Lens help

[klissarov ik]

so i was thinking of buying the Tamron 17-50mm lens for my d80. i think i'll be mainly doing landscape photography, but i'd also like to make urban night/day shots, portraits, animals and maybe macro. so i thought about getting the nikkor 18-200mm vr lens.

what do you guys think about this lens? since it's more flexible than the tamron... maybe i'll go with the nikkor. but do you guys think this will still act good for landscapes?

thanks

 

[Orgnoi1]

*Normally* I wouldnt recommend an 18-200 lens because they are usually fairly soft from the many posts/reviews/etc... but the Nikon lens is supposed to stand out well above the rest...

 

[klissarov ik]

Little question:

Would you guys suggest me to get this lens(Tokina 12-24mm) or something like the Nikon 17-35mm that I could use with a filter.

Can the Tokina come with as good result as the Nikon(with the Polarizer filter)?

The thing is that I was thinking of getting this lens(Tokina) with my D80 body(with the rest of the equipment) and leave to Bulgaria for 3 months. But you figured out that I don't wanna leave with a bad lens choice hehe.

During the trip, I'll be doing: landscapes, urban day/night(architecture, buildings, street.. etc so I won't need a flash but I good tripod) So here is the info for y'all so you can help me deciding on my lens!

Thanks

 

[Don Simon]

Well they're not all that comparable. The difference between a widest focal length of 12 and 17mm is actually fairly significant... also maybe I'm reading it wrong, but are you saying you would use a filter on one but not on the other? I don't really understand that one.

But as for whether the Tokina would be a bad lens, I think I can safely say absolutely not. It has had some excellent reviews.

 

[klissarov ik]

Yes, I won't be using a polarizer filter on the Tokina but I will on the Nikon. Since there will be some problems for the filter at 12mm...

 

[cosmonaut]

Wider is better in landscape photography, get a polarizer and a graduate filter too. I wouldn't own a lens without the both. Also get one that can focus to infinity easily. That will come in handy at night.
Cosmo

 

[klissarov ik]

But I thought getting a polarizer filter on a lens such wide, could cause something like that: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-wide-zooms/images/KEN_6031-polarizer.jpg

 

[cosmonaut]

But I thought getting a polarizer filter on a lens such wide, could cause something like that: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-wide-zooms/images/KEN_6031-polarizer.jpg

With a circular polarizer you turn it to darken or lighten the effect. In this picture they had it turned wrong. Something you have to be careful of if you get one. Same with a graduate filter.
Cosmo

 

[cosmonaut]

This one was taken with such a wide lens it distorted the picture and I used a polarizer on this. I had the filter turned wrong and on the first one I had it right
Cosmo