What do these lenses specialize in?

[Taylorl813]

Hello,

I've been using both of these lenses with a d3200 that I purchased recently and I've gotten lots of good shots. However, I am wondering what are these lenses are each good for and which lens I should purchase next? I would like to be able to take pictures in lower light/night without a tripod and I'm only willing to spend 50-150 dollars, I am also comfortable with a good quality used.

AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G <== I own
AF-S NIKKOR 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G <== I own


Thank you,



Taylor

 

[ronlane]

Those two lenses are kit lenses. They are a "jack of all trades, master of none" lens.

For shooting in low light/night without a tripod, you are going to need "faster" glass. This is ones with apertures like 2.8, 2.0, 1.8, 1.4.

For the price you list, you should look at the 50mm f/1.8 lens. I'm not as versed in which Nikon version have auto focus motors or will work best with your D3200.

 

[Braineack]

almost every beginner photographer's next lens is either the 35mm 1.8G or the 50mm 1.8G.

 

[Derrel]

D3200 can use older, pre-Ai or Non-AI lenses, Ai, and Ai-S series, and AF and AF-D series lenses. Available used, inexpensively. NO AUTOMATION with the pre-Ai or Ai or Ai-S models however, but those cost very little in some models.

 

[Designer]

I'm only willing to spend 50-150 dollars, I am also comfortable with a good quality used.

These are available all over, and this is one of the advertisers here. I searched on mpb for a Nikon 50mm 1.8 G lens.

Ooops! I attempted to post a link to the search results, but it reverted to the search start page. But you can search just as well.

They have 6 examples, and other resellers have them as well.

 

[Designer]

 

[KmH]

The 18 mm to 55 mm lens ranges between wide angle and a normal angle focal length.
The 55-200 ranges from normal to telephoto.

I have 3 lenses and they also range from 18 to 200 mm.
I have the same 18-55 mm f/3.5-f/5.6G VR II lens you have.

These next 2 are older D type lenses that can't auto focus on 'compact' D3x00 or D5x00 DSLRs because the lenses AF using a focus motor in the camera the 'compact' Nikon's don't have.
I have a 24-85 mm f/2.8-f/4D lens that also has a 1:2 close up (macro) capability from 35 mm to 85 mm.
I have an 80-200 mm f/2.8D lens.

In most low light situations you're still better off using a tripod even if you have a 'faster', or larger maximum lens aperture that can gather more light, f/2.8 or f/1.8 lens.
Fast lenses generally need to be 'stopped down' to get sharp focus, because as the aperture gets larger the lens uses more of the glass lens elements out towards the edge where it is harder for the lens engineers to correct optical aberrations.

That extra design and engineering usually also means using better materials which is why 'fast' lenses generally cost more.
So if you have an f/2.8 lens you'll usually get sharper focus by stopping the lens down to at least 1 stop to f/4, which is close to the max aperture of you 18-55 near 18 mm.

Camera Lenses

• Understanding Camera Lenses: Focal Length & Aperture
• Using Wide Angle Lenses
• Using Telephoto Lenses

 

[lance70]

The glass you have is a good starting point and is a beginner kit lens.....At your price point I would look into a 35mm or 50mm, can't go wrong with either one and it will give you great results and allow for shooting in lower light as you mentioned.

 

[Taylorl813]

D3200 can use older, pre-Ai or Non-AI lenses, Ai, and Ai-S series, and AF and AF-D series lenses. Available used, inexpensively. NO AUTOMATION with the pre-Ai or Ai or Ai-S models however, but those cost very little in some models.

You're saying the d3200 CAN use AF? I thought it was specifically AF-S

And thank you, everyone! I think my next lens will be either the 35 or the 50. Not sure yet.

 

[TCampbell]

The notion of using a camera in low-light depends on several factors.

With a 35mm film camera or "full frame" camera, the photographer who practices good hand-holding techniques (so there's a condition) can probably hold a camera steady enough to take a shot at a shutter speed of 1/focal-length with reasonable success. That means if you had a full-frame camera (your camera is not full-frame) then a 200mm focal length might be hand-held at shutter speeds of 1/200th sec or faster. A 50mm lens would require 1/50th sec or faster.

Your camera isn't a full-frame camera. It has a crop-factor of 1.5x. So the formula would be adjusted 1/(focal-length x crop-factor) or 1/(focal-length x 1.5)

In other words, if using a 50mm lens, it becomes 1/75 sec exposure time. If the shutter speed is 1/75th sec or faster then you can probably successfully hold the camera without a tripod if you practice good hand-holding techniques.

Some lenses have built-in image stabilization. The stabilization improves your odds of success and is usually based in stops of shutter speed... most image stabilization (depending on who makes the lens they'll call this "IS" or "VR" or "OS" or maybe something else) is good for at least 1-2 stops. Some better lenses improve it down to 3 or even 4 stops. Having image-stabilization isn't a guarantee of success... but it dramatically tilts the odds in your favor. You'll still occasionally get the shot where the stabilization didn't save you from camera shake.

Good hand-holding technique means things like:

• legs in a wide-stance (think "baseball stance") with your body weight centered over your legs (you aren't leaning)
• arms are supporting the camera from below with elbows tucked in to your stomach -- don't have your elbows out sideways)
• rest the camera on something if you can ... or lean on something solid if you can (a post, a fence, a tree, a wall, etc.)

If your muscles are working to keep you steady then your camera is likely to shake. But if you put your center of gravity over your legs then you're basically using your bones to hold yourself up -- not your muscles. If your elbows are tucked in supporting the camera from below then they "brace" the camera to your body core ... rather than supporting the camera with your arms (if your elbows are not tucked in).c You can find videos that explain these techniques.

Aside from those techniques, and the help you get from in-camera or in-lens image stabilization systems... put the camera on something that doesn't move (which could be a tripod ... or it could be anything you can find int the environment.)

Lower focal ratio lenses (e.g. the 50mm f/1.8 ... or 50mm f/1.4 are examples of low focal ratios) will allow the camera to collect considerably more light... but at the trade off of a shallower depth of field. For some subjects it might be too shallow.

 

[Designer]

D3200 can use older, pre-Ai or Non-AI lenses, Ai, and Ai-S series, and AF and AF-D series lenses. Available used, inexpensively. NO AUTOMATION with the pre-Ai or Ai or Ai-S models however, but those cost very little in some models.

You're saying the d3200 CAN use AF? I thought it was specifically AF-S

Derrel's comment written in ALL CAPS said "NO AUTOMATION", meaning that you would NOT get the camera to auto focus the lenses. Your camera will need a focusing motor built into the lenses, which will be designated "AF-S".

Those older lenses using a screw-drive motor in the camera would require you to focus manually.

 

[Designer]

To get right to the point of the question you asked in the title of this thread: "What do these lenses specialize in?"

Those lenses "specialize" in getting cameras into the hands of beginners. They are priced right (usually bundled with a camera kit) and are "matched" to the camera to give acceptable results for no great cost. They will serve you well as you are learning your camera and gaining experience.

 

[KmH]

You're saying the d3200 [sic] CAN use AF?

Your D3200 has a feature called Rangefinder, that helps you manually focus a lens that communicates distance (D) information to the AF module in the camera, but that does not have an AF motor in the lens.
See page 142 of your D3200 Reference Manual.
Also see pages 167 for Compatible Lenses, and page 169 for Compatible Non-CPU Lenses information.

 

[ac12]

Between the 35 and 50, YOU need to decide is you want a "normal" lens or a short tele.
DX 35mm = FX 53mm, DX 50 = FX 75mm

I had this same quandry and finally went with the 35 on my DX camera, because for ME, it let me shoot closer and wider. Because many times I want to use a faster lens closer, rather than a more distant scene.
So you have to think about the same thing.

One way is to look at what focal length you shot more with your 18-55, 35 or 50?

But the curve ball is that I would pull out the 35/1.8 for LOW light work, not general daylight shooting. So just looking at your historical photos may not tell you the right story, if most of the photos were daylight shots.

 

[Taylorl813]

Good hand-holding technique means things like:

• legs in a wide-stance (think "baseball stance") with your body weight centered over your legs (you aren't leaning)
• arms are supporting the camera from below with elbows tucked in to your stomach -- don't have your elbows out sideways)
• rest the camera on something if you can ... or lean on something solid if you can (a post, a fence, a tree, a wall, etc.)

Lower focal ratio lenses (e.g. the 50mm f/1.8 ... or 50mm f/1.4 are examples of low focal ratios) will allow the camera to collect considerably more light... but at the trade off of a shallower depth of field. For some subjects it might be too shallow.

Thank you for this! I never even considered changing how I stand or depth of field.