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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> convince me to buy the nikon 18-70mm lens
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Showing posts 1 - 9 of 9, (reverse)
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12/12/2006 10:58:27 PM · #1


I am stuck on what kind of lens I want for Christmas. I want to do portraits and weddings next year. I dont know what lens I need for my budget which is 350.00. Please help me quick because I have to order it soon.
12/13/2006 12:35:00 AM · #2
Go for the 17-55 - It's great.
12/13/2006 12:49:21 AM · #3
Originally posted by jblaylockrayner:

Go for the 17-55 - It's great.


Considering the $350 budget, I think that's just a little out of his price range.

The 35-70/2.8 is another option if you're looking to do mostly portraits (and plan on keeping the 18-55 to handle wide angle).
12/13/2006 12:57:14 AM · #4
Originally posted by Dlove:

I am stuck on what kind of lens I want for Christmas. I want to do portraits and weddings next year.

Consider getting a Nikon 35-70/2.8 while you still can (it's now out of production, but you can still buy it brand new in many stores ($480 imported from B&H), and it's easy to score good second-hand copies). This lens is pretty sharp wide open, a pro quality lens. Even if you are going to use flash, for weddings and portraits you want a lens that's fast and sharp wide open; the 18-70 is a pretty good lens, but you need to stop it down a bit to get optimal sharpness. Or, perhaps, get the 85/1.8.

I shot a wedding with the 35-70/2.8D and an SB-800, and the combo is fantastic. Of course, I wish it were a little bit wider, but I hear that the 18-55 that you have is just as good as the 18-70 on the wide end. I used a 50/1.4D for available light wedding shots, and scored some very good images.

If you do decide to buy the 18-70, Cameta Camera often sells factory demo versions of it for around US$200.

Message edited by author 2006-12-13 00:58:49.
12/13/2006 12:57:58 AM · #5
Originally posted by virtuamike:

The 35-70/2.8 is another option if you're looking to do mostly portraits (and plan on keeping the 18-55 to handle wide angle).

LOL, you beat me to it as I was typing my message.
12/13/2006 02:51:48 AM · #6
12/13/2006 02:54:11 AM · #7
I'd recommend the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG IF Aspherical
It's my favorite lens right now and it's only $289 on Amazon. I've shot a lot of indoor ballet stuff with it and do studio portraits with it, it's been a great all around lens.
12/13/2006 03:57:01 AM · #8
The 18-70 is at the moment my least used lens at the moment. To start with it is nice, but when you use primes, the before mentioned 35-70 and stuff like that the 18-70 suddenly becomes very soft and characterless. I actually would like to get rid of it in the future.
On the other hand I did shoot my second best score of the year with it.


12/13/2006 04:46:58 AM · #9
I don't use my 18-70, it's now found it way into my wife's bag and lives on her D70, for a mid-range zoom I use a Tokina 28-80 f2.8 which I much prefer (and a Sigma 10-20 to cover the wide angle). Although to be honest 90% of the time the first thing that I do as I take my camera out of the bag is to replace the 28-80 with either a 50mm or 85mm prime.
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