Nikon novice needs help!

[DisneyTiger]

Hi, can any of you out there recommend a lense for me. I have a D40 and absolutely love it but I would like to get a bigger and better lense that would increase my zoom. I also want to be able to take better night time pics. Thoughts? Thanks

 

[annnewjerz]

What is your budget?

If you are looking for something relatively inexpensive, the 55-200mm VR would probably be a safe bet for around $220.

If you are willing to spend a little more, you can get the 75-300mm VR with a little more reach for about $580.

Both receive very favorable reviews and will lend you considerably more reach than the kit lens provides.

If you are looking to take good pictures at night of stationary objects (buildings, long exposures of traffic, etc.) you can accomplish that with any lens as long as your camera is mounted on a tripod. You should get a remote shutter release and a tripod if you don't have one already and this will allow you to use a longer shutter speed.

If you are trying to take better pictures at night hand-held, you will be somewhat limited in your abilities. For this situation, you should probably invest in Nikon's new 35mm f/1.8. You will want to shoot as wide open as possible (f/1.8, f/2) and boost your ISO to probably 800+. Your pictures will probably be noisy, but you can fix that in post-processing if necessary.

Good luck!

 

[dmccarty]

Besides a lens to help you take photos at night what are you taking photos of currently?

You said you wanted to increase your zoom. (Seems like that would be a good hook in a pop song) What lens(es) do you have now? How much are you trying to "increase your zoom?"

Later,
Dan

 

[ssanders79]

The 55-200mm VR is a good lens to add reach. The 75-300 VR is nice, but not necessary unless you are shooting from far back. Save some $$ and let your feet get you closer to your subject. Disregard the last sentence if you are interested in wildlife photography, then you cannot always get close to your subject.

As for night photography, get a tripod and the Nikon ML-L3 Remote Control Transmitter. This is the most important part of night photography.

Can be found easily for under $20. B&H has them for $18.

 

[DisneyTiger]

Thank you all for the input. First let me say that I know NOTHING about cameras. I got my D40 the day before we went to Disney last September. I was so overwhelmed by it that I almost left it behind. I am so glad I didn't! I really want to take a photography class. I just need to find a place and of course the time!

So, the lense I am using is just the kit lense. Example of why I want a stronger zoom was when I was at my daughter's Easter program a few weeks ago and I couldn't get any shots close up! It was very frustrating! And as car as the night shooting, I think I just need a tripod. I don't even know what setting to use. Again, I know nothing. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg - maybe stay below $300? I am taking baby steps here until I figure out what I'm doing

 

[YesDear]

I have a slightly different approach. Look and see if there is a local photo store that rents equipment. See if they have any of the lenses listed above. Rent it for the weekend and see if it does what you want it to do!

 

[boBQuincy]

The 55-200mm VR is a good lens to add reach. The 75-300 VR is nice, but not necessary unless you are shooting from far back. Save some $$ and let your feet get you closer to your subject. Disregard the last sentence if you are interested in wildlife photography, then you cannot always get close to your subject.

This is a good tip, and one that is not often considered. We tend to get closer with our lenses and not our feet, while that is not really what different focal lengths are for. I know that sometimes we just can't get closer but focal length should really be chosen for how it portrays the difference between near and far objects.

For example, a wide angle lens will show a near object much larger in proportion to a distant object, while a long lens will compress the distance and make the objects look much closer in size. In this way the lens allows us to change the perspective by moving nearer or farther to our main subject while maintaining the size of the subject in the viewfinder.

One key point is that the lens itself does not change perspective, only our relative distance to the subjects does that.

 

[DisneyTiger]

Hi everyone. So, I'm just now getting around to researching a new lense. What can y'all tell me about the Tamron 75-300? I'm getting the impression that it's a cheap version lense. Thoughts???

 

[oregondaddyof2]

I have a D60, and I have the same desire you do with shooting better night photos... I went to Vegas 6 months ago, and again last week... I took night photos both times I went, and figured I would post the difference I shot... The first trip was pure handheld, and you can tell... The second trip, I used a tripod... As people have said, the tripod is what makes the difference, not the lens (at least this is my opinion)... Same camera, same type of lens, just added a tripod...

No Tripod

With Tripod

 

[racreel]

You can get a generic remote for the D40 for about $5 that works fine.

 

[kaffinito]

Hi everyone. So, I'm just now getting around to researching a new lense. What can y'all tell me about the Tamron 75-300? I'm getting the impression that it's a cheap version lense. Thoughts???

From what I heard on here and on other forums, the Nikon version is better. I also echo others on the importance of getting a tripod and a remote shutter release.

For the D40 you could go with a Targus tripod. The tripod works great, and is a cheap $25.00 at Target. The D40 is light enough for the Targus tripod, and the tripod is surprisingly stable for the price.

Also look for deals and bargains on lenses on Craigslist and Ebay. Sometimes you can find a good lens that's cheaper used than paying full retail. Some photography shops also sell used lenses, and while the price is a little higher than on CL or Ebay, you do get the comfort that they have been rated and checked out by the photography shop.

Don't forget that the D40 has no focus motor built into the body, so you will need a lens with a focus motor built in.

 

[Hoan & Poopie]

I still own a D40 along with some more advanced Nikons. The D40 is a great camera and the 55-200VR and 35 1.8 would be perfect to increase your range and allow nightime shots without always needing a tripod.

I have these two lenses and they are nice because they don't add much weight to the already light D40 and their image quality is much better than their price suggests.

 

[spinetnglr]

From what I heard on here and on other forums, the Nikon version is better. I also echo others on the importance of getting a tripod and a remote shutter release.

For the D40 you could go with a Targus tripod. The tripod works great, and is a cheap $25.00 at Target. The D40 is light enough for the Targus tripod, and the tripod is surprisingly stable for the price.

Also look for deals and bargains on lenses on Craigslist and Ebay. Sometimes you can find a good lens that's cheaper used than paying full retail. Some photography shops also sell used lenses, and while the price is a little higher than on CL or Ebay, you do get the comfort that they have been rated and checked out by the photography shop.

Don't forget that the D40 has no focus motor built into the body, so you will need a lens with a focus motor built in.

I will ditto the Craigslist option. I recently got a decent copy of a the 70-300mm non VR version of that lens for under $100 on Craigslist. Sometimes it pays to check your local Craigslist listings every couple of days. I actually went to look at a 17-55mm 2.8 that the guy had listed and he has the 70-300 that he was also selling. I had to drive 60 miles on a Saturday to look at them but was well worth my time and gas. I like Craigslist better than ebay bc its local listings and you and inspect and try out the lens before any money changes hands. I am having issues with my 55-200 VR and figured for under $100 I have a back up while the VR is sent back. Turns out I like the 70-300 more than the VR lens just for that extra reach ... but then again I am frequently taking pics when zooming with my feet isnt always an option.