D40x Lens Options I am new to photography and was given a Nikon D40x. I want to begin experimenting with lenses besides the standard lens that came with the camera. My first thoughts are that it would be nice to have one lens for close ups & portraits, and a telephoto lens for far away objects. Could someone recommend one or two good "starter" lenses for me? I was thinking that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor AND the Nikon 55-200mm VR would be a good place to start.Also, I read with some interest a post about using a macro coupler to join these two lenses. Any advice on the proper coupler to use? Is it as easy as just finding one that fits both 50mm & 55mm lenses?Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help. D40x Lens Options I am new to photography and was given a Nikon D40x. I want to begin experimenting with lenses besides the standard lens that came with the camera. My first thoughts are that it... » Read More D40x Lens Options I am new to photography and was given a Nikon D40x. I want to begin experimenting with lenses besides the standard lens that came with the camera. My first thoughts are that it would be nice to have one lens for close ups & portraits, and a telephoto lens for far away objects. Could someone recommend one or two good "starter" lenses for me? I was thinking that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor AND the Nikon 55-200mm VR would be a good place to start.Also, I read with some interest a post about using a macro coupler to join these two lenses. Any advice on the proper coupler to use? Is it as easy as just finding one that fits both 50mm & 55mm lenses?Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help. « Show Less
328794
Thanks for the info. I don't think I'm quite ready to pay that kind of money for a lens for a camera that I paid $600.00 for. May as well upgrade the camera and keep the lens. I do appreciate the reply.
328795
I too own a D40X and want to try this lens...have a Sigma 18-200mm lens but want to get another lens that offers sharp fotos of mountains...my currents lens cannot do that, but I do love its versatility.
328796
It is actually much better to spend a lot of money on a lens rather than a camera body. A lens will last you tens of years while camera bodies are updated about every 6 months. So spending $500 on a lens will actually be more worthwhile in the long run than spending that much to upgrade the camera.If you asked a group of professionals, most if not all of them would tell you to save money on the camera body and spend that on some good lenses.
328797
I would start with the kit lenses. These would be two good lenses to start with, considering the fact that I am assuming the lens that came with the camera is the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6G. Just keep in mind that the 50mm f/1.8D will not autofocus on the D40, D40x, or the D60 so you will have to manually focus it.
328798
There is the AF-S f/1.4G 50mm lens. This will autofocus on the D40/40x/60, but it costs almost $500.
328799
I would also like to know if there is a lens for the D40x that is similar to the Nikon AF f1.8. I thought it would be OK to focus this lens myself but it seems in low light I can't see well enough to focus the lens. Now I'm sorry I bought it because I can't use it for what I intended. It does take nice landscape photos but there is no focusing to worry about at infinity.
726801
Macro lenses are by design usually better than most prime lenses. In this case my Nikon 40mm will out preform most of my very expensive primes. And yes they carry this performance to any distance.And contrary to the other commentary it will focus accurately at any distance including infinity.I know because I use it thus many times a week.
1272575
I have both the Tamron 17-50 and the 28-75 as well as the Tamron 28-300 that I shoot with the Nikon D200. I can't say if I prefer the 17-50 over 28-75 but I love both of them and find I use them both depending on what I'm shooting. If I could afford only 1 lens it would probably be the 28-75 for my type of shooting. If you;'e shooting large groups of people or need the wider angle then I'm sure 17-50 may serve you better.
450741
I have some nikon lenses from my nikon f3, i have some lenses from nikon d90, i have some sigma lenses they all work fine for me but ofcourse no autofocus you have to set nikon1 to manual in order to use all these lenses. For example 50mm 1:1.2 lens is doing a great job. I hope this info is enough if not i can write more. For$20 this is good product. No need to spent $200 just for auto focus for the autofocus lenses.
1203850
yep. I am going to amend my advice and recommend the Tokina 11-16 2.8. This gets excellent reviews and is faster than the others for low light shooting such as UW. I shot with the 10-24 such subjects as a gilded church. It came out spectacular. All in all, if money is not an issue, it is a tossup between the nikon and tokina. I switched to fx format and now use the nikon 12-24. It's a monster. BTW, another great option for the Nikon DX is the great 18-200 zoom.
227602
Just bought the D40x two weeks ago, and spent the weeks before that researching the D40x vs. the XTi.I'd go with the D40x... you can't go wrong with a Nikon, and the kit lens that comes with the XTi is terrible. I bought the D40x, and have since added a few accessories. I feel like I made the right decision and I am totally thrilled with the purchase... No regrets at all. Plus, Nikon makes a longer-lasting camera.D40x!!!
1910673
I've got a 18-55 that came with my D40 and I bought the 55-100VR. I don't really miss VR on the shorter lens. I love my D40 bur an itching to step up, so a body only option is welcome. Why is it camera companies assume people are always buying their first camera instead of stepping up? I'd look at the 3200 but it lacks support for the wireless remote, which I have found invaluable for getting into family shots or for long exposures. Cable release just doesn't cut it.
2137904
40mm on DX works out to 60mm, not what anyone would consider a "Wide angle", but I find it fits people in across a dinner table a bit better than my 50mm 1.8. That said, macro should be the primary reason you get this. "Wide" on a DX should be one of the Nikon or Tokina <20mn variable DX lenses.
1882833
Just make sure you get the 1 w/ the Nikon mount. It will say if you want a Nikon or Canon? It's a cool lens!
1111391
Dragoneer makes some really good points, particularly about go slow an buy quality. Master one lens before getting another. Personally, I think this is the best lens to start with due to its quality and versatility. Once you have a taken a lot of shots, you can determine from how you shoot what the next lens should be (if you even need another). If you find yourself in a lot situations where you wish the could go wider, get a 10-24mm zoom; if you find you're cropping a lot of shots when zoomed all the way in, get the 70-300 (if you have the 18-140, don't get anything that only goes to 200 unless you want to drop some $$ on something faster). This a lens you can keep on your camera and be ready for almost anything. With a wide zoom, mid prime and telephoto zoom, you'll have the ranges covered, but will likely be changing lens a lot. If you want another lens for a DX format camera - the 35mm 1.8 is fantastic and an extreme bargain - super-sharp, great for low-light and terrific for experimenting with shallow depth of field. If I could only keep 2 of my lenses, it would be this one and the 35mm.
1234896
I don't have a D40x but I am pretty sure this lens will be fine with one. The lens has it's own internal focusing motor so you should have no problems at all. Good lens too. Very fast and accurate focusing, even in low light. I NEVER need to use the focus assistance light either. If I were to do it again, I think I would go for the full-frame lens though. It's just that little bit better.
1234895
The Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 AF-S lens will work fine on the D40X. The D40X has no internal focusing motor, so you need an AF-S lens in order to have autofocus work, which this lens has. The only problem is the lens is big, and might be front heavy on the smaller D40x.
1346986
d80 offered a bit more but i don't is worth it unless budge is not your problem. D80 has same spec as d40x in most area except that older lens life the af and prime lens that can do auto focus in d80 while d40/d40x only manual, which is important if you wanted shoot in portrail then d80 might have advantage since it can use more lens in auto focus. Also d80 has better body has metal material mix with plastic but result more heavy. Also i think shuttle speed is longer in d80 then d40/d40x. U shoud invest lens like 18-200mm vr over d80 body because it does more for your bucks.
294920
This is one of the best Lens for nikon, and it works well indoor. But if you are a beginner, I suggest you to get more practice with a 50mm f1.4 first...
422105
I'm trying to decide between the D40 and D60 as well. Here's an interesting read that might help:http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d60.htm
942879
non professional here!i am so confused by some of the pro's here ! so someone please tell me,will it work on my nikon D 60, Then, for a amature-beginner- training pants guy, how will this do for real estate, mountains, gardens, charging grizzly, kidds christmas with sants, high school photos of the kids,, antique autos, the " Hoss" an buggy, does anyone get my ideas, there is two guys on the reviewsthat sound incredibaly smart, good show, i so want to get this lens, BUT ? J.R. Massachusetts
449696
I'm a moderator at Nikonians.org and a more detailed discussion to help you could be handled more effectively there. Generally speaking the D7000 is set up with defaults for a consumer orientation. That means images are a little softer and brighter to be optimized for small prints shared among friends or on the web. When you look at magnified images optimized for small prints, it will look soft. The assumption is if you are more advanced, you'll also know or learn to optimize your settings. Frustratiing but true. :) For me, that means increasing the in camera sharpening, keeping noise reduction off for most situations, and using a single focus point rather than letting the camera automatically select the focus point. If you choose a single focus point, you have to watch how you use it. You need to place the point on the part of your subject that needs the sharpest focus. Maybe it is the eye of a person, or for landscapes about 1/3 of the way into the frame. Also keep in mind that a 16 MB image is going to show more resolution and reveal technique errors that were not seen on 12 MB images. We saw the same thing when we moved to the D200 from D100/D70 cameras. Generally the camera and lenses are pretty good. You can buy better lenses, but it's best to learn to optimize the gear you have. Make sure you have enough light to freeze the subject and eliminate movement. Your shutter speeds need to be fast enough to hand hold - 1/500 sec or more is best if you are testing. Don't shoot at the extremes of your zoom and expect perfection - most lenses perform better if you stay away from maximum and minimum focal lengths. Stop down your aperture a little to f/6.3 or even f/8. Most lenses perform better stopped down a stop or two - which also gives you more depth of field. And for testing, pick a simple target with clear contrasting edges. It normally takes a little practice. You have to make your errors predictable - not just your successes. Know when you are at or beyond your limits. Hope this helps.