Hi it's me again. Thanks for all your help in the last message that I posted. Now I am looking for a good lense that would do what I need. You all suggested a 50 lense but I am looking for something with zoom. Could you please list types of lenses and the reason why they are good. The lense needs to be able to fit a Nikon FM10 camera.

Sincerely,

Matthew Steven Leader

-- Matthew Steven Leader (leadermatt@hotmail.com), February 05, 2001

Answers

I don't know of a zoom that opens wider than f 2.8. This is the reason everyone was suggesting a fixed 50 mm lens. You'll find the fastest lenses in this focal length, although there are a few other fast fixed lenses.

You'll be losing 1-1/2 to 2 stops over the fixed 50mm lenses, and you probably can't afford that for night shots.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), February 05, 2001.

As Charly said, the Nikon line of lenses doesn't have faster zoomlenses as f2.8. However Nikon had a special lens made for night photography, Nikkor Nocturnal 1:1,2/58 with special optics for available light photography. I you really need a zoom lens, get e.g. a 28-70/2,8 lens and add 2 stops to your film which you would need. Eg. if you intent to use a 50mm/1.4 with a 400 iso film (Ilford Delta for example) but use instead a 28-70/2,8 with a 1600 iso (Ilford Delta 3200 ie1600 - very lovely film BTW)

A site dedicated to night photography: http://www.thenocturnes.com/

Marc.

-- Marc Leest (mmm@n2photography.com), February 05, 2001.

Matthew,

Like the others, I would say shy away from a zoom lenses right now. Their maximum aperture is markedly smaller (higher number) than a prime (non-zoom) lens. Another factor is cost. Most f/2.8 zoom lenses come at a premuim. You might not want to spend that much right now. A 50mm f/1.4 is relatively cheap. Even check with local camera stores for a used one. No matter what lens you wind up with, it will be a good investment because all Nikon cameras use the F- mount bayonet mount. All lenses interchange with all cameras. What you might not get are some of the features of the lens for your particular camera. Case in point: I have a 28-105 f/3.5-4 AFD lens. You could bolt it on your cameras but you would not get autofocus nor could you utilize the distance measurement used to determine 3D matrix metering. The lens cost me $400. If your case, why spend $400 for a lens that you could not use all the features in it (unless of course, you have an AF Nikon camera too)?

-- Johnny Motown (johnny.motown@att.net), February 06, 2001.

Tell us what you want to take pictures of. Big stuff, small stuff, moving stuff, still lifes, indoors, outdoors. It makes a difference.

-- Joe Brugger (jbrugger@teleport.com), February 10, 2001.

Matt- For the situation in which you describe, accept the fact that a zoom is out of the question. Even a 50mm f/2 is twice as bright as any zoom to fit your camera, and considering that a good used 50/2 will be approx. $75 or less, while, say, nikon's older af35-70/2.8 generally won't be found for under $500, this is a no-brainer. Keep in mind too that f/2.8 isn't that much brighter than your current zoom. If you want to get crazy pushing film, fine, use the zoom.

Framing is the hardest part of using a prime(single-focal-length) lens. Change positions often. I recommended a 50mm because depending on your shooting position(=perspective) is can give effects similiar to a wide or tele lens. Zooms teach the bad habit of standing in one spot, framing using focal length. This means all these shots will have the same perspective, just cropped differently.

Frame with your feet, change shooting positions!!

The number of responses that offered good advice should be an indication of the "right" way to go.

Good luck, Matt.

-- Mike DeVoe (karma77@att.net), February 19, 2001.