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If you had to pick 1 other lens (zoom) for the D3100 for action (daytime)

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taymag

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Right now I just have the 18-55mm that it came with and I am planning on buying one more for now until I learn, so something that wont break the bank that has a little more zoom. Most of my pictures are of friends dirtbiking, surfing and playing hockey, so action shots.

I read about the 55-200mm for basic entry level, but my brother has an old 70-210mm that he said he would sell me for $75. What do you think? Thanks again for helping the new guy :-)
 
The 70-210 will be manual focus and will lack VR. The 55-200 will be auto focus and have VR (providing you get the VR version). So you need to decide if AF and VR are important to you.

With what you intend to shoot I'd look at the 55-300mm VR lens. A bit more reach for not a lot of money.
 
Nikon made a few variatons of the 70-210. None of them will autofocus on your camera. Given your interest in action shots, I would suggest you pass on this and the 55-200 (or the 55-300 suggested by the other poster.) You will want something that can focus quickly, and the best on that score is the Nikon 70-300 VR. You can get it refurbished for a very decent price.
 
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Budget?
 
tclune said:
Nikon made a few variatons of the 70-210. None of them will autofocus on your camera. Given your interest in action shots, I would suggest you pass on this and the 55-200 (or the 55-300 suggested by the other poster.) You will want something that can focus quickly, and the best on that score is the Nikon 70-300 VR. You can get it refurbished for a very decent price.
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I agree. I had a Nikon 70-300 VR but as I got older it got heavier so I replaced it with a 55-300 VR. Both are very good optically, and the 55-300 VR is lighter, but the 70-300 VR focuses faster. That's very important for shooting sports. You can get a refurbished or lightly used 70-300 VR for a reasonable price. Check keh.com (the best for used gear), B&H, and Adorama.
 
tclune said:
Nikon made a few variatons of the 70-210. None of them will autofocus on your camera. Given your interest in action shots, I would suggest you pass on this and the 55-200 (or the 55-300 suggested by the other poster.) You will want something that can focus quickly, and the best on that score is the Nikon 70-300 VR. You can get it refurbished for a very decent price.
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True.

I have the 70-300 VR and like it but since the OP's options were in the sub-100.00 range I was trying to keep things as cheap as possible, hence the 55-300 which can be had for ~200.00 used or refurb. The 70-300 will be around 300+ for used/refurb.

The OP should be aware that there is a non-VR 70-300 which is about 130.00, that's not the lens being recommended.
 
What kind of prices and I looking at for the 55-300 VR or 70-300 VR? And is there brands I should be aware of or brands I should steer away from or do you recommend Nikon only? I really planned on ~$250
 
What kind of prices and I looking at for the 55-300 VR or 70-300 VR? And is there brands I should be aware of or brands I should steer away from or do you recommend Nikon only? I really planned on ~$250
 
I just checked KEH used lenses. They have a number of Nikon 70-300 VR lenses, all in Excellent condition or better, starting from $325 (KEH link. ) KEH is a very reputable source for used equipment, and a lens from them that is in excellent condition is a very good product, indeed. The cost of refurbs varies with availability. If memory serves, Nikon prices them at $400 through their site, but B&H and Adorama will discount the factory refurbs if there is a glut. FWIW
 
taymag said:
What kind of prices and I looking at for the 55-300 VR or 70-300 VR? And is there brands I should be aware of or brands I should steer away from or do you recommend Nikon only? I really planned on ~$250
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www.nikonusa.com

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www.nikonusa.com

Another option is the Tamron 70-300 VC for Nikon. It's better at 300 than either Nikon is and can usually be found for about the same price or maybe less than the Nikon 70-300. But you'll have to shop around to find a used one.
 
taymag said:
What kind of prices and I looking at for the 55-300 VR or 70-300 VR? And is there brands I should be aware of or brands I should steer away from or do you recommend Nikon only? I really planned on ~$250
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It's hard to find both good and cheap together. A used Nikon 55-200 or 55-300 is probably your best option for that price. The optics are decent just a bit slow to focus. I had the 55-200 before I bought the 70-300 and 80-200 (both of which I still own).

Life is full of compromise, you either need to increase your budget or be willing to accept less than stellar performance.
 
I have the 18-55, are the 55-200 and 55-300 going to focus about the same? Just trying to get an idea of the "focus" difference. Also, what do the first and second numbers mean? Sorry for the stupid questions :)
 
Oh $300 isn't bad. Is the only difference between the 55-300 and the 70-300 the focus speed? What exactly do the 70 and 300 mean? Thanks for all the help so far!! Glad I stopped here first, I think you all convinced me spending a little extra is worth it
 
taymag said:
Oh $300 isn't bad. Is the only difference between the 55-300 and the 70-300 the focus speed? What exactly do the 70 and 300 mean? Thanks for all the help so far!! Glad I stopped here first, I think you all convinced me spending a little extra is worth it
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the 70-300 is the focal length range (or zoom range). So, on it's shortest end, it's a 70mm lens and on it's longest (telephoto) end, it's 300mm.

There's more differences between these two lenses than focus speed. The 55-300 is a DX only lens, it will only work on a DX camera (D3x00, D5x00, D7x00) while the 70-300mm lens is an FX lens and will work on virtually all Nikon dSLR cameras (DX and FX). The 70-300 is also a tad larger and heavier, but it's overall sharper.
 
taymag said:
I have the 18-55, are the 55-200 and 55-300 going to focus about the same? Just trying to get an idea of the "focus" difference. Also, what do the first and second numbers mean? Sorry for the stupid questions :)
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About the same, possibly a bit quicker to focus, not sure I understand your second question though.

You ask about the first and second numbers. Do you mean the 55 and 200 in 55-200? If so, they mean 55mm and 200mm focal length, which are the near and far zoom limits of the lens. If that isn't what you are asking, please explain, because otherwise I haven't a clue.
 
I think what you need is a good basic photography book. It's the first thing every newbie should get. There are a lot of good ones. A good one to start with is, "Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide". It's a better manual than the one that came with the camera, it's a good basic photography course, and I contains a glossary of photographic terms. Another good one is, "Understanding Photography Field Guide", by Bryan Peterson. There's too much to learn to get it piecemeal. Either of these books will give you a good Photography 101 course.
 
I have the 55-200mm, which I picked up second hand for a good price. I use it with my D7000 and I'm pretty happy with it. For general shooting, I normally keep my 35mm 1.8 on my camera and the 55-200mm in my camera bag. Most of the time my other lenses stay at home.

The D3100 with the 18-55mm and the 55-200mm make a nice light weight kit for a beginner.

I think your choice is really governed by your budget. If you can afford the 70-300mm VR go for it. If you can't, go for the 55-300mm. If you cant afford that, go for the 55-200mm. At this stage, you will be happy with any of them.

Happy shooting.
 
Thanks for the answers! I am going to assess the budget, get a book and roll from there! I will be back, love the forum and even my 18-55mm so I am sure ill be pretty happy with anything mentioned. Homework time!
 
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