A good lens for D60?

[NightOwl]

I am seriously planning to buy a D60. I was wondering what would be a best zoom lens with, say 28-200 mm range for it?

I was looking at both Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM and somewhat cheaper but more zoomy Canon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM.

What would you people think? I will probably take pretty much shots with max zoom (possibly not in best lighting conditions) and not always even with a tripod: Is the image stabilizer worth the money? Naturally the other is not so zoomy, but 135 times 1.6 is more than normal camera's 210, so that is enough. Would there be some third party lens that you would recommend (personally I would prefer Canon's own)?

Btw. From digital cameras I have used Olympus 4040 and Canon G2 so far which have very good aperture values... How does the D60 work with aperture with SLR lenses? If the lens has 3.5 aperture, does it really have the same behavior than a film camera would have, or is the D60 able to be more light sensitive...

Thank you in advance...

[toycollector]

I would recommend:

Canon 28-70 f2.8/L
Canon 70-200 f4/L
Canon 1.4x I L teleconverter. The II series is much more expensive and all they did was add a weatherproof seal and I believe a little different coating on the lenses. The 2.0x converter I/II was a redesign change so the II model is worth considering.

Sigma makes some good lenses that are considerably less than the "L" series Canon lenses. From posts I've read, the Sigmas would rate somewhere in between the standard Canon and "L" series Canon lenses.

I bought my 28-70 2.8L refurbed/used from B&H and I couldn't tell it was ever used.

Check Canoga Camera, B&H, Cambridge Camera.....

Good luck.

[NightOwl]

Thank you for the suggestion...I look into those.

However, I would like to find a single multi-purpose lens and avoid the carrying and switching lenses hassle.

Part of the deal is also simplicity.

Any more suggestions, people? Love to hear more opinions...

[Rudi]

NightOwl,

the simple truth of the matter is that you will NOT get the same quality out of the 28-200mm zoom as you will out of a shorter zoom. The laws of physics make sure of that...

Personally, I would (and did!) go with the 28-135 IS and the 70-200 f/4 L. Both lenses are very good.

If you would still rather look at the longer zoom, I am sure that the Canon version would be reasonable (I used to have an old Tamron 28-200 as a travel lens), but it will NOT give you the same ultimate image quality.

Some people have also posted that some lenses that were OK on their film bodies, have shown their shortcomings when they put them on their digital body, so you'd better buy from someone who will let you return your lens in the first few days, if you are not happy with it (especially if you want to try the 28-200!)

Good luck! :)

[womble]

How much are you prepared to spend and what sort of photography are you interested in?

[NightOwl]

Somewhere between $500-1000

I am mainly taking texture photographs for computer game use. That usually means still targets (facades and such) and varying distances. Sometimes there is a chance to use a tripod, but usually I prefer to stay more moving and flexible, so hand-held would be favorable. Outside, the zoom is a must, but I do not expect to need much more than 200 (effective) zoom. The image stabilizer seems very tempting option... so perhaps I might buy a 135 IS.

Sometimes I need to go inside and a lens with better aperture might be in order. Perhaps buying a zoom now and another more sensitive and wide for indoor use later...

Can anybody per chance tell me about the aperture thing?

[lazoj]

http://homepage.mac.com/lazod/lenses.html

[yukoner]

Try the 24-135 Tamron. It is the most widely acclaimed lens in the Pro-sumer genre and translates into a very usable wide normal 40mm to 200mm range while being tack sharp throughout.

[ian h]

hiya...

everyone here is talking about lenses that would give a standard or long focal length on the d60.......what about wider lenses, to give an equivilant focal length of 28mm???............ian

[yukoner]

This is the question of the year. What do we do for extreme, or even moderate wide angle with the 1.6 ratio from the get-go?
yukoner

[Rudi]

Sigma 14mm f/2.8 prime. :)

Will give you a 22mm wide angle (35mm equivalent) with the D30/D60, without breaking the bank (like the Canon 14mm would certainly do!)

Then there's the Tamron 14mm f/2.8, too... (I used to have a Tamron 17mm prime with an old Pentax, and that lens was SHARP wide open! I used it for astrophotography wide open, and there were no aberrations around the edge, just pin-points of stars...)

[UK_Terry]

I have just ordered (be here wednesday)
The 28-135 IS and 100-400 L IS
for my D30, part exchanged the Standard 35-80 & 75-300.
Broke the bank but, that is it now (wife will not stand for anymore expenditure).

will be out this weekend and will post some on my website.

i have heard that the 28 - 135 is popular on this forum but has any one used the 100-400. ?