looking for new go to lens

Hobbit

Senior Member
i currently use a Nikkor AF-P 70-300 DX on my D500 and yup its not weather sealed which sort of defeats a lot of the weather proofing on the D500 - to the point my sensor already needs a clean after my partner through it was funny to hose me as i walked in through the gate.

now is this any good or do i got for the DX version
FX
https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/produ...fx/zoom/af-s-nikkor-28-300mm-f-3-5-5-6g-ed-vr
DX
https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/produ...s/dx/af-s-dx-nikkor-18-300mm-f-3-5-6-3g-ed-vr

or just buy a used 300mm F4 and a smaller lens as i have a DX 35mm and a 10-20 - so possibly a 105 or similar?

a lot if the DX stuff doesnt appear to be sealed at the mount
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
One of the classic "walk around" lenses has always been the 24-70 f2.8... The lens makers have always made those lenses to be one of their sharpest offerings and the makers continually watch and upgrade those lenses to compete in sharpness with each other... The 28-300 usually gets panned for its softness...
 

Hobbit

Senior Member
One of the classic "walk around" lenses has always been the 24-70 f2.8... The lens makers have always made those lenses to be one of their sharpest offerings and the makers continually watch and upgrade those lenses to compete in sharpness with each other... The 28-300 usually gets panned for its softness...
thats not good :( i was looking to cover the range i already have with maybe a little more at the bottom so i didnt have to put my 10-20 F3.6 on , but if its soft it likely drive me insane lol
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
There really is NO silver bullet when it comes to lenses... sorry... Looking for a lens that covers a wide-to-long focal length is sort of like sailing a boat... It's all about compromise... you never just aim the sailboat to get somewhere, you go back and forth slowly to eventually get there... the same with wide-long telephoto lenses... one feature that you want is always compromised by the lack of something else... If there were a solution, the lens makers would all have designed one lens back in the '50s and spent their time perfecting that one design... and we'd all be walking around with a 1 pound 5-1000mm F1 lens...:)
 

Hobbit

Senior Member
There really is NO silver bullet when it comes to lenses... sorry... Looking for a lens that covers a wide-to-long focal length is sort of like sailing a boat... It's all about compromise... you never just aim the sailboat to get somewhere, you go back and forth slowly to eventually get there... the same with wide-long telephoto lenses... one feature that you want is always compromised by the lack of something else... If there were a solution, the lens makers would all have designed one lens back in the '50s and spent their time perfecting that one design... and we'd all be walking around with a 1 pound 5-1000mm F1 lens...:)

you mean that doesnt exisist !!! - hmmmmmmmm nope LOL - yeah i know its about compremise , i was just looking as my 70-300 the focal length selector is becoming loose like my Sigma version did :( guessing it might be the rubber band trick again on that lens as well. other options is the AF-S 70-300 FX version of what ive got for couple hundred notes used from MPB or keep searching for the grail LOL ( id have a 300 prime and small telephoto as got the big one LOL)
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
https://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/

Here's a link to DXOMark's lens database... It lets you compare the specs of selected lenses with your body... They've done all the laboratory work for you... so you can at least compare the hard data between lenses... lot of folks poopoo the critical data, but before you can compare the subjective stuff, you need to understand whether the lens can actually do what you want...
 

nikonpup

Senior Member
​​​​​​ for a walk around lens i like my af-s nikkor 24-120mm 1:4 g ed. I WOULD TRY A LENS RENTAL BEFORE SPENDING $$$$$
FOR A NEW LENS.
 
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hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
you mean that doesnt exisist !!! - hmmmmmmmm nope LOL - yeah i know its about compremise , i was just looking as my 70-300 the focal length selector is becoming loose like my Sigma version did :( guessing it might be the rubber band trick again on that lens as well. other options is the AF-S 70-300 FX version of what ive got for couple hundred notes used from MPB or keep searching for the grail LOL ( id have a 300 prime and small telephoto as got the big one LOL)

If you are looking at a 300mm prime and want weather sealing, the PF VR version might be the only one that offers it. The 300mm f/4 AF-S (non-VR) not only lacks weather sealing, it doesn't have a rear glass element. So any debris could wind up inside the lens.

Now if you had a TC to mount on the back, that would resolve the issue of the lens not having rear glass. BUT I'm not sure if all TC's are weather sealed.

And I"m not sure if the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR is weather sealed. I have that lens, and it's great up to about 280mm. Then it gets a little soft above that focal length.

The Nikon 70-200mm f/4 VR is sharp and I *think* it is weather sealed. Coupled with a Nikon 1.4x TC would extend the comparable focal length, but again...I don't know if the TC is weather sealed. I use my TC's with no issues, and if there is a chance of rain, I use a Think Tank Emergency Rain Cover. The small size fits both my 70-200mm f/4 VR as well as my 300mm f/4 PF - even when they have the 1.7x TC attached.

No matter what...when you change lenses, the suction of removing a lens can pull in dust. So there will always be the possibility of getting something on the sensor. And if you don't screw the rear lens cap of the lens to the body cap of the camera, just throwing those caps into a camera bag can put dust/dirt inside the cavities of those caps. I always screw mine together then put them into a ziplock bag as an extra precaution.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I've not used one but you might want to check out the Sigma 18-300mm f3.5-6.3

Here's my thinking.

1. You've got Nikon's best DX camera so unless you're looking to go full frame buying DX glass is going to save you money.

2. It's effectively a 27-450mm lens, so if you want a single walkabout lens what more could you want?!

3. It's compatible with the Sigma USB dock, which will allow you to focus tune it at 16 points in the zoom range (4 focal lengths at 4 distances) instead of only 1. That's amazingly critical when you're talking about that range of zoom because it could front focus up close and back focus at full extension. The dock also means you don't have to send the lens back to Sigma for firmware upgrades when you buy your next generation Nikon and they've purposefully made something not work (it happens with every new Nikon model).

4. It's likely going to be a little soft at the long end wide open, but if it is you've saved a bunch of money that can go towards a 300mm prime if you'd like.

5. It's a macro lens too!!

See if you can get your hands on one to test. I love Sigma glass for its price/performance.
 
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Hobbit

Senior Member
I've not used one but you might want to check out the Sigma 18-300mm f3.5-6.3

Here's my thinking.

1. You've got Nikon's best DX camera so unless you're looking to go full frame buying DX glass is going to save you money.

2. It's effectively a 27-450mm lens, so if you want a single walkabout lens what more could you want?!

3. It's compatible with the Sigma USB dock, which will allow you to focus tune it at 16 points in the zoom range (4 focal lengths at 4 distances) instead of only 1. That's amazingly critical when you're talking about that range of zoom because it could front focus up close and back focus at full extension. The dock also means you don't have to send the lens back to Sigma for firmware upgrades when you buy your next generation Nikon and they've purposefully made something not work (it happens with every new Nikon model).

4. It's likely going to be a little soft at the long end wide open, but if it is you've saved a bunch of money that can go towards a 300mm prime if you'd like.

5. It's a macro lens too!!

See if you can get your hands on one to test. I love Sigma glass for its price/performance.
ive had a few sigma and got 2 now - my 10-20 and 150-600 and i have the dock as well , noticed it was a C lens - will have to have me look at the local dealer :)
 
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