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Got a Nikon D40 - New Lens Arrived Today


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Some more macro fun shots!

DSC_0099.jpg

Ah, the Mexican Fan Palm, my enemy and my friend - Makes great shade, but grows like a weed in SoCal, and that means I have to trim it, and I always end up getting stabbed by it in the process, no matter how careful I am! :black_eye: The one in my back yard is about 10' tall, with the last 18" of it growing in the last year!

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Hey Red -

Is this the one that Autofocuses? What made you go with this one over the 50mm prime?

Yes, it is an AF-S and it is incredibly fast! With the DX system, this one is a truer 50mm lens and it was quite a bit cheaper. Also, the reviews were pretty outstanding. If you haven't checked it out already, look up www.kenrockwell.com

He has some excellent info for Nikon users and a great set of lens reviews.

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Yes, it is an AF-S and it is incredibly fast! With the DX system, this one is a truer 50mm lens and it was quite a bit cheaper. Also, the reviews were pretty outstanding. If you haven't checked it out already, look up www.kenrockwell.com

He has some excellent info for Nikon users and a great set of lens reviews.

From a noob shooter here, what do you mean a truer 50mm lens? I am considering the 50mm f/1.4, the 35mm f/1.8, and the 50mm f/1.8. The 50mm f/1.8 is the cheapest but it doesn't auto focus...so I've been leaning toward the 35mm and the 50mm f/1.4 because they do, but from what I read everybody says buy a 50, buy a 50, so...what is your opinion on the 35 vs 50?

Thanks!

DB2

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The DX Digital System isn't full frame, or full 35mm. So, if you put a Full Frame, 50mm lens on the camera, it will only see about 2/3rds of the lens. The full frame cameras like the D3, D700 or Canon 5d will use the full lens area and you will get a true 50mm lens. When you put that same lens on the DX cameras, it will be more like a 72mm lens. Check out info on google about the Nikon DX system vs FX Full Frame.

Hope that helps!

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One of the most important questions to ask yourself before buying a macro is how close to the subject can you get. If your subject is sitting on a table then with a tripod anything from 55 mm to 105 should do you fine. BUT - and here is the biggie, if it's hopping or flitting around the garden then you need to be a far away from it as possible and still get the macro shot. You will need get a longer lens for this.

Usil

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Congrats, Red...

Bought my daughter, 17, a D40 for Christmas last year...she's a serious photog and planning to study photog and art/design in college next year...researched the heck out of it at the time and decided this was one of the best deals out there at the price point...

enjoy it!...R

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The DX Digital System isn't full frame, or full 35mm. So, if you put a Full Frame, 50mm lens on the camera, it will only see about 2/3rds of the lens. The full frame cameras like the D3, D700 or Canon 5d will use the full lens area and you will get a true 50mm lens. When you put that same lens on the DX cameras, it will be more like a 72mm lens. Check out info on google about the Nikon DX system vs FX Full Frame.

Hope that helps!

Oh wait...I get it, I think..., the 50mm f/1.8 is not a DX lens so your only shoot a small section of the lens....where as the 35mm is a DX so you get a more "full" shot with the DX camera...is that right?

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It's not the lens, it's the size of the sensor that collects the light.

With Nikon DX sensors, multiple the lens length by 1.5 to get the actual focal length.

50mm on a DX is a 75mm lens.

100mm is a 150mm.

35mm is about 52mm. That's why the 35mm lens is considered a "normal" lens on a DX camera.

And so on.

Canon chip is slightly smaller than the Nikon, so Canon has a 1.6X factor.

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That's a really good price. They have had a hard time keeping it in stock, so people have been buying them and selling them for an inflated price. I paid $219 shipped to LA.

@R - good call for your daughter! It's a perfect camera. No need for the 12+ MP DSLR's for most every day shots. The D40 is just as good as the D60, D80, D90 or the D5000 (actually I think it's a little better than the 5000). Unless you need full frame and are doing giant posters, there is no need to go above 6MP. Save the money and spend it on good glass instead. Oh, and have a good artistic eye! Something that can never be purchased!!! ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest ThePhilosopher

There's plenty of reason to go beyond 6MP even if you're not printing large sizes, but that's not a discussion we're having here.

I'm still adjusting to my D200 + Tamron 90mm Macro - bit of a juxtaposition, mechanical vs. digital:

Rolex_iPhone_0002.jpg

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Guest ThePhilosopher

I had a white piece of drawing paper (24"x36") sitting on a table, placed the watch and phone so that they'd be facing slightly towards the camera, placed the 36"x48" softbox (oriented so the long side was horizontal) in close and angled down towards the table at ~15-20 degrees (it was close to perpendicular, but had a noticeable angle) and angled so it was almost at a 90 degree angle with the camera axis. I then made slight adjustments to shooting position and the light until I got the shot I wanted.

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  • 3 months later...

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