rdrechsler wrote:
I bought a used D7200 with a Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-300 1:4.5-5.6 G ED lens. It seems to be a great lens, but I now need something versatile like an 18-55 lens to round out functionality. Shopping for lenses must give even experts at least a headache, cuz I'm in total overwhelm. First off, I don't understand the difference between the lenses f stop range, eg the 4.5-5.6 of my existing lens and what you can do with the camera. That lens gives me an f-stop range of 4.5 to 22. So how does one know when buying a lens what the lens' state rating translates to in the camera? It seems obvious to me I'd want a lens with maximum flexibility since I only have a budget for one more lens right now.
Anyway, any other recommendations or insights would be helpful. Lens stabilization is also important to me, but otherwise I really want a good lens...max budget about $1000.
Thanks everyone for your input.
I bought a used D7200 with a Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor ... (
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f/stops are fractions. The numerator is the focal length (f) and the denominator is the number of times to divide it by to get the width of the aperture in the diaphragm. The width isn't important to anyone but an engineer, but the f/number IS important to photographers.
In practice, it's a way to get *approximately* the same exposure on different lenses. It's logarithmic, based on the square root of 2, where each whole stop lets in half, or twice, the light of the one next to it. (1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22 are some of the whole stops.) The LOWER the number, the WIDER the aperture and the more light it transmits. Just realize that some lenses actually TRANSMIT more light than others at the same aperture. The more glass involved, the less light gets through, but the difference is rarely more than half a stop, and usually not important if you use through the lens metering.
There are fixed aperture zooms (constant f/2.8, for instance), and variable aperture zooms like yours. The aperture at the long end of the zoom is often smaller than it is at the short end. This is an annoyance with flash photography and can be a problem in low light photography, but in good light, it doesn't matter a lot.
f/4.5 to f/5.6 is a slow zoom lens. Look for an f/2.8, or f/2.8 to f/4 zoom if you can find one in your price range. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR is $1070.00. Used ones, in excellent condition, cost around $800.
https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-16-80mm-f-2-8-4-e-ed-dx-af-s-vr-autofocus-lens-for-aps-c-sensor-dslrs-72-1.html(KEH, Adorama, B&H, and Cameta Camera are popular, reliable online retailers. KEH is used only; the others sell new and used gear.)