Is Nikon evil around here?? (quick lens question too)

[Shanan]

I have D50 and still just using automatic settings. I am a newbie with it and trying to take "baby steps" away from manual. I have ordered the great new lens which is of course still on backorder. I need that vibration reduction feature! I doubt that lens will be here in time for my June trip. What other basic lens would you recommend for someone who wants more zoom but who isn't confident enough to shoot anything but automatic settings?

Thanks

 

[AMaloy314]

I'm looking at a D50 but am still a little confused about all the lens types.

I have a AF NIKKOR 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 and a AF NIKKOR 75-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 len that I have used for years with my 6006. I've always been happy with the results, but am not sure how this is going to transfer to a digital format.

In the interest of saving money, will I be ok with just buying a D50 body and using these lenses? Do I need to invest in the new D SLR lenses with the VR? Does it make that much difference in the photo image?

 

[handicap18]

I'm looking at a D50 but am still a little confused about all the lens types.

I have a AF NIKKOR 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 and a AF NIKKOR 75-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 len that I have used for years with my 6006. I've always been happy with the results, but am not sure how this is going to transfer to a digital format.

In the interest of saving money, will I be ok with just buying a D50 body and using these lenses? Do I need to invest in the new D SLR lenses with the VR? Does it make that much difference in the photo image?

If you have those lenses I would order the body only and then get the 18-70mm f/3.4-4.5 G ED (the kit lens for the D70s). You will want the wider start because of the crop factor. The 75-300 you have should work perfectly fine. I got my 18-70 on ebay as a Nikon factory referbished lens for $230 compared to the $399 regular retail. I also use a Quantray 70-300mm which I bought with my N70 back around '97.

For any Nikon lens multiply the focal length by 1.5. This will give you what the digial SLR equilivent is (ie: your 28-70 will crop your field of view to 42-105mm and your 75-300 will crop up to 112-450mm). This is why you'll want to start with at least an 18mm in the wide angle zoom which will start you at 27mm with the crop factor.

 

[AMaloy314]

Umm, at the risk of sounding totally stupid, I have to ask. What is the crop factor? Does that mean my photo will actually have less content than I see through the viewfinder?

I got all the stuff down about ISO, shutter speed, focal length, etc, but this is new to me. Is this something that I only have to take into account when changing to a digital camera and using older slr lenses? Is it something that is manufacturer specific? ie, same formula across the board for Nikkor, Sigma, and other lenses? Is there a web site that I should look at to learn this stuff?

If I'm going to be buying another lens anyway, I'm back to considering if I should just buy a Canon Rebel XT that so many people seems to find easier and smaller than the D50.

Yikes! Who would have thought this would be so difficult!?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

most dSLRs use sensor smaller than full 35mm film. Nikon crop factor, IIRC is 1.5x, so if you're taking a pic with 30mm lens using your Nikon dSLR, it looks like you're taking it with a 45mm lens. Therefore your 28mm lens is no longer wide enough for you.

 

[Geoff_M]

28mm is just not wide enough for me. Heck, even 20mm is barely wide enough for me.

I fixed that problem, I just picked up a Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye! Room to space now... It's a fun lens.

 

[handicap18]

I tried to find the web site that has the best explanation, but I am unable thus far. So I'll give it ago anyway.

It can be confusing with dSLR's vs film SLR's. As Kelly mentioned, its the sensor (digital film) that is a different size from the actual film strip. Each company is slighty different (Nikon is 1.5, Canon is 1.6, not sure of Pentax and Minolta).

Some people initally think that the lens you put on the camera is now a different focal length. Not true. If you have a 50mm lens for your film SLR and use it on a dSLR, it is still a 50mm lens. What is different is if you took that picture with the film SLR, made a 4x6 print then enlarged it a little but kept the same 4x6 print. It is now croped. This is what the digial sensor does. What you see through the view finder on your dSLR is what the sensor see's which is what the lens see's. Put the 50mm lens on a film SLR and then on a dSLR and you get a different perspective. This is why you'd want to start with at least an 18mm lens for a wide angle zoom. Thus you have a lot of kit lenses for dSLR's that are 18mm-50 or 18-70mm (at least somewhere in that range).

I know it is confusing and I hope I didn't confuse you any more. There isn't anyway around it unless you want to spend thousands of dollars for a full frame digital SLR. Though I think Minolta makes full frame digital SLR's, but I don't know enough about them to say how good or not good they are.

 

[boBQuincy]

Take a print, say 4"x6". Now put a mat over it with a cutout of 2.5" x 3.75". This is what a 1.6x camera does.
No change in perspective, no change in magnification, just less picture.

Btw, a change in focal length does not change perspective, only the distance from the camera to the subject affects perspective.


boB