going krazy finding a lens

[chris21908]

well i have been looking for a portrait zoom lens. im looking for something under $500 new/used if possible, 2.8 aperture and a range between 70-200.
some examples of lenses i have been looking at are the sigma 70-200 2.8, tamron 70-200. the nikon version is too expeneive for now! I don't know what to buy. i would like one of these lenses for portraits.

another lens i would like to have is something like the tokina 28-70 or 28-80 but they are impossible 2 find, especially for nikon! i would love to have the tokina! its frustrating! anything in mind? preferably 2.8 aperture and no more than $400

 

[AverageJoe]

I had a Tokina lens, I sold it on ebay, couldn't stand it from a quality standpoint. Why do you want a ton of zoom for a portrait camera? 200mm is a bit crazy of a zoom lens for doing portraits.

Have you thought about getting a prime lens? I'm not sure what's available for Nikon but I'm sure they have a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8.

 

[chris21908]

which tokina lens did you have? i never really heard anything but good things about them. i had the 12-24 and i loved it!

 

[AverageJoe]

It was a 19-35mm. The Canon 18-55mm is better for every reason.

 

[djacobox372]

I picked up a used tamron 70-210 f/2.8 for about $350 last year. Very nice lens, built like a tank, tack-sharp everywhere but wide-open. They don't come up often on ebay, but if you keep looking you'll find one. KEH sometimes carries them but you'll pay a lot more hten ebay, there's one on keh right now for $365, but the condition is listed as BGN, so I'd stay away.

 

[joecoulsonphotography]

go w/ the Sigma

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikk...ex-hsm-apo-dg-macro-nikon-review--test-report

 

[Antithesis]

I had a Sigma 70-200 for a while, one of the older ones. It worked well enough but it was pretty soft wide open. Ok, reallly, really soft wide open. But at f4 it was tack sharp.

I've heard really good things about the Tokina standard zooms like your looking for too. I've had good experiences with Tokina as well.

 

[reg]

there's one on keh right now for $365, but the condition is listed as BGN, so I'd stay away.

If you were to order something in BGN from them, I think you'd find it in line with Good or even Excellent from anywhere else. I personally expected more from a ballhead in "Excellent" condition from Adorama, it had the little rubber pads on the QR plate missing, and a pretty large nick on the corner of the ballhead.

I wouldn't call it excellent by any standard, and in line or worse than BGN from keh.

 

[epp_b]

The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF-D is an optically-great lens and it's only $100-and-some brand new. I can't speak for the bokeh on this lens, but, on the older Series E / AI version, it isn't spectacular.

 

[den9]

my suggestion would be to shell out 900 and get a 80-200mm f/2.8
it sounds like thats exactly what your looking for, and it will last you forever and its a professional lens, maybe buy used if you can find a good deal.