 Radha |
lens for Nikon D70 Hi, I own a Nikon D70 and I plan to buy a lens for it. I've noticed that one can use Tamron, Sigma or Nikon lenses for the Nikon D70. Could someone please tell me the differences between these lenses, which is more suitable, which gives better image quality, which one is recommended, etc, etc. Thanks,
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robert G. Fately |
Hi, Radha, I hope you're enjoying your camera! As for lenses and brands - in the world of interchangeable-lens cameras (SLRs), a number of companies have sprouted up over the years as "thrid party" vendors. So while Canon and Nikon (and Pentax) offer lenses for their own cameras, these companies take the approach of offering a given lens with each of the necessary bayonet mounts )and electrical connections) in the back to fit any of these brands. The basic premise is that while one camera manufacturer can only sell, at best, a lens to every person that owns one of its camera bodies, these 3rd party companies can sell lenses to everyone with any of those camera bodies. So, by economy of scale, the concept is they can offer the lens for a lower price. That's the concept, anyway. In truth, these 3rd party companies have some lenses that are quite excellent, and others that are dogs. But, to be fair, so do the name-brand manufacturers - not every Nikkor lens (or Canon lens) is an optical gem, believe me. Frankly, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turned out that the 70-300MM lens offered by Canon, Nikon, Tokina, Tamron and Sigma were all actually produced in the same factory. So the real lesson is to figure out what kind of shooting you wish to do, and thus what lens you might need for that type of work, and then determine if the Nikkor or the Sigma (for example) is the best choice. For example, when I decided I needed a longer working distance for macro work, I really wanted the 200MM Micro-Nikkor (Nikon calls their macro lenses "Micro") - but it is a bit pricey. So I opted instead for the 180MM Macro Digma, and have been quite pleased with it. Likewise, because the Nikkor 12-24 is a DX lens (only suitable for digital SLRs) and I also use a film camera, I got the Sigma 12-24, which covers the full frame. But it's teriffic on my D200. On the other hand, I chose to spend more on the 70-200 f2.8 Nikkor over the Sigma, not because I think the Nikkor is that much more fantastic optically (though it is sharper) but rather because the build quality of the pro-level Nikkor lenses is just better - they stand up to more use (and abuse). So, I personally have found Sigma to be a pretty good brand - just got the 120-300 f2.8 but haven't had a lot of shances to use it yet - and I heaer the same about Tamron and Tokina. Again, each of these companies produces their share of dogs, so it really depends on the particular lens you want. Whihc gets back to the first point - decide what you want to shoot and thus what lens you might need. I hope that helps..
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Radha |
Hi Bob, Thanks for your response. I am looking for a macro lens and something in the 200mm range. Which brands would you recommend? Thanks,
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robert G. Fately |
Well, Radha, I can recommend the Sigma 180MM macro, but that might be out of production now. As a matter of fact, I saw an announcement that Sigma is making a 70-200 f2.8 zoom with macro capability, which, if it's as sharp as the 180MM, could be the ideal lens (if you want to pay that much and can lug around the weight). Of course, the Nikkors are just superb - their 200MM macro is one of the finest macro optics available.
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Radha |
Thanks alot for your response, Bob.
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