Ed Ruf wrote:
On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 12:35:59 -0800, in rec.photo.digital paul
wrote:


inclined to go that route, the kit lense is really the best choice.
Image stabilization probably isn't really needed until you get into long
telephoto. Another one-lense option is the VR 24-120 with adapters for
wide & macro.


Remember that to keep AF you need a combined f# of 5.6 or lower.

The D70 has an AF assist light though I'm not sure how far that reaches
& it is annoying for shooting people indoors but seems to work well.

I read more & discovered the good tele adapters are not usable unless
you have a fast f/2.8 lense. I also searched hard for a 77mm threaded
wide angle conversion with no luck. This would be a cool mid range zoom
for general purpose use but lacks in both tele & wide so I'd want
another 2 lenses to cover that. Another problem with this one is the odd
72mm filter threads so probably couldn't be given a close-up diopter so
it really is just what it is & nothing more. VR would be useful though
for me & it's pretty compact.



A good combination if you are willing to get a fancy lense later is the
kit lense plus a future VR 80-400mm which is not overly bulky & would
really buy some bang for the bucks down the road when you really decide
you want tele.


FWIW, all the reviews on the 80-400mm talked about focus not being fast.
Though a tad bit more, I went for the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR and then added a
TC-20E later. I believe this combo is more flexible and the 70-200 VR is a
stellar performer.


Yes that was eventually my conclusion that the 70-200 f/2.8 was a better
purchase if one was inclined to spend that much & for another $350 could
be adapted to a 400mm. It's a big honking lense though (both are
really). It would have to be paired with probably the kit lense since
I'd be hesitant to lug it around.

I'm still unclear what effect a +2 close-up diopter would have on the 5
ft min focusing distance.