Ariela M. Migdal
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Quantaray Lens for N65
I am a beginner. I bought a Nikon N65 to learn on (I want to graduate from AF to manual), and Ritz sold it with a Quantaray lens instead of Nikkor. It's a 28-90mm F3.5-5.6 MACRO. My question is, is it a problem to use a Quantaray lens (which Ritz says is made by Sigma) on the N65? Is it worse than the equivalent Nikkor lens (which only costs $20 more but Ritz says is worse b/c it has a plastic ring, whereas the Quantaray has a metal ring)? If given the go-ahead, I am inclined to keep the Quantaray since I'm now overseas and returning it would be a pain.
3/9/2003 12:18:07 AM
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Bill McFadden
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I brought two cheap Quantaray lens, a 35-135mm F4.0 - 5.6 lens and a Quanraray 70-300mm F4.0 to F6.3 lens. I know the later is actually a duplicate of Sigma's cheapest 70-300 lens. I like Sigma lens but believe Nikkor lens are superior to anything made by Sigma. I use Canon EOS lenses so maybe a Nikon user can give you advice based on using both copanies' products.
3/9/2003 11:46:31 AM
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Tony Peckman
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Ariela, as a beginner photographer you will be completely satisfied with the Quantaray lens. I bought 5 Canon Rebel 2000's (from a local chain owned by Ritz) for my daughter's high school yearbook staff which had the same Quantaray lens as yours, and they have smooth focusing/zooming and yield sharp pictures. I did, however, opt not to get the Quantaray 70-300 because the zoom ring was a tad sticky. There, I ordered the Tamron 75-300 (no Macro) for each Canon set.
Bottom line, I think you'll enjoy the lens!
3/10/2003 1:29:12 AM
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Ariela M. Migdal
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Thanks for the advice, both of you. This site is really amazing. Sounds like Sigma/Quantaray is fine to learn on (the lens was 90 bucks) and when/if I learn enough to know the difference, I can get a really good lens or two.
3/10/2003 7:11:17 AM
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Mario Gamez
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I purchased this camera as well, I bought a Maxxum 5, Quantaray 28-90 lens, which I like, I have no complaints (yet), and I just purchased a 70-300 Quantaray zoom lens with maco on it today! When I zoom in, it sticks, so it feels like its skipping on the big lens, hopefully it will break in after constant up n downs. contact me by mail at mariogamez@digitalxpressions.net
8/6/2003 12:41:22 AM
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Jerry E. Escher
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Ariela, I assume you're referring to a Quantaray 28-90 mm with a switch that goes from MACRO to NORMAL and retails for around $100 at Kits/Ritz. When I bought my N65 and requested an inexpensive lense with Macro capability, that's what they recommended. Quantaray lenses are made exclusively for Ritz, so they do push them as substitutes for Nikon lenses. I've tested that lense with so many scenarios and here is an assesment...When it's in the NORMAL setting, it's fine for fairly close portrait shots, like from about a foot and a half to up to 12 feet or so; but for landscape photography, it's dissapointing. Maybe you'd be happy with it in that mode, but I'm not. The good news, in the MACRO setting, it is superb. This lense in the MACRO setting, consistently takes beautiful pictures of postcards, flowers and other really close-up stuff. I plan on hanging on to it for portraits and really close-up macro photography, and getting the Nikon 28-80 mm, for about $109 or the Nikon 28-100 mm lense for portraits and landscapes. A Nikon MACRO lense, or one with a MACRO switch, would cost you a bundle, hundreds of dollars, so you got something worth hanging on to. What you can do with the MACRO setting with this lense, is astonishing and the portrait shots are good. Still, the lense is not that great for nature landscape photography. You got something worth keeping and enjoy.
9/20/2004 9:43:27 AM
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