I need help picking out a lense for a Nikon D300

fishygurl

Active Member
Im getting this camera for my birthday so i need to find out which lens i want.
I would like the lens to be good for shooting stuff in my aquarium like macros, fish shots stuff like that.
So any help?
Anyone own this camera?
 

ruaround

Active Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2721240
Im getting this camera for my birthday so i need to find out which lens i want.
I would like the lens to be good for shooting stuff in my aquarium like macros, fish shots stuff like that.
So any help?
Anyone own this camera?
a 60mm or a 105mm...
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Depends how much you want to spend...
I got a 2.8 105mm nikor lens that is great for shooting corals with fish it is a bit more difficult. The downside is the price tag...
 

fishygurl

Active Member
can you guys tell me a little bit more about the lenses you recommended like what are they good at taking, what they arnt, why you like them.
How hard is the 2.8 105mm to take pics of fish? Do you have any lenses that are good for taking pics of fish?
Maybe i can get 2 lenses, or get one with the camera and one for christmas or something.
 

spiderwoman

Active Member
I'm going to watch this thread. I'm needing a good lens for my Rebel XTi too.
One time, purchase a full size tripod.
 

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2721713
I'm going to watch this thread. I'm needing a good lens for my Rebel XTi too.
One time, purchase a full size tripod.
ya we got some tripods and some monopods (i think thats what they are called only one leg?)
 

ruaround

Active Member
Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2721713
I'm going to watch this thread. I'm needing a good lens for my Rebel XTi too.
One time, purchase a full size tripod.
get a Sigma... they are high wquality and not so hard on the pocket book...
Originally Posted by FishyGurl

http:///forum/post/2721704
can you guys tell me a little bit more about the lenses you recommended like what are they good at taking, what they arnt, why you like them.
How hard is the 2.8 105mm to take pics of fish? Do you have any lenses that are good for taking pics of fish?
Maybe i can get 2 lenses, or get one with the camera and one for christmas or something.
the size of the fish is the biggest thing... i would igagine that you dont have any fish that are over 6" to 8" so either lens will work fine... the 105 is the most versitile IMO... but as stdreb stated they are spendy... in the $500+ range... if you have a 35 to 80mm it will work too... the biggest thing about takin pix is changing settings, positions, distances and taking 100's of pix to get several great pix...
 

morval

Member
i just picked up a 50mm prime which is pretty nice but for corals i would like the 60mm thats what im getting next. for fish any lens will work just use a high shutter speed so there not blurry. with the d300 or any high megapixel camera the nice thing is being able to take a not so close up pic and crop it and still have really good resolution
 

geridoc

Well-Known Member
I use a Nikon D80 and have two lenses. The kit lens that came with the camera is an 18-135 mm zoom that has been fine for tank photography, bird photography and pretty much everything in between. I picked up a 50 mm prime Nikkor for use when sharpness is very important, but I don't have any qualms about the zoom lens except that at maximum zoom it tends to vignette a bit (which I fix in post production using Nikon Capture software). The picture below was shot using the zoom lens. It is a little muddy since it had to be extensively resized. The prime lens is great for portraits and low light situations since it is an f1.4 lens. Photography with a camera like the D300 is very like salt water fish keeping - it is great fun, but be sure you bring your credit card when you go shopping since there is always something else you need (want, must have, desire, dream about). The D300 is an incredible camera - enjoy!
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by ruaround
http:///forum/post/2721817
get a Sigma... they are high wquality and not so hard on the pocket book...
the size of the fish is the biggest thing... i would igagine that you dont have any fish that are over 6" to 8" so either lens will work fine... the 105 is the most versitile IMO... but as stdreb stated they are spendy... in the $500+ range... if you have a 35 to 80mm it will work too... the biggest thing about takin pix is changing settings, positions, distances and taking 100's of pix to get several great pix...
yeah, when I had my bigger tank the 105 was good at taking pictures of fish's eyes, teeth ect.
 

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2722258
so it seems like most people say to get the 105mm i will probably try and get this one first then.
105 mm will work fine for fish, but you may find that it is a little long for portraits. Generally speaking, for your camera something in the range of 25-30 mm will produce approximately what you see with your

[hr]
eye and in good proportion. Twice that is pretty good for portraits (50 mm), and 105 mm is considered a short telephoto. See if the D300 comes with a reasonably priced kit zoom lens. Kit lenses are not the best in the world, but will be fine for you for many years (see the eagle shot above, done with the kit lens that came with the camera), and are usually a pretty good buy. A zoom will cover all the ranges you need, and will photograph fish just fine (actually, virtually any lens will work for fish).
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by GeriDoc
http:///forum/post/2722631
105 mm will work fine for fish, but you may find that it is a little long for portraits. Generally speaking, for your camera something in the range of 25-30 mm will produce approximately what you see with your

[hr]
eye and in good proportion. Twice that is pretty good for portraits (50 mm), and 105 mm is considered a short telephoto. See if the D300 comes with a reasonably priced kit zoom lens. Kit lenses are not the best in the world, but will be fine for you for many years (see the eagle shot above, done with the kit lens that came with the camera), and are usually a pretty good buy. A zoom will cover all the ranges you need, and will photograph fish just fine (actually, virtually any lens will work for fish).
Don't forget that camera isn't a full frame camera, so a 105mm lens on that camera will end up being about a 150mm (don't take my word on the 150mm but that seems right)
 

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2722828
Don't forget that camera isn't a full frame camera, so a 105mm lens on that camera will end up being about a 150mm (don't take my word on the 150mm but that seems right)
That's right, which is why I don't think that a 105 mm is a good choice for an "only" lens. At that focal length there will be too much compression for portraits and people snapshots, for example. I prefer to walk around with either a zoom, or a shorter single focal length lens, and if need be, change lenses for a particular shot. That's why you buy a camera like a D300 - to have the versatility.
 

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by GeriDoc
http:///forum/post/2723048
That's right, which is why I don't think that a 105 mm is a good choice for an "only" lens. At that focal length there will be too much compression for portraits and people snapshots, for example. I prefer to walk around with either a zoom, or a shorter single focal length lens, and if need be, change lenses for a particular shot. That's why you buy a camera like a D300 - to have the versatility.
Well if you are going to drop 2 grand on a d300 you had better be buying a couple of lenses anyway. I use my camera basically for my fishtank and just candids around the place, not a "photographer" persay, and between the kit lens and the micro I'm good to go, on the rare occation that I need something better I go sample my dad's closet of lenses...
 

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2723185
So try and get a zoom lens?
I think so. A medium zoom will work fine for several years. As you become more experienced with the camera you can decide what focal lengths you are using the most, and then get fixed focal length lenses that will be sharper and faster than your zoom. But, for now, a zoom will probably do everything you want.
 

stdreb27

Active Member
The kit lens isn't total crap, with that you'll get a decent idea of how you'll end up using the camera and hopefully get addicted and go from there... And you'll have 2 rediculously expensive hobbies.
 

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2723737
The kit lens isn't total crap, with that you'll get a decent idea of how you'll end up using the camera and hopefully get addicted and go from there... And you'll have 2 rediculously expensive hobbies.
oh i have expensive hobbies...

I LOVE horse jumping, but then leasing a horse or boarding your own costs a TON each month. Then the lessons from my trainers, which wanted me to do more than once a week costs a lot. Then my trainer said i should enter some horse shows. Those cost a lot to enter. Then traveling etc. I cant do it... I could for a year or 2 then i kinda ran out of money...
I still do agility with my dogs. The lessons are every week but that part doesnt cost too much. But when your entering 2 dogs in shows every month or so (which i will be starting both in like october) it gets kinda expensive.
But i think agility isnt as expensive as sw. Horse jumping on the other hand is much more expensive...
but ya my mom likes photography so... things that my mom likes and can appreciate she pays a lot for =) so the camera thing should be ok. I probably wont get tons of lenses or anything just a started one or something and maybe a few more down the road.
Sorry that i got a little off topic in the beginning. lol
 
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