D300s Lens questions

barfastic · Nov 1, 2009

Heya,

so, time has come to order some glass

Since i like shooting landscapes, iw as thinking of starting off with a wide angle lens. I feel very tempted to buy the 14-24 f/2.8 although the price is quite steep. I was also looking at the sigma 10-22 (some people claim that the variable apeture one is better than the stable 3.5 one, is this true?), as well as some Tokina lenses. 11-16 f/2.8 to be precise. Any ideas?

Secondly, i am looking into a macro lens. I think i will go with the Sigma 150 f/2.8. the other one i was considering was the 200mm Nikon but it is f/4 and i think that losing 50mm for the advantage of more light is worth it. what do you guys think?

Secondly, i want a "general purpose" lens to carry around when i dont feel like carrying all my gear around. Ive read reviews on the 18-200 VRII and i think that for its price it is worth having. do you guys have any other recommendations?

So what do you guys recommend for a wide angle, a macro, and a general purpose lens?

chip · Nov 1, 2009

the Nikon 105mm f2.8 micro VR is a great lens for macro photography - I have one and love it!!! Also great for portraits.

The 14-24mm is a full frame lens and I would not use it on a D300s DX camera.

Wolverinepwnes · Nov 2, 2009

the 18-200 VRII is a great all around lens, and for the macro, if i were you I would go with the Nikon! its a better brand and better glass

benhasajeep · Nov 2, 2009

I have a couple D300's. For really wide shots I picked the Tokina 11-16. It's a very good lens. But slightly soft at F/2.8. Sharp at all other settings. It's not horrable soft at f/2.8 but it is noticeable.

As for macro. The longer the lens the further you can be away from the subject and still get 1:1 ratio. I have the older Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF-D lens. And it works well even with some extension tubes on it. If money were out of the picture. I would definately choose the longer 200mm.

For a walk around lens, just about any of the super zooms are decent. They all have their drawbacks just due to their design of having a large range from very wide to telephoto. I don't happen to have one. For normal walking around I normally have a 35-70 f/2.8 on. With a 80-200 f/2.8 in the waiting.

KmH · Nov 2, 2009

Just beware that the Nikon 18-200 has some pretty wicked distortion, both barrel and pincushion, at various focal lengths, particularly the short end.

I'd recommend taking a close look at DP Review.com's technical evaluation of the lens.

Patrice · Nov 2, 2009

chip said:
the Nikon 105mm f2.8 micro VR is a great lens for macro photography - I have one and love it!!! Also great for portraits.

The 14-24mm is a full frame lens and I would not use it on a D300s DX camera.

Why ever would you not use one of best wide zooms currently made anywhere by anyone on a D300?

Derrel · Nov 2, 2009

Why would one not want to put the 14-24mm Zoom~Nikkor on a lightweight body like a D300s? 14-24 = 21 to 36mm effective FOV and it weighs 35.3 ounces or approximiately 1,000 grams. And it costs $1,830 from B&H Photo. And it offers only 10 different focal lengths in an obscenely large lens that cannot accept filters, has a very exposed front element, and offers only wide-angle angles of view on APS-C Nikon bodies. The lens weighs more than the body and makes the body nose-dive every single second it is mounted. Body weight of the D300s is 29.63 ounces or 840 grams. D300s retail is $1699 at B&H.

The coffee can size of the 14-24 is a bit much for casual use,and the lens range really isn't that great for use on a crop-body. I can understand why many people would look for smaller,lighter alternatives with a wider range of useful focal lengths for many types of situations. That's exactly why Canon,Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron all offer lenses in the 17-50 or 17-55 or 18-50mm f/2.8 max aperture specification; crop-body users typically want convenience and are often looking for a lens with more "top end" than 24mm. The gulf between 24mm and 50 or 55mm on 1.5x is huge. The 14-24 was designed for heavy,large FX Nikon bodies for 'serious users'. Great lens, especially on FX, but has a few drawbacks that are pretty obvious too. Size,weight,price,no filters for landscape use, and a focal length range that is not well-suited to many social photography/family photography situations.

A Nikon's new VR-II equipped 300/2.8 is also a great lens, but it draws a lot of attention, is heavy,and offers superb performance. But at a family reunion, it's a liability.

jeff5897 · Nov 3, 2009

for you question, here are some photos taken by the lens you are considering..... you can download the original size and review the image quality then decide.

14-24 F2.8 G
Flickr Search Engine : Flickr original size search engine.
Tokina 11-16 F2.8
Flickr Search Engine : Flickr original size search engine.
Sigma 10-20
Flickr Search Engine : Flickr original size search engine.
Sigma 150 F2.8
Flickr Search Engine : Flickr original size search engine.
18-200 VR
Flickr Search Engine : Flickr original size search engine.

Montana · Nov 3, 2009

I would get the Nikon 14-24. Fantastic lens.

chip · Nov 3, 2009

The Nikon 14-24mm is the best wide angle lens ever produced - period. It is expensive but worth it. I am sure it will hold its value over time. It is a full frame lens though and if you put it on a DX body you end up with a 21.3-36.5mm lens. It is still pretty wide but not enough. You'd be better off with a 12-24mm DX or 10-24mm DX lens - if you really want a wide angle lens. I am a wide angle junkie so to me the wider the better!

Bevel Heaven · Nov 4, 2009

see my sig file below for my current lens/gear bag - the Nikkor 12-24 is small and works well at constant aperture throughout its range - it is a recent addition and I am still getting used to using it but the thing shows promise on multiple levels. I like how it seems to keep vertical things vertical.

My 'walk around' is the 17-55 or my 50. I owned an 18-200 a couple years ago but used it to partially finance the 70-200 I wanted - I will most likely buy another for longer trip/vacation use where I only want 1 lens and my flash along as it has such good range and works well for we use or small enlargments [not poster size]. Everyone who actually ownes one of them that I have talked to really loves it no matter what dp review or whatever say about it.

My macro is a 60mm which I use for portrait work as well as product shots for my other business. I actually flip flop between that and my 50 1.4 for product shots depending on how small etc.

Ultimately your decisions will be made based on what you are trying to accomplish and your budget. if you are making your living doing photography then you had get the best equipment you can muster [and training]. If you are just into photography or trying to impress your friends with your gear bag, well, that is another story.

Remember the best equipment will not make the best photos unless whats between your ears is properly trained and you understand how to use your gear.

Good luck in your decision ~~remember too that you an always rent glass to try it out to better make your decision.~~

barfastic · Nov 4, 2009

thanks for all your input guys. it turns out i ordered the 12-24 f/4 , and the 18-200 vrii.

its a shame there isnt any places available in Greece to rent lenses (that i know of).

thanks for all the input. i will get back to you with results etc

musicaleCA · Nov 4, 2009

I'll just note that I whole-heartedly agree with Derrel regarding the 14-24 on crop bodies. It's the same issue on Canon with the 17-40. Fantastic lenses, but not terribly useful ranges on crop sensors. Both Nikon and Canon provide for the more serious crop body users though, with lenses such as Nikon's 12-24, and Canon's 10-22. Both lenses are intended specifically for crop sensors, and offer very solid performance.

chip · Nov 10, 2009

musicaleCA said:
I'll just note that I whole-heartedly agree with Derrel regarding the 14-24 on crop bodies. It's the same issue on Canon with the 17-40. Fantastic lenses, but not terribly useful ranges on crop sensors. Both Nikon and Canon provide for the more serious crop body users though, with lenses such as Nikon's 12-24, and Canon's 10-22. Both lenses are intended specifically for crop sensors, and offer very solid performance.

right on

AtominoPhotoForum · Nov 14, 2009

Our D300 and D60: all around 16-85 VR, long end Sigma 50-200 OS HSM. Makro:
Nikon AIS 55/2.8, Sigma 50/2.8 EX (old), Kiron 105/2.8. Homepage BR Atomino