HELP HELP HELP with lens choice!!

[frostyfrostysnowman]

hey all! i'm helping my friend enquire about a dillemma he's facing right now.

he has a 1.2k budget for lens, so he could work out either one of the two following options:

1. Get a 18-200mm VR

2. Split it up into two seperate lenses that cover the same focal range

Would need some advice for the 2nd option.. which combination would ensure good IQ and the best bang for his buck??

He would like a wide-angle / sports photography (wakeboarding in particular) kind of lens..

Your recommendations and advice will be greatly appreciated!!

[TMC]

his interests are too extreme, none will be good for him. Get the 18-200 and let him decide from there onwards.

[zac08]

Just get one lens first...

Wide angle or the longer zoom...

[calebk]

Wakeboarding, and other watersports require lenses way longer than 200mm.

Wide angle landscape photography usually utilises lenses wider than 18mm on an APS-C camera.

Can't get the best of both worlds I'm afraid.

[frostyfrostysnowman]

wakeboarding doesn't require well over 200mm because he will be inside the boat.. he'll not be shooting from the shore. haha..

i guess i just have to convince him to go for the zoom first, afterall wakeboarding is his priority.

[calebk]

Originally Posted by frostyfrostysnowman wakeboarding doesn't require well over 200mm because he will be inside the boat.. he'll not be shooting from the shore. haha.. i guess i just have to convince him to go for the zoom first, afterall wakeboarding is his priority.

Then go for a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR.

[2.8photography]

wide angle - 18-35 f/3.5-4 (?)
super wide angle - 12-24 f/4

super tele - 300 f/4

if he doesnt need really wide (provided hes using an aps-c cam) then an 18-200 will be great

[Fotophilic]

Tamron 17-50 = ~$600
Nikon 55-200 VR = ~400

but this is really dependent on the shooter...

18-200 is quite bendy at the wide end. Personally if talking about wide, 18-200 is not for me. It is more for casual and lazy shots.

[calebk]

Originally Posted by Fotophilic Tamron 17-50 = ~$600 ...

It is retailing for around $680-$700 (incl. GST) with 3yr warranty.

[All Blue]

are you sure he's going to shoot from the boat. then he'll need water-proof. the water is very damaging.

Originally Posted by frostyfrostysnowman wakeboarding doesn't require well over 200mm because he will be inside the boat.. he'll not be shooting from the shore. haha.. i guess i just have to convince him to go for the zoom first, afterall wakeboarding is his priority.

[jijicat]

Under your friend's budget, i will go for D70 kit lens AFS 18-70mm and AFS 70-300mm VR. Good for wakeboarding also!

[geraldkhoo]

Originally Posted by frostyfrostysnowman wakeboarding doesn't require well over 200mm because he will be inside the boat.. he'll not be shooting from the shore. haha.. i guess i just have to convince him to go for the zoom first, afterall wakeboarding is his priority.

If he is in the boat... then VR would be very important. Nikon VR has Normal or Active, and being in a boat which moves in all directions, the Active VR would help a whole lot!

So... that would narrow down the choices of lenses to VR lenses... and Nikon has just announced a 18-55mm VR lens:

http://nikonimaging.com/global/produ...g_vr/index.htm

So your friend can get the 18-55 VR + 55-200 VR lens...

[frostyfrostysnowman]

hey all thanks sooo much for all the advice. I'll relay it to my friend and will see what his final decision is. The CS BBB virus has hit him hard as well. :P