help selecting lenses for my d-100

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting. Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

What do you plan to shoot ?

Nikon is generally good but Sigma is even better in some cases (price/quality ratio)

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Honestly, I find it very hard to argue with Ron: http://www.digital-images.net/Lenses/lenses.html

Bill

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

I will mainly be shooting people. some landscape shots occasionally. I do want to be able to take qulaity head shots that are very tight (close).

Yves P. said:

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

3 lenses come to mind ...

Nikon AF-S 17-35 2.8 (landscape's best from Nikon in a Zoom.

Nikon AF-S 28-70 2.8 A living legend excellent and very flexible at all focal range

Nikon VR AF-S 70-200 2.8 G, top of the line Zoom from Nikon ...

Those lenses are not cheap but no one will be deceived by any of them ...

John C. Williams said:

Yves P. said:

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

If I was let loose to pick 3 lenses to cover a wide shooting style, I would pick:

AFS-Nikkor 17-35 mm f/2.8 ED IF
AFS-Nikkor 28-70 mm f/2.8 ED IF
AFS-Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF VR

In my opinion, probably 3 of the best pieces of glass out there by Nikon -- well at least in each category. And as it goes with the glass, higher quaity means higher prices, but if price is not an issue it's a different story.

On the other hand you can consider something more modest from Nikon, with pretty good quality as well. Or if you don't mind getting a different brand, Sigma has some pretty good lenses as well. I don't have much experience with Sigma lenses -- I just have one.

There are some excellent primes, but if all you want is 2-3 lenses it comes down to what you shoot to consider if 2-3 primes are enough to cover you.

Good luck!

Kleanthis

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

have you had any problems with your sigma working well with your d100? I read a few reports suggesting they struggled to get them to work well. Does AF work on the sigma lenses?
Thanks for your previous input...very helpful and appreciated

Kleanthis Economou said:

AFS-Nikkor 17-35 mm f/2.8 ED IF
AFS-Nikkor 28-70 mm f/2.8 ED IF
AFS-Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 G ED-IF VR

In my opinion, probably 3 of the best pieces of glass out there by
Nikon -- well at least in each category. And as it goes with the
glass, higher quaity means higher prices, but if price is not an
issue it's a different story.

On the other hand you can consider something more modest from
Nikon, with pretty good quality as well. Or if you don't mind
getting a different brand, Sigma has some pretty good lenses as
well. I don't have much experience with Sigma lenses -- I just have
one.

There are some excellent primes, but if all you want is 2-3 lenses
it comes down to what you shoot to consider if 2-3 primes are
enough to cover you.

Good luck!

Kleanthis

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

excellent site...thank you!

Bill Staples said:

Bill

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Well, some of them are more than good. Some of them are total c-r-a-p (Nikon has that too). Some of them are pure gem ...

Wide Angle: Sigma EX 15-30 (compares in optical quality to Nikon 17-35 2.8 but not in quality built aklthough very well built)

Mid range Zoom: Sigma EX 28-70 2.8 APO ... Pretty good ...

Mid tele range Zoom: Sigma EX 70-200 2.8 APO HSM. As sharp as the Nikon VR 70-200 2.8 and even sharper @ 2.8. Doesn't have the VR function but this is truely an amazing lens. That is the one some report to be trouble making with occasional focus lock. Mine has the updated chip and never locks ... It is my favorite all around lens. Focus is ultra fast (in the same range as the Nikon AF-S VR 70-200), ultra sharp lens with superb contrast.

These lenses are like 1/3 of the Nikon equivalent. No contest, the Nikon have superior built ... Are you shooting in a professional environment ? If yes, the Nikon are just built like tanks ...

Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

"My D100" will be mine on Friday. I don't have it yet. I am talking from general Nikon (F-mount) experience. As far as I know, everything works as it's supoosed to be, unless you try to mount a Sigma that is inteded for Canon to a Nikon body

Kleanthis

John C. Williams said:

have you had any problems with your sigma working well with your
d100? I read a few reports suggesting they struggled to get them
to work well. Does AF work on the sigma lenses?
Thanks for your previous input...very helpful and appreciated

Click to expand...

Here is what I bought, it is less expensive but not as flexible as the other (excellent) recommendations from this thread. These lenses are all of excellent optical quality and I think offer a better priceerformance ratio.

Nikkor 20mm f/2.8d – fast and fairly wide ($400, new/gray)
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8d -- for low light ($100, new)

Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5d Macro – inexpensive, great range ($324 + $40 MIR, new)
Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8d -- inexpensive used ($600, used)

So around $1500 worth of glass when including shipping.

-jason m

--
http://milliron.org
http://www.photo.net/shared/community-member?user_id=364642

Yves, what's the easiest/reliable way to tell if the lens has the updated chip?

Yves P. said:

Well, some of them are more than good. Some of them are total
c-r-a-p (Nikon has that too). Some of them are pure gem ...

Wide Angle: Sigma EX 15-30 (compares in optical quality to Nikon
17-35 2.8 but not in quality built aklthough very well built)

Mid range Zoom: Sigma EX 28-70 2.8 APO ... Pretty good ...

Mid tele range Zoom: Sigma EX 70-200 2.8 APO HSM. As sharp as the
Nikon VR 70-200 2.8 and even sharper @ 2.8. Doesn't have the VR
function but this is truely an amazing lens. That is the one some
report to be trouble making with occasional focus lock. Mine has
the updated chip and never locks ... It is my favorite all around
lens. Focus is ultra fast (in the same range as the Nikon AF-S VR
70-200), ultra sharp lens with superb contrast.

These lenses are like 1/3 of the Nikon equivalent. No contest, the
Nikon have superior built ... Are you shooting in a professional
environment ? If yes, the Nikon are just built like tanks ...

Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Yves P. said:

3 lenses come to mind ...

Click to expand...

....and two cheaper alternatives comes to my mind, if money is an issue.

Yves P. said:

Nikon AF-S 17-35 2.8 (landscape's best from Nikon in a Zoom.

Click to expand...

No alternative from Nikon.

Yves P. said:

Nikon AF-S 28-70 2.8 A living legend excellent and very flexible at
all focal range

Click to expand...

The non-S AF 35-70/2,8 D may still be available from some dealers or can be purchased second hand. It's the push-pull type of zoom, bit optically it's a very good lens.

Yves P. said:

Nikon VR AF-S 70-200 2.8 G, top of the line Zoom from Nikon ...

Click to expand...

The non-S AF 80-200/2,8 ED D is optically excellent, but without VR (image stabilizer) and internal focusing motor in the lens. But it's also only half the price.

Yves P. said:

Those lenses are not cheap but no one will be deceived by any of
them ...

Click to expand...

To be honnest, I have no idea ... :-(

I know mine did because it was inn Sigma's shop ...

William Wyatt said:

Yves P. said:

Well, some of them are more than good. Some of them are total
c-r-a-p (Nikon has that too). Some of them are pure gem ...

Wide Angle: Sigma EX 15-30 (compares in optical quality to Nikon
17-35 2.8 but not in quality built aklthough very well built)

Mid range Zoom: Sigma EX 28-70 2.8 APO ... Pretty good ...

Mid tele range Zoom: Sigma EX 70-200 2.8 APO HSM. As sharp as the
Nikon VR 70-200 2.8 and even sharper @ 2.8. Doesn't have the VR
function but this is truely an amazing lens. That is the one some
report to be trouble making with occasional focus lock. Mine has
the updated chip and never locks ... It is my favorite all around
lens. Focus is ultra fast (in the same range as the Nikon AF-S VR
70-200), ultra sharp lens with superb contrast.

These lenses are like 1/3 of the Nikon equivalent. No contest, the
Nikon have superior built ... Are you shooting in a professional
environment ? If yes, the Nikon are just built like tanks ...

Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

John:

I know that so far all who have responded to your posts have suggested zooms, perhaps because of your desire to have just a couple of all purpose lenses. However, in view of your emphasis on lens quality, and desire to take quality head shots of people, you should also consider one of Nikon's finest portrait lenses, the 85mm f1.4 AF-D. This lens is astonishingly sharp, and renders out of focus background or foreground highlights with grace and beauty (bokeh), especially when open to 5.6 or wider, where the aperture blades form a nearly perfect circle. In addition to the bokeh, nothing else can match the beautiful catch lights in the subject's eyes, the sharpness, the color, the contrast, or the gentle transition from in-focus to out of focus.

The 85mm f1.4 also focuses quickly and accurately, even in low light. On a D100 it has probably the ideal portrait focal length, although many children can benefit from a shorter focal length, and certain adult males may find a longer focal length more flattering. Among the zooms that have been suggested to you, only the 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S VR has somewhat similar sharpness and ability to render out of focus highlights.

Check out my portrait of the very animated Ted Turner taken during a recent speech in San Francisco.

John C. Williams said:

Yves P. said:

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Bill Adams
http://www.pbase.com/bill_adams

Bill Adams
http://www.pbase.com/bill_adams

word, yves.
my exact ideas.
I went with this same exact solution, but I've yet to buy the tele.

so, I think that get the wide/mid/tele solution above and then go and get a prime lens with a macro. like the Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro or a 60 or 85.

Jason Milliron said:

Here is what I bought, it is less expensive but not as flexible as
the other (excellent) recommendations from this thread. These
lenses are all of excellent optical quality and I think offer a
better priceerformance ratio.

Nikkor 20mm f/2.8d – fast and fairly wide ($400, new/gray)
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8d -- for low light ($100, new)
Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5d Macro – inexpensive, great range ($324 +
$40 MIR, new)
Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8d -- inexpensive used ($600, used)

So around $1500 worth of glass when including shipping.

-jason m

--
http://milliron.org
http://www.photo.net/shared/community-member?user_id=364642

Click to expand...

Jason, Thanks for the information...very helpful. where does one find used nikon lenses?

Is there any place in particular you recommend for buying new (or used) lenses?

Yves P. said:

Nikon AF-S 17-35 2.8 (landscape's best from Nikon in a Zoom.

Nikon AF-S 28-70 2.8 A living legend excellent and very flexible at
all focal range

Nikon VR AF-S 70-200 2.8 G, top of the line Zoom from Nikon ...

Those lenses are not cheap but no one will be deceived by any of
them ...

John C. Williams said:

Yves P. said:

John C. Williams said:

I am about to take the plunge and buy a d-100, but want to buy the
right lenses. ABove anything else (including price), quality means
the most to me. I would like to get no more than 3 lenses (2 if
possible) that will afford me the most flexibility in my shooting.
Any suggestions on which to buy? From what I have read, it sounds
like sticking with Nikon lenses is a good idea.

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Yves P.

http://www.pbase.com/kafrifelle
and
http://www.pbase.com/yves_p

Click to expand...

Is there any place in particular you recommend for buying new (or used) lenses?

Leif Olstrup said:

Yves P. said:

3 lenses come to mind ...

Click to expand...

....and two cheaper alternatives comes to my mind, if money is an
issue.

Leif Olstrup said:

Nikon AF-S 17-35 2.8 (landscape's best from Nikon in a Zoom.

Click to expand...

No alternative from Nikon.

Leif Olstrup said:

Nikon AF-S 28-70 2.8 A living legend excellent and very flexible at
all focal range

Click to expand...

The non-S AF 35-70/2,8 D may still be available from some dealers
or can be purchased second hand. It's the push-pull type of zoom,
bit optically it's a very good lens.

Leif Olstrup said:

Nikon VR AF-S 70-200 2.8 G, top of the line Zoom from Nikon ...

Click to expand...

The non-S AF 80-200/2,8 ED D is optically excellent, but without VR
(image stabilizer) and internal focusing motor in the lens. But
it's also only half the price.

Leif Olstrup said:

Those lenses are not cheap but no one will be deceived by any of
them ...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...