Lenses for Nikon D70 Digital SLR.

[Zeckson Chow]

Dear people,

Since you guys are the professionals here, I thought of posting these questions here.

1. What are the different lenses manufactured for Nikon D70?
2. What is the price of each?
3. Does 3rd party lenses work?
4. What is the difference between a zoom lens and a macro lens?
5. How come some lenses are big and some are small?

I am very new to digital photography. Just own a D70 about 1 month ago, still playing around with it. Please advise.

[espn]

http://www.nikon.com.sg/PRODUCT/AFLENSES.htm

http://www.nikon.com.sg/PRODUCT/LENS...OR/af_spec.pdf

http://www.nikon.com.sg/PRODUCT/LENSES_discont.htm

http://www.nikon.com.sg/PRODUCT/MFLENSES.htm

http://www.nikon.com.sg/PRODUCT/LENS...onLensTech.htm

[TMC]

Not a pro, but should be able to answer your qns

1. To go check their web at www.nikon.com.sg have all their lens and RP on it.
2. Check with the shops to get a better street price
3. 3rd party will work only if they are made for Nikon's F-Mount, ask before you buy
4. Zoom lens covers a range of focal length, could be 17-35 or 28-75 or 70-200. Macro function allows you to have a shorter minimum focussing distance, so that you can have a bigger magnification of your subject (eg. take a closer shot of an ant)
5. Laws of physics. Larger aperture lens tend to have bigger elements to be able to capture more light. (correct me on this one if I'm wrong)


Read up more and ask around more. We all start out like this.

[TMC]

or can get ESPN's number and call him to ask everything about Nikon.

[espn]

Originally Posted by TMC or can get ESPN's number and call him to ask everything about Nikon.

TMC

[Xpose]

I'm not a nikon user but will try my best to ans your qns

1) There are so many that it will take a very long list to list them all. It all depend on the range you want, eg 70-200mm, 50mm, 10mm etc.

2) Like I've said, there are so many different types of lenses out there and also there are so many camera shop out there and hence prices may differents abit. Take for an eg, recently I bought a focusing screen and the shops I ask all give different price, shop A give me qoute of $60, B give me qoute of $50, C give me $36.75

3) Why would they not work?

4) A zoom lens is a len with adjustable variatable focal length. It allows you to change the focal length using the lens instead of changing and mount a lens of different focal length onto the body. eg of such lenses are the 70-200mm, 70-300mm, the standard lens that came wif your d70 is too a zoom lens. Macro lenses are usually used for taking closeup and like what the name suggest, macro. It usually meant for taking small objects and etc. Some good eg would be those in the macro and closeup forums.

5) Its how they design the lenses but usually from wat I noticed, consumer type lense are usually "smaller" than those meant for the higher level up ones

[ortega]

Go to NUG and feel the force grow stronger,
and not forgetting the Buy, buy, buy virus.

I believe you can see and/or feel most of the good stuff there.
Right?

[ortega]

The size of the lens is also a male ego thing.
you know, "mine is BIGGER than yours"

[Caussway]

3. Does 3rd party lenses work?
There several independant lens manufacturer like
Sigma, Tamron and Tokina. They make lenses for popular
brands like Nikon, Canon, Minolta etc..

4. What is the difference between a zoom lens and a macro lens?
Zoom lens is capable of changing it's local lenght ie.
from 28mm to 70mm. There are many zoom lenses of different
range of focal lenght. Your D70 kit lens is 18mm - 70mm.
A Lens that has fixed focal lenght called prime lens.

Macro is a function that allows your lens to focus a subject
at very close distance.

5. How come some lenses are big and some are small ?
Generally the bigger the lens (front diameter ) the brighter it's.
Bright (also called fast ) lenses are good for low light and action photography.
The maximum brightness of a lens is rated with F number,
D70 kit lens maximum brightness varies from F3.5 to F4.5.

The lenses which are longer are telephoto lenses, they allow
you to take picture of distance subject.

You can find lots of articles on these subject on internet, just google it.

[ParkertR]

lool... ortega always talk abt the 'buy buy buy' virus :P

[ortega]

Cannot buy, but can talk
Talk is cheap.

[Zeckson Chow]

Dear people,

Thank you so much for the effort in writing these posts down. I have got some information here from the posts posted. But there are still some things that I don't understand.

For example:
If zoom lens are lenses with variable focal lengths, does it mean that I can also call a 28mm - 35mm lens a zoom lens too?

If macro lens are able to take subjects located at very short focal length, how come there are still macro lenses that boasts something like 70mm - 200mm? Is this a zoom lens already?

And, can macro lens be used as a zoom lens too?

Scenario:
I want to take a picture of a flower at a distance of 5m away but I can only stand at a particular position. What lens should I use?

I want to take a very close up shot of the face of a monkey 20m away. What lens should I use?

[espn]

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow For example: If zoom lens are lenses with variable focal lengths, does it mean that I can also call a 28mm - 35mm lens a zoom lens too?

Yes. Even if it's a 17-18mm it's also a zoom len, probably can further distinguish further by wide angle zoom (<35mm), mid zoom (35 - 100mm), and power zooms (>100mm).

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow If macro lens are able to take subjects located at very short focal length, how come there are still macro lenses that boasts something like 70mm - 200mm? Is this a zoom lens already?

There is a 70-210 Micro from Nikkor I believe, very old len already, yes, it's a zoom and Micro also.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow And, can macro lens be used as a zoom lens too?

A Micro len is still a len and can be used as such.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Scenario: I want to take a picture of a flower at a distance of 5m away but I can only stand at a particular position. What lens should I use?

You can use any telezooms like 70-200mm as you need the distance.

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow I want to take a very close up shot of the face of a monkey 20m away. What lens should I use?

You'd be better off in this sense with a 300mm or longer range len.

[zmwang]

Espn, correct me if I am wrong. I think the zoom micro lens is only the 70-180 ED.

[espn]

Oops, my bad I must have been thinking of the older 70-210 Thanks for the heads up

[HeWolf]

Originally Posted by Zeckson Chow Dear people, : For example: If zoom lens are lenses with variable focal lengths, does it mean that I can also call a 28mm - 35mm lens a zoom lens too? If macro lens are able to take subjects located at very short focal length, how come there are still macro lenses that boasts something like 70mm - 200mm? Is this a zoom lens already? And, can macro lens be used as a zoom lens too? :

Just to clarify, a ZOOM lens allows you to zoom between focal length, It can be WIDE zoom lens (e.g.12-24mm) or even TELE zoom lens (e.g. 80-400mm), all still ZOOM lenses.

A Zoom lens may be /may be not a micro/macro lens. e.g. Sigma 70-300 APO Macro is a macro zoom lens.


The opposite of ZOOM lens is PRIME lens, where you cannot zoom in or out as the focal length is fixed. It can be wide prime (e.g. 16mm) or even tele prime (e.g. 500mm), and still prime.

Likewise, a prime lens may be / may be not a micro/macro lens. e.g. Tamron 90mm Di Macro is a macro prime lens.

[litefoot]

Originally Posted by zmwang Espn, correct me if I am wrong. I think the zoom micro lens is only the 70-180 ED.

Any one tried this? Seems like people rarely buy this lens just like the 200 micro.

[rhythm_traveller]

Originally Posted by ortega The size of the lens is also a male ego thing. you know, "mine is BIGGER than yours"

[zmwang]

Originally Posted by litefoot Any one tried this? Seems like people rarely buy this lens just like the 200 micro.

I will buy this lens if I have big wallet when I drop by HK.

[rhythm_traveller]

A couple of nice links that helped me to start off. They should answer most of your questions.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/ (some might hate this page, but to me its quite useful)

http://members.aol.com/bhaber/D70/lessons.html

http://www.bythom.com/lensacronyms.htm