Nikon lens help

[ADUKHNT]

I am at a cross roads. I own a Nikon D40X, I have the stock 18-55 lens and a Nikon 55-200 AF-S lens, frankly I am tired of changing lenses during our family outings, it seems I always have the wrong one on. I would also like more zoom. I am looking at the Tamron AF18-270 F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro. I shot a buddies Tamron and liked it for the money they seem like they can't be beat.

Any suggestions?:confused:

[Sierra Hotel]

I'm not familiar with the Tamron lens, but I understand they've got a skookum superzoom on the market now Using the D40 imposes some limitations on you in that the AF motor is not in the body, but rather in the lens, so you must make sure that the lens is compatible with your camera. The Nikon 18-200mm gets rave reviews, and it covers the range of both your lenses in one. Good luck,

R,
John

[danattherock]

Good suggestion Sierra. I have a buddy with a D40 and he was limited with his lens selection for the same reason you mention.

[Sierra Hotel]

Yeah, Nikon conveniently leaves this information ou of their marketing. Given that 95% of the D40 buyers are first time dSLR buyers, it tends to not be a problem, as not many people move up to Nikon's more serious "enthusiast/professional" line of cameras. Their "G" lenses are also marketed with less than "full and open" disclosure, as they don't have an aperture ring, and really can't be used on full frame cameras - which will be more and more the norm as the price of the FX sensors comes down.

For the OP, the recommendation to always buy the best glass you can afford to stick on your camera body falls short with the D40. If you can live without AF, then the world really opens up to you in terms of what lenses are available because you can use all of the legacy lenses - which are outstanding quality and VERY affordable.

Cheers,

John

[Jim Strutz]

In case you are interested in doing some reading, here are dpreview.com's latest reviews on the Tamron 18-270, Nikon 18-200, and Sigma 18-200. They are all the latest models with image stabilization. They also all have inlens focusing motors, and I assume are compatible with the D40.

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p5-6p3_vc_n15/
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p6_vr_afs_n15/
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p5-6p3_os_n15/

Here's Canon's, if anyone's interested. http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p5-5p6_is_c16/

All one lens solutions create a lot of image quality compromises, but sometimes simplicity outweighs that disadvantage. I have a lot of Canon glass, but sometimes only want to pack one camera body with lens attached. I settled on the Tamron 18-270 for my Canon. Other than the extreme wide angle, it is sharper than the Nikon 18-200, and other than the extreme long end, it is sharper than the Canon 18-200. The Sigma is a relative dog comparatively, but they just announced a new 18-250 OS lens, and it might actually be better, who knows.

The advantage that the Nikon 18-200 has is the lightning fast ring type USM focus motor (They call it something else though) which offers full time manual focusing too. I really like this on the Canon lenses that I have with it. None of the competing lenses offer this, and if Canon did I would probably have picked that one instead of the Tamron. The downfall of the Tamron is the slow AF motor. Since I rarely shoot sports with such a lens I can put up with it, but if I were using Nikon cameras I probably would have gone with the Nikon lens. It's quite good for a one lens solution.

Of course there is the argument... Why did you buy a interchangeable lens camera if you only want to use one lens? But I'll leave that for others to debate.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Their "G" lenses are also marketed with less than "full and open" disclosure, as they don't have an aperture ring, and really can't be used on full frame cameras - which will be more and more the norm as the price of the FX sensors comes down.

"G" lenses work exactly the same whether the body is FX or DX.

In neither case is an aperture ring necessary, or even useful... unless an accessory, such as extension tubes, a bellows, or a teleconverter that does not have the electrical connections to extend the electronics in the lens to the camera body is used. That is true for both FX and DX bodies.

I don't see any "less than full and open disclosure".

[Zissou]

I am at a cross roads. I own a Nikon D40X, I have the stock 18-55 lens and a Nikon 55-200 AF-S lens, frankly I am tired of changing lenses during our family outings, it seems I always have the wrong one on. I would also like more zoom. I am looking at the Tamron AF18-270 F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro. I shot a buddies Tamron and liked it for the money they seem like they can't be beat.

Any suggestions?:confused:

Do either one of your stock lenses have VR?

[shooter338]

I have a D40x and purchased the above referred to Nikon 18-200mm lens for the same reasons you mentioned. It has done everything I could ask for, I am very satisfied with the quality and its capabilities. Not familiar with the other brands. Anyway, keep shootinng and good luck.