Lens Advice

[Hylander]

I have a Nikon  D3200 which I had given me for Christmas.    The lens it arrived with is a 18 - 55 lens but I am finding that this is not very effective on the Broads as most things I need to photograph are at a distance.   Hubby has said he will buy me a telephoto lens for my birthday but wondered if this is practical.    I know there is a 55 - 200 lens available.    Is this a TF lens or is this a intermediate one.      Can someone help please?

 

 

[mbird]

I don't know anything about specific Nikon lenses, as I have always been a Canon user myself. However, I would certainly agree a decent zoom lens is a good idea for photographing wildlife etc on the Broads.

My zoom lens was 70-300mm, and was image stabilised to ensure the pictures are sharp. I would certainly recommend getting a lens with image stabilisation, as trying to get sharp photos when the zoom is extended can be quite difficult without a tripod or from a moving platform like a boat, without resorting to very fast shutter speeds which just aren't suitable sometimes.

[Hylander]

as trying to get sharp photos when the zoom is extended can be quite difficult without a tripod or from a moving platform like a boat, without resorting to very fast shutter speeds which just aren't suitable sometimes. 

 

 

Hum ! yes that is what I was thinking as 9 times out of 10 we are on a moving boat when I see something interesting..   I think we have agreed on the 55 - 300 with a price tag of not being too extreme, enough but not out of the question.      Thank you for your thoughts.

 

I have had to edit as realise I had posted incorrectly the first time.   It is a 55 - 300 lens.

[mbird]

It's always worth checking on eBay for second hand lenses and cameras. There is some very good stuff on there at much less than the brand new price. I have bought several lenses and cameras on there and they have all been very good indeed and much cheaper than new.

[LondonRascal]

I used to be very much 'into' photography but alas for much of the time it felt like I was digging a hole into which large amounts of cash were going, because in photography much like marine items it all costs when you get serious.

 

Now I don’t know how serious you take your photography – I suspect you like the control a dSLR offers and the possibilities creatively they have over other types of cameras – they also happen to be able to take very nice photos but much of that is down to the lens you get, and as you’ve no doubt found they ain’t cheap.

 

To many people who take photo taking and SLR’s seriously, what I am about to suggest will sound very dirty but it is worth a punt and if you don’t like the results send it back for a refund... I own one of these and frankly am very happy with the results despite the relatively cheap price tag. It is a 70-500mm lens for under £100.00.

 

It does not have any image stabilisation but honestly I find a slow moving boat to be one of the most fluid and stable places to shoot from (as long as you’re not going through choppy water or wash) and using a small bean bag can make a soft place for the camera to be placed and rested on and the whole boat becomes your solid tripod experimentation is key but even at sea with Broad Ambition and the Corsican in a swell hand held the results were good (save the dust on the mirror I only noticed after I got home).

 

Lens: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0012UUP02

 

Photos taken with this lens at sea: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96129887@N06/sets/72157634556352064/

[diesel falcon]

Personally for a good walk around lens i use one of these  ,http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-28-300mm-28-300-3-5-6-3-Nikon/dp/B0000CBILF/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401210714&sr=1-7&keywords=sigma+28-300mm

 

A 700 like the Racal used will break your arm!! , if you want to carry it around. as jonzo says that lens is a cracker,also the newer 18-105 kit lens with the d7000 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-18-105mm-3-5-5-6G/dp/B001EO6W8K/ref=sr_1_38?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401211176&sr=1-38&keywords=d7000+kit+lens

 

A bit more money but well worth it

[diesel falcon]

Correction 500 instead of 700 !! ******* glasses! and now i ve read it,s a 300!! just ignore it! the links are good!!  

[Guest]

..... it felt like I was digging a hole into which large amounts of cash were going, because in photography much like marine items it all costs when you get serious........

 

Robin's comment struck a chord with me !

 

He's absolutely right with that.

 

SLR cameras are a marketing man's dream, the interchangeable lenses and other attachments are an irresistible lure towards ending up with a bag full of lenses.

 

Digital cameras are developing very rapidly now, so anyone's personal experience or advice has to be  tempered with the possibility that new kit is better, and previous conceptions are no longer true.

 

For the sought after "walk around" camera and lens that many people seek, the all-in-one "Bridge" cameras are becoming a really viable option, picture quality wise.

 

I bought a Fuji HS50EXR a year ago, which handles just like a DSLR, but has a 42x lens, (the equivalent of 24 to 1000mm in 35mm terms), with image stabilisation and 1080p video as well.

 

I also have two Canon DSLRs a 500D and a 5D full frame, with about a dozen lenses.

 

The Fuji Bridge camera was intended to be my walk around camera, but the Canons hardly get used at all now, because the results, versatility, and convenience of the HS50EXR make it my favourite now.

 

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/compact-cameras/fuji-finepix-hs50-exr-1159833/review#null

 

 

[mbird]

I did the same and sold my Canon 50D as it was simply getting a pain to carry around! I bought an Olympus EPL-3 Pen Lite with two lenses and macro/fisheye/wide converters and the photos it takes are better than the Canon imho. The only thing that lets it down is the pathetic flash!

[BroadScot]

I have a Panasonic DMC-LZ30 Lumix. 35xZoom. I have to say i'm pleased with it. Its very simple to use and takes good zoom pics. Here is one taken 19 miles away from the Isle of Arran. I was down at Maidens near Turnberry one day.

 

 

Iain.