase my own lenses to meet my needs?


looking forward to hearing from you all

Sue

Generally speaking, the lower the zoom range, the better the lens, as not so many compromises are being made.

Therefore, the 18-70mm lens should be a better optic than the 18-200mm, and it is.

You will notice that a lot of the really good lenses are only 2-3x zoom ratios. Examples include Nikon's 200-400mm and the 12-24mm DX.

Third party lenses are the same, Sigma's 10-20mm has a good reputation as well as their 12-24mm and the 120-300mm is still inside the 3x.

70-200mm are popular and competitive, again inside 3x, they are top quality.

Superzooms with ratios sometimes in double figures like the 18-200mm's will only give good results at one end, normally the shortest focal length, and get worse from then on.

Certainly, buying body only and choosing your lenses according to your own use is the best bet.

Ian

The 18-70 mm "kit lens" is a very good all-purpose lens, I would stick with that one until you can offord a more expensive zoom (the 12-24mm is great). For macro-photography, I'd buy a nice used 60mm 2:8, they're pretty affordable and very sharp, from macro to general portraiture. Add the classic 85mm 1:4 (or a 105mm), also fairly affordable on the used market and you won't go wrong with this basic, affordable package.

As for non-Nikon lenses, I try to avoid them (and frankly don't know much about them) although I own an excellent Sigma 14mm 2:8, very good for architecture and landscape. It's extremely well-built, pretty fast and costs a lot less than comparable Nikon models.

Good luck.

thanks all for your assistance.

Just to confirm that the 12-24mm zoom will be appropriate for all telephoto photography?

cheers


Sue

No, the 12-24mm is a wide angle zoom lens, from very wide to moderate. Good for landscapes and architecture.

I recently bought the D80 and on the advice of my supplier( a personal friend who owns a photographic shop in Cranbrook Canada) I took the package he offered. The D80 teamed with the Nikon 18-200 lens. Brilliant, it covers everything for a starter LIKE ME, from landscapes to portraits, and some macro work. I am just a learner only having had the camera for about 3 months but this package is perfect. If you want to check out my supplier's credentials Google 'Cranbrook Photographic.' I also now have a 12- 24 wide angle which I purchased when I visited Cranbrook over Christmas. I am waiting to hear his thoughts on a macro lens.

Thanks all for your useful input

The Nikon 60 mm has been dismissed by many as not the lens to buy due to the fact one has to get very close to subject. What would the opinion be on buying a macro extension ring for the 60 mm lens?


thank you


Sue

You tend to lose functionality when you use extension rings, most likely AF and perhaps other things too, such as proper metering. If you want an excellent macro lens, I can thoroughly recommend the Sigma 105mm AF f/2.8D EX. I don't know about the newer DG version which is designed for digital SLRs. I have the older full-frame one. Because its angle of view is reduced on a digital camera, you have to get further away. The Sigma really does have excellent sharpness, and is very good value compared to an equivalent Nikon lens.

As you mentioned photographing architecture, I would probably avoid the Nikon 18-200mm. Although it's a very versatile lens, it does apparently suffer from marked barrel distortion at the very wide 18mm end, and some pincushion distortion at 35mm. These sorts of effects will go unnoticed when the lens is used for family snaps and animals. Landscapes and architecture contain a lot of straight lines which are likely to appear anything but. The Vibration Reduction (VR) mode are very useful additions that allow you to shoot with slower shutter speeds than you'd otherwise get away with, but for the photography you said you were interested in, I don't think it outweighs the drawbacks.

Amy

Thanks everyone for your input

regards


Sue

Hi....I think you guys could help me out with the lens thing. I'm planning to get myself Nikon D80 but I don't know which lens to choose from. I'm into street photographing so I'm pleading all you gurus out there to recommend a len to use. Thank you