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One lense and one lens only?

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I agree. While it's great to have the ability to change lenses to suit your subject, it's not always necessary. Too many people get caught up in buying equipment instead of concentrating on taking good pictures! While I would love to have a 24-120VR and a true macro lens for my D70, I'll probably have to make due with the 18-70 kit lens for awhile. Enjoy what you have and don't worry about what you don't have. ;)

Cassandra
RSCary said:
I have an old Leica M4 with a 50mm F2 Summicron I've had for over
30 years. Its been used for many, many weddings. Its been used for
family photos, vacation photos, landscapes, people photos. I've
never felt the need for another lens on that camera. So I think it
depends on your planned and actual use of the camera.

On the other hand, I do have a few lenses for my D1x. That camera
is used for many different types of photography and no one lens
would work equally well for all.

Scott
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/cassandra
 
Thanks Cassandra,

You said that much better than I did. We have so many choices today we get caught up in the equipment more than in the photograph.
Scott
Cassandra said:
I agree. While it's great to have the ability to change lenses to
suit your subject, it's not always necessary. Too many people get
caught up in buying equipment instead of concentrating on taking
good pictures! While I would love to have a 24-120VR and a true
macro lens for my D70, I'll probably have to make due with the
18-70 kit lens for awhile. Enjoy what you have and don't worry
about what you don't have. ;)

Cassandra

--
http://www.pbase.com/cassandra
Click to expand...
 
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Click to expand...
Only you can decide. For many people an 80-200 zoom is a normal lens. I personally take more wide pictures than telephoto and like a zoom that goes a little way on both sides of middle normal. For some extreme wide is their normal. There is no doubt that a 4 to 1 zoom like the 17-70 is going to be a sharper, contrastier lens than a 10 to 1 zoom.
 
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
35mm f2. Similar to a 50mm f2 on a film slr.
 
I'd forget the Tamron, and for that matter any zoom much over 2:1, they simply don't have acceptable image quality (even Nikkors). The one lens that gets the most use on my D100 is the 35-70mm f/2.8. Second place goes to the 17-35mm f/2.8.
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
Why are you buying a dSLR if you only want one lens? (and it needs to be small) You'd probably be better off with the 8700 since it only has one lens.

--
Tony

http://homepage.mac.com/a5m http://www.pbase.com/a5m
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
If budget is part of your limit, I would suggest the kit lens and an inexpensive 70-210 zoom. If you must have only one lens then I would suggest staying away from the 28-300 and go with a 24 or 28 to 200. The 200 cropped to the angle of a 300 would probably give you better image quality than the long end of a 28-300. If you think that you need a 300, the 24-120VR might dissapoint you even though it is a super lens.

Ron
 
As nice as the 5700 and 8700 are, they still don't work like an SLR. They have some cool features that you will not find on an SLR but they just don't work the same way. Speed of focus is one big area for me to favor the SLR. Viewfinder and shutter lag are other reasons to favor an SLR.

What's wrong with putting one lens on the camera and just using that if it fits your needs?

Many of us here use our cameras for such a variety of subjects its hard to imagine using only one lens. The price of the D70 will attract many users who just want the quality and speed of an SLR as a family camera. The kit lens will be more than enough to satisfy their requirements. They still have the option to get another lens later on if the need arises.

Scott
Anthony Medici said:
--
Tony

http://homepage.mac.com/a5m http://www.pbase.com/a5m
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
RSCary said:
What's wrong with putting one lens on the camera and just using
that if it fits your needs?

Scott
Click to expand...
Unless your needs are a very narrow scope, you will eventually not be able to do what you want to with a single lens. That's why they make the lens changeable. So assuming that you'll manage with a single lens for a camera designed to use many for different purposes is not realistic.

So, no matter what lens anyone picks, I can point out lots of things you can't do with it. Picking a single lens is a compromise where you decide what you don't want to do with it and then never try to do that type of photography. To me, it's too limiting.

--
Tony

http://homepage.mac.com/a5m http://www.pbase.com/a5m
 
Tony,

That was my point. You may have a narrow scope now and one lens will be fine. You still have the advantages of an SLR. If you find your needs change all you have to do is get another lens. If you buy a camera like the 8700 and your needs change, you need to buy another camera.

Scott
Anthony Medici said:
RSCary said:
What's wrong with putting one lens on the camera and just using
that if it fits your needs?

Scott
Click to expand...
Unless your needs are a very narrow scope, you will eventually not
be able to do what you want to with a single lens. That's why they
make the lens changeable. So assuming that you'll manage with a
single lens for a camera designed to use many for different
purposes is not realistic.

So, no matter what lens anyone picks, I can point out lots of
things you can't do with it. Picking a single lens is a compromise
where you decide what you don't want to do with it and then never
try to do that type of photography. To me, it's too limiting.

--
Tony

http://homepage.mac.com/a5m http://www.pbase.com/a5m
Click to expand...
 
RSCary said:
As nice as the 5700 and 8700 are, they still don't work like an
SLR. They have some cool features that you will not find on an SLR
but they just don't work the same way. Speed of focus is one big
area for me to favor the SLR. Viewfinder and shutter lag are other
reasons to favor an SLR.
Click to expand...
I think the latest higher end compact digitals have improved in the AF/shutter lag area & the viewfinder/EVF things is getting better, so if one wants only specific focal range like 28-200mm 35mm FOV, they could do with Minolta A1/A2, sony 828 or the new canons.

The major extra (or drawback, depends on how you see it) with compact digicam is DOF.

Compact digicam has significantly more DOF for the same aperture/35mm FOV combination compared to DSLR, so for common landscape and close up work, it's easier to handhold a shot with acceptable sharpness.

With DSLR you'll need to stop down & VR/tripod is your best helper to get sharp landscape/close up picture with the same DOF.

The fact there's no mirror slap is also help getting sharpness on compact digicam.
 
RSCary said:
That was my point. You may have a narrow scope now and one lens
will be fine. You still have the advantages of an SLR. If you find
your needs change all you have to do is get another lens. If you
buy a camera like the 8700 and your needs change, you need to buy
another camera.

Scott
Click to expand...
But my point is it sounds to me like the person is asking for a lens that can do everything without having to change it. I don't see a narrow scope being asked about so my opinion is no one lens can be bought to try. If you do get say the 28-300, you are compromising so much that you might as well buy a fixed lens camera.

Yes, a dSLR gives you the option to change your mind. But you need to realize right off that you will probably need more than one lens right off the bat.

--
Tony

http://homepage.mac.com/a5m http://www.pbase.com/a5m
 
I don't know what all the fuss is about just
having one lens!
It's not as if the kit lens doesn't give a great range.
Theres thousands of old SLRs out there that never had
anything but their 50mm prime lens mounted on them!
and some of those cameras recorded better images than
most of us will ever create with a bag full of zooms!
I've lasted 30 years with my trust old F2 with just a
35mm,24mm,and 105mm.
I don't think having the advantages of a DSLR is
an extavagence considering image quality!
If I take the plunge with the D70, I would be happy
with just the kit zoom 95% of the time, and maybe
a 35mm for low light.
Of course if and when a 24mm equivalent is introduced
by Nikon, I guess I'd have to give in!
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
is an oxymoron. Usles, of course, you consider 3x zoom "great range." Truthfully, I'm really not sure what 70mm equates to in terms of zoom power on a D70, but it sure isn't much!
s majesk said:
s majesk wrote:
I don't know what all the fuss is about just
having one lens!
It's not as if the kit lens doesn't give a great range.
Theres thousands of old SLRs out there that never had
anything but their 50mm prime lens mounted on them!
and some of those cameras recorded better images than
most of us will ever create with a bag full of zooms!
I've lasted 30 years with my trust old F2 with just a
35mm,24mm,and 105mm.
I don't think having the advantages of a DSLR is
an extavagence considering image quality!
If I take the plunge with the D70, I would be happy
with just the kit zoom 95% of the time, and maybe
a 35mm for low light.
Of course if and when a 24mm equivalent is introduced
by Nikon, I guess I'd have to give in!
Click to expand...
--
Steve S
http://www.pbase.com/sshyone
 
And if I remember correctly some of the greatest photographers never used anything other than a 50mm prime.

Cassandra
Steven S said:
Steven S said:
s majesk wrote:
I don't know what all the fuss is about just
having one lens!
It's not as if the kit lens doesn't give a great range.
Theres thousands of old SLRs out there that never had
anything but their 50mm prime lens mounted on them!
and some of those cameras recorded better images than
most of us will ever create with a bag full of zooms!
I've lasted 30 years with my trust old F2 with just a
35mm,24mm,and 105mm.
I don't think having the advantages of a DSLR is
an extavagence considering image quality!
If I take the plunge with the D70, I would be happy
with just the kit zoom 95% of the time, and maybe
a 35mm for low light.
Of course if and when a 24mm equivalent is introduced
by Nikon, I guess I'd have to give in!
Click to expand...
--
Steve S
http://www.pbase.com/sshyone
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/cassandra
 
The Tamron will do any of the things that you have outlined below. Indeed, though I have a number of much more expensive lenses, I often travel with just the body and my Tamron (either that or a 40 lb backpack full of stuff !) Frankly, the Tamron is underrated on this forum. Read the Pop Photo review. It is pretty accurate...

Regards,
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
Okay, I'm not saying that i will only use one lens for the life of the camera. The camera will go with me everywhere i go, and i want a lens that will fit most shooting situations that i will encounter along my way. If i know i will be shooting a certain situation, i would definitly want a more appropriate lens for that shoot. My question is really just about the best lens for most everyday shooting situations.

Thanks for all the help though;
JBA
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
Oh yea, one more thing..... As i mentioned above, i am primarily getting the D70 for image quality. The 8700 is a very nice camera, and i would have purchased it, or one of it's SonyCCD brothren, but as nice as they are, the image quality is only good at below 100iso (IMHO). A lot of the shooting i will be doing will be very casual indoor shots that i would rather avoid flash in.

JBA
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
Well, i think i've decided to just go with the Kit lens for now. It is light weight, isn't too long, and i'm pretty sure for my uses, i would miss not having the 18mm wide angle.

Thank you all for your help;
JBA
Briggsincali said:
I'm going to buy the D70 whenever i can get my hands on it, but my
delema is that i will only use one lens, almost 100% of the time,
and I can't decide what lense to buy. The 17-70 kit lense looks
pretty damn nice, but then there is also the Tamron 28-300. I
would buy the Tamron withought question, if not for giving up the
bottom 17mm (35mm equiv) of wide angle. Has anyone used a 28mm on
thier D100, as the maximum wide? I would be using the camera for
everything from random vacation pictures, to landscapes, to candids
of friends, and i can't really decide how much i would miss the
bottom end of the 17mm Nikor. The difference of image quality
between the Nikor, and the Tamron isn't that big of a deal to me
(i'm still very ameture), it's mostly just the wide range.
Thanks for any input;
JBA
Click to expand...
 
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