SLR Lens for Dummies

[rohan_iiitc]

Hello pbotographers

I have been doing photography for last 2 yrs with my P&S. but now I want to but a DLSR. Please suggest me some good DSLR with good set of lens.

My stream of photography is :
- Landscape & Wildlife
- Street , Black & White photography

So I am looking for a better entry level DSLR. I came across nikon D5000. I went through various blogs. But still I have few Questions which are mentioned below:

1) What are FX and DX lenses ?
2) What is the difference between AF-S & AF ?

3) Please can you tel me how what does a lens model
ie: AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED identifies
What are their functions?
AF-S: Autofocus Motor in lens
ED: great glass inside
IF: internal focus
VR: Vibration reduction

4) How do i understand about lenses. Like different set of lenses for Macro, Tele, wide angle etc. SO by looking at what I can make out that its a macro or tele.

Looking forwards for some advice and answers on my Questions.

Thanks
Rohan

[LoveDSLR]

Download this http://imaging.nikon.com/products/im...lenses_36p.pdf

[inkista]

Originally Posted by rohan_iiitc

1) What are FX and DX lenses ?

Lenses for full frame and crop bodies, respectively.

2) What is the difference between AF-S & AF ?

AF-S lenses have a silent wave motor. They autofocus quietly and quickly. AF lenses do not have a motor, but can autofocus if the body has an AF motor. The D5000 doesn't.

3) Please can you tel me how what does a lens model
ie: AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED identifies
What are their functions?
AF-S: Autofocus Motor in lens
ED: great glass inside
IF: internal focus
VR: Vibration reduction

ED: extra-low dispersion. [lateral] Chromatic aberration--when you get blue shadows on one side and red on the other, or purple on one side and yellow on the other, are better controlled.

IF: you can use filters on the end of the lens, and don't have to worry about them turning around as you focus. You also don't have to worry about the lens extending and retracting as you focus.

VR: lets you handhold without camera shake blur in the photo at lower shutter speeds. Still won't replace a tripod. Doesn't do a thing about subject motion blur.

4) How do i understand about lenses. ...

Try this website:
How to Choose the Best Digital SLR Lens

[rohan_iiitc]

Thanks inkista

I have few more doubts.
As you said D5000 doesnt have the motor. Means it has AFS.

So what are the draw back of having AFS. I think it might take more batter power and it wil make the processing speed slow.

Lets say i go for a DSLR Nikon D5000 with a 18-55mm VR Nikkor lens. Hope that will be a better start for now. But in future IF i want to add few more lenses in my box then what do i have to checkout first. What all will depend on the body to select a lenses.

And if i go for a lens of another brand like, sigma,tamaro etc then do i have get a mount?
Are mount advisable these days?

Thanks
Rohan

[rohan_iiitc]

One thing more. CAn you please explain full frame and crop bodies.

Thanks

[bono]

Full frame bodys have a sensor that is about as big as an old 35mm films frame. The size is about 24x36mm.

Crop bodys (APS-C) have a sensor that is smaller and have about the size of an APS film frame: ca. 20x29mm. If you use a crop camera with a full frame lens you will not use the full lens but only a larger area of the center. This results in the crop factor which is usually something between 1,5 and 1,6. So if you use a 300mm lens, this is equivalent of a 450mm lens on a crop body. This is good on the telephoto side, but a problem with wideangle lenses. 10mm ar an equivalent of about 15mm.

Some lenses are optimised for crop cameras and cannot be used on fullframe bodys. But the focal length is still an 35mm equivalent, so if you buy a 300mm crop lens, it is still the equivalent of 450mm.

Further reading: APS-C - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by rohan_iiitc

Thanks inkista

I have few more doubts.
As you said D5000 doesnt have the motor. Means it has AFS.

So what are the draw back of having AFS. I think it might take more batter power and it wil make the processing speed slow.

Lets say i go for a DSLR Nikon D5000 with a 18-55mm VR Nikkor lens. Hope that will be a better start for now. But in future IF i want to add few more lenses in my box then what do i have to checkout first. What all will depend on the body to select a lenses.

And if i go for a lens of another brand like, sigma,tamaro etc then do i have get a mount?
Are mount advisable these days?

Thanks
Rohan

Most Nikon bodies have a motor in the body that drives a screw that runs into the lens, moving the focus parts and autofocusing the lens. The D5000 doesn't have this motor (too small).

Nikon has since developed the AF-S focusing system. What it means is that the motor for AF is in the lens itself, so no need for the in-body motor. If you want your lenses to autofocus on the D5000, you need to get lenses listed as AF-S

The other big advantage to AF-S is that its almost silent (instead of rather noisy) and super quick. Nikon is also updating many of it's lenses to have AF-S, so the number of lenses that dont have it is dwindling, though there are some gaps still.

If you go to another brand (like Sigma, Tokina, or Tamron) you have to figure out what their term for "AF-S" is. Sigma is HSM, I know that, but the others are different.