Basic Equipement

[giulio1993]

Hello!

I come from the small world of compact cameras to the great one of slr and my first doub is: how can a bridge or compact camera have 15x zoom while a 300mm only reaches 4.3x?

I'd like to write my photographic wish list and these're m ideas:

Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG Macro For Nikon (180£)


Is APO so great?

and
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G (165£)

I'm just starting so I didn't focus on any type of subject... I thought that should be the essential equipement for a general photographer.

Should I buy a UV filter to protect my 18-55mm? Does it affect the image quality? And what about polarizers? Which should i buy?

I'd like to spend as less as possible

Thank you!

 

[Jarmo]

Zoom doesn't equal to magnification. 1-15mm would have a 15 times zoom but it would have very little magnification whereas a 1000mm has no zoom but great magnification.

And I suggest you start out with the 18-55mm kit lens (uv-filter doesn't lower the quality if the filter itself is good) and see what kind of things you are into. After a while buy the type of lens you seem to want the most.

 

[xarfaxus]

300mm/70mm=4.3

if you had lets say 18-200mm lens it woud be 11.1X but they would still magnifie less than 70-300

compact cameras have bigger focal lenght range so the have more X

 

[Village Idiot]

Quality. An 18-200 variable aperture lens might seem the way to go to get a wide view and a telephoto view, but the quality over will be lacking compared to having three constant aperture lenses that do 17-40, 24-70, and 70-200.

Prime lenses that don't zoom a generally sharper than any zoom lens. The more zoom a lens has, generally the more glass elements there are in the lens body and that equals more glass for the light to pass through before it hits the sensor and creates the image.

 

[giulio1993]

Thanks I understood the difference between magnification and zoom...
Could you give me a piece of advice for lenses and filters?

 

[enzodm]

Thanks I understood the difference between magnification and zoom...
Could you give me a piece of advice for lenses and filters?

My advice is: now, do not buy nothing (except perhaps a tripod). The kit zoom will cover most of the initial needs. Start taking pictures, and you will find something is missing, after you developed some preference for a genre or so.

 

[giulio1993]

Thanks I understood the difference between magnification and zoom...
Could you give me a piece of advice for lenses and filters?

My advice is: now, do not buy nothing (except perhaps a tripod). The kit zoom will cover most of the initial needs. Start taking pictures, and you will find something is missing, after you developed some preference for a genre or so.

Ok, thanks!

Should I protect my lens with a filter like this ? 52mm Screw-On NC Filter from Nikon

 

[enzodm]

Ok, thanks!

Should I protect my lens with a filter like this ? 52mm Screw-On NC Filter from Nikon

you will receive mixed opinions. TIme ago I used UV, now no more, no need.

 

[arcooke]

Thanks I understood the difference between magnification and zoom...
Could you give me a piece of advice for lenses and filters?

My advice is: now, do not buy nothing (except perhaps a tripod). The kit zoom will cover most of the initial needs. Start taking pictures, and you will find something is missing, after you developed some preference for a genre or so.

^ This.


Don't do what I did, and buy a bunch of gear when you're first starting out. Find your own limitations based on your own shooting style and what you end up shooting most often, and purchase accordingly. You'll learn your own equipment better that way, and you won't waste money. Like for me, after using my two lenses for everything, I realized I was often having trouble getting my subjects to fit in the frame the way I want, and am now looking at buying a wide angle lens.

Stick with basic tools for now. A tripod, perhaps a flash.

 

[KmH]

Should I protect my lens with a filter like this ? 52mm Screw-On NC Filter from Nikon

Protect it from what?

• Filters add an air gap which can promote lens flare and a loss of image contrast.
• filters are thin glass, easily broken
• the shards of broken filter glass can scratch or gouge the front lens element the filter was used to 'protect'.
• UV or clear filters will not improve the image quality the lens can provide, but they can diminish the image quality.

On the other hand, using a lens hood

• minimizes lens flare
• increases image contrast
• provides an impact buffer zone around the front lens element.

 

[giulio1993]

Should I protect my lens with a filter like this ? 52mm Screw-On NC Filter from Nikon

Protect it from what?

• Filters add an air gap which can promote lens flare and a loss of image contrast.
• filters are thin glass, easily broken
• the shards of broken filter glass can scratch or gouge the front lens element the filter was used to 'protect'.
• UV or clear filters will not improve the image quality the lens can provide, but they can diminish the image quality.

On the other hand, using a lens hood

• minimizes lens flare
• increases image contrast
• provides an impact buffer zone around the front lens element.

So I should get this for my 18-55mm Nikon Store - HB-45 Lens Hood

Is there any problem in low light environment or any situation not where i shouldn't use a lens hood?

Talking about caring... do you know any good cleaning and caring kit for lenses? Would you advice me a lenspen, an air blower or a simple cloth (wet or dry?)

thanks

 

[Drake]

Should I protect my lens with a filter like this ? 52mm Screw-On NC Filter from Nikon

I don't use any protextive filters on my 18-55mm kit lens. I don't want a cheap filter that would degrade the image quality, especially that with a kit lens you don't have a very high quality to begin with. And if I would get a proper filter, it would cost me a lot, half the price of my lens. I can't see a benefit of filter-protecting such cheap lens.

 

[KmH]

So I should get this for my 18-55mm Nikon Store - HB-45 Lens Hood

Is there any problem in low light environment or any situation not where i shouldn't use a lens hood?

Talking about caring... do you know any good cleaning and caring kit for lenses? Would you advice me a lenspen, an air blower or a simple cloth (wet or dry?)

thanks

A lens hood should have been included with the lens.

The lens hood can cast a shadow when using the built-in flash or when using a hot shoe mounted flash.

An air blower and a natural bristle brush are used to clean lenses.
Blow first, then brush lightly.
Keep your fingers off the glass.
If there is more than just dust on the lens, after using the blower and the brush, huff your breath onto the glass and wipe it gently with a disposable lens tissue.
If there is anything still on the lens, like a fingerprint, you will need to use some lens cleaner solution to moisten a lens tissue. Then use the tissue to gently clean up, and use a dry lens tissue to absorb any excess lens cleaner left. Never spray lens cleaner directly on the glass, so none has a chance to get inside the lens.

I use Nikon lens cleaning solution. I've had the same 4 fl. oz. spray bottle for over 10 years now and still have 3/4 of the bottle left.

I use Tiffen lens cleaning tissues.

I strongly suggest avoiding lens pens and microfiber cloths, because each can hold dirt particles that can scratch your lens glass.

 

[PASM]

Is APO so great?

It's better corrected against chromatic and spherical aberration than non-apochromat (achromat) lenses.