# Amateur Photographer in need of guidance on Lenses



## Tempest501 (Aug 15, 2012)

Hi Guys,

I really need some help as I have been using a Fuji Finepix s9500 for years but have finally upgraded to a proper DSLR and I am very excited. The Finepix had a lense of 28-300mm. I am trying to not spend to much money as I spent alot on the camera and do not have much spare cash at the moment. I loved the vesatility of the s9500 it was brilliant so my question is what lense should i get , I saw a nikon one of same  spec but is over £700 and cant afford it yet. My question is do I go for something lower spec or brand or should I wait? I saw a Sigma lense which was quite reasonable but would like to get the opinion from some people using DSLR as my experience in this area is limited and I have no idea what to do.

Thank you in advance for your advice and if you want to check any of my work its is here: Shane Walton | Redbubble

Sorry forgot to mention I have a D5100 now


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## KmH (Aug 15, 2012)

It would help if you mention what make and model DSLR camera body you have.


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## Tempest501 (Aug 15, 2012)

KmH said:


> It would help if you mention what make and model DSLR camera body you have.



Sorry its been a long day for me today. Added to my post its a Nikon D5100


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## Tempest501 (Aug 15, 2012)

bump


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## MLeeK (Aug 15, 2012)

Your post is really confusing. I am assuming you are wishing for a lens to cover the same range that the fuji does? 
The problem with DSLR lenses that cover a HUGE range like that are a huge compromise in quality and in lower light capability. 
What is your budget? It's obviously not £700, so can you give us an idea what IS doable?


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## o hey tyler (Aug 15, 2012)

Tempest501 said:
			
		

> bump



There is absolutely no need to bump your thread in the same day, especially not less than 30 minutes after the last post.

I would not suggest the purchase of a 28-300mm lens to anyone. But that is my personal opinion. You can find cheaper telephoto lenses for less money, but also a shorter focal range. I would start with a 55-200mm.


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## KmH (Aug 15, 2012)

The bump was inappropriate. This is a forum, not a chat room.

To make it lightweight and compact, your D5100 does not have an auto focus motor or auto focus screw drive mechanism in it. FWIW, none of Canon's DSLRs do either.

However, Nikon's full size DSLR's, like the D90, D7000, and more expensive models *do* have an auto focus motor or auto focus screw drive mechanism in them.

If you want auto focus, look for AF-_*S*_, rather than just *AF* Nikon lenses.

Nikon has some older lenses that don't have an auto focus motor in them, so those lenses are manual focus only when mounted on your D5100.

Third party lenses cost less for several reasons. They use less expensive optics and other materials, get less quality assurance on the assembly line, etc.

Most importantly is that materials and workmanship fall within a much wider range of acceptability (tolerence), which means one 3rd party lens of a specific make and model may perform noticeably better (or worse) than the next lens on the assembly line. The 'or worse' lenses having more materials and workmanship from close to unacceptable ends of the tolerance range. 

Next you need to consider the difference in the size of the image sensor the Finepix had to the size of the image sensor the D5100 has. the 28-300 mm the Finepix claimed likely was an 'equivelent' 28-300 mm rather than actually being 28-300 mm. Image sensor size can involve a 'crop ratio' that affects the field-of-view (FoV) a lens delivers. Indeed the D5100's image sensor has a 1.5x 'crop factor' that make the FoV of a lens mounted on the D5100 an 'equivelent' to the same lens mounted on a camera that has an image sensor the same size as a 35 mm frame of film.


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## o hey tyler (Aug 15, 2012)

KmH said:


> none of Canon's DSLRs do either.



However, all Canon DSLRs, entry level to professional grade autofocus with all of Canon's lenses since 1987 with the exception of TS lenses.


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## Tempest501 (Aug 16, 2012)

Sorry for the confusion, I was thinking of spending between £200-500. Thanks for the info in looking out for AF-S so I can auto focus I would have been gutted if I bought a lense and could not use the cameras autofocus. So people recommend going with a 55-200mm first are there any that you guys would recommend. Sorry for unrequired bump its because I use another site where your post get lost within a half hour and as I forgot to add camera that is why I bumped. Sorry anyway.


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## Akshay112 (Aug 16, 2012)

Have a look at Nikon d3100 or d3200 best entry level cameras


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## CouncilmanDoug (Aug 16, 2012)

did you really use the 300mm in your fuji? And what lens do you have now? 18-55?


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## KmH (Aug 17, 2012)

o hey tyler said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > none of Canon's DSLRs do either.
> ...


 Yep! In 1987 Canon abandoned their FD lens mount, and introduced the EOS system/EF-mount that had no backwards compatibility. The change was made to accommodate the addition of auto focus to their entire line of cameras and lenses. Canon did offer a somewhat expensive adapter that allowed using FD-mount lenses on EF-mount cameras.
However, the change also ended development and manufacture of the older FD lens line, and FD capable Canon cameras, to the consternation of FD capable equipment owners. 
In 2003 Canon introduced the EF-S lens mount. Canon EF-S lenses will not mount on Canon EF (full frame) camera bodies, though EF lenses will mount on Canon crop sensor (EF-S)cameras.


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## MLeeK (Aug 17, 2012)

Akshay112 said:


> Have a look at Nikon d3100 or d3200 best entry level cameras


He didn't ask for what CAMERA to buy. He's already got a D5100. He's looking for the best lens in his budget.


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## Tempest501 (Aug 17, 2012)

I have the 18-55 that came with the camera and it seems really nice its just really limiting on the Zoom.  With regards to did I use the 300mm. Not all the time but I have used it yes. I saw some reasonable one that go up to 200mm do you think this will be good or should i just wait and get the 28-300mm. I dont want to comprimise image quality to much. 

So confused as what to do lol


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## eric1971 (Aug 17, 2012)

I think the Nikon 55-200 vr would be a great lens for you.  For the price, it is a pretty decent lens.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/486717-USA/Nikon_2166_AF_S_DX_VR_Zoom_Nikkor.html


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## MLeeK (Aug 17, 2012)

Tempest501 said:


> I have the 18-55 that came with the camera and it seems really nice its just really limiting on the Zoom.  With regards to did I use the 300mm. Not all the time but I have used it yes. I saw some reasonable one that go up to 200mm do you think this will be good or should i just wait and get the 28-300mm. I dont want to comprimise image quality to much.
> 
> So confused as what to do lol


I would not expect the 28-300 to be of the same quality of the kit lens. For all of the bad rap the kit gets, it's actually a pretty amazingly decent lens. I'd go with the 55-200 VR mentioned. Between the two lenses you would have coverage from even wider to the equivalent of about 280mm with pretty decent quality


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## Derrel (Aug 17, 2012)

o hey tyler said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > none of Canon's DSLRs do either.
> ...



Well, 75% correct... NONE of the Canon EF-S lenses work on the Original Digital Rebel bodies NOR do they work on the D30, nor on the D60, nor on the 10D. And NONE of the Canon EF-S lenses work on the 1.3x 1D series digital bodies, NOR do they work on the full-frame 1Ds-series digital SLRs, NOR do any of the Canon EF-S lenses work on any of the three 5-D series bodies...and of course, the Canon EF-S lenses don't work on the Canon EOS film bodies...

So, no...your statement is actually quite wrong and quite, quite incomplete...

Seems like a pretty MAJOR blunder, to forget the entire Canon EF-S lens line...oh wait...it was an overarching, fanboy, rah-rah Canon! post...


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## MLeeK (Aug 17, 2012)

Derrel said:


> o hey tyler said:
> 
> 
> > KmH said:
> ...



Derrel, you can give up trying to goad tyler now, remember... he flounced.


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## Derrel (Aug 17, 2012)

I hate to let a MAJOR, major factual error go uncorrected. Yes, he left, but he said he'd be back...and he's probably checking these pages today. YOU happened to have "LIKED" his error-filled post...did you too forget that *Canon's EF-S lenses are basically USELESS on all but the VERY-newest 1.6x Canon bodies*, and will not only not autofocus, but will not even FUNCTION on the 1.3x and FF and the older 1.6x Canon bodies??? I mean, *why did you give a "Like" to a technically inaccurate, fanboyish statement, MLeek???*

Compare Canon's EF-S debacle with the way NIKON's "DX" series of lenses will actually* MOUNT, autofocus, meter, and shoot when mounted *ONTO FX bodies, and will automatically set the camera to DX-capture format...OR, how with some DX Nikkor lenses, in some cases, their image circle will fill "amost" the entire FX frame, and *will fill* the 4:5 aspect frame of the D3 and D4s series bodies at all but their most extreme wide-angle settings...

When a Canon user buys an EF-S lens, that lens is USELESS on ANYTHING except the very-newest models of APS-C Canons...


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