Lens for Nikon D70

[RockyRacoon]

Okay, I've tried out the Nikon D70, briefly, and seen a few photos, so I am pretty sure I want that Camera; - It's brilliant!
Anyway, I now need to learn more about buying a lens. I am wondering what a realistic zoom would be, a zoom of about 12-25x would do me fine, and I would want very good quality images... i don't know enough, so will be out trying cameras + lens out if I can find a dealer nearby, I just need the recommendations! Thanks in advance :)

[rezMole]

Don't think you'll find a lens with anything like that sort of zoom range. Sigma do a 10x zoom (50mm-500).

Or do you mean one that has a 12x to 25x magnification? If so - again, you'll have difficulty. 10x magnification would be something between a 350 to 400mm lens. To get up to 25x, you'd need something in excess of 1000mm!

[RockyRacoon]

Oh! Lol, so I think I'll going for a 10x Magnification if that's OK then... does anyone know of the best 10x (or a 8x, 9x, 11x, 12x ect. either side) lens I can get.
It may take me another few months to save for it, but is it worth 'waiting', and saving for an 'Aspherical' lens, it seems a little odd that the lens costs more than the Camera, what advantages do Aspherical lenses have?

[paul goode]

Oh! Lol, so I think I'll going for a 10x Magnification if that's OK then... does anyone know of the best 10x (or a 8x, 9x, 11x, 12x ect. either side) lens I can get.
It may take me another few months to save for it, but is it worth 'waiting', and saving for an 'Aspherical' lens, it seems a little odd that the lens costs more than the Camera, what advantages do Aspherical lenses have?


Hi Jake,

I think you are confusing digital compacts with SLR's. Compacts have built in lenses which are measured by their magnification ie 1-4x etc. SLRs use the 35mm film method of measuring the focal length of the lens ie 50mm, 200mm, 500mm etc.

For birding in my opinion you will need at least a 400mm lens and from your comment of wanting 'very good quality images' you may need to look at a prime 400, 500 or 600mm lens. This could mean a very close relationship with your bank manager!!

If you check out the gallery you will see that a lot of people use zoom lenses which are generally cheaper, smaller and more flexible than prime lenses. BUT they will not produce the same quality images as a prime lens.

This is a case of what you decide is 'very good quality' though.

800*640 pixel images in the gallery can look excellent from virtually any lens.
7*5 prints can look just as good.
A4 and bigger prints will show the differences of how much you spent on the lens.

It is impossible to suggest a lens without a vague idea of your budget. If your budget is £500 its pointless raving about a Nikon 600mm!

Hope that helps and If you give a rough budget I'm sure people will be along to recommend their favourites. Its worth checking out other threads because this is a well discussed subject!

Regards

Paul

[Highway Man]

Hi Jake,

I think you are confusing digital compacts with SLR's. Compacts have built in lenses which are measured by their magnification ie 1-4x etc. SLRs use the 35mm film method of measuring the focal length of the lens ie 50mm, 200mm, 500mm etc.

For birding in my opinion you will need at least a 400mm lens and from your comment of wanting 'very good quality images' you may need to look at a prime 400, 500 or 600mm lens. This could mean a very close relationship with your bank manager!!

If you check out the gallery you will see that a lot of people use zoom lenses which are generally cheaper, smaller and more flexible than prime lenses. BUT they will not produce the same quality images as a prime lens.

This is a case of what you decide is 'very good quality' though.

800*640 pixel images in the gallery can look excellent from virtually any lens.
7*5 prints can look just as good.
A4 and bigger prints will show the differences of how much you spent on the lens.

It is impossible to suggest a lens without a vague idea of your budget. If your budget is £500 its pointless raving about a Nikon 600mm!

Hope that helps and If you give a rough budget I'm sure people will be along to recommend their favourites. Its worth checking out other threads because this is a well discussed subject!

Regards

Paul


Excellent photos Paul. Having just been loaned (with the chance of buying) a Sigma 50-500 it was nice to see what this lens is capable of

[phil snyder]

Okay, I've tried out the Nikon D70, briefly, and seen a few photos, so I am pretty sure I want that Camera; - It's brilliant!
Anyway, I now need to learn more about buying a lens. I am wondering what a realistic zoom would be, a zoom of about 12-25x would do me fine, and I would want very good quality images... i don't know enough, so will be out trying cameras + lens out if I can find a dealer nearby, I just need the recommendations! Thanks in advance :)
Hi Jake
I'm new and by no means an expert. I've had a D70 for almost 2 yrs, wouldn't trade it for any other. I use a Tamron 28-300. Have had great results. Only down side is sometimes you have to set on tripod to take remote pics to get close and f6.3 at 300mm is kinda slow but you can compensate with asa of 1600. You can even cheat and double magnification by cropping sine image size is 6.1 mp. Hopes this helps:) Phil

[RockyRacoon]

Hi Jake, It is impossible to suggest a lens without a vague idea of your budget. If your budget is £500 its pointless raving about a Nikon 600mm!

Hope that helps and If you give a rough budget I'm sure people will be along to recommend their favourites. Its worth checking out other threads because this is a well discussed subject!

Regards

Paul

Hi Paul, I would say my budget is about £900; I would have to save a little more for that much however, and if there are cheaper options please can you tell me them too...

[paul goode]

Hi Paul, I would say my budget is about £900; I would have to save a little more for that much however, and if there are cheaper options please can you tell me them too...


Hi Jake,

That looks a pretty good budget which should give plenty of options, some of which I think are

Ebay for a secondhand Sigma 500mm. Checkout Youngbirder and Postcardcv's galleries for this lens (don't know how to link directly - can anyone help?)

Nikon or Sigma 80-400, both image stabilised. Don't know much about the Nikon, anyone out there? Keith Reeder uses the Sigma to very good effect.

Cheaper lenses are plentiful:-

Tamron 200-500 (DOC really rates it)
Sigma 50-500 (checkout my gallery)
Sigma 170-500 (checkout Psilo's gallery -up until last week when she got a Canon 400mm)

They are just a few of my thoughts.

As an aside it may be worth asking the mods to move this into the Nikon thread, more people will see it there and offer their opinions.

Regards

Paul

[BenBirding]

Paul you might have sold me on that Bigma after looking in your gallery.

[paul goode]

Paul you might have sold me on that Bigma after looking in your gallery.

Hi Benbirding,

Thanks for the comment about my gallery. It is much appreciated. If you go for the Bigma I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. For the outlay I'm massively impressed with mine.

Regards

Paul