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Lens recommendations for NIKON

lovely planetlovely planet Registered Users Posts: 8 Beginner grinner
edited July 29, 2013 in Accessories
I am in the market for a good wide angle lens for travel photography and also a good zoom lens. I have a Nikon D80. Does anyone have any recommendations? I am an amateur photography enthusiast and primarily take photos on our many travels.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

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    time2smiletime2smile Registered Users Posts: 835 Major grins
    edited July 25, 2013
    Check out the Tokina 12-24 F4, built like a tank....
    Ted....
    It's not what you look at that matters: Its what you see!
    Nikon
    http://www.time2smile.smugmug.com
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    ZBlackZBlack Registered Users Posts: 337 Major grins
    edited July 26, 2013
    I don't have experience with the Tokina 12-24, but I do have the Tokina 11-16 F2.8 and love it. I imagine either one would be a great addition, and the 12-24 would give you quite a bit more zoom range than the 11-16. Previously I had the Tamron 10-24 and it was decent, but I wouldn't put it on the same level as the Tokina's, but may be worth looking at depending on budget.
    -Zach
    www.zblackwood.com
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    bfluegiebfluegie Registered Users Posts: 739 Major grins
    edited July 26, 2013
    I have the Tokina 12-24 which I use on a D90. I bought it used from KEH for around $320 (about $200 less than the Tokina 11-16 would have been used). I decided to save a little $$$ because I was thinking of going full frame and I didn't want to invest too much but I needed wide angle for a vacation. I was very happy with the 12-24. The 12-24 is f/4, the 11-16 is f/2.8. If you don't need the extra light or shallower depth of field, the 12-24 is a great choice. I use it for landscape photography, so I mostly want to maximize depth of field and I don't know if I could see the difference between 11mm and 12mm. Either would be a great choice. I understand the Nikon DX wides are very good as well, but they do cost more if that is an issue. Also, I don't know if they have a 2.8.
    ~~Barbara
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    jonh68jonh68 Registered Users Posts: 2,711 Major grins
    edited July 27, 2013
    Your budget will help others give recommendations.
    www.jonimages.com
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    lovely planetlovely planet Registered Users Posts: 8 Beginner grinner
    edited July 28, 2013
    Thanks everyone. Not knowing what a good quality lens really costs I was prepared to spend up to $1000. But I am not a pro and am very much in the learning phase. So I don't want to overspend either with a lens that does not match my skill set.
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    bfluegiebfluegie Registered Users Posts: 739 Major grins
    edited July 28, 2013
    I also have a telephoto zoom lens, the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 VR. It was the first lens I bought for my D90 other than the kit lens. It is OK, but nowhere near the f/2.8 or f/4 professional glass--in speed, image quality, weight or cost. So, it's a tradeoff. There are Nikon DX zooms that are 55-200 and 55-300. I don't know anything about the image quality on these, but they may be worth checking out. Sigma and Tamron also have DX offerings in this range.

    I have seen some wildlife photos taken with the 70-300 (the one I have) but because of the aperture limitations you might not be able to get the high shutter speeds to freeze motion. A bird in flight might be a challenge. If the D80 is similar to my D90, you probably don't want to use ISO higher than 800.
    ~~Barbara
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,799 moderator
    edited July 28, 2013
    lovely planet wrote: »
    I am in the market for a good wide angle lens for travel photography and also a good zoom lens. ...

    For a 2 - lens travel kit for a crop 1.5x/1.6x body, like the Nikon D80, I would recommend:
    Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM, is a very nice super-wide zoom lens, capable of handling vista landscapes and some architectural.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381611-REG/Sigma_201306_10_20mm_f_4_5_6D_EX_DC.html
    http://www.adorama.com/SG1020NKAF.html
    Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP Aspherical (IF), is a very nice standard/normal zoom for crop 1.5x/1.6x bodies, with a relatively fast, constant f2.8 aperture.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/550954-REG/Tamron_AF016NII_700_17_50mm_f_2_8_XR_Di_II.html
    http://www.adorama.com/TM1750NKAF.html

    You can often find both of these lenses used, but together they are still within your budget brand new.

    I have the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM and it's very competent and consistent.

    While I don't have the Tamron, several of our users either have it or have had it and recommend it. If my similar Sigma lens fails, I would replace it with the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    Gobo FongoGobo Fongo Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
    edited July 29, 2013
    By far the best multi purpose lens I've used for an APS-C camera is the Nikon 16-85mm. It's plenty wide enough for most applications (and video), and the 85mm end is the perfect length for portraits.
    http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/2178/AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-16-85mm-f%252F3.5-5.6G-ED-VR.html
    I LOVE THIS LENS!

    PLUS, Sigma just came out with a competitor that's almost as good with a more appetizing price:
    http://www.sigmaphoto.com/product/17-70mm-f28-4-dc-macro-os-hsm-c
    Check out my website at: www.billibilli.com
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