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05/05/2010 11:07:21 AM · #1 |
| I know this has probably been ask a zillion times but.......which would be better for sports and wildlife? |
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05/05/2010 11:19:35 AM · #2 |
I'm not 100% sure what you are asking here... But..
A telephoto is a lens with a specific group of lens elements that allow for greater "length" without the need to actually make a lens physically longer.
Here's a Wikipedia article on the subject..
A zoom is a lens that allows you to change the "length" of the lens.
They both work great, except I do prefer the telephoto, as my one non-telephoto lens is a 500mm manual monster (just like the one shown in the wiki article above)...
But as to which is better? Heck I suggest getting a lens that will does both.. :)
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05/05/2010 11:28:53 AM · #3 |
I think he is asking between a prime lens or a zoom lens.
Prime lens: one focal length but will give better image quality over a zoom. But it is a fixed focal length so you have to zoom with your feet.
Zoom lens: Not as good image quality as a prime. But the freedom to change your focal length if the animal gets closer or farther away.
Either one will really work. The die hard wildlife photographers love the primes for the image quality but they can be very expensive. The quality of zooms is getting better all the time and the average person can not tell the difference between a photograph using a prime and one using a zoom.
edit: I just bought the Sigma 150-500 and so far I love it.
Message edited by author 2010-05-05 11:29:28.
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05/05/2010 12:10:00 PM · #4 |
| for the difference in price, is the telephoto picture quality that much better for just average photography, not professional |
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05/05/2010 01:21:17 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by meow:
for the difference in price, is the telephoto picture quality that much better for just average photography, not professional |
The answer is... wait for it... it depends. If you choose an inexpensive "consumer zoom" the performance at the long end is often (not always) pretty disappointing. Choose very carefully from among this class of lens, read the reviews. Among the higher-level zooms, the difference between them and primes is small indeed. Since you have an APS-C (1.5x crop) camera, you might look at an XX-300mm class zoom, which gives you the equivalent of 450mm on a 35mm "full frame" camera; that's pretty good reach, but it will come at the cost of a relatively "slow" maximum aperture, probably f/5.6 at the long end.
I don't know what the best choice in Nikon (or third party Nikon-compatible) glass is in this class, I'm sure others will chime in with recommendations. |
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05/05/2010 01:32:08 PM · #6 |
I am not familiar with Nikon so I searched the equipment section for Sigma lenses.
Here is a shot with 150-500. It is f5/6.3 so it is kind of slow but it is around $1000. I have this lens and I really love it. Gives me around 800mm of zoom on my 7D
Here is a shot with the Sigma 300 f/2.8. No one has taken a photo with the Nikon version so this is a Canon shot but they should shoot the same. It is fast but that comes with a price of around $3000
To me they both have about the same quality.
You can go to equipment and search for photos taken with a lens to get an idea what it is capable of. Personally I prefer the advantages of a zoom over a prime but mostly because I can't afford a bunch of different primes.
Ronnie
Message edited by author 2010-05-05 13:37:04.
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05/05/2010 05:45:47 PM · #7 |
Depends on your shooting style; I know that when I have a zoom lens I tend to take 90% of my shots at one end or the other, so I'm comfortable using primes. My beloved never takes two pictures at the same focal length, and her head would explode if she had to use primes.
From a purely physical point of view: primes have less elements, which (all other things being equal) leads to higher image quality and lighter lenses. They also tend to have slightly faster focusing, although that can be marginal. |
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05/05/2010 07:14:56 PM · #8 |
| Thanks for your help everyone. You've answered my question. |
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