Question by Noctis BR: Wildlife Photography lens question..?
So im going to start shooting wildlife photography and I was recommended to get a Nikon D40 and a 300mm lens… only problem im having is finding a good cheap beginers 300mm lens.. I know it has to be auto focus and a telephoto… which one of these seems like the better choice?
http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/tamron_70_300mm_lens_for_nikon_d40_d40x/
http://sigma4less.com/Product.aspx?ProdID=1568
Also, is there anything im not looking for in the lens that I should. If anyone knows an a good 70-300mm lens for like $ 200 please send me a link, Thanks for the help all!
Best answer:
Answer by fhotoace
The cost of wildlife camera gear is the same as those who shoot sports.
Long lenses are expensive, especially fast ones like the 400 mm f/2.8
The lens you should save you pennies to buy, is the Nikon 70-300 mm VR, but it is $ 550
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/449088-USA/Nikon_2161_70_300mm_f_4_5_6G_AF_S_VR.html
You should be able to find a good Nikon 70-300 mm ED lens for under $ 200, but it will not autofocus on your D40.
There really is no such thing as a “beginners” lens. Lenses are really your investment and should last for decades and you will be replacing your camera every three to five years to catch up with new technology. Having to buy the same lens length twice is frankly a waste of money.
What do you think? Answer below!
I hear that the 70-300 is a good lens for the price. There are apparently much better lenses, but they will cost you quite a bit more money.
Here are a few for between $ 50 and $ 250:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=search&A=search&Q=&sb=bs%2Cupper%28ds%29&sq=asc&sortDrop=Brand%3A+A+to+Z&ac=&bsi=&bhs=t&ci=8456&shs=&at=Lens+Type_Zoom+Tele+%2870mm%29%2FSuper+Tele+%28600mm%29&at=Price_+50+%3C%3D++%3C%3D+249.99&x=54&y=8
I hear Phoenix lenses aren’t as good as others you can get for a bit more, so you might avoid them.
You can get a lesser lens and a teleextender and have money to spare.
In this photography category, there are a lot of people who are specification freaks who will tell you which lenses to get. You will all sort of myth and rumor about lenses, but chances are not one of those telling you all that stuff have ever put the lens through a rigorous, unbiased check. Personally, I don’ t like to tell anyone to look at quantaray lenses, but if your money is not there for a better known brandname lens, go for it. No one is going to be able to tell you that you shot it with a cheap lens.
Specifications are misleading, especially to the novice. If you want a good comparison on a well known product, look at that Bose radio that they advertise. It sells like hotcakes for a large price, but Bose will not print the specifications. Why? Because if anyone who knew about sound looked at them, they would not buy the radio.
I think I know a thing or two about lenses, having represented one of the best lines in the industry by anyone’s vote and I can speak for sound having spend 30 years in the audio visual – sound and photography – business.
I will get fair thee well bashed for this answer!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m a beginner, too. Used was the way to go for me. Getting into a new hobby like photography is expensive. I got a Nikon D70 with a nikkor 70-300mm 1:4- 5:6 lens, 18-50 kit lens and several batteries & flash cards for $ 475 from my husband’s coworker who was upgrading. Check out your local craigslist or photography club (the newsletter for the one in my area has a section for selling equipment) to find one. I was searching for a link for you and found several of the same telephoto lens I have on craigslist or ebay (though I wouldn’t buy it on ebay unless you could use it first) for $ 200 and under.
Both of the lens you posted are macro lens. I haven’t had the chance to use one, so I don’t have any comments. I guess it depends on what kind of wildlife you are photographing.