is NIKKOR AF-S 50mm f/1.8 an option?

[NikonGirl]

Sometimes you find lenses too long as the horses come in close. Then you are unable to fit the whole horse on.
I cover a lot of horse racing. My horse are on a race course though. With this, the 18-135 would work nicely for most.
For show jumping etc I doubt this would be so much of a problem so the 50-200 would prob work for you very well.
Both of these lenses are incredably sharp and very affordable

My Boyfriend's family owns race horses, so I will likely eventually invest in two lenses, but it will primarily be for Jumping/Dressage/Barrel Racing, etc and I was thinking the 50 - 200 or 70 - 300.

My price range is roughly $600 or less (per lens) for now.

 

[westmill]

My Boyfriend's family owns race horses, so I will likely eventually invest in two lenses, but it will primarily be for Jumping/Dressage/Barrel Racing, etc and I was thinking the 50 - 200 or 70 - 300.

My price range is roughly $600 or less (per lens) for now.

If you are covering a race etc, its not likely you will have time for lens changing during the event. I use Three bodies with a different lens on each.
One of the Three is set up as a remote. The 70-300... you have to remember 70mm on apsc or DX cameras acts as a 105mm.
The 50 is more usable as it acts as a more useful 75mm. The 200mm end also eaquals 300mm on DX.
You need to watch and think of shutter speeds when using such lenses. An old rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed at least as long as the focal lengh of the lens in use. A lot forget to remember to compensate for DX use. That takes care of magnified shake. Then you need to add on top of that for subject movement of the horse etc. You will need to be shooting at least 1000sec and preferably a little higher to obtain pin sharp
freeze of a horse at 200 mm.

 

[NikonGirl]

That's a bit of jibberish to me (just a for-pleasure/voluntary photographer here XD) but I understand most of it, LOL.

Bare with me.. i'm learning

Thanks for your help

 

[westmill]

That's a bit of jibberish to me (just a for-pleasure/voluntary photographer here XD) but I understand most of it, LOL.

Bare with me.. i'm learning

Thanks for your help

Ok I understand lol ... One step at a time then Gal
It sounds far more complex than it actualy is. A lot of it is the jargon that confuses a lot. APSC DX FX F2.8 250th sec DOF etc etc etc
Once you start reading more, far more will come to make more and more sense to you. Stick with us though !

 

[NikonGirl]

Ok I understand lol ... One step at a time then Gal
It sounds far more complex than it actualy is. A lot of it is the jargon that confuses a lot. APSC DX FX F2.8 250th sec DOF etc etc etc
Once you start reading more, far more will come to make more and more sense to you. Stick with us though !

Hehe, i'll try!

I may have made a "booboo" - i'm picking up my D5100 tonight (it's on hold at Best Buy in the City, and we couldn't get there any sooner than tonight due to work, etc since we live over an hour away) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand .. *ahem* I need to use it at 8:00 AM tommorrow, LOL.

That being said, it's a "low key shoot" (if I can even call it a "shoot"). I volunteered to help anywhere they need help at a local Endurance (long-distance horse race, basically) and they asked me to bring my camera as they liked my pictures (mind you, this was before I even planned to buy the D5100). They're not expecting a professional Photographer or professionally taken pictures by any means, but I was also asked to photograph a Barrel Race event in August (where I will be working with a riding lesson client, who IS a professional photographer) so there is potential that this thing will "take off" over time ... but for the mean time - it's just for fun

As for the race horses, I won't be the hired track photographer or anything - just for pictures for fun/personal use

I didn't mind the pictures my Fuji took for the price I paid, but even being a total noob on Saturday, my new D5100 will put out far better pictures, i'm sure.

I took some photography courses re: lighting, horses, etc so i'm really looking forward to learning how to use my new DSLR.

Some pictures from my Fuji ...

 

[westmill]

Well... under the circumstances I have a feeling you will become hooked
A true nikonitess You are starting with an excellent camera. You will be amazed by what is possable even on program mode.
Photography is like a lot of things. You learn as little or as much as you like. All that matters is that you enjoy it !
Cameras like yours have very clever programing in the program mode. It produces such good high qulity pitures that you can crop very hard and still have a decent pic. That makes needing a zoom a little less critical an will give even a beginner more scope.
Im sure you can understand that bit at least, for now lol
Be warned.... photography can take over you like a drug lol

 

[NikonGirl]

LOL Yes I understand that much!!

I very rarely leave the house without my camera, from hunting and fishing, to riding and picnic's - I feel naked without packing a camera .. so now that I've sold my Fuji, and have this beautiful new DSLR waiting behind a desk for me I imagine I will NEVER leave the house without it, LOL!

I'm blessed to live in Northern Alberta. I never, ever drive to work (7 miles down a dirt road) without seeing Hawks, Coyotes, Deer, etc. We're also avid hunter's, so eventually a telephoto lens will be fantastic for capturing wild life at a distance .. before it's on my plate (I apologize if I offended any Vegiterians )

 

[westmill]

LOL Yes I understand that much!!

I very rarely leave the house without my camera, from hunting and fishing, to riding and picnic's - I feel naked without packing a camera .. so now that I've sold my Fuji, and have this beautiful new DSLR waiting behind a desk for me I imagine I will NEVER leave the house without it, LOL!

I'm blessed to live in Northern Alberta. I never, ever drive to work (7 miles down a dirt road) without seeing Hawks, Coyotes, Deer, etc. We're also avid hunter's, so eventually a telephoto lens will be fantastic for capturing wild life at a distance .. before it's on my plate (I apologize if I offended any Vegiterians )

Im starting to hate you lol Shush

 

[NikonGirl]

Oh no, please don't!! hahah.

So, I just got a hold of the pictures I took for a client with her D60 (and 3 days later I sold everything i had laying around to fund a D5100 - remember, i'm an "Ex Cannon-er". She had a ... I want to say 55 - 200 mm lens (I could be totally out in left field with that - remember, i'm still learning!!) and I really like how the pictures turned out. Will I get even better out of my D5100, even with the kit lens??

So without further ado .. pictures from her D60 with her telephoto lens from about 35 metres & 10 metres away (un-edited)..

 

[westmill]

Well im not jealous. We have wildlife here too. Its just that we call them children
You should get higher quality pics yes ! Until you have a longer lens it just means you need to get in close.
Considering where you live a longer zoom is a must too anyway.
You have a good eye too at least. I see you give room in the pics for the horse to walk into etc and good composition.
You will do fine

 

[NikonGirl]

Well im not jealous. We have wildlife here too. Its just that we call them children
You should get higher quality pics yes ! Until you have a longer lens it just means you need to get in close.
Considering where you live a longer zoom is a must too anyway.
You have a good eye too at least. I see you give room in the pics for the horse to walk into etc and good composition.
You will do fine

Aw shucks - thanks

 

[NikonGirl]

So .. it's all mine! muhahah.
I haven't really gotten a chance to play with it - and what I did, it was all indoors.
At first glance, I love the quality in the pictures (based on what i'm seeing on the LCD screen - haven't uploaded them to my computer. The battery died quite fast, but it (of course) wasn't fully charged, so i'm *hoping* that once fully charged it won't be an issue, as i don't have a secondary battery yet. It's light weight but still makes you feel like a bad a$$ packing it around. There was a lot of "issue" with the hand grip in the reviews, but being a woman and naturally having smaller hands I have no issues, and actually prefer to put my pinky under the camera for support anyway.
The kit lens is "eh". It puts out a great picture, but the lack of zoom sucks, but I knew that before I bought it *puts pennies into jar to save for telephoto lens*

Anyway, wish me luck tomorrow and I will report back with pictures

 

[westmill]

Good girl With luck you should be able to get close enough. Cropping for now will make a differance.
I like a grip, but its what you get used to at the end of the day. You have less to carry and its smaller.
Keep off from using the rear screen to much and the battery should last the day with ease !
Good luck and have a great day