stupid question about lenses.

[MonoManBlue]

First of all, I am getting ready to order a 50mm prime for my D80, so I am totally doing this kinda dance.

now, the question. The current lense i have on my D80 is the kit 18-135 F/3.5-5.6G. What exactly does it mean by listing the F stops on there? Is that the 'optimal' stops to use, or is that the only stops it works with? or what?

 

[YEKCIM]

That is the maximum aperture, which changes as you zoom. At 18mm, the maximum aperture is f/3.5; at 135mm, max aperture is f/5.6. Some, more expensive zooms, like the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8vr and 17-55 f/2.8 are constant aperture. The maximum aperture of these two is f/2.8 throughout the zoom range.

~Y

 

[fhirleighinn]

So you are looking at the 50mm F1.8 for the D80. I have it and it is a great lens. A word of caution, most of the time, a lens is not perfectly sharp at it's widest aperture (1.8), and usually has to be stopped down to about F4 to be optimally sharp.
I have the 1.8 for my d80 and it is a very good lens.