Advice on which Nikon zoom lens to buy for a D70

[Heff]

Hi,

I have a Nikon D70 with a 18-70mm f/3.5 - 4.5 lens on it. I am looking to buy a telephoto zoom and have narrowed it down to one of the following two -

Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

or

AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

I'm non-technical and just like taking photos but am getting bogged down in the details so could do with some help.

I'm off to the States next week so am looking to buy it over there (if cheaper) once I've worked out which one to go for. Any ideas/suggestions anyone?

Many thanks,

Sarah

[willykatie]

I think 70-300mm better lens for you as you already have 18-70mm. So to extend the zoom, you can get 70-300mm so basically 18-300mm with 2 lenses And i heard 70-300mm is a great lens
Thinking about getting 70-300mm myself as at the moment i have 18-135mm and needed the extra zoom

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by Heff

Hi,

I have a Nikon D70 with a 18-70mm f/3.5 - 4.5 lens on it. I am looking to buy a telephoto zoom and have narrowed it down to one of the following two -

Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

or

AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

I'm non-technical and just like taking photos but am getting bogged down in the details so could do with some help.

I'm off to the States next week so am looking to buy it over there (if cheaper) once I've worked out which one to go for. Any ideas/suggestions anyone?

Many thanks,

Sarah

I'd get the 70-300mm VR personally as you already have the 18-70mm covered, only buy the 18-200 VR if you want the convenience of having the one lens.

[Yandros]

Hi Sarah,

If you don't photograph sports, wildlife etc, the 18-200 may well be long enough. If you really need the 200-300mm end, and want ultimate sharpness in the 100-200mm range, the 70-300mm is the one to go for.

The 18-200VR is obviously preferable if you want a single lens travel solution

The 18-200VR offers image stabilisation in the 18-70 range, making it a very powerful low light lens - as long as the subject is stationary. You can use it in museums, churches or for night shooting at the wide end at 1/8th second shutter speed.

I have the 18-200VR. As an example, it isn't long enough for garden birds, or zoo animals in large enclosures, but perfect as a swiss-army knife style travel lens.

[PoisonJam]

As others have said - 70-300mm VR if you'd use the extra range and don't mind the extra weight/size of the 18-300mm effective combo and having to change lens occasionally (frequency obviously depends on what you shoot) then it's the one to go for.

If you value convenience above all else and won't find you'll miss that extra 100mm at the long end then the 18-200mm is definitely going to be the better option.

Costs should be similar: the 18-200mm costs more but you'll get some decent money back selling your 18-70mm However, I would expect the combo would give you slightly better overall image quality over the 18-200mm range than the 18-200mm VR would.

Personally, I hope to one day have the 18-200mm, Sigma 10-20mm and my Nifty Fifty and that will be my "field" lenses. I'll have a macro I'll mostly leave at home, too. But that's completely down to personal preference and my style/scenarios of shooting.

[theo cupier]

I have the 18-135 and a Sigma 70-300 APO.

To be honest, the 18-135 is hardly ever off my D80 since it has such good range. The 70-300 is good, but the times when I want to really zoom in on something (birds in the garden/woods or whatever), I'm left wishing it was a 400 not a 300, it never quite seems enough!

I think my ideal combination might be something like the 18-200 plus an 80-400. On which basis, maybe get the 18-200 first?

[willykatie]

80-400mm is one of the good one with long range zoom. But the price a lot more expensive than 70-300mm. The price for 80-400mm around £900 and the 70-300mm only over £300

[theo cupier]

Originally Posted by willykatie

80-400mm is one of the good one with long range zoom. But the price a lot more expensive than 70-300mm. The price for 80-400mm around £900 and the 70-300mm only over £300

This is true, and if you're prepared to lose the VR, you can get the Sigma APO for about £100 or so. That's sort of why I aspire to th 80-400, I don't see the point in spending £200 to basically get what I already have (although I'm probably underselling the virtue of VR a lot there).

[Heff]

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice on this one. Given me some food for thought - just need to make a decision, not my strong point!

Thanks again,