D90 - lens questions (and some other stuff)

modernPrimitive

modernPrimitive

Active member
Greetings all,

Well I got my D90 after deciding that i can't wait any longer for the Scarlet S35 - I got the kit with the 18-105mm VR lens - and I'm so far pretty happy: really good for stills and the video tests I've done so far look fantastic. Since I come from a post production background and know very little about the production side of things the D90 will be a great learning tool in the meantime.

Anyway, I'm off next week to do research for my film and I need a little advice. I'll be shooting some footage in an area with no electricity. I think the stock VR lens will do a good job of landscapes but I'm going to be doing some closeup and extreme closeup portrait shots so I need a little advice on what type of lenses are out there and what to select.

I last used an SLR about 20 years ago so I have no idea what's available (new and second hand), what the costs are and what to look for to meet my pecific requirements. There's a reasonably priced Nikon 50mm f1.8D AF Lens and a slightly more expensive Nikon 50mm f1.4D AF Lens - both great in terms of speed but my worry here is that I'm going to have to get uncomfortably close to my subjects - literally infringing on their "space". Manual lenses could also be a bonus because of the work-around for ISO and shutter settings (in the sticky). Then there are tele-converters but I think the light loss from those will be too drastic. Then there's the whole VR technology and a whole host of other technologies I haven't got a clue about.

Anyway, any advice would be much appreciated. (including non lens-related advice on dealing with my situation).

The other thing to bear in mind is that it might be wiser to invest in good lenses that I can use later with a Scarlet S35 than choosing fancy Nikon-specific lenses with fancy electronics that may not be supported by the S35 or alternatively I'd rather spend more money now on something decent if I know I'll be able to use it with future cameras and the scarlet - although money's not a "huge" issue, I refuse to waste it!

Thanks.
 
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Thanks. Yes I was thinking of going with some primes - maybe 24, 50 and 85. I still think an 85mm is going to require "getting into people's faces" for extreme closeups.

What about those Closeup filters? They seem like a cheap solution?
 
You mean the 24. The 85 or 105 are better for standoff stuff. I was shooting people at a cemetery on the weekend with the 105mm from a comfortable distance. The 135mm will give you even more distance.

The 105mm f/2.5 ai is one of my favs and highly regarded
 
Yeah...I was just thinking about my stupidity.

I'm comparing the focal lengths to that of my DX kit lens when I should really be multiplying by 1.5 - I think (provided I don't buy a DX specific lens - sorry I'm a noob). So a 50mm will actually give me around 75mm - good for mdium closeups and an 85mm should give me around 128mm which I can't even compare on my kit lens because it only goes up to 105.

So squig, you think the 85 is too tele for extreme closeups in a typical "interview" environment - say sitting at a distance of about 2-4m from the subject?
When I say extreme closeup I mean for example framing the subject from say halfway down the forehead to the bottom of the nose.

Btw, thanks for the advice.

EDIT: Oh, yeah and do you think f1.8 is good enough for "ambient light" as opposed to "low light"?
 
the 85 isn't even close. I just tried my 135 and I get most of my 3yr olds face at 1.5m. So you're probably going to need a 180mm or 200mm. Have a look at the chart here for field of view of various tele lenses- http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/135mmnikkor/index.htm
The old nikon 180mm f/2.8 ai will close focus down to 1.8m and they aren't too expensive.

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/late70nikkor/telephoto/180mm.htm

Vivitar made some pretty good MF zooms too.

yeah 1.8 is OK. My wides are all f/2. I find f/2.8 a stop too slow for my liking. At f/2 the D90 can see in the dark a lot better than you can
 
the kit lens is really 105 mm, not some kind of "35mm equivalent", thus 20mm longer than an 85.

what do you mean by "too tele" for extreme closeups? it's generally easier to take extreme closeups the longer the lens, and the results are usually better.

/matt
 
great. thanks for the replies and the test you did squig.

mattsand, I meant that the focal lengths of the lenses I'm looking at buying don't corrspond to the focal lengths of my kit DX lens. In other words I can't compare 85mm on my kit lens with an 85mm prime.

Anyone had experience with closeup filters?
 
DX just means that the optics were designed for the smaller sensor. But focal length remains focal length.

That means you would get the same field of view as a DX lens as you would a FX (FF) lens.
 
Sorry for my noobness, but then what's this whole "35mm equivalent" story when using non-DX lenses on the D90?

another question: is it even practical to get a 200mm prime? Isn't zoom necessary for control while doing extreme closeup work? I imagine myself shifting backwards and forwards continuously trying to frame and get focus.
 
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35mm equivalent is what the apparent 'field of view' would be equal to when shooting on either a 35mm still camera film or a full frame DSLR.

That means if you have a 50mm lens it's field of view equivalent on a full frame DSLR would be around 75. DX just means the optics were designed for the smaller digital sensor.

Whether you want a telephoto prime or not is up to you. When one buys lenses they have to determine their own shooting style. Your correct that your feet are your 'zoom' when shooting with a prime. Primes usually have better and faster optics for the price. But there are some good zooms out there, but they cost you a pretty penny.

There are more information hidden in these forums, as well as plenty of other good information on the internet.
 
modernPrimitive said:
I meant that the focal lengths of the lenses I'm looking at buying don't corrspond to the focal lengths of my kit DX lens. In other words I can't compare 85mm on my kit lens with an 85mm prime.
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i know what you meant, that's exactly why i felt i had to point out that yes they do and yes you can. :-)

/matt
 
mattsand said:
i know what you meant, that's exactly why i felt i had to point out that yes they do and yes you can. :-)

/matt
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Okay I think I'm missing something here. Do you mean an old Nikon 85mm lens (non DX) on the D90 will give me the same FOV as my DX zoom at 85mm on my D90?
 
Okay I am confused then. Everyone I speak to tells me to multiply by 1.5 or 1.6 - but I red a little more on it and would it be correct to say that the FOV would be the same but it would be cropped. In other words the FOV would be the same but the framing would be similar to using a lens on an FF of 1.5 times the focal length - in other words Angle of view would be a more accurate technical term?

Anyway, aside from that technical issue I just wanted to thank everyone here for their input.
After driving around Johannesburg for several hours I found a shop that specializes in reconditioned lenses and found the following (all D-type lenses with manual aperture rings):

Sigma EX 24mm 1.8
Nikon 50mm 1.4 (brand new)
Nikon 85mm 1.8
Nikon 80-200mm 2.8

(about $1500 for the lot)

They let me try them all out and I think they'll be more than sufficient. Apparently there are a couple of 200mm 1.8s around but very hard to get hold of and I think the zoom is going to be a necessity for extreme closeups - using a 200mm prime is going to become very unmanageable on a tripod. It also seems that G-type lenses might not be supported on the Scarlet which I plan on buying next year sometime, so D-type lenses seem to be the way to go for compatibility.
 
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modernPrimitive said:
Okay I am confused then. Everyone I speak to tells me to multiply by 1.5 or 1.6 - but I red a little more on it and would it be correct to say that the FOV would be the same but it would be cropped
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crop factor is a propertly of the *sensor*, not the lens. any lens on dx is cropped compared to a full size sensor, not cropped compared to another lens on the same sensor.

it's not a question of semantics, there really isn't any difference. put any 85mm lens on your camera and look through the viewfinder, you'll see the exact same thing, i.e. the angle of view is the same, the field of view, the wideness, the length, the amount of telephoto, or whatever you like to call it, the same, exactly the same.

/matt
 
Oh okay, I think I understand what you're saying now. In other words an 85mm DX lens will give me the exact same result as an 85mm D-type lens?
 
Well thanks everyone. Just got all my lenses. I skipped the 85mm because I think the zoom is more practical even at 2.8f. Also got me a cokin system with a polarizer and some NDs for getting shallow depth of field on some of the faster lenses under more intense lighting conditions. Just tested out all the lenses and they're fantastic. Even the 2.8 performs pretty well in subdued light.
 
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