Nikon 18-200mm AF-S f/3.5-5.6 and Weddings

D40 · Jun 21, 2007

Well, I was wandering if this lense would make a good wedding/ portrait lens. If anyone has used it or heard anything about it, I would love to hear what you have to say. Also, I have the D40 and now that I am learning more I am wandering if I may want to upgrade to say a D80 or D200? I will first be getting a good lens like the one in question but for shooting weddings and portraits I was wandering if I would be better off getting a D80 body to go with the new lens and use the D40 as a backup? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated

JIP · Jun 21, 2007

First of all DO NOT BUY THAT LENS!!!!. If you are seriously considering charging people to shoot their weddings you will be doing them a serious dis-service if you use that lens. Second if as I previously said you are going to shoot weddings and you are trying to choose a second body get the D200. The D200 is a better body to stand up to the day to day abuse of portrait and wedding photography. If you need to wait to afford it do it you already have an acceptable body start with. The D40 will be an acceptable backup to the D200 but your lens selection is limited.

Big Mike · Jun 21, 2007

If you want to be a wedding photographer...it would be very advantageous to buy fast lenses. That means zoom lenses with a maximum aperture of F2.8 across the whole zoom range.

For example, the 17-55 F2.8

PNA · Jun 21, 2007

JIP said:
First of all DO NOT BUY THAT LENS!!!!.

Please state your reasons......I'm planning to buy one myself.

If it's just because of the wedding use, OK, but are there any other reasons?????

D40 · Jun 21, 2007

Thanks for the advise, so you do think that I should save up for the D200? As far as the bads I have heard about that lens:

Lens creep is pretty bad on it.
Image quallity is not as good as it should be for a $750 lens.

Ok, I see your points on the faster lens but I would like something with a little more zoom than a 55mm. Do you have any suggestions that you feel are good quallity lenses?

Thanks, I love all the advise and yes the D40 makes a great backup as it is small and easy to carry

D40 · Jun 21, 2007

I may be shaddowing a wedding photographer on Sat. and I think that will be some good experience

I am looking forward to it a lot! Do any of you wedding Photographers have any tips, things to keep an eye on? I am hoping to learn a lot from this photographer who I will be shadowing but I know I can count on the fokes on this site as well which is comforting

Thanks guys (galls)!

sabbath999 · Jun 21, 2007

The 18-200 VR is an excellent lens, but it is absolutely the wrong lens for wedding photography.

The 18-200 is super for candid photography, where you will be shooting in low light situations using long shutter speeds... it is also great for taking general pictures... my wife shoots hers exclusively at the zoo.

Being a superzoom, it gives up a lot of sharpness (especially at the 200 end), and it is way too slow for church work. You want fast lenses that are absolutely tack sharp at all distances...

Weddings, if you do them right, are tricky. You need to be an absolute expert in lighting, posing, dealing with people, and you need to have the best equipment that you can get... and plenty of backup equipment. I shot weddings for years, and I tell you from my personal experience, it is very hard work that demands perfection (or as close as the shooter can get to it).

Having a D40 with a superzoom lens isn't going to cut it.

I love your idea of shadowing a pro to see how he or she does it... great plan.

Mike_E · Jun 21, 2007

D40 said:
I may be shaddowing a wedding photographer on Sat. and I think that will be some good experience I am looking forward to it a lot! Do any of you wedding Photographers have any tips, things to keep an eye on? I am hoping to learn a lot from this photographer who I will be shadowing but I know I can count on the fokes on this site as well which is comforting Thanks guys (galls)!

Sit down over coffee and ask what he/she would like you to do and what the plan of action is along with any time table. Also ask what you should not do -any pet peeves they have. After this you can ask what style they want you to shoot and ask for any hints/clarification on how to do what they want. You may not be getting paid but you should act like it- never be anything less than professional.

You might want to take this time to get a 24/28mm f2.8. (these shouldn't break the bank and will prove useful if you learn what the hyperfocal is)

Good luck and enjoy. With any luck you may just get to be in an honest-to-goodness fairy tail where they really do get to live happily after!

m

JIP · Jun 21, 2007

PNA said:
Please state your reasons......I'm planning to buy one myself.

If it's just because of the wedding use, OK, but are there any other reasons?????

Having that kind of range in a lens always causes problems at the far ends of the focal lengths. If you look at reviews from people who have not already purchased that type of lens so they have no stake in it being a good lens you will find the overall consensus is that it is not a good lens. I guess if you want to compromise image quality for portability that is your choice but I can figure out alot better lenses to buy for $750.

sabbath999 · Jun 21, 2007

JIP said:
If you look at reviews from people who have not already purchased that type of lens so they have no stake in it being a good lens you will find the overall consensus is that it is not a good lens.

So it's better to take the word of somebody who has never shot a lens over somebody who has put ten or twenty thousand images on one?

Interesting.

Also, just curious where this "overall consensus" that people find the 18-200 VR "not a good lens" is coming from. I Googled "Nikon 18-200 review", and started reading the reviews from people who had actually tested the lens, and I perhaps I am blind, but I am finding it hard to find ANYBODY that has actually taken one out for a spin saying that the 18-200 lens "is not a good lens".

You don't have to trust me on this, Google it yourself. Check the first 5 or 6 pages, and click on the review sites to find out for yourself it they are saying it "is not a good lens".

hawee99 · Jun 21, 2007

I'm thinking of getting that VR lens to. Someone on here just offered to sell me there's. So any more info on the lens would be great. I have also read great reviews of it. I'm weak on the technical side. Can you explain why a F2.8 is better for weddings?

JIP · Jun 21, 2007

hawee99 said:
I'm thinking of getting that VR lens to. Someone on here just offered to sell me there's. So any more info on the lens would be great. I have also read great reviews of it. I'm weak on the technical side. Can you explain why a F2.8 is better for weddings?

To get a 2.8 max. aperture on a lens they need to use larger and sharper glass and more elements this translates to a higher quality lens. Add to that the fact that weddings are often shot in dark churches where flash may not be allowed and for a situation like this a fast lens is a necessity.

hawee99 · Jun 21, 2007

so even if my camera goes to that aperature, the lens will restrict it? maybe I should take a class. ahahaha

Stretch Armstrong · Jun 21, 2007

hawee99 said:
so even if my camera goes to that aperature, the lens will restrict it? maybe I should take a class. ahahaha

Think about pouring paint through a funnel into an open gallon paint can. The funnell is the lens; the camera is the can.

It matters not what size the can opening is. The funnel controls.

AdamZx3 · Jun 21, 2007

JIP said:
To get a 2.8 max. aperture on a lens they need to use larger and sharper glass and more elements this translates to a higher quality lens. Add to that the fact that weddings are often shot in dark churches where flash may not be allowed and for a situation like this a fast lens is a necessity.

+1

Also I have shot the 18-200 lens and It would make a great travel lens, or multi purpose lens. it has a very wide focal range and the VR system which on my 70-300vr is a lifesaver at times. While I agree using a trained eye, it may be a bit soft at 200mm however the portability makes up for it. A little unsharp mask and its all better. It is a bit pricey though, but for certain uses can be great. I am going to sell my kit 18-135 for one of these, a bit more focal length and VR. It may let in a lot of light but its easy to shoot at 1/30 and have sharp pictures, even at 1/15 with burst mode

back on subject however I would recommend these lenses for wedding (I prefer the canon's on a professional level however nikons glass is good too)

Bodys:
D200 or at least a D80 body (well maybey the D300 when its time to upgrade

) While the D40 is a great value I would not shoot that as my main body, mainly lens compatibility and autofocus would be my concern

Lenses:

70-200 VR 2.8 for those candid photojournalistic style shots
28-70 2.8 great all around lens
85mm 1.4 good for low light situations

and maybe a fisheye used sparingly.