Nikkor vs Quantaray?

[kristie_larsen]

I am planning on buying the new Nikor D80.

I didn't realize there are so many different options is lenses.

Can you tell me which one is the better?

Does one lens do something better than the other and vice versa?

 

I've been told the Nikkor is the better one...but does the Quantaray offer

options that the Nikkor doesn't? Is there a better one than the Nikkor?

 

Thank you...

[drj]

Nikon makes lenses, Quantaray is Ritz Camera's house brand, they put their lens brand name

on Sigma lenses.

 

Do yourself a favor and stick to Nikon lenses. It isn't as bad these days with the APS crop

using basically the center of the image circle, but a Nikon lens is still a better lens. Having

now said that, the "kit" lens that came with my wife's D50, the 18-55 probably isn't much

better than any aftermarket lens. Be careful of a "kit" lens, it is menat to be a way to offer the

"outfit" at an attractive price. Buy the body only, then look for a decent used Nikon zoom here

on photo.net.

[todd peach seattle, washi]

The sales-dude who is telling you the Quantaray offers other options is likely looking to pocket a $15 commission for pushing the Quantaray over the Nikkor.

 

That isn't the same as saying the Quantaray is crap, it just might be illuminating to you as a consumer. I sold camera equipment retail to work my way through college, and the 'higher margin' items generally put money in my pocket if I could move them along. Each individual sales-dude had to find his own 'balance point' for pushing profit vs. perceived quality. Most of us tried to figure out if a customer was a 'one shot' (never see them again) or if we could develop a relationship that might be profitable over several years. If they were clueless and seemed like 'one shots', you pushed them on the high margin (cheap) stuff. If they seemed more discerning, you led them to the better quality stuff, regardless of profit. An 'ongoing relationship' with a customer is profitable in a different way.

[Jerry_]

For the non-Sigma users:<div></div>

[ramon_v__california_]

kristie,

 

get the D80 with the 18-135mm kit lens. it will be worth your money.

 

jerry,

 

i'm happy with my sigma 10-20mm also.

[john schroeder]

Quantaray is to optics like Velveeta is to cheese.

[ericreagan]

Kristie,

<p>

I'm assuming if you didn't realize that there were several lens options that you are new to the SLR/DSLR world. If you're just getting started, please get a good book to go along with it. Try <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=cyclingshots-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&location=%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0817463003%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1156044966%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8">Understanding Exposure</a> by Bryan Peterson. Additionally, consider purchasing you gear from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=cyclingshots-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&location=%2Fs%2Fref%3Dsr_nr_i_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26keywords%3Dnikon%2520lens%26rh%3Di%253Aaps%252Ck%253Anikon%2520lens%252Ci%253Aphoto%26page%3D1">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/">B&H</a>, or <a href="http://www.adorama.com/">Adorama</a>. I've never been to pleased with the prices and advice I've received from my local Ritz Camera folks. If this is your first DSLR there's no reason not to go with the kit lens, learn your camera, learn photography, and decide what you need later when you know what you need.

<p>

Good luck.

[hbs]

If you decide to get a Quantaray lens and then change your mind, be aware of their very poor resale. Just check eBay to see for yourself. I will say however that Ritz is good about their return policy -- if you buy new and return (in new condition) within 30 days, they will give you a refund. It is a low-risk way to check out these lenses for yourself as long as you are careful to not damage them.

[mendonphoto]

My friend got an 28-200mm Quantaray lens almost for free when he bought his first film camera used (tells you about resale value). The optical quality, surprisingly, was not terrible, but the lens was definitely NOT a true 28-200mm. It was more like 28-120mm.

[leicaglow]

Hi Kristie, If you're not going to buy Nikkor lenses for your new Nikon, you might as well buy a Canon. Quantaray offers products for that camera as well.

[douglas_green1]

Sigma makes some very nice lenses, but they do NOT put the Quantary brand on them. They only put the Quantary brand on their cheaper lenses. The Nikkor will surely be better.

[fk319]

When I bought my N80, I have since bought a D70, I bought two cheap nikon zoom lenses. I think I spent about $200 for both. At the time I could not tell the difference between them and a single $1000 lens. It took about 6 months for me to be able to shoot pictures better than the lens. I have replaced only one of the lenses.

 

I am not suggesting that you get the cheapest lens, I already did that. What I will suggest is that you get the kit lens, and the Nikkor 50mm/f1.8 The 50mm/f1.8 is just over $100 US and opticaly one of the best Nikon makes. These two lenses will take you a long way in learning how to take pictures, and to better understand why lenses cost what they do.

 

-- Frank

[kristie_larsen]

WOW... Thank you all for your quick responses.

I've definately decided to go with a Nikon, Nikkor Lens. The tough part now is figuring out which type of Nikon lens.

For now, I want one that I can take good Macro pictures, as well as have a little zoom. Then later on down the road I'd like to get a large zoom (400mm Plus) for when I go on a safari (ONE DAY!).

There are so many different lenses, it's such a tough choice.

[penmachine]

As mentioned, Quantaray is Ritz Camera's Sigma re-brand. I've had good luck with a

couple of Quantaray zooms, one manual focus Nikon-mount 28-200 mm I bought in the

early '80s and which was stolen in 1991; and a similar, autofocus 70-210 mm I bought in

1995 for my F601 and still use on my D50. (It is better than the earlier lens.)

 

For the money (quite low) they perform extremely well, and I would recommend them over

the low-end lenses from Nikon (or, presumably, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, et. al.), which

tend to have a price premium just for the name. The Quantaray/Sigmas, being consumer-

grade, are not as good as the higher-end lenses from Nikon and the others, but you

wouldn't expect that at the price anyway.

 

I also second the recommendation for the Nikon 50 mm 1.8 fixed (non-zoom) lens. When I

first got into photography, cameras came with 50 mm lenses instead of zooms, and I think

that was a better idea because they work better in low light (wider apertures) and can be

better built for low cost -- Nikon's 50/1.8 is especially outstanding, and extremely well

priced. I would actually recommend that instead of a zoom, until you get a sense of which

zooms might do you better. Keep in mind that a 50 mm lens is a mild telephoto on

Nikon's digital SLRs, rather than a normal lens as it was on 35 mm Nikons, so you might

need something else for wide-angle shots.

 

But, compared to the low-end kit Nikkors, the Quantarays are nothing to sneeze at either.

I just bought a 24mm Quantaray "Tech-10" (no idea what that designation means) from

eBay, and we'll see how that does.