lenses lenses!

[ajmall]

i know you loose focal length when using regualr lenses on a dig slr but how badly does that effect pictures if at all or is it the same as using a converter?

i'm thinking of investing in a nikon dig slr (i use an F80 (N80 US) at the mo) but i also want a couple more lenses for the F80. is it worth spending money on these lenses or should i just save the money for the dig slr and get a dig lens?

does anyone use "normal" lenses on their dig slr, if so what's it like?

thanks

Andrew

 

[photobug]

Andrew, I think you have that wrong way 'round.

DSLR's use the center portion of the lens circle. Thus they give the same apparent field of view as a longer lens, not a shorter one. There is no optical penalty for this "bonus" length factor.

Ex: on a DSLR with a 1.5 "crop factor" a 50mm lens gives the same field of view as a 75mm lens on a 35mm film body. Herbert Keppler has a nice article comparing a Pentax *istD to a *ist (film) body in the new Popular Photography & Imaging magazine. You should check it out.

The advantage is you can get some great shots of wildlife without spending tons of money on glass.

The disadvantage is it's very difficult to go wide angle. The choices are very limited in this regard.

If you plan to continue to shoot both film and digital, buy 35mm lenses. You can't (without some serious vignetting) use a digital (small lens circle) lens on a film camera. Nor could you use the digital lens on a full frame digital sensor (Kodak SLR/n) for the same reason.