I found the following info on Adorama's site for the D80.

"Picture Angle Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length".

Take your film camera and your 200 zoom lens and set the zoom for 100mm. Take the shot.

Take your zoom and put it on the D80, set for 100mm and take the shot.

You should find that the D80 image is zoomed in more than the film camera.

To take an image with the film camera and zoom that would equal the D80 image you just took, you would have to set the film zoom to 150mm.

The 1.5 factor.

Another way to look at it. Take an image with the D80 set at 200mm zoom. To get the same image with a film camera, you would need a zoom of 300mm.

Why would this info be important? There is a general guideline that you should use a shutter speed equal to the focal length to minimize camera shake.

Otherwise, in general photography such as out in the public, you use the zoom. If there is not enough adjustment in the lens you are using,then you have to move closer or farther away. Or change to a different lens.

To summerize, for the use on the D80, multiply your lens by 1.5 factor and you have the number that your zoom is going to act like on the D80.

I understand the full size sensors are equal to a film camera. If your camera uses a smaller sensor, then the "crop factor" kicks in.


If it needs more clarity, maybe someone will jump in.

My expertise claim discloser is: I'm a "snapshot" guy.

My Canon factor is 1.6. Out in the field, if I need to think about this, I use a factor of 1.5 because it is easy to work with in my mind.

To compare different focal lengths and angle of view, adjust for your cameras sensor:
www.usa.canon.com/app/html/EFLenses101/focal_length.html

Sorry for the above link. I don't know how to do a clicky.
Maybe someone will fix it.

Hope this helps!

Pat (Snapshot Guy)

Based on my limited experience, that's what they do. If you tightened it up enough so that it didn't slide when pointed down, then, when you tried to use it to zoom in, it wouldn't slide easy and would be jerky, to use. (Too many commas) Jerky movement when zooming is annoying.........