Lens Recommendation for nikond70s

mleto96

I'm in the market for a new lens for portraits and/or a versatile zoom that is a combination of the 18-55 and 70-300 Nikkor lenses I already have. I have the Nikon D70s. These are some of the zooms I've looked at:
Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3xr
sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3D

What I'm looking for is recommendations on 1)the zoom lens and 2) good lens for portraits.

Thanks!

ziggy53

Typically for portraiture, you should look for something that has relatively large apertures and typically longer focal lengths. This is especially true for 1 person head-and-shoulders and 2 person head-and-shoulders.

For full length portraits, a more moderate tele to normal focal length is used. Larger apertures are still desirable in most cases as it yields more flexibility in shooting situations.

For wedding and event portraits and group images, you can generally factor in the location and then use whatever lens matches the circumstances.

The two lenses you mention, the Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-f6.3 and the sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 are consumer lenses designed for convenience, not ultimate quality. They would both require relatively small apertures which will yield a generally negative experience for the task of portraiture.

If you must get a lens of this range, the AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED is the only lens I would take seriously, and it has some issues.

I would rather suggest the:

AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D for full-length
AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D for head-and-shoulder
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED for group shots

Mitchell

mleto96 wrote:

I'm in the market for a new lens for portraits and/or a versatile zoom that is a combination of the 18-55 and 70-300 Nikkor lenses I already have. I have the Nikon D70s. These are some of the zooms I've looked at:
Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3xr
sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3D

What I'm looking for is recommendations on 1)the zoom lens and 2) good lens for portraits.

Thanks!

As usual, Ziggy is right on the money here.

You've got a decent pair of lenses to be used for generalized walk around photography. If you are looking for a portrait lens, don't sell yourself short and get another low speed zoom with a broad focal range.

If you want to take some serious portraits and don't want to break the bank, you should strongly consider some high quality Nikkor prime lenses.

50mm, f1.8 is only $100. Can't beat this glass for the price.

50mm, f1.4 is $225. Rapidly becoming my favorite portrait lens. Worth it.

85mm, f1.8 is $350. Great lens for the money but good primarily for solo shots.

85mm, f1.4 is $1,000. Creamy bokeh. A Nikon classic!

If you must have a zoom, consider the Nikkor 28-70mm, f2.8. A great professional portrait zoom with a price tag to match ($1,500).

mleto96

Thanks for the recommendations.