Hi. I have recently decided to purchase a Nikon F80 (rather than a Canon EOS 30), and am in a debate about which lens or combo of lenses to purchase with it. I am a beginner, but am keen on purchasing a lens or lenses that will (a) provide good quality pictures at not too horrendous prices, (b) provide good versatility. I will be taking mainly recreational/travel/sport photos (a wide range I suppose!). I have thought about the Nikon 28-200 (but am suspicious of this after reading reviews), or getting a 28-80 (or 105) and a 70-300. I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks.

-- Rob Patrick (rob.patrick@keydata.co.uk), August 09, 2001

Answers

Hi Rob, The 28-105 lens from Nikon would be the best buy with the F80 (I plan to buy the F80 as well with this lens only). I have done a lot of resaerch and thinking and have come to this conclusion. I have this to say to support my views - 1. 28-80 focal length is too small on the zoom side. 2. Zoom at 105 will provide greater versatality. 3. 28-200 will be difficult to operate at the zoom end without a tripod, even though it provided greater versatality than the 105. 4. 70-300 should be used only if you have a genuine need for a tele lens.

If you are comfortable without any zoom lens, the Nikkor 50mm AF f1.8 is the best buy. One of the sharpest lenses from Nikon.

Dinesh

-- Dinesh Hukmani (dineshhukmani@hotmail.com), August 09, 2001.

Hi Rob,

I agree with Dinesh. The 28-105 is a mid-range zoom, rather better than the consumer zooms that come with F80 kits, and is a good compromise between weight, cost and quality. It also matches the 70-300 well: both lenses use the same size filters, which is a boon for a lightweight outfit.

Mid-range zooms are not as sharp as prime lenses: you might not notice in 7x5 prints but you would in 10x8 prints. So the 50mm f/1.8 would be lighter, cheaper and sharper ... but less flexible. And it's the flexibility of a standard-zoom/tele-zoom pair that has attracted many (maybe most) amateurs nowadays. The ultra-zooms are even more flexible, but you'd pay a price in quality ... one that you would notice in 7x5 prints.

I wrote a whimsical post on standard zooms on the Nikon manual focus list; there are more details there:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NikonMF/message/15261

Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), August 09, 2001.

I own the Nikon 28-200, & I agree with posts above.

When you buy a lens, you should also look at it's minimum focus distance, especially with zoom lenses(obviously I didn't when I bought mine.). The Nikon 28-200's zoom range is quite attractive, and it is fine for non-serious shootings. However, it's minimum focus distance of 2 meter (about 7 feet) at wide-end is limiting it's versatility. Sometimes, I can't get close enough to the subject with this lens. But this is the only zoom lens I own, and I'll just swap to the primes when I'm serious and/or get really close. If I can start all over again and can buy only a lens, then, I would go for the 28-105 rather than 28-200 or 28-80.

I think 28-105 will fulfill your needs most of the time. (If you are taking sports photo very often, you'll want a faster/longer lens though.) So, I'll advise you to buy only the 28-105 and a good quality tripod for now. With the tripod, you can produce A LOT better pictures than an expensive lens w/o tripod. Unless you have any specific needs, super-tele like 300mm is rarely used, and you'll really want a tripod with such a long lens anyway. After practicing for a while, if you find yourself needing a longer/faster lens, you might be able to buy an used 80-200 f2.8 (nonAF-S) then.

Enjoy your shopping and happy shootings!

-- Hiroshi Shigematsu (pooh21@ninus.ocn.jp), August 10, 2001.

Oops! my e-mail address should be;

pooh21@ninus.ocn.ne.jp

Sorry, Brad! I might have increased your job.

-- Hiroshi Shigematsu (pooh21@ninus.ocn.ne.jp), August 10, 2001.