what to look out for in lenses

[partlycloudy]

Hi I'm very new to photography. What should I lookout for when I am buying lenses for a digital SLR. I've noticed there are alot of letters when it comes to the specifications of the lens like DG, DF and what is L lens?

Thanks

 

[pRoLoS3r]

I think DG, L refers to the type of lenses.

For Sigma,
refer to this for your query http://www.sigmaphoto.com/popup.asp

As For Canon's L lens,
They are weatherbuilt, generally sharper compared to others(this is maybe wrong).

Hope this helps.

 

[hanafi]

to me L stands for Lexpensive.

 

[partlycloudy]

I think DG, L refers to the type of lenses.

For Sigma,
refer to this for your query http://www.sigmaphoto.com/popup.asp

As For Canon's L lens,
They are weatherbuilt, generally sharper compared to others(this is maybe wrong).

Hope this helps.

Great. The link was very helpful. If i am going to buy a lens, what aspects of the lens should I look out for?

 

[raptor84]

Great. The link was very helpful. If i am going to buy a lens, what aspects of the lens should I look out for?

That would depend on what kind of lens you want to get. Generally test for sharpness, CA , focusing issues, and any major physical defects.. The rest would depend on what you want to shoot..

 

[pRoLoS3r]

Great. The link was very helpful. If i am going to buy a lens, what aspects of the lens should I look out for?

First.. Look out for your budget... Tt's the most impt thing...

Aft tt, look at wat you will be shooting... Landscape, events, weddings, travelling, etc.

Each lens has its characteristics as raptor has said...
And there are primes and zoom lenses, see your shoooting style.

Hope this helps.

 

[partlycloudy]

That would depend on what kind of lens you want to get. Generally test for sharpness, CA , focusing issues, and any major physical defects.. The rest would depend on what you want to shoot..

how do u test for sharpness? and what is CA?

 

[raptor84]

Sharpness is realtive. Normally you just shoot the lens wide open amking sure your shots will not be affected by handshake. Choose a subect with fine detials like hair. Take the shot and view it on a laptop as the LCD on the camera is usually not a good indicator. If you are not familiar with the lens you might mistake softness for OOF (which can be a front/back focising issue)

CA + chromatic abberation. To test for that shoot subjects with high light/dark contrast and look at the edges. CA is apprent when you cna see colours frienign around the borders of the light/dark areas.

 

[partlycloudy]

Sharpness is realtive. Normally you just shoot the lens wide open amking sure your shots will not be affected by handshake. Choose a subect with fine detials like hair. Take the shot and view it on a laptop as the LCD on the camera is usually not a good indicator. If you are not familiar with the lens you might mistake softness for OOF (which can be a front/back focising issue)

CA + chromatic abberation. To test for that shoot subjects with high light/dark contrast and look at the edges. CA is apprent when you cna see colours frienign around the borders of the light/dark areas.

So it's not good if i see colours around the borders of light and dark areas? anyway, is a Vitacon 19-35 a good starting lens to have and does it mount on the nikon D70?

 

[dnaxe]

Hi I'm very new to photography. What should I lookout for when I am buying lenses for a digital SLR. I've noticed there are alot of letters when it comes to the specifications of the lens like DG, DF and what is L lens?

Thanks

i think if you state the system you're getting, and what you want to take pictures of, you'll get better responses

and. erh. i don't think the vitacon is particularly good, no.

 

[partlycloudy]

i think if you state the system you're getting, and what you want to take pictures of, you'll get better responses

and. erh. i don't think the vitacon is particularly good, no.

I don't own any system yet. But I'm intending to get a nikon D70. I want to buy a 2nd hand one with a vitacon 19-35mm lens from someone in the forum. Do you think $800 is a good price? And I'll be mostly taking portraits and landscapes

 

[raptor84]

I think if you get Nikon's 18-70 kit that should serve you well for your purposes. shloud be much better than the vitacon IMHO and it comes with a AF-S drive too.

 

[partlycloudy]

I think if you get Nikon's 18-70 kit that should serve you well for your purposes. shloud be much better than the vitacon IMHO and it comes with a AF-S drive too.

what is a AF-S drive? AF should stand for auto focus right? anyway how much is the market price for a Nikon kit lens? Do places like cathay photo sell them? cus I have been looking at the buy/sell section here for days and nobody seems to want to sell their nikon kit lens

 

[westwest1]

what is a AF-S drive? AF should stand for auto focus right? anyway how much is the market price for a Nikon kit lens? Do places like cathay photo sell them? cus I have been looking at the buy/sell section here for days and nobody seems to want to sell their nikon kit lens

you must be joking man...so many people selling nikkor lens...

CP will sell almost all lens u need...

 

[shuttergal]

I got mine used from clubsnap. Works like a charm. Bring your torchlight