Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Hi everyone. I've pretty new to the photography world and i'm trying to learn as much as i can. I hope you can help and my apologizes if im asking a question asked before.

I was looking at an online store selling lenses and saw lenses with the same distance for various prices. EX

NIKON LENS AF 85MM F1.8D $460
NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F1.4G FX $1750
NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F3.5 VR DX ED MICRO $450
NIKON LENS PC-E MICRO 85MM F2.8 TILT/SHIFT $2150

How can you tell what makes the difference in each type of lense.

Thank you in advance.

NIKON LENS AF 85MM F1.8D $460
NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F1.4G FX $1750
NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F3.5 VR DX ED MICRO $450

In these three lenses, the price is for the Aperture and the nature of lens,

Apertures are the number which look like this ... 1.8 1.4 3.5
It tells u how much light to be allowded inside the camera..
the bigger the lower the price.... plus how new and old the release it is...
AF-S ...Has an inbuilt motor which helps the cameras like d40 d60 40x and d5000 to autofocus .....
the AF version wont autofocus since it doesnt have an inbuilt motor on the lens as well....






This one is in a different league
NIKON LENS PC-E MICRO 85MM F2.8 TILT/SHIFT $2150

This is a specialty lens
refer this page for why its expensive and what it can do to your picture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_photography

hope it helps...
cheers

NIKON LENS AF 85MM F1.8D $460

Older lens works with full frame sensors and cropped sensors.

NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F1.4G FX $1750

Latest released version for full frame (hence the FX) and cropped sensors with Silent Wave motor.

NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F3.5 VR DX ED MICRO $450

Macro lens with vibration reduction for cropped sensors (DX designation).

NIKON LENS PC-E MICRO 85MM F2.8 TILT/SHIFT $2150

Specialty tilt/shift lens with macro capabilities.

I'm not a Nikon user but I stayed at a Holiday Inn before.

lol .. classic

thanks for the help guys.

Carlton i was wonderings since you brought the fact that the NIKON LENS AFS 85MM F3.5 VR DX ED MICRO $450 is a macro lense. How exactly is it a macro lense if the focal point are the same for all the cameras. Is it because the glass is wider but takes the same distance. And does the G and D mean anything when they say f1.8g f1.4D

It's actually Holiday Inn Express!! I guess you didn't stay there long enough! LOL


Here is a good break down of the letter designations D, G...

http://www.bythom.com/lensacronyms.htm

One of the best things about Nikon is that they have kept the same lens mount for many decades so pretty much all lenses work on modern cameras.

because 85mm is not the focal point, it is the focal length, more related to the angle of view.

Macro lenses tend to be optimised for a flat focal plane and for close minimum focus distances.

Don't say focal point, the focal point is where you set your focus.

All 85mm lenses have the same field or angle of view. They do, however, vary depending on the size of the sensor or film plane. The 85mm DX macro lens in particular has a full image circle only for crop sensors, so you will not get a complete image if you mount it on a full frame body. It is also why it is the least expensive of the bunch -- smallest maximum aperture and smallest image circle.

A Nikon G lens does not have an aperture ring so can only be mounted to a body with electronic aperture controls. A D lens provides distance information back to the light meter.

Sounds to me like the OP should maybe spend a little bit of time understanding focal length, focal point, focus, aperture, etc before trying to shop for new lenses

Since when does lack of research stop a photographer from buying shiny new gear?

To take this response one step further, due to the larger aperture you will need larger diameter optics to accommodate the larger aperture, and optical glass costs $$$. It's also why large aperture lenses can be a much larger diameter than kit lenses, even with a longer focal length.

Sorry i meant to say focal length not point. I've already ordered the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. I was just curious because i want to know how much money i need to save when i do buy my next piece of glass.

If you guys have any recommendations on any books or websites to read please pass on the knowledge.

Here's a great page for comparing focal lengths:
http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/learning_center/tools/focal-length-comparison.php

That is an excellent book to start, as are many books from Peterson.

After you have digested the content from the book and decide on what you want to do that your current lens(es) don't, then you will have a better idea of what you need to get.

Glad to hear it! You'll be amazed at how much more sense all of this will make once you've had a chance to digest some of that material. Good stuff. As far as lens cost is concerned, it tends to be an exponential curve, higher quality, exponentially higher cost. There are a few minor exceptions where really excellent lenses can be had for a reasonable amount of money.

You will need to save a few thousand dollars. I'm at 10 grand already. lol just kidding.

ballin, im not even 2/3 there

I think this is a very bad advice. You can do photography with cheaper lenses.

Just curious, what do you have with the 10k?

lol of course you can do photography with cheaper photography. hence the just kidding.

5D, 35L, 85L, 135L, 3 TLRs, bunch of bags, Gitzo tripod, bunch of film stuff.. it add ups.

Oh crap, I thought u meant lenses only

Cy, how do u like the 200L u got lately on craiglist? Such a sick lenses and sick deal!!!!

I think Canon should make a 5D"L" just for you Eric.

Come on guys, at least you could stay on topic and list all of the 85mm Canon mount options

It's easy to gain a "lens lust" especially in a community where people are showing fantastic photos with expensive equipment. However, before you start idolizing our veterans and their shiny gear, my advice to you is to filter out what they own and get comfortable with what you have first. Everyone has gotten to where they are from practice, practice and more practice. The equipment only makes it easier once you know what you're doing. Can you take fantastic images with kit lenses? you sure damn well can. So why bother to upgrade? it makes it easier! but does upgrading automatically make better photos? NO!

There are many places that let you rent lenses for a fair price so experiment with everything and find your comfort zone. What do you enjoy photographing? How close / far do you like to work from your subjects? etc etc.

Back on topic with your original question -
Each lens is coded in a way to identify it's design.

The bare bones basic is focal length and maximum aperture. (and usually referred to in this manner)
ex 85mm f1.8 (meaning 85mm focal length with a maximum aperture of f1.
zoom lenses may show 18-55mm f4.5-5.6 meaning as you zoom the maximum aperture drops from f/4.5 to f/5.6

The rest are fancy terms each manufacture uses to identify special features.
http://www.vistek.ca/buyingguides/camer ... sspec.aspx this page explains them all in detail.