What I shoot a lot of is elementary and middle school football games and sideline cheerleading.
Wait, what?
Posted on 09/19/2017 11:49:05 AM PDT by TermLimitsforAll
So I'm looking at getting another lens for my Nikon D60. I don't have anything other than a working knowledge of the camera with zero formal photography classes. I have the original lens that came with the camera and a 70-300 zoom.
What I shoot a lot of is elementary and middle school football games and sideline cheerleading. I was thinking a wide angle lens would be a great addition but don't know where to begin. I was looking at this lens AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm F3.5-4.5G ED but didn't want to spend the 900.00 for a lens that might not suit what I'm shooting. Especially since there would be a 15% restocking fee if I return that lens. Any help from the photagraphy gurus is appreciated.
Whatever lens you buy, it must have its own focus motor. The D60 won’t autofocus without an electronic motor in the lens. You can check out the lenses on Amazon, and most will tell you if the lens is compatible with the D60..
I buy most my lenses from B&H, they’re great. I buy some from Amazon. Depends on price.
I no longer buy anything from Adorama, because they failed to ship my second-day freight lens before they called me (three days later) to try to sell me other crap. Twice.
I check their used camera and lenses every few weeks.
Two years ago, I spotted a great price on a 100-400 zoom for my 60-D.
I’d like to upgrade to the 5-D but most of my lenses wouldn’t work on the new format.
My favorite cheap lens for the nikon is their
AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II
its GREAT and cheap for a starter, but its slow (5.6 not 2.8)
it runs about $120 and yes, i am a seasoned pro using a beginners lens... why? well, it does real wide, and not.. and will do so close up... with hoya mag lenses and a filter adapter to 72 mm, i can do macro shots that come out wonderful (with the hoyas costing more than the lens).
my other lenses are way too expensive to start with.
a 50mm 2.8 speed lens (needs motor in camera)
and a 80-200 mm that comes out as a 300mm with a half size sensor.
want to get the 810 or 900 so i can use these lenses without flash..
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/camera-lenses/travel-and-landscape-lenses.page
I owned a Pentax ME/SE.
Resembled a half frame camera...
What I shoot a lot of is elementary and middle school football games and sideline cheerleading.
Wait, what?
One of my best shots was taken with a Tamron lense. Clean as a whistle with very high contrast. It was very reasonable.
I would at the to see what have.
You want a high ASA which allows for a higher f-stop. The higher the f-stop, the better the depth-of-field. F-stop, by the way is the lens opening. A F-stop of 5.6 allows more light, but has a smaller depth-of-field than f-11. With a greater depth-of-field, a greater range of objects are in focus. That is good for fast moving subjects, like sports, where you don't have the time to get precise focus. However, to do that your camera has less light which needs to be compensated with a lower shutter speed. To enable faster shutter speeds, you increase the ASA (or ISO) which increases the sensitivity of your camera's image sensor. A higher shutter speed, of course, allows less blur from motion (sometimes the blur will add an artistic effect).
You will notice that your 70-300 zoom has somewhere around f-4 to 5.6 as its widest opening. By its nature, your lens has less light coming in than the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm which has an aperture between f-2.8 to 4 (Amazon price $1066). I have noticed that these Nikon lenses are quite expensive. I found a Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 at Amazon for $710 which has the same aperture. Make sure these lenses work for your camera.
I cant believe the pictures my smart phone takes. I shot film with a Canon AE-1 for a few years. Digital changed everything but I got a small DAC/pre-amp to hook my analog turntable into my new entertainment system from D&H. I am jamming like it was the 70s again. I think most of my neighbors like it!
I had a bunch of Spotmatics, even a motorized one I found in Hong Kong along with a whole series of Takumar lenses 72 to 74 vintage. Even picked up an ES in Japan.
Made three trips to Asia in the Navy and made money each time on the cameras and lenses. Still have one camera and a couple of lenses.
My favorite lens is a 35-70mm F4.0
I have a 55mm F1.2 for most other general photography.
Use Kodak Professional Ektar 100 film. Kodak Portra 160 and Tri-X 400.
800 is not great IMHO....too grainy.
As former pro-photographer, now retired, find a place that rents or loans with your intent to buy. Try what you think you need. if you like it buy it.
It’s best to become a loyal customer to one shop. You may pay a little more(you can always negotiate on price), but loyal spenders can try before buying, which is invaluable.
As far as that particular lens, unless you are in the middle of the action, the lens will be too short for anything immediate or dramatic.(IMHO)
If you are shooting night games, your lens needs to have an aperture of at least f2.8.
If you are shooting indoor sports, your lens needs to have an f2.8 aperture, or wider.
While you are at it, significant advances have been made in sensor technology since the D60 came out, especially regarding high ISO performance. Consider upgrading camera bodies to a more modern D7200, or D7500.
That’s a phenomenal idea. Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank yoy. I do try to buy from local mom and pop operations. I’m budget minded but I feel I get a more knowledgeable and service experience with some who actually cares about what I’m purchasing. Best Buy and Ritz haven’t gained my business, I do however glean info from their website.
I really want to upgrade my camera body too but currently I’m more interested in lenses. Maybe the body will be a birthday present to myself. Don’t want the wife to shoot me, with a gun that is. Lol.
What other lens do you have? Why would you need a wide angle lens for sideline shots? Just back away. Be sure to get shots from the stands if they have any. It’s hard to get shots when the play is away from you. Also, always try to be down field a few yards from the line of scrimmage so the play is always coming towards you. When the teams get near the end zone get to the back of the end zone for shots of the players coming toward you for a touchdown and get some shot of your teams defense stopping the play. Zoom in and isolate the play to the ball handler and players around him.
Crop the pics before you post them. Focus on the ball carrier and any players grabbing him or about to hit him. Take a lot of sequential shots and go through them. You’ll see things that no one else could in those pics.
I did this for years. I have the 18-55 and 55-200. They let me on the field so I really didn’t need the longer lens.
Get yourself a monopod. It’ll make a difference.
I was manager of a three pit coal mine and took pictures of our mining progress over weeks at a time.
Then, one day, the Pentax froze shut. Apparently full of dust.
A local camera shop sent it in for cleaning and I paid $45 plus shipping for this back in ‘81 or ‘82.
Someone at the cleaning shop included a note, saying “It looks like this camera has been in a coal mine.”
A pen pal in Yokohama is getting the last bit of static out of his system. Mostly American stuff with super cables.
His neighbors find this “interesting.”
I knew I got that bass ackwards when I typed it.
Again the perils of posting while working.
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