Recommended Zoom / Macro Lens

[rathalian]

Hi Guys,

First posting here and love it !

Ok, well after weeks of looking I am in lense hell....

I have a D70 with a sigma 18-50 DC which I want to replace with an all rounder lense (carrying more than one lense at this stage of my hobby is not really an option).

I want to have zoom and macro capability and don't have a huge budget.

I have looked at the tamron and sigma range of lenses and narrowed the field down to the following:

Tamron AF28-200mm F/3.8-5.6 XR Aspherical (IF) Super Zoom
SIGMA 18-125mm F3.5-5.6 DC
Tamron AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)

The two tamron lenses both start at 28mm (AKA x 1.5) which might be a problem for general landscape use.

I am open to suggestion. The thought of moving up in cost to a VR lense etc makes me cringe and I am not sure I would benefit from a lense more then double the cost. BTW - I have been looking on ebay (T-Dimensionals shop) as he appears to have some very good pricing however there is always the consideration of lense issues when buying overseas (very expensive to ship). I live in near Photo Continental - any comments on these guys (Brissy)

Yes this is another price vs quality thread. I am no longer a bachelor so dollar spending always gets audited these days LOL.

Cheers ahead....

[MattC]

Rathalian,

Welcome aboard.

The two lenses that I would be looking at if I was after a one lens does all is the Nikkor 28-200 or 24-120VR. No experience with either, but that is the direction that I would be looking in. Mega zooms tend to be a bit of a compromise but from what I have seen, Nikkon has done a pretty decent job of the Nikkor 28-200.
The 24-120VR may possibly fill your short term needs and also offer a path where you can purchase other lenses in the future (as funds permit) without making the 28-200 redundant. The prices that I have been seeing on the 24-120VR in recent times have been entirely reasonable. Besides the VR, it also has AFS which means snappy focus. This lens can be had for under a grand, which for a lens with VR and AFS is good value. Vanbar is currently selling these lenses for AU$880 which is more than competetive with some of the current OS prices, especially considering GST is already paid.
There seems to be quite a few people around who have combined the 24-120VR with a 12-24 (Nikkor or Sigma) and a Nikkor 70-200VR or 80-200 (or even the Sigma 70-200). This is the path that I would have taken if I had not fallen in love with primes.

My suggestion is to buy only quality glass. Buy once, buy right. I realise that there may be budget constraints (ie the other half), or that you may want only one lens for some other reason. My advice still stands. Quality lenses will still be serving you long after your D70 is gone.

Cheers

Matt

[rathalian]

Thanks Matt,

Re quality glass - I agree. Long after the pain of $$ is gone the pain of bad pictures will persist.

I have a good camera body and I don't want my $$$$$ digital slr camera to be an expensive equivalent to a non-slr zoom digital.

I'll add some more info to help the discussion -

I want to be able to take long distance shots (eg birds / moon) and close ups (eg spiders/flowers). My sigma lens (18-50) although not a super quality lens is a fun/good lens for learning and takes pretty good pics especially of general stuff (lanscapes..not super wide and indoor shots etc) as it seems to team well with the flash and doesnt hunt re focus.'

I used to do SLR stuff in school (too many years ago LOL) and loved it. I bought the D70 in Hong Kong and left it on Auto/programmed modes as I didn't know how to manually use it and the pics were great.

I am now starting to play with f steps (I love the long field of view !), shutter speeds, ISO ranges etc. I got some great shots down at the Brisbane Oxley Common - a great place for camera buffs to go to as there are over 70 species of birds there and numerous great nature shots....amazing sunrise shots taken on the weekend with a rolling fog over the common !

Although the appeal of a compact lens to cover all ranges is there from my reading there seems to be a general consensus in the longer term guys that a good zoom lens in addition to a general lens is the way to go.

Saying that you recommended some nikkor glass - anyone else want to stir the pot ?

[Onyx]

rathalian, I believe fellow member hunynhie has a Tamron 28-200 for sale, near new and quite cheap. If you head in that direction you might like to contact him.

Although I do largely agree with MattC's post. IMHO the "do it all" lenses rarely does it right.

[Glen]

Rathalian, I think Onyx's suggestion is perfect. Buy the 28-200 cheap, use it and when you find a limitation (either at the wide or tele end, or speed or macro) then buy another lens for that problem. Plus you will have more funds for the next lens. You will find there is rarely a do it all lens

[birddog114]

If I'm not wrong! It's sold to spada last Saturday at the mini meet.

[huynhie]

Rathalian,


If you are after a good cheap lense have a look at the 28-105mm Nikkor

you can get them quite cheap used, they are also cheap new. Dont worry too much about this lens not reaching the 200mm as you will find that those super zoom only reach 200mm at infinity focus. That is correct! They are not true 200mm lenses, it is only when you focus to infinity that they reach 200mm.

[huynhie]

If I'm not wrong! It's sold to spada last Saturday at the mini meet.

Correct the lens has been sold

[rathalian]

Thanks guys, this forum is a godsend.

I am having a blast and clarity has struck *ouch many sleepless nights LOL*.

I am now hunting down the NIKON 28-200mm F3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF lens.

Anyone have one up second hand ? ...off to checkout birdies prices (pipe in birdie )....and to convince my wife *I jest as long as I take pictures of nature she will spend a mint *

[rathalian]

Thanks all for your help with this - Thanks to birddog for following up on a quote.

I was able to get this at for $347 new from T-Dimensionals ebay shop (plus $80 postage/insurance) compared to best local/internet quote of $770 and up to $890 at Photo Continental.

I can recommend T-Dimensional although like all my camera accessory hunting I am finding that it normally isn't about always getting better prices from one place as prices vary so much (eg some of his stuff was on par to local stuff).

Birddog - I'll be going to you first of course again in the future however at half the price of AU prices....*sorry *

[birddog114]

rathalian,
Firstly, I haven't quote you the Nikon 28-200 G lens, cos I don't stock and do not list it as my normal stock

They are two versions of the Nikon 28-200

Your lens:
http://www.maxwell.com.au/products/niko ... 3556g.html

The Nikon 28-200G lens is cheaper than the Nikon 28-200 Nikon AF 3,5-5,6 (Two rings).

The difference in between the two is nearly US$200.00 with the Non G lens version.

The 28-200G lens is not the popular lens in the market, most of HKG sellers don't list it due to the lack of demand and its performance is similar to the Tamron or Sigma 28-200.

Tamron or Sigma lens prices as following: Sigma 28-200 AU$240.00) or 28-300 ($340.00) + shipping.

If people heading for that range, they will go with the Tamron or Sigma instead of.

[MCWB]

I have a Tamron AF-D 28-300 f/3.5-6.3 LD IF Macro that I'm looking to part with. Like you I started off with this lens as an 'all in one' walkaround lens, and it does the job decently. The flexibility of focal lengths is great, but the tradeoff is sharpness, especially wide open, however it improves as you stop down.

I also have the 24-120 VR (which I'm not looking to part with ), which is a nicer lens, albeit with less reach, and more cost.

If you're interested in the Tamron, shoot me a PM; it comes with a 72 mm UV filter that it's lived its whole life behind. I purchased it 7/9/2001 for $929, make me an offer.

[rathalian]

rathalian,
Firstly, I haven't quote you the Nikon 28-200 G lens, cos I don't stock and do not list it as my normal stock

They are two versions of the Nikon 28-200

Your lens:
http://www.maxwell.com.au/products/niko ... 3556g.html

The Nikon 28-200G lens is cheaper than the Nikon 28-200 Nikon AF 3,5-5,6 (Two rings).

The difference in between the two is nearly US$200.00 with the Non G lens version.

The 28-200G lens is not the popular lens in the market, most of HKG sellers don't list it due to the lack of demand and its performance is similar to the Tamron or Sigma 28-200.

Tamron or Sigma lens prices as following: Sigma 28-200 AU$240.00) or 28-300 ($340.00) + shipping.

If people heading for that range, they will go with the Tamron or Sigma instead of.

What is the main difference (glass wise - I don't care about the missing apeture ring and plastic mount) ? Re quote - the PM says $770 for the G model shipped (did you mean another model ?)

[birddog114]

rathalian
Once you asked me, I gave you the price for the D version, which is selling in Australia nearly or over $900.00 because the G version does not have many good report on the other sites and I don't stock both of them due they're the consumer lenses and no demand.
If you're asking the right stuff then you'll receive the right price.

As I mentioned earlier, if people tend to go to this lens, they will go for Tamron or Sigma and they do 100% better job both in quality and built than the Nikon 28-200G lens, cheaper, resale quicker and more affordable with the new DSLR users.

The last "Mint condition/ near new" Tamron 28-200 sold to spada, one of our member for $150.00.

Price quoted as $770.00 with GST including for:

Yes, it's for a Nikon AF-D 28-200mm 3.5-5.6 lens which you hardly find it. The one you got it Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5 -5.6G

The D version with:

Lens construction
- 16 element in 13 groups and weight 520grams
The G version:
- 12 elements in 11 groups and weight 360G.
And the G is half the cost of the D version, of course it has more glasses and better than the G

Same as the Nikon 70-300G is around $150- $190.00 while the Nikon 70-300 ED is more than double the price of the G series. BTW, the Nikon 28-200G is less than AU$300.00 + shipping of (AU$60.00)

[rathalian]

rathalian
Once you asked me, I gave you the price for the D version, which is selling in Australia nearly or over $900.00 because the G version does not have many good report on the other sites and I don't stock both of them due they're the consumer lenses and no demand.
If you're asking the right stuff then you'll receive the right price.

As I mentioned earlier, if people tend to go to this lens, they will go for Tamron or Sigma and they do 100% better job both in quality and built than the Nikon 28-200G lens, cheaper, resale quicker and more affordable with the new DSLR users.

The last "Mint condition/ near new" Tamron 28-200 sold to spada, one of our member for $150.00.

Price quoted as $770.00 with GST including for:

Yes, it's for a Nikon AF-D 28-200mm 3.5-5.6 lens which you hardly find it. The one you got it Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5 -5.6G

The D version with:

Lens construction
- 16 element in 13 groups and weight 520grams
The G version:
- 12 elements in 11 groups and weight 360G.
And the G is half the cost of the D version, of course it has more glasses and better than the G

Same as the Nikon 70-300G is around $150- $190.00 while the Nikon 70-300 ED is more than double the price of the G series. BTW, the Nikon 28-200G is less than AU$300.00 + shipping of (AU$60.00)

It looks like there was a miscommunication here as this was the PM u sent me:

rathalian wrote:
Are you able to supply the NIKON 28-200mm F3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF lens ?


*you replied* Sorry, not in stock but can order it for you and it's $770.00 delivered from o/s to your address as method II.

Had I thought you meant the D then it would have been a different story. Had you quoted the G (as indicated in my question) I would have bought it from you.

Oh well - nothing beats verbal comms

[birddog114]

rathalian wrote:

Are you able to supply the NIKON 28-200mm F3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF lens ?


*you replied* Sorry, not in stock but can order it for you and it's $770.00 delivered from o/s to your address as method II.

I thought: You asked for the NON G version.