[Recovered Thread: 82971]

[Idan]

First thanks for the replies. And indeed I feel that the best thing to do is to go to the nearest store and hold them both and maybe shoot some photos to really get the feeling of the camera. Like every tool, comfort and durability is an important element and my second question is: Body is body and those two perform well,

do you think It is a good idea to replace the Nikon D50 lens with the Nikon 50mm 1.8D lens?( I intend to shoot portraits and street and some macros and indoor photos.)

[JimC]

Idan wrote:

do you think It is a good idea to replace the Nikon D50 lens with the Nikon 50mm 1.8D lens? ( I intend to shoot portraits and street and some macros and indoor photos.)

Supplement versus replace if you're on a tight budget and need a general purpose walk around lens as well as a bright and sharp lens for existing light use; unless you plan on buying another lens to use with a bit more flexibility compared to a single prime (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, etc.).

It's a good idea to get a bright 50mm, regardless of the decision you make for a camera model and any walk around lens you choose. They're too good of a bargain to pass up (usually under $100.00).

You'll find inexpensive 50mm lenses from most manufacturers (for example, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Minolta 50mm f/1.7). They're all bright and sharp.

You could use just a 50mm (some photographers did that for years). But, you'll probably want something with a bit more flexibility, too.

I wouldn't overlook the used market either if you're on a tight budget. These guys all have used departments:

http://www.keh.com

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

http://www.adorama.com

There are more, but I don't want to give away all of my secrets (I'm still shopping). ;-)

Even though I've already got some Nikkor lenses (my 35mm gear is Nikon), I got a KM 5D in October, and I got all but a couple of my lenses for it used.

So far, I've got these for use with the KM 5D: Minolta 28mm f/2 (factory refurbished demo with warranty), 50mm f/1.7 (used), 100mm f/2 (used), 135mm f/2.8 (used), 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 (factory refurbished demo with warranty), 35-70mm f/4 Macro (used), 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 (kit lens that came with camera kit); Tamron 20-40mm f/2.7-3.5 (new in box, but at a very good closeout price), 35-105mm f/2.8 (used).

Because I went used for most of them, I paid a fraction of what these lenses would have cost me new. Yep, I've got some overlap, too. But, I bought 'em all "right", so I'll change 'em around as my preferences set in for one versus another over time and sell or replace as I go without really losing anything. It's easier to do that buying used. ;-)

If you're a careful and patient shopper, you can find some good deals.

[Idan]

Thanks for a great in-depth answer.

If I store and watch most of my images on my computer and rarely print them on 6x4 size photos, will I be better with the all purpose lenses like the sigma 18-200mm ?

[JimC]

That's a tough call....

If you shoot existing light, get yourself a bright lens, even if you're going to print at smaller sizes (one of those 50mm lenses would be a good idea).

As for a walk around lens, take a look at some of them in a store and get a feel for size, weight, and even AF speed if they'll let you try one on a camera (different lenses will focus faster or slower, and some will need more light compared to others in order to "see" well enough in less than optimum lighting).

As a general rule, the greater the difference between the widest and longest setting, the more compromises you'll make in quality.

But, at smaller print and viewing sizes, it really won't matter too much (as long as you're not trying to use it in low light).

The problem is that never is a very long time (even though you think you'll only need small prints now, that may not always be the case for all photos you take). If you take a lower quality photo now (but good enough that it looks fine at smaller sizes) and want to blow it up to larger print or viewing sizes later, you may decide that better quality lens would have been a good idea (sharper image, lower chromatic aberrations, less flare and edge softness, etc.).

The differences in quality between lenses do narrow quite a bit if you stop down the aperture some (smaller f/stop values). But, you can't always do that and keep shutter speeds fast enough to prevent blur from camera shake or subject movement (and you may not want to do that for depth of field purposes). So, a higher quality lens is sometimes preferred.

They are all a compromise in one way or another (for example: focal range, brightness, sharpness, contrast, color, flare resistance, focus speed, build quality, ergonomics, size, weight and cost). So, you'll need to decide what's important to you in a lens.

[Idan]

Low light shooting is important cause I want to be able to shoot indoor shots and sometimes night shots. I want to be able to shoot macro but I dont want to have more then two lenses, If you didn't know yet I am an amateur :Gand will I be satesfied with the 50mm lens for a while I am on a tight budget and probably will go with the Nikon D50. Need to mention that I like editing photos on my computer very much !

[Idan]

BTw What do you think about Olympus DSLR cameras (E-500, E-330) ??



[align=center]Let us know and help others to decide. VOTE NOW ![/align]

[JimC]

Idan wrote:

Low light shooting is important cause I want to be able to shoot indoor shots and sometimes night shots. I want to be able to shoot macro but I dont want to have more then two lenses, If you didn't know yet I am an amateur :Gand will I be satesfied with the 50mm lens for a while I am on a tight budget and probably will go with the Nikon D50. Need to mention that I like editing photos on my computer very much !

I'd pick up a kit lens (or another zoom) for it, too. Go used if you need to. The major dealers have good return policies on used gear if you are not happy with what you get.

The D50 is pretty good at high ISO speeds, and with a bright 50mm, you'd be set for most lighting. But, you may still need a tripod in some lighiting (i.e, those night shots you mentioned). ISO 1600 is nice with a bright lens. But, sometimes you do run into limitations (and you may not always want to use the higest ISO speeds to keep noise lower).

As others have mentioned, the KM 5D is a good deal if you like low light shooting. It's got anti-shake with every lens, allowing you to hold a camera at *much* slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible without a tripod, and it's also got ISO 3200 (allowing shutter speeds twice as fast as ISO 1600 in a pinch). You don't want to use ISO 3200 unless you need it with any camera. But, I've needed it in some lighting.

That's the main reason I got a 5D (I wanted the best tool for existing light shooting). Anti-shake, bright primes and ISO speeds up to ISO 3200 is a hard combination to beat for this purpose.

[Idan]

I wanted the KM 5D very much but when KM went out I went out with them :lol:, If there is any reason for me to choose KM over the competition I will think about going for it but I am afraid of getting a camera from a company with no future.

What do you say about Rebel XT with prime 50mm 1.8D II ? Is it a good combination for an amateur photographer 1st DSLR ?? What kind of photos this lens is good for ?

[JimC]

Idan wrote:

I wanted the KM 5D very much but when KM went out I went out with them :lol:, If there is any reason for me to choose KM over the competition I will think about going for it but I am afraid of getting a camera from a company with no future.

The inexpensive 50mm primes are of very good optical quality from Canon, KM, and Nikon. Build quality is not as good with the cheaper 50's as you'll find with the brighter ones, but optical quality doesn't suffer. They're sharp lenses.

ff you like low light photography, the 5D has just got some features the others don't (anti-shake, ISO 3200), and image quality is very good.

As for a future, Sony will be handling service and launching DSLR models that can use the same lens mount, and KM will still be manufacturing DSLRs for Sony (BTW, Sony is one of the largest manufacturers of sensors around). Sony has already said it wants to capture 25% of the DSLR market. So, I wouldn't worry too much about a future. They won't get that kind of market share without good products.

The Nikon D50 and KM 5D both use a Sony CCD. Canon has used a lot of Sony sensors in thier non-DSLR models, too (but, Canon makes their own sensors for their DLSR models now).

[Idan]

I am giving you a great respect for your knowledge and wanted to hear you opinion about Olympus DSLR cameras, what do you think about the 4/3 system and do you think the E-330 (Olympus' new DSLR) will deliver the good ?

I've seen amazing photos from Olympus E-series cameras and the colors of those photos are truely awesome.


BTW: Thank you very much for you time to answer me to all those question, really appreciate it ! This site is really a great place for photographers to share opinions.