Which lenses for a D70s?

[kristin_speed]

I am about to buy my first (d)SLR camera and would like to knwo which lenses you

all recommend... until now I have used an ultrazoom digital camera.

I don't have much money to spend, so I can't really afford top of the line... I

was thinking like the Nikon 18-55mm or the 18-70mm for wide angle? And not sure

about telephoto. My husband has an f80, so would his lenses work well on the

d70s as well?

What else would you recommend..any filters or anything? Or can that wait until

I've played around with it a bit?

Thanks!

[tom_burke3]

Well, bearing in mind that I don't know what sort of photography you'll be doing, any

recommendations must be tentative. But I bought a D70 (not 's') nearly two years ago, and

this is what I've now got:-

 

a) with the camera I bought the 18-70. I've always been pleased with mine. At that time I

don't think the 18-55 existed, but in any case I would always want that extra bit of reach

that the 70mm provides. The choice between 18-70 and 18-135 might be harder to

make, but I believe that the latter is not as robust as the former. Check them both;

 

b) Tokina 12-34. I definitely wanted a wide-angle zoom, and if I could have afforded it I

would have bought the equivalent Nikkor, but that wasn't possible. The Tokina is half the

price of the Nikkor, and I've never found it wanting in performance;

 

c) Nikkor 35mm f2. A reasonably fast standard lens (on a DSLR);

 

d) Nikkor 55-200. A cheap longer zoom. Not the greatest performer (although optically I

think it's not bad), but it's light-weight and low-cost. If I was a keen wild-life

photographer then this one would not do, I would be looking at the 70-200 or a 200mm /

300mm prime (or all of these), but I'm not. This one does what I want.

 

e) my most recently-bought lens: Sigma 70mm f2.8 Macro. I love this lens. Again, given a

bigger bank-balance I would buy a Micro-Nikkor, but I don't.

 

And with that collection I think I'm done. Sure there are more lenses that I would like to

have, but none that I need. The 17-55, for example, or a 24mm f2.8, or a fast telephoto,

but the number of times I would use them is small. The only lens that I might get would be

the 18-200, simply because it's a good single-lens solution for travel, when saving weight

(for flights, for example) is important.

 

But those are the lenses that are right for me; you'll find plenty of people will disagree and

recommend others. Welcome to the mad-house!

 

Oh, and any autofocus lenses that you husband has should fit & work on the D70s.

[tom_burke3]

... sub-para b) should be '12-24', not 12-34....

[kristin_speed]

Thanks for the response,I'll check out the lenses you recommended.

As for what I'll be shooting... mostly landscape and buildings, and I'd liek to start doing some portraits if I can find some victims :]

Thanks again!

[jason j]

I have a Nikon D70s, which I use for whatever strikes my fancy. Here are lenses that work for me. My walk-around lens is a Nikon 28-200mm 3.5-5.5G. (I have the D verson, but it is heavier and slower).

 

For indoor situations, I carry a 50mm 1.8D, 28mm 2.8D, and a 18-55mm 3.5-5.6G zoom lens. (The last lens often has to be used with a flash.)

 

For outdoor situations, I carry a 70-300mm 4-5.6G. monopod, and a polarizing filter. I try to travel light and only carry a few lenses.

 

These are all inexpensive lenses that fit my skill level. When I become a much photographer, then I will get better lenses, but for now better lenses might just be a waste of money. Oh , you need a tripod. But you probably already knew that. For more information, checkout kenrockwell.com.

 

Good luck in whatever you choose.

[erik_loza]

Cut your teeth on the kit lens, then decide if you need for something else. When I was last shopping for a car, one friend told me to buy this one, another told me to buy that one, and my co-workers gave me a whole slew of answers. Yet, none of them asked me what I really wanted to do. In the end, I sat down and wrote out what my own priorities were, and decided on something different than anything that was mentioned and am really happy with it. Feel me?

[bwcombs]

Kristen,

 

Don't cut your teeth on a kit lens. That could be painful.

 

And don't feel Erik. That could be against the law.

 

You have some wonderful images in your pnet portfolio. Looks like you enjoy shooting

and traveling as well. The 18-70mm kit lens is a great lens for just that. It will give you a

bit longer reach than the 18-55mm would, and is in my opinion, a better piece glass.

 

Once you shoot with a D70, you'll find out about what you're missing in a lens (if

anything), and adjust accordingly. I got the D70 several years ago with the 18-70mm kit,

and loved it. It was a great learning experience from film to digital.

 

Keep shooting. Keep traveling.

[jason j]

On second thought, I agree with Erik. I started with the kit lens and then added other lenses when a specific need arose, such as making pictures of my kids in dimly lit rooms or shooting sporting events. Right now I am hankering for a VR zoom to counter camera shake. Good luck and I hope you don't get GAS {Gear Aquisition Syndrome).