need help picking zoom lens

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nikonos

Senior Member
i got the d7100 and i have 2 lenses the kit lens 18-105 and the 50mm 1.4D and i dont like so much the 18-105 she is not that fast at autofocus and not that sharp...
im looking for zoom lens for my nikon d7100 that is sharp and fast and also wont cost like another camera :) i found the tamron sp ad 28-75 f2.8 x-ray do id if for nikon
what do you think about her as a zoom lens or do you have any other suggestions ?
(sry for my bad english :)
 
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Mfrankfort

Senior Member
I like the 70-300. Really good coverage, and not too pricy on it's own. (Came with my kit). Takes good pictures at almost all ranges, and aperture range isn't bad either. I think it's a FX lens, but you can still use it, so it'll be like 80-400 theoretically. And if you ever get a FX, you'll be good!
 
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singlerosa_RIP

Senior Member
I have the 70-300VR and had the previous non-VR version. Both very nice lenses and good values in the Nikon lineup. As mentioned, it is an FX lens, so you get 105-450 coverage on a 7100. It does require good light, though, as at 300mm you'll be at 5.6 wide open. So, for all-purpose shooting, you might want something in a constant aperture lens. Nikon's answer is the 17-55 2.8DX and aftermarket folks have many variations. Unfortunately, you might spend half of what the 7100 cost you buying a used version of one of these. But the results are worth it if you are looking to maximize those 24MP. I've used the Nikon 17-55 on a 7000 and can only imagine how awesome it would be on a 7100.

So, as always, it comes down to what you want the lens to do.
 
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nikonos

Senior Member
how is the sigma 70-200 vs canon 70-200 my brother use canon 70-200 and she is very sharp and fast , is the sigma also that sharp and accurate?
 
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eli

Senior Member
I recently rented the Nikon 70-200/f4 and really liked using it. If you have doubts - since it is expensive - you can rent it and try it before buying.
 
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Steve B

Senior Member
Unless you are buying the lens just for macro work I would go with the 70-200mm f/4. I have seen very good reviews for it and it is actually on my list as the next lens to purchase. The 105mm, which I have, is an excellent macro lens but the 70-200mm will give you a lot more flexibility for general use.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I think the first thing we have to ask is why you are not getting sharp photos with the 18-105. Are you shooting in RAW or just JPEG? What king of post processing are you doing.? If you are not getting sharp photos with the 18-105 then you may not do any better with another lens.
 
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Bill16

Senior Member
What do you photograph most? That might help to figure out the best lens for your needs. Also the Nikon slrs tend to be set a little soft and you can do wonders by setting your sharpness setting in the camera to +7 ! :D
 
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nikonos

Senior Member
i always shooting raw the 18-105 is sharp but if you test it near the 50mm 1.4d its not that sharp its also good because her i taking out zoom lens out of the list for now
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Tracsoft - Don Kuykendall said:
I think the first thing we have to ask is why you are not getting sharp photos with the 18-105.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Not only is my 18-105mm pretty darn sharp the autofocus is nothing to sneeze at. You say you think yours is slow... What are your AF settings?

I set the Area Mode to AF-A and after flip flopping between 11 and 9 focus points, I finally landed on 9 focus points as my default. I find this combination is flexible enough that it works for 99% of my shooting, and focus lock is very fast.
 
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nikonos

Senior Member
hahahaha im using or the normal auto focus Af-a or choosing the dynamic area 51 af


BTW i decide the 70-200 f4 because im going to be in B&H and im not return there for the next time .
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
nikonos said:
hahahaha im using or the normal auto focus Af-a or choosing the dynamic area 51 af
Click to expand...
This is why your AF seems slow. Unless I know I'm going to be shooting fast action I use AF-S with 9 points. Moving those points around using the four way button to nail down focus on the subject gets real easy once you've done it a few times.




.....
 
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Skytalker

Senior Member
18-105 is an decent lens, one could get good images from it. Setting plays a major part. Never set the camesra on AF-A, set it or S or C. Set ADL=OFF.
If you are looking for a replacement of the 18-105 then you might consider to go for a standard lens like the Tamron 17-50 F/2.8, preferably the non VC version.
If you are looking for a telephoto zoom, that still will not replace your 18-105, then you might consider to go for the 80-200 rather than the Tamron or the Sigma. The last two are slow focusing in low light.
 
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