First of all i would like to say sorry if there´s any thread out there already with this subject.
I bought today a Nikkor 50mm-f/1.8 lens for my Nikon D80. I am a complete rookie with this machine (one week only in my hand), so it came with the 18-70 kit lens and after reading several reviews about this lens and with a very interesting price i´ve decided to buy it.

This said, my questions are probably ridiculous for most of you but ... this is why i come to a forum - to learn with people that just like me had doubts in the past. http://www.dcresource.com/forums/ima...s/rolleyes.gif

1-You don´t touch this lens at all right? it´s autofocus and it has no zoom ring so once you put it into the D80 you never touch it again (only to remove it)?
2-There´s a ring with a scale in the back of the lens that range from 22 to 1.8 and there´s a white mark on top of it (22), does that ever changes manually or stays like that? How?
3-When Using this lens you need to move closer/far to objects since you have no zoom ring, so it´s logical that you establish a minimum range to take the pics, right? what´s that range?

Thanks to you all for your patience ...
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/ima...ies/tongue.gif

p.s - any tips would be greatly appreciated

Joao Ferreira wrote: Unless you want to switch to Manual Focus. Then, you can use the focus ring. If you're taking photos in very dark conditions where the Autofocus can't lock, manual focus can come in handy.

That's your aperture ring. With modern cameras, the aperture is controlled electronically from the camera. Leave it set to the smallest available aperture (reperesented by the highest available f/stop number). That's f/22 with this lens.

The aperture ring is only there for backwards compatibility purposes. Newer G series Nikkor lenses don't have an aperture ring.

That lens can focus from approximately 1.5 feet to infinity.

Thanks Jim!

I´m already starting to get used to it now ... it´s kind of hard changing back to the original lens (18-70), since this one makes such amazing pictures.

I will buy a new lens soon, just to make sure i can move on all areas, so i was scouting for azoom lenses, and i was thinking about the 18-200VR or 70-300VR...

What will you advise me to go for? or any other lens you think i might look for...



Thanks in advance

That depends on what you like to shoot, and the conditions you plan on shooting in.

Your 18-70mm is likely a higher quality lens compared to something like the 18-200mm (even though it's well liked). It's also a brighter lens. Of course, it doesn't have the range from wide to long that you get with an 18-200mm, if you really need it. Ditto for VR (if you need it). There are tradeoffs with any lens decision.

Did you just get this camera? If so, you may want to use what you have for a while before deciding on more lenses, so that you'll have a better idea of where your existing lenses may be lacking (i.e., do you need something longer and/or brighter for the subjects you like to shoot and the conditions you're shooting in).

If you already have an idea of what you want (for example, a lens for wildlife or sports use), I'd probably start a new thread in the Nikon Lenses Forum and get some input from Nikon shooters on how the lenses you're interested in compare.

The conditions you plan on using one in will have a big impact on what works best. For example, you may need a brighter f/2.8 zoom if you plan on using a lens in existing light more often. But, that adds size, weight and cost and you won't find f/2.8 lenses with a focal range like 18-200mm (because the lens would be too large to be practical).

There are pros and cons to any of them (size, weight, focal range, brightness, distortion, focus speed, etc.)

Thanks once more Jim!



Probably you´re right ... i´ll use and abuse whati have till i find what´s my needs...

I have the D80 for 2 weeks now, it came with the 18-70 (which seems to a very good lens imo) and i recently bought the 50-f/1.8 for it´s features and price.

The subjects i like the most to take pictures are wildlife and sports - i do love this two subjects more than anything else - so that´s the reason to pick a zoom lens ... anyway i would like some piece of advise before i get one of those lenses ... so i will save it for future reference...



Thanks All

Jim,

Did I understand you to say that the 18-70 kit lens is of a higher quality than the 18-200VR? That sounds a little strange considering their $50-100 cost with the camera?

jq wrote: I don't see any of the popular vendors bundling the D80 with that lens in a kit. So, I don't know what it would add. I'd think it would add more than that to a kit price though.

Here's what I said:

If it were me, I'd probably want the lower CA of the 18-70mm if I were choosing between them, and I don't use longer focal lengths much anyway.

Read some reviews, look at some images, and decide for yourself which lens would be better for your needs and the conditions you'll use one in. Any lens choice is a compromise. ;-)

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...3545/index.htm

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/len...56vr/index.htm


http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showp...uct/131/cat/13

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showp...uct/250/cat/13

Joao,

I bought the same lens today.

Set the aperture ring to 22. You will notice a small red locking switch, flip that, so that the ring is LOCKED at F22.

This is a 50mm lens, which becomes about a 75mm lens because of the x1.5 multiplying factor of your sensor size. It is fixed at this length, so you areright, it does not zoom. It is a good portrait lens and excellent for low light shots.

When it is on your D80, turn the top dial to 'A' ie shoot in apperture and rotate your front wheel to force the aperture to f1.8 This will give you EXCELLENT low light shooting ability (increase your ISO if need be).

In bright light, turn your top dial to 'P', this will generally set the lens to around f4.5, and automatically brings down the camera shutterspeed to something that the camera can physically cope with.

I bought this lens because I recently went on a wildlife holiday and went into a hide at night to view badger and Pine Marten.there were some dimelectric lights outside the hide and my 70-300 VR really struggled, even at highest ISO. This 50mm f1.8 would have givenme much better results in that lighting.

Yes this will allow the most light into the lens for low light situations, at this aperature DOF is very thin and the lens is notoriously soft. You'll typically get better results at f2.0 or f2.8 (that is if the lighting allows it...sometimes you have no choice)

Thanks Rjseeny, that reduces the learning curve

norm