best lens

anjz

New member
Yes, very true. Different lenses for different purposes. This thread should end up about 30 posts long covering all those purposes.

Let's get it started: For portraits, many would say the 85mm 1.4 (also known as the Cream Machine for its ability to produce great bokeh). It is rumored to get replaced this year.

My most useful Nikkor prime for general walk around use on a DX body: 35mm f/2.
 
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blueiron

New member
My favorite lens as of late is the 60mm Micro Nikkor/f2.8. It is a pro quality lens and if I see something small, interesting up close, or within normal parameters; the 60mm is fast enough and just right in size and weight to balance my D3 and render quality photos.
 

AmyH19

New member
I have the 35mm 1.8 and it's a great lens, the bokeh is nice. I just ordered the 50mm 1.8, it's arriving today so I haven't had a chance to try it out, but it's supposed to be a fantastic portait lens.
 

CL Extreme

New member
I like to use the 135 DC and a 85 PC lens, But most of the time the 70-200 vrI is on my camera and it gets the most work. Does a killer job. But you can't have the fun with it like the 135 DC or 85 PC
 

blueiron

New member
I have the 35mm 1.8 and it's a great lens, the bokeh is nice. I just ordered the 50mm 1.8, it's arriving today so I haven't had a chance to try it out, but it's supposed to be a fantastic portait lens.

Lots of people aren't impressed by this lens, because it isn't expensive or exotic, but I love it. It is sharp and is a decent indoor low-light lens.
 

cfphil

New member
I really like the 50mm 1.8 It is an ultra-sharp lens for the money. It creates a nice creamy background when doing portrait work. I can work with the 75mm focal length on my D90. Sneaker zoom. The only complaint I have is that it can flare in the right situations.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
I also have used my 18-200 vr for a long time but now I have added the 50 mm 1.8 for better low light indoor and hope to add a 85 mm soon. I also use a my 35-70 for a walk around, lots smaller and ligher than the 18-200. I have read many negative comments about the 18-200 vr but my experience has been it's a real work horse of a lens.
 

zx7dave

Senior Member
I went with the 35mm 1.8 instead of the 50mm since I am not running the D700/D3....I love the 18-200...have never had issues with it and use it way more than any other lens....
 

Merc

Senior Member
Since buying the 24-70, it rarely comes off my camera. On a FX camera it is wide enough for landscapes and still has enough zoom for a walk about lens. There are still times when i need to go wider, for which i still use my old trusty 17-35 and for more focal length i still use a 80-200. In my opinion all great glass. Since buying the 24-70 i don't use the 50mm as much as i should as it is a graet lens.
 

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
I shoot DX and I love my Nikon 17-55 f/2.8. It is a heavy lens but I get consistently good results with it. My second favorite is my Sigma 10-20. I love the ultra-wide perspective and images from that lens tend to be the ones that people respond to the most.
 

DaveKoontz

Senior Member
Hi Dave, When the D300 was released many of the 'kits' included the 18 - 200mm, but ran into quite a bit of criticism due to shooting in low light conditions and/or it wasn't fast enough for shooting action in sporting events. I like the range of the lens and have considered purchasing but have always had some reservation due to early reviews. Have you had any 'bad' experiences with the lens> Pros and Cons?
 

zx7dave

Senior Member
Well as far as being versitle you just can't beat it. The only time I have had focusing problems was in pretty din lighting (indoors in the evening with one lamp on). I find I generally have to use a flash with this lens when shooting indoors. However the zoom ability has allowed me to capture great shots both indoor and outdoors.
I usually leave the 18-200 on the D3000 which I drag around with me most everywhere I go just for versitility while the D300S I take more time to consider the lens, lighting etc...
Quite a few of my shots with the D3000/18-200 are see something, grab camera, zoom and click. The shots would be missed or have to be severely cropped with most other lenses. So I do really like the lens for this reason.
Lastly I will mention I have had a few focusing issues between 190-200 at times for no apparant reason, but not too hard to overcome by going to 180mm or manual focus.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
My 18-200 is typically the lens on my D200, I do wish it would go to f2.8 but I probably couldn't afford it. I'm a realtor and shooting houses everyday it's great on both ends. I have been thinking of changing (adding) a D300 for better high iso performance. The D200 gets noisey when I crank up the iso for indoor (low light) shooting with this lens, indoors with my SB800 is great. As far as versatility, hard to beat 18-200 mm
 

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Well as far as being versatile you just can't beat it.

I totally agree. I had to go to Paris, Vienna and Bratislava for a quick business trip in mid March. Due to the manner we traveled, I was only able to bring my D300 and 18-200. My last night in Vienna it was snowing but I decided to go for a walk anyway. I was shocked at how well this shot turned out considering it was handheld. The VR really came through.

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