New Lens Ideas

[georges_smith]

I've owned my Nikon N55 and 28-80G f/3.3-5.6 lens for almost a year

and a half. I'm thinking of adding a new lens (or lenses) to my

collection, and possibly replacing the 28-80. It's an okay lens, and

it's better than the P&S I used before, but I'm thinking it's time to

move on to something better.

 

Most of my photography is devoted towards passenger rail. In most

cases, it's usually with subway, commuter, and light rail lines where

I don't have worry about restricted access since I can easily use

stations or grade crossings to take pictures. From time to time, I

also do street scenes either in the city or in more suburban settings.

 

Does anybody have any sugestions as to what I should purchase? I'm

really trying to keep this under a budget of $400.

[roland_vink]

You don't state whether you feel the need for a wider or longer lens, but that's something worth considering. For a lot of photography, 28-80 covers things pretty well.

 

My guess is that much of your photography is using available light, you take your pictures handheld and your shots are often on-the-spot spontaneous pictures. If so, I would suggest a prime lens such as the AF 24/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.8 or 85/1.8. They offer much better quality than your zoom, and give you 1-3 stops more speed. A faster lens will allow you to take pictures in dim light such as in the subway. It will allow you to do selective focusing, that is, use a wide aperture to focus on a subject and have the background and foreground go out of focus to highlight the subject more. You can use slower finer-grained film for better results. Prime lenses are also sharper.

 

It's hard to say which lens to recommend, you'll need to think about which focal length on your zoom you like the most. A lot of people like the 35/2, but 50mm and 85mm are also popular. You could also consider a 35-70/2.8 if you prefer the flexibility of a zoom. It's bigger than the primes so will be more to carry, and less discrete.

 

All of these lenses can be bought new within your budget, and it's possible to pick up a nice lens for even less at ebay or www.keh.com.

[oxskumxo]

a used 24-85 F/2.8-4 D would be a step up from your current lens and can be found for just about 400$ but a Prime will give you better quality and a couple more stops

 

i have a 50mm f/1.8 and its perfect for just about everything

[elliot]

What are these pictures for? Just for yourself? For a project? For some assignment? Can you post some examples of this work? This would probably help a lot in recommending new lenses.

[jim schwaiger]

I can wholeheartedly recommend the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D and the 28-105mm AF-D lenses. The 50mm is fast, sharp and cheap. The 28-105mm is a quality zoom lens with a wider range and less distortion than the 28-80mm.

 

If you want sharpness, look to the primes: 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, etc. If you want more reach, look at the 70-300mm, or better yet, one of the older 70-200mm or a 75-300mm (I have that one). They aren't fast lenses, but they work well outdoors during the daytime.

 

An 18-35mm zoom might also be worth thinking about if you want a wider angle.

[georges_smith]

<p><i>My guess is that much of your photography is using available light, you take your pictures handheld and your shots are often on-the-spot spontaneous pictures.</i></p>

<p></p><p>

Using a flash is a big no-no in terms of passenger rail. Most subway systems restrict the use of tripods as well (which also precludes using any telephoto zooms which need those them). Many times, you'll have to take spontaneous shots because a certain train type has just entered the station across from you, or you'll have to prepare for your shot as the train is moving away from you.

</p><p></p><p>

<i>I can wholeheartedly recommend the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D and the 28-105mm AF-D lenses. The 50mm is fast, sharp and cheap. The 28-105mm is a quality zoom lens with a wider range and less distortion than the 28-80mm.</i>

</p><p></p><p>

This was the solution that I was thinking about at first, but I wanted to see other people's advice. I was thinking of buying the 28-105 first with HB-18 lens hood, and then buying the 50mm not too long afterwards. Plus, I like the idea of having 25mm more to use for simple, informal portraits. Besides, I can always borrow the 50 from my friend. I really liked using her 50mm f/1.8, but sometimes, I'd miss shots that were too far away, or I'd desire a wider angle without walking around for it.

</p><p></p><p>

<i>What are these pictures for? Just for yourself? For a project? For some assignment? Can you post some examples of this work? This would probably help a lot in recommending new lenses.</i>

</p><p></p><p>

This is mostly photography that I share with friends, family, and the railfan community. This stuff was never meant for commercial publication.

</p><p></p><p>

Some samples of my photos. Most of this was done with Fuji Superia 400 and TMAX 400 or P3200. This was done with the 28-80:

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/nycta_b/aab.jpg

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/nycta_b/aaw.jpg

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/nycta_a/aag.jpg

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/newstuff/aal.jpg

</p><p></p><p>

This was done with the 50mm:

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/newstuff/acm.jpg

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/newstuff/aca.jpg

http://photos.transitgallery.com/albums/newstuff/acd.jpg

[tony bell]

Another vote for the 28-105 3.5-4.5 and 50mm 1.8.

[buddhadev mukherjee]

Georges:

 

Since you will be shooting indoors, w/o flash or tripod, I would recommend that you buy a 50/1.8D or a 35/2D. While the 35 will give you a bit wider angle of coverage, the 50 is dirt cheap. If I were you, I would hang on to the 28-80 for now, instead of buying another consumer zoom. Why don't you shoot with a single prime for some time and then decide later whether to buy a zoom or a couple of primes on both sides of the first prime you chose (like say a 24/2.8 and 85/1.8)?

 

Good luck -- dev.