Help with SLR lens

[Ratpack]

I just recently bought the Nikon D50 SLR digital camera. The standard lens has what I believe to be equivilent to 3X zoom. I would like to have more, especially for trips to Disney and Seaworld where we tend to be in the back at shows and so forth. It would also help with candid shots of the kids. However, I am new to SLR cameras and really the terminology. Most lenses are measured in mm, the lens I have seen that is affordable is a 70-300mm. What does that mean?

 

[disney queen]

this is what my husband says, in simple terms for you and me--the typical lens is aboout 50mm. so, 70-300mm starts at slightly telephoto and the farther out images come in closer.

 

[Ronda93]

When dSLRs are involved most, like the D50, have a magnification effect on the lens length (around 1.5). The 70-300 acts like a 150-450 would on a 35mm SLR. This has created a huge market in what had always been seen as super wide angle lenses (24mm and lower). But you want telephoto so this is good. The top end of the 70-300 would be like a 6x zoom.

There is something bad that can happen if you go this route. The 70-300 will not be good for snapshots around WDW. It's too telephoto. This will make you either miss shots or change lenses. While the ability to change lenses is a feature of dSLRs, it also introduces dust to the sensor. Think of this as a piece of film that is used over and over again. The dust settles and eventually becomes noticible on your photos. You become expert at dodging them out in PhotoShop.

Among shutterbugs there are entire websites devoted to the removal of dust from the CCD sensor. It's a huge problem.

You can get dust on the sensor without a lot of lens changes, but the opportunity soars and it stinks. The 18-55 lens sold with the D50 is kind of meek in the telephoto department, I agree. It's a pricey solution, but Tamron has an 18-200 zoom. It's fairly compact and delivers a lot more telephoto range. Starts around $360 at Canoga Camera. A 28-105 ($160) would be a great walk around lens. A 28-200 ($280) even better for your use, I think.

Good luck. The D50 is a good camera, just be aware of the dust potential.