Can someone set me straight on what these lenses are used for?

[jdong217]

I have the Nikon D3100 with the kit 18-55 mm VR lens. My dad used to be somewhat of a photographer and lent me a few of his lenses, but I'm not sure when to use each lenses. ie are they mainly for handheld or tripod, etc. Anyways, these are the lenses I have

-Nikon 105mm f/2.8 manual focus lens (not the micro lens)
-Nikon 180mm f/2.8 manual focus lens
-Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens

I'm assuming the last one is primarily for handheld as it has VR. I must sound like an idiot but I'm still really new to all of this. Also, do any of those lenses have a distinct advantage in nighttime outdoors shots (think nighttime cityscapes)?

 

[MTVision]

Are you sure the 105 isn't micro? I looked it up on Nikon site and it says micro and it's the only 105 I saw. It's a macro lens to take close ups of small things such as flowers bugs etc. Micro is Nikons word for Macro. Check out this site http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/105mm-f28.htm

 

[jdong217]

I'm positive. The two manual lenses are pretty old. Mine has the distance readings starting at 3.5 ft, then going up to 70 ft before infinity. If the image on Nikon's site is correct, the micro lens only hit 20 ft - infinity.

This is definitely the 180 mm lens though

 

[MTVision]

180mm - This is a compact and super-sharp telephoto lens. It has many uses ranging from sports, travel, portraits where flattening facial features is desired and general landscape photography. As with all Nikon manual focus equipment this lens is finished to very high standards.180mm. Not that big - you can hold or put on tripod. So the 105mm that you have IS a micro. They started making the micro 105mm f2.8 in the early 80s. It has to be the micro. They made a 105mm f/4 micro in 70s. Unless it's older which I doubt.

 

[djacobox372]

All 105 f2.8 nikon lenses are micro. They never made a non micro 105mm f2.8.

Are you sure it's not a f2.5? The older non-micro 105mm 2.5 was a very popular, high quality portrait lens, although it may be a bit long for portraits on a crop sensor camera like the D3100. There's also a 100mm f2.8 series e, which was nikons "budget" short telephoto.

The 180mm f2.8 is a very good telephoto, considered a pro quality lens, and is still quite expensive on the used market.

These manual focus lenses will work on the d3100, but they won't meter--only the higher end dslrs (d7000, d300, d700 and d3, and corresponding older models) meter with non-CPU lenses.

 

[jdong217]

Yes, you're right - it's 2.5 on the 105mm. One more question: I also have an old Nikon 50mm f/1.8 manual lens (It says Series E on the rim). I know 1.8 is an asset, but does this have significant advantage over, say, the 18-55mm lens?

 

[MTVision]

It's a better lens than the kit lens 18-55mm. The only downside is the manual focus but if you are good at it then it doesn't matter. Jeez - you have alot of lenses huh? Have fun with them. Glad you figured out the 105mm!

 

[KmH]

Nikon's E-Series lenses was a less expensive consumer line of lenses. Nikon F-mount - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jdong217]

Thanks for the responses guys! Would it be worth it for me to carry around the 50mm with me and learn how to use it, or should I invest in the 50mm AF or AF-S f/1.8 Nikkor lens?

 

[mwcfarms]

Why spend more money when you can learn to use what you have properly first. Yes sure auto focus is superb but learning to manually focus, compose and expose is a priceless skill.