Which telephoto/zoom lenses should I consider?

Swampgoat

New member
Hello. I am new to the forum today and I am only two months in to DSLR and photography. I have a D3300 with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G lens. I really don’t understand all the numbers as yet. But I know that I want a lens that will bring my subject closer.


My question is, which Nikon telephoto lenses could I buy? Maybe I should reword ‘telephoto’ to ‘zoom’? Do I generally want such a lens that has the prefix AF? And, do I need to be aware of the lens mount diameter that will fit the D3300?


If someone could reply along the lines of, “You could choose an AF-xxx or an A?-xxx lens,” I would be grateful.


I suppose I should also ask, from a novice point of view and one who does not anticipate making photography more than a fun past time, should I consider non-Nikon brand lenses in order to save money?


Thank you.
 

JH Foto

Senior Member
Hello and welcome...................................:)................The ideal lens for you would be the Nikon AF-s 55-300mm or the more expensive AF-s 70-300mm, good luck with whatever you choose...
 

Daz

Senior Member
Hello and Welcome.

With Nikon unlike Canon the mounts do not change so any Nikon bayonet mount will work :)

Tamron and Sigma are typically cheaper than the Nikon Branded lenses ...

I had a Tamron AF 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 lens that I brought when I had the D3300 and I loved it, still to this day I regret getting rid of it...

Whatever lens you choose it needs to be a newer one with a motor built inside the lens to Autofucus, some of the Nikon older glass didnt come with focus motors as the camera did that :)
 

Danno

Senior Member
Welcome to the Forum Swampgoat. Like Daz said the D3300 does not have a focus motor built into the body. So if you are looking for a telephoto you need to look for the letters AF-S to make certain that the focus motor is built into the lens. AF does not have a built in motor. You can use it, but it would require manual focus.

There are also 3rd party lenses like Tamron, Sigma and Tokina. They are less expensive. When I first started I struggled with this too. A friend told me about https://www.dpreview.com/products/lenses which is a site that lets you look at all vendors. The thing I like about this site is that it lists all lenses and has the details about whether the lens has a motor or not. It will also take you to Amazon where you can read reviews.

I just found this site easy to use and I still go there as a start point when looking at a new lens.

Hope this is helpful.
 

nickt

Senior Member
There are two Tamron lenses you can consider. The one Daz mentioned is very budget friendly. I never used it. It is a dx, lens. That is, it will not give a worthwhile result on a full frame (FX) camera if you ever move to a full frame. [edit: It is an FX lens as Daz pointed out below, sorry]
Here is a link:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/550953-REG/Tamron_AF017NII_700_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_Di_LD.html

The other Tamron lens, the SP version is a top notch lens for sure. I bought it quite awhile back on a good rebate:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/728343-REG/Tamron_AFA005NII700_SP_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_Di.html

The lower cost lens has a macro function to play with. The higher cost lens does not have macro, but it is a great lens. I am very happy with the SP lens. It compares to the Nikon. I have kept it through several camera upgrades. Check the reviews and take your time since you are new at this.
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Howdy and welcome to Nikonites!

Some good information has already been provided here on lens options: Nikon (of course), Tamron, Sigma, and Tokina, to name a few. My first Nikon DSLR was the D5300. I got a kit that included the older Nikon AF-S 18-55mm VRII lens (the predecessor to your AF-P lens) and also the AF-S 55-300mm that i just sold. The one thing I haven't heard you mention is budget. The 55-300 can be picked up used in the $160-200 range and performs pretty well for a lens at that price point. I replaced my 55-300 with the 70-300mm that [MENTION=19808]JH Foto[/MENTION] mentioned, but that lens runs closer to $500.

As for the lens labeling, each manufacturer is going to use different labels for features, so Nikon's VR is called VC with Tamron. It's enough to keep your head spinning while you sort it all out. :) On the Nikon/Nikkor side, you'll be wanting to stay with AF-S lenses for you D3300, since your camera body will need for the lens to have it's own auto focus servo if you want that to work.
 

Zeke_M

Senior Member
Howdy and welcome to Nikonites!

Some good information has already been provided here on lens options: Nikon (of course), Tamron, Sigma, and Tokina, to name a few. My first Nikon DSLR was the D5300. I got a kit that included the older Nikon AF-S 18-55mm VRII lens (the predecessor to your AF-P lens) and also the AF-S 55-300mm that i just sold. The one thing I haven't heard you mention is budget. The 55-300 can be picked up used in the $160-200 range and performs pretty well for a lens at that price point. I replaced my 55-300 with the 70-300mm that @JH Foto mentioned, but that lens runs closer to $500.

As for the lens labeling, each manufacturer is going to use different labels for features, so Nikon's VR is called VC with Tamron. It's enough to keep your head spinning while you sort it all out. :) On the Nikon/Nikkor side, you'll be wanting to stay with AF-S lenses for you D3300, since your camera body will need for the lens to have it's own auto focus servo if you want that to work.

Adorama has refurb 55-300 lenses. At this price it's a steal.
Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor VR Lens - Refurbished by Nikon USA 2197B
 

Stoshowicz

Senior Member
Its just my personal opinion but if you do want a 300 mm zoom that the quality of the Nikon 70-300mm is really rather good for closer subjects , I had one and a friend does , and its great for things from butterflies to kitchens. For individual birds you might opt for a longer lens than 300mm , ( and the tamron or sigma are great less expensive options, remembering to order it specifically with the mount for Nikon.. you wont be suffering )
However, I had the 55-300mm Nikon briefly, as did a friend , and I really dont think the sharpness is good enough, ,,(needing to span a wider range of zooming means that the lens is less well tailored to any individual degree of zoom, the best sharpness usually being on a lens which doesnt zoom at all but is fixed ,, a prime lens.)
I dont think I am being excessively picky here on this , about the betterness of the 70-300mm Nikon, I think the results are obviously better and it becomes readily apparent when you compare a whole mornings shooting ,, or , side by side,,, though you may not see it if you just take one shot and put the camera away because theres so many variables which combine in a final photo to give the impression of sharpness.
(And again its just personal opinion, but if you really like the really 'close up perspective' on landscape ,, the guys who have the ultra short 11 mm lenses seem to really be able to do a nice job with that. )
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
No doubt, the Nikon 70-300mm zoom is a sharper lens than the 55-300mm. The 70-300 is also helped in this case because it's an FX full frame camera lens, and so using it on a crop sensor DX camera like the D3300 will ignore the corners of the 70-300mm lens where they start going soft first.

That's where budget and other factors come into play. If the 70-300mm is within budget, and the focal range from 55-70 was not needed, then the 70-300 is ideal.
 

Zeke_M

Senior Member
I must be the only that likes the 55-300. It did fine work on my D3100.
It was a great dog walking lens on the D7100 until I got better FX glass.
I tossed my other cheap DX glass but I kept the 55-300.
I still think it's a best bang for the buck at $200.
Back to my island.
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I still think it's a best bang for the buck at $200.

Absolutely agree, and there are several images posted here to back up the claim that the 55-300 is no slouch. That's the only problem with threads like this where the OP doesn't know or doesn't provide all the requirements to define what they're looking for ... there are several routes that could be taken, and so no single right or wrong answer.
 

Zeke_M

Senior Member
Absolutely agree, and there are several images posted here to back up the claim that the 55-300 is no slouch. That's the only problem with threads like this where the OP doesn't know or doesn't provide all the requirements to define what they're looking for ... there are several routes that could be taken, and so no single right or wrong answer.

A budget would be helpful. I'm sure we could all do a fine job spending somebody else's money.
 

Daz

Senior Member

Swampgoat

New member
I cannot thank you all enough. In addition to answering my basic question, you added thoughts and comments that gave me new insights. I very much like the way the different answers are given in a balanced manner. I'm very pleased to have chosen this forum.

Now that I know to look for AF-S type lenses, I can compare prices and features. My budget is in the $200 range. Based on some of the answers, I feel less uneasy about exploring refurbished lenses or non-Nikon lenses.

I was particularly encouraged to learn that I was not alone in being baffled by the many cryptic lens names, AF this and AF that and so on. Actually, some of it is begging to sink in.

So, once again, thanks for your many and informative answers! And thanks also for the nice welcome!:)
 

Daz

Senior Member
I am sure there are people here that can recommend places in the US for used lenses, we have a couple places over here that are good for lenses, I have only ever brought one lens new and that was the 50 1.8 I have. Everything else (including my bodies) are second hand :)
 
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