Beginners lens question

Z

Zeakio

Well-known member
Hey guys,

Got a bit of a beginners question here. I'm looking to get the new M2 adapter and am currently trying to decide what lenses to get with it. I'm leaning towards some Nikkor ones... since I'm not made of money I was only going to get a couple at first.

What are the pros and cons of getting a standard fixed focal length and a zoom lens? If I got a zoom lens like this one: [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Nikkor Lens AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

[/FONT] Then does that mean I have the equivallent of the standard focal length lenses ranging from 18mm-105? The price is cheaper than a normal 50mm nikkor lens... so it's making me wonder... is it only so cheap because it looses 3.5-5.6 of light? (I believe that's what those numbers mean?)

OK, now that you've finished laughing at my ignorance, I'd be keen to hear some feedback! Any tips for a shooter new to 35mm adapters and lenses? I'll be shooting with the HVX as well, and I realise that camera does eat up light so getting some lenses that don't chew up the light might be beneficial... It just basically comes down to cost for me.

Thanks!
 
Zoom lenses are generally not as good as prime lenses in term of light performance and sharpness unless you pay big bucks. Nikon DX lenses are not as suitable for adapter use because they have a smaller circle of illumination which will result in pretty severe vignetting. Autofocus lenses are also not preferable because the focus ring has a smaller degree of travel, making precision focus much more difficult. So in general, get the manual prime lenses, don't get a cheap zoom.

This question has been asked a lot before and if you do a search you'll find plenty of recommendation for lenses.
 
Start with a Nikon 50mm F1.4 then maybe a 35mm F2.5 and later an 85mm F2, all manual focus and manual apature ring of course. Like Huy said above, try to stick with the faster primes and you'll be ok. Tons of info on the forums about this, it really helped me get up to speed when I built my mini-rig.
 
Thanks for the responses. I realise there would be many threads on this particular topic, but I figured if I didn't ask advice on my particular situation, I might end up over looking something and waste a lot of money!
 
my best advice is to go find a good still photography book and really learn some basics. Better yet go buy a cheap slr and go shoot some stills. You will learn so much that will help your videography skills and the resulting quality of your footage.
 
The lens you've linked to is NOT suitable for using with an adapter. The "G" designation indicates it does not have an aperture ring and, as such, you will not be able to adjust the aperture!

You need lenses with aperture rings. On modern nikon lenses, the aperture is controlled by the camera not by a ring. So your best bet is to look for older, non-G lenses.
 
Sorry bout the "G" thing. When I click on the link http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm#mf it takes me to a list of many different manual focus lenses, which was very helpful to me when I purchased my 28, 50, 85 and 105 mm Nikon lenses for my Letus Elite. All my lenses have aperture rings and most are AI or AI-s lenses. They work great. I found it interesting that Ken recommended the 50mm 1.8 over the 1.4 due to distortion on the 1.4 edges. I planned to buy the fastest (1.4) but opted for the 1.8 after reading his review. Take it for what it is worth.........

Let me also include this link http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html which I also used to confirm serial number/model for lenses.

Hope this helps,

Doug
 
Ken Rockwell is a wonderful resource. His is the only site that I've ever bought anything sight unseen based solely on a review (Canon powershot). Have to say his review was spot-on.

There aren't too many Nikon gear review sites where the reviewer is telling readers to skip the $1500 lens in favor of the $400 model so I appreciate his honesty that the more expensive item isn't always necessary.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top