Am I using incorrect lenses for digital camera?

[Markus]

Please look at my signature to see my lenses. They came with my D70s as a kit. Someone told me these were for film cameras and that on a digital camera I was not getting the true mm. Is this true?. And how can you tell if a lens is meant for a digital camera as apposed to a film camera. Oh yea, he said it had to do with the size of the digital sensor being a different size than a 35mm film frame. Seemed to make sense to me when he explained it. I guess what I'm asking is, do I need to get a new lens.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

You don't have to do anything.

Your 28-80, is still physically 28-80mm, however, the size of your sensor, since it's smaller than a slide of 35mm crops it to what makes it act more like a 42-120mm

 

[Markus]

Thanks for the response. In that case though if in close spaces like indoors when trying to get a lot of people in the scene or getting a shot of a room I would be losing a lot of the picture, correct? So I probably should add a smaller mm lens to my collection? Just to have a little more versatility. What would you recommend? Isn't an 18mm lens often recommended for the d70s? Also how does one tell a lens that would give true mm rating for a digital camera. Do they have a certain designation or numbering system. Hope these questions aren't to dumb.

 

[Steph]

Do a search (on this forum or Googgle) for 'crop factor' and eveything should become clear.

 

[Markus]

Will do, thanks.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Thanks for the response. In that case though if in close spaces like indoors when trying to get a lot of people in the scene or getting a shot of a room I would be losing a lot of the picture, correct? So I probably should add a smaller mm lens to my collection? Just to have a little more versatility. What would you recommend? Isn't an 18mm lens often recommended for the d70s? Also how does one tell a lens that would give true mm rating for a digital camera. Do they have a certain designation or numbering system. Hope these questions aren't to dumb.

whatever the focal length of the lens * 1.5 = perceived focal length.

Any F-mount lens is recommended for a Nikon camera. 18mm on APS-C digital is about the start of a wide angle, 12mm and 14mm is wide.

 

[Big Mike]

Mount the lens on the camera, look through the viewfinder. What you see is what you get.

If you want to see more, get a wider (shorter) lens.

 

[D-50]

Well said mike. An 18mm will not work "any better" on your d70 than a 200mm. They will work the same.

 

[Markus]

Ok, thanks guys, appreciate it.