Lens Suggestions?

[DolphinOps]

1 minute ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

 

You can pretty much ignore 99% of whatever Ken Rockwell has to say.  You buy a lens based on what you need and what you want to do, not because someone recommends it.

 

So what exactly do you need?  A very fast fixed focal length lens, a constant aperture zoom?  Choose the focal length and zoom based on the coverage you need.

 

The Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens is a good lens, and of course you have the option to get the newer and faster 18-35 f/1.8 lens if you so desire.  There is also the option to get the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 which is also a fantastic lens but I believe would cost more.

 

Lights may appear bright to our eyes, but our eyes are very good at adapting to different light conditions.  Camera sensors are not, so what appears bright to our eyes will not necessarily be bright enough to the camera.  If raising the ISO and lowering the f-stop isn't enough, get a speedlight or a strobe.

I've looked at both the nikon 17-55 f/2.8 and the sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and they're both really quite expensive for my price range. The sigma 17-50 f/2.8 seems to me like a good compromise for what I want because it covers basically the same focal range as the lens I have with the added advantages of being sharper and having a constant faster aperture.

[AkiraDaarkst]

 

1 hour ago, dobo2001 said:

Ahh, forgot about that, I'm loving it on my D7000. Still though, the new version is almost $200 cheaper than the Sigma, and FX vs. DX doesn't really matter, if anything, IIRC, it will let even more light through.

 

1 hour ago, dobo2001 said:

Fifties are cheap, good quality, and give amazing photo sharpness and quality. Photography isn't a "convenience" kind of thing. It's all about placing yourself to get the best photos, doesn't matter how you do it. And because they're so cheap, you'll be able to keep your kit lens for the zoom.

 

Sensor crop does matter when it affects the field of view.  Someone might want to capture a certain angle with a DX camera in a location where the photographer might not have any room to take enough steps back.

 

The 50 f/1.8D is a fantastic lens, but it's not the lens for every situation.  It doesn't even fit the role of a general purpose lens.  Especially on a DX camera with a 1.5 crop factor. I'd only use it for taking portraits and pretty much nothing else.

[DolphinOps]

1 minute ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Sensor crop does matter when it affects the field of view.  Someone might want to capture a certain angle with a DX camera in a location where the photographer might not have any room to take enough steps back.

17-50mm is the rough equivalent to 24-70mm on full frame if I'm not mistaken

[AkiraDaarkst]

9 minutes ago, DolphinOps said:

I've looked at both the nikon 17-55 f/2.8 and the sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and they're both really quite expensive for my price range. The sigma 17-50 f/2.8 seems to me like a good compromise for what I want because it covers basically the same focal range as the lens I have with the added advantages of being sharper and having a constant faster aperture.

If the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens gives you what you need for your budget, what's stopping you?  As I said, you don't have to buy a lens because someone recommends it.  I don't know your exact needs, they don't know your exact needs, only you do.  A lens like a 50mm f/1.8D might be a fantastic lens (I own one of them) but if it doesn't fulfill your requirements then just forget about it.

 

I've also owned the Sigma 17-55 lens, great medium zoom lens when I was shooting DX.  If the 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 are considered the holy trinity of lenses for Full Frame shooters, the 17-50ish lens is the mid range zoom of the trinity for DX shooters.  Unfortunately there isn't an exact DX equivalent for the wide and telephoto zooms of the trinity.  The Tokina 11-20 f/2.8 comes close to fulfilling the role of the wide zoom and the Sigma 55-100 f/1.8 comes close to being the telephoto.

[DolphinOps]

14 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

If the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens gives you what you need for your budget, what's stopping you?  As I said, you don't have to buy a lens because someone recommends it.  I don't know your exact needs, they don't know your exact needs, only you do.  A lens like a 50mm f/1.8D might be a fantastic lens (I own one of them) but if it doesn't fulfill your requirements then just forget about it.

 

I've also owned the Sigma 17-55 lens, great medium zoom lens when I was shooting DX.  If the 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 are considered the holy trinity of lenses for Full Frame shooters, the 17-50ish lens is the mid range zoom of the trinity for DX shooters.  Unfortunately there isn't an exact DX equivalent for the wide and telephoto zooms of the trinity.  The Tokina 11-20 f/2.8 comes close to fulfilling the role of the wide zoom and the Sigma 55-100 f/1.8 comes close to being the telephoto.

I came into this mainly looking for suggestions as to whether or not there were any other good lenses in the 17-50ish range

[AkiraDaarkst]

1 minute ago, DolphinOps said:

I came into this mainly looking for suggestions as to whether or not there were any other good lenses in the 17-50ish range

If you're looking for a constant aperture mid range zoom, there aren't that many choices.  Sigma, Tamron, Nikon, Canon all have their own models and all of them perform reasonably well.

[DolphinOps]

Just now, AkiraDaarkst said:

If you're looking for a constant aperture mid range zoom, there aren't that many choices.  Sigma, Tamron, Nikon, Canon all have their own models and all of them perform reasonably well.

well I can discount the canon one

[_SNOWMAN_]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 8:12 PM, DolphinOps said:

 

Why not pick up the 18-140. Its cheap and supposed to be really sharp. Or spend more and get the 18-200 or the 18-300. That kind of range doesn't get much better. They are supposed to be very nice glass

[DolphinOps]

16 hours ago, _SNOWMAN_ said:

Why not pick up the 18-140. Its cheap and supposed to be really sharp. Or spend more and get the 18-200 or the 18-300. That kind of range doesn't get much better. They are supposed to be very nice glass

Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't really looking for a longer lens I was actually just looking for a lens with a similar range to my kit lens and a wider constant aperture.