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Digital SLR advice
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jjaszkow
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
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PostPosted: Apr 19, 2011 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have the 50/1.4 and love it.

I'd make sure to research a lot before going with kit lenses. I currently have two lenses that we got with our camer that we have to replace because they don't meet our needs.
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scott a
Ladies Man
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Joined: 13 Jan 2003
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PostPosted: Apr 20, 2011 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, I'd avoid 'crappy' lenses (all kit lenses and most mid-range lenses).
-they don't let in as much light as a better f4 or f2.8 lens, meaning you have to lower the shutter speed to make up for this and then you run the risk of motion blur.
-they aren't as sharp wide open. This can be a huge issue at night because you will be trying to let in as much light as possible, but this is when lenses are the least sharp...especially around the edges of the frame.
-they are less optically correct and will be more prone to purple fringing and other chromatic aberration, especially when you're shooting in high contrast situations.
-they're less durable and aren't sealed as well from the elements. The better lenses use better materials and will take more abuse before failing or filling up with dust.

Good lenses are more important than a good body, and they'll hold their value much better. This D5100 will be a dinosaur in 5 years, but high end lenses are hardly EVER replaced.

I doubt you're too excited about any of this advice so far, but low light shooting really pushes lenses (and the camera's auto focus) to the limit and you really start to notice the difference in quality between the different lenses. This is something that will be an even larger issue since you're looking to make such huge prints. Honestly, any issue that is minor will be amplified 100x when you enlarge your images so I would get the best equipment that you can possibly manage. I really hate to be a sort of debbie downer but I would hate to see you jump into this just to be disappointed with the gear that you just picked up.

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Commodore
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Joined: 20 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Apr 20, 2011 9:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No debbie downer about it. I prefer facts, hard or soft, as long as it's useful.

I understand kit lenses, but what defines "mid-range lens"? This will help me in my search and purchase so I understand what constitutes mid-range versus a more capable lens.

I've got ideas to do lots of really neat shots, but I need to learn about all the possibilities and practice a ton. So if I'm going to practice, I would like to be as close to prepared as possible.

Thanks Chavez and Scott.
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jjaszkow
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Joined: 25 Jul 2006
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PostPosted: Apr 20, 2011 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The biggest problem that I have with most of the kit lenses is that they are SLOW due to small (higher number) apertures. We had trouble with action shots using the lenses that came with our camera that have gone away since we moved to the f1.4 and f2.8 lenses.


For a fixed focus lense I would try to get a f1.4 (f1.8 if on a budget). For zoom lenses, f2.8. I also prefer metal construction over plastic. Not sure if you can get a high end lense that isn't.


Good lenses are expensive, but they hold their value much better than the camera body, and they have a much larger factor on the performance and quality of your pictures.
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scott a
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PostPosted: Apr 21, 2011 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mid-range lenses can vary quite a bit in quality and specs, so some might be very usable for you while others are to be avoided. Here's a few things to look for in a lens:

-you will want a constant aperture lens and NOT a variable aperture lens. The constant aperture lens will be f2.8 or f4 the entire way through the focal length, so you can zoom in and zoom out all you want and you can still shoot at your widest aperture (to let in the most light if it's dark outside). A variable aperture lens will actually change the aperture as you zoom in/out. It's a nuisance to say the very least because you have to change your camera settings if you decide to zoom in on something.

-metal body and lens mount. As jjaszkow mentioned, this is how all of the high end lenses come. They do it for added durability as I'm sure you can imagine, and some of the nicer lenses will even be environmentally sealed to keep dust/dirt/grime from sneaking into the lens.

-image stabilization. Nikon calls this VR. You'll see it more often on the longer lenses because wide angle lenses don't really need it.

-avoid superzooms. You're trading convenience for image quality, and that's not in your best interest. These lenses also usually have variable apertures, and that's a no-no in my book as well.

Here's a website that has an active web forum and a good lens review section- http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php

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hanssapo
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Joined: 11 Aug 2003
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City: Mexico

PostPosted: Apr 21, 2011 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
-avoid superzooms. You're trading convenience for image quality, and that's not in your best interest. These lenses also usually have variable apertures, and that's a no-no in my book as well.

What I've learned so far is that they're convenient for when travelling a lot.
I was almost sure in getting the 18-200 mm but then started to see some not so good comment and reviews about the lens built and image quality.
If you're someone who likes to have flexibility, have a single solution for every situation and do not want to change lenses every time, then this could be the lens for you. Just have to accept that this comes with limitations in some aspects.


About the 35 mm f1.8 vs. 50 mm f1.4 - f1.8:

Although both lenses are in the midrange section, the 35 mm is more a normal view angle while the 50 mm is a little bit more telephoto in a DX Format camera (D3100, D5100, D7000, etc) This means the 50 mm will crop more area out of the image if you use it with a DX Camera than with an FX (Full frame).
The good thing about the 50 mm f1.4 is that it gives you another full stop of aperture.
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