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Beginners Lens Question

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bydavidrosen

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Hi All,

So I'm already to the point where I have a Nikon D90 and the following three lenses:

Tamron sp af 28-75mm f/2.8 xr di
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 dc
Nikkor 50mm f1.8 d

I'm a little confused though about something. I was thinking about possibly at some point upgrading to a Nikon D800. Which if any of these lenses will be compatible? From what I understand there are two types of mounts, DX and FX, and the D800 is an FX mount, but I can't seem to get a grasp of which kind my 3 current lenses are (i believe the Sigma is a DX though). And if they are DX, will they work and if there are any shortcomings.

I know this is something I probably should have known before hand, but I was never really thinking about getting another body so soon and I just was looking at compatibility with my D90 when buying.

Thanks for your help!

Posted 8 months ago #
tcole1983

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Hmm...you are going to get a $3000 camera, but you don't know if you lenses are fx or dx? Not to mention you need some better glass if you are really planning on a d800. Without looking them up I know you nikon is fx. You other two are dx...you can use them but keep your d90 if you plan on that.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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well that's why i'm asking for help and info. certainly not gonna just run out and buy until i've done my research, and i've been reading sites all morning and every site i find refers to these things using different terms, some of them don't even bother to mention whether they're dx or fx. it's confusing, so i figured i'd ask...

so assuming you're right on the nikon being fx and the other two are dx, you're saying i'll want something better anyway to go along with my new camera, but my follow up question is will they work on the d800 if i wanted to use them. and also i plan on keeping the d90 for sure, so those lenses for the most part will stick with it. i just want to know if i'll be able to use them with the 800 and if so, are there any shortcomings to using the dx lenses on the fx body?

thanks

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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by the way, i know it sounds dumb of me, but honestly, i have the boxes sitting here, NOWHERE does it say if the lenses are fx or dx. haha. i know i should know what they are, but really, doesn't that seem kinda dumb that it's not right there on the box? i also checked the amazon product descriptions and they don't say either.

Posted 8 months ago #
rensuchan

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50 1.8D is a FX lens. There is no DX Specific 50mm made by Nikon.

Tamron 28-75 is a FX lens. Midrange zooms for FX typically start at 24mm or 28mm.

Sigma 18-200 is a DX lens.

If you're really thinking about a D800, it's actually quite easy to find out the lenses that will cover the entire frame with a quick google search. Aside from the 50mm 1.8D stopped down a little it, there's a good chance that your current lenses may not have the resolution power to satisfy the D800.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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so you think i may actually get worse quality out of these lenses on the better body?

like i said i've been trying to search and i've been reading dozens of articles/reviews/descriptions and not getting the answers that i'm getting by posting this message, so thanks for the responses. everyone words things in different ways and i found entire articles that don't even mention what kind of lens it is (dx/fx), or what "dx" and "fx" are even referring to is described differently in some articles than others. very confusing.

so it sounds like you're saying NO i really shouldn't bother with these lenses on a d800. is there a body you might recommend that i might get better low light performance out of that these lenses will work well with?

Posted 8 months ago #
SquamishPhoto

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Sell all your gear. If your budget allowed you to afford a $3000 body, yet you can't find the means to upgrade your glass then you'll benefit more from the cash from selling your gear than you would by trying to modify your kit around those lenses.

Posted 8 months ago #
Brian714

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Hi bydavidrosen. As stated, your Nikkor 50mm f1.8d is an FX lens. It will work great on a D800. I have been using it on my D800 and have taken some great shots with it.

Posted 8 months ago #
macsavageg4

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I have the same basic Sigma version which is 28-70mm f/2.8 lens and it is an FX lens. Anyone saying that the lens will look like crap on the D800 either doesn't know what they are talking about or simply have a bad copy. The 50mm f/1.8 AF-D is a spectacular lens on the D800 and definitely worth keeping. The 18-200mm however will only work as DX on the D800. I have lenses from the 60's that work fine on the D800 and make some fine imagery. Its all in knowing how to use the lens and knowing how to use the camera.

Posted 8 months ago #
Rx4Photo

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Just to help be clear about something with your opening question .... the word "mount" usually refers to the camera that the lens will fit. The DX and FX refers to the format of the camera - those being (DX) APS-C crop or (FX) full frame. The current Nikon mount is also referred to as the F-mount. So, and not trying to be simplistic, all of your lenses will "fit" a Nikon D800 or any Nikon full frame camera because they have the Nikon F-mount. They're all just not designed to render appropriate images on full frame cameras. That is one of the shortcomings that you're wondering about. Vignetting - take a picture with a DX lens on a Full Frame camera and you'll get progressively darkened corners and in some cases it'll just make corners rounded and dark. Poorer than hoped for image quality is another shortcoming.

As has been mentioned above the 50mm will appropriately render images on a full frame camera and the Tameron as well as Rensuchan has said. Your Sigma is made for DX format cameras (your D90).

On the other hand, any Nikon full frame lens will mount and work on your D90.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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thanks brian.

and my budget doesn't allow anything yet. this is all in the planning/thinking stages of what's next after my d90. i was hoping i'd upgrade to a better body that can support my existing lenses, but clearly other than brian's saying that the nikkor will work great, no one thinks the other ones will be very usable (usable but not ideal at least).

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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thank you to the last 2 posters. especially Rx4Photo. your explanation helped immensely. like i said i was getting so many differently worded explanations on these websites that all seemed to change what the various words/terms were referring to or were just plain hard to understand. what you just said makes a lot of sense. and it even sounds like macsavage is saying the sigma should work pretty well too.

obviously if i do save up and jump to this expensive new body (which will be awhile... honestly probably not until the holidays or after new years), i'll be right back to saving for some new lenses to compliment it, but i was just hoping that what i have now will at least work (and what if any the shortcomings would be) in the meantime so i can have something right away to work with.

sounds to me like the nikkor and tamron will work for sure, and the sigma will possibly have the vignetting issue, but as macsavage says, could still be very usable.

my problem is i didn't expect to even be thinking about a new body so soon when i got into this (like march 2011ish), so i basically just looked for lenses that would for sure work with the d90 and then went on my way. not the smartest thing in the world but i think maybe kinda understandable :-)

Posted 8 months ago #
rensuchan

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The Tamron will work fine, but the 36 MP sensor of the D800 is demanding so you will probably see more fine detail from more expensive Nikkors.

That being said, you can still take nice images with the 28-75.

If I may ask, are you happy with your D90's controls? If so you might be able to save some money with the upcoming D600.

Posted 8 months ago #
Rx4Photo

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Wait....macsavegeg is saying that he has the Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 instead of the Tameron 28-70. So his Sigma is FX and will work well on a full frame camera. Your Sigma is the 18-200mm and is DX and will not work well for images.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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interesting about the d600. i'll take a look into it. the main thing that i was interested in was getting better low light / higher iso performance than i'm getting with the d90... i do love my d90s controls though, no problem with them at all.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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Rx4Photo said:
Wait....macsavegeg is saying that he has the Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 instead of the Tameron 28-70. So his Sigma is FX and will work well on a full frame camera. Your Sigma is the 18-200mm and is DX and will not work well for images.

you're right. my bad. reading through all the responses i mixed that up. don't worry i'll be rereading multiple times before i'm purchasing anything :-)

Posted 8 months ago #
rensuchan

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bydavidrosen said:
interesting about the d600. i'll take a look into it. the main thing that i was interested in was getting better low light / higher iso performance than i'm getting with the d90... i do love my d90s controls though, no problem with them at all.

D90 and D7000 are similar in control. Since the D600 is supposed to emulate the D7000's body practically, I imagine the control will be about the same. Being Full Frame it should naturally have better high ISO performance. If you have time before making a purchase I'd wait for reviews of it if I were you.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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Yea definitely have plenty of time so I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.

Posted 8 months ago #
macsavageg4

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The Sigma was surprising once I finally got it squared away. It isn't as wide as I would like a 24-70mm F/2.8 Nikon would be a more fantastical lens but I got it for a good price and I currently use it for promotional pictures for where I work and my walking around lens. If you can find one for a good price and start thinking about another excellent lens for your up and coming D800 Nikon's 80-200mm f/2.8's are great lenses even the push pulls are spectacular. For now you at least have a good standard prime and a nice walking around lens.

I went from a D7000 to the D800 so I am not sure how different the two will handle. If it is similar as rensuchan mentioned to the D90 as the D7000 is the D800 is probably about the same difference. Only thing that initially threw me in the first half-hour I used the D800 was switching between the multi-point AF and single point AF. The manual was clear on it but I was putting to much thought into it and if you have read on any threads on the camera and using it things are different but once you learn them it makes perfect sense and is actually quite easy to use.

Oh yeah bydavidrosen one other thing if you go for the D800 you will love it. I can't imagine the D600 being a bad camera but I am sure it will be spectacular camera in its own right so either way you will be happy. Best of Luck.

Posted 8 months ago #
tcole1983

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tcole1983 said:
Hmm...you are going to get a $3000 camera, but you don't know if you lenses are fx or dx? Not to mention you need some better glass if you are really planning on a d800. Without looking them up I know you nikon is fx. You other two are dx...you can use them but keep your d90 if you plan on that.

My bad. Was on my phone or I would have noticed the 28-75 is an FX range lens. That being said...I would still invest in some glass before I spent $3000 on a new body. As for how to figure out which lens is what type...most of the time you can look on either the manufacturer website or other retailers (quick search on Amazon "This remarkable zoom lens also focuses down to 0.33m (13”) (1:3.9 magnification) at all focal lengths for satisfying close-up performance and is compatible with APS-C and full-frame-format SLRs. Not surprisingly it is widely acclaimed as a classic.") and it will specifically say if it is for FX or DX. I believe one usually also uses DX in the name for their DX lenses as well.

Anyway...the Tamron isn't my cup of tea. I have tried it out. I actually like Sigma more, but I have heard more complaints about Sigma it seems. I only own Nikon lenses now and they are all great...so don't really see any reason to get another brand unless they make one for a specific use that Nikon doesn't have.

And...maybe research more. IMO the difference between FX and DX is a fairly uncomplicated idea and something most enthusiasts should know. Not knocking your skills or knowledge specifically, but maybe read up more and figure out what is going on. I mean that is a big jump from a D90 to D800 and you aren't sure if your lenses will even work. Not to be a total ass, but...just throwing it out there.

Posted 8 months ago #
tcole1983

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SquamishPhoto said:
Sell all your gear. If your budget allowed you to afford a $3000 body, yet you can't find the means to upgrade your glass then you'll benefit more from the cash from selling your gear than you would by trying to modify your kit around those lenses.

I am going to go +1 here. You don't have much money invested in your glass. The 18-200 isn't going to really be usable at all or at least I wouldn't use it. They 50 and 28-75 could be used, but you could probably do better. I would sell them all and get something like the 24-120 to start with instead. Or maybe at least keep the 50.

Posted 8 months ago #
captainelmo

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If i remember right, Tamron designate their crop only lenses as DI ii, sigma as DC, Nikon and tokina as DX. Both your 28-75 and your 50/1.8D are FX compatible. Perhaps you could sell the 18-200 and get a 70-300 VR or since you are considering buying a D800, perhaps even a 70-200 2.8 VR2

Posted 8 months ago #
msmoto

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Great thread....but the real issue is I believe not about purchasing a new body, but instead about just advice in general.

So, from a D90 owner, my suggestion is to first decide what you want to photograph. A few thoughts...portraits....maybe you could invest in either an 85mm f/1.8 Nikkor G, or if your goals include some longer range like race cars or wild animals, go with the 70-200mm f/2.8VRII Nikkor. If wide angle for architecture/landscapes is your bent, maybe 14-24mm f/2.8 NikkorG. All of these are full frame lenses and if you decide to upgrade to a D800, you will have some glass to go on the front end.

The format of either 23.9mm x 36mm (full format, FX) or 23.6mm x 15.8mm (cropped sensor, DX) is the critical issue and the lens data should describe what the coverage is. In any case, The cost of a D800 while it appears is $3,000 is in reality more like $12,000. If you do not have the lenses to go on the front, the D90 will serve you just fine IMO.

Get the glass, learn the lingo, here on Nikon Rumors Forum if you like, and see what is done with the various cameras. Lots of excellent D90 shots. And I have no problem shooting my D90 right along side my D4.

Posted 8 months ago #
bydavidrosen

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msmoto said:
Great thread....but the real issue is I believe not about purchasing a new body, but instead about just advice in general.

So, from a D90 owner, my suggestion is to first decide what you want to photograph. A few thoughts...portraits....maybe you could invest in either an 85mm f/1.8 Nikkor G, or if your goals include some longer range like race cars or wild animals, go with the 70-200mm f/2.8VRII Nikkor. If wide angle for architecture/landscapes is your bent, maybe 14-24mm f/2.8 NikkorG. All of these are full frame lenses and if you decide to upgrade to a D800, you will have some glass to go on the front end.

The format of either 23.9mm x 36mm (full format, FX) or 23.6mm x 15.8mm (cropped sensor, DX) is the critical issue and the lens data should describe what the coverage is. In any case, The cost of a D800 while it appears is $3,000 is in reality more like $12,000. If you do not have the lenses to go on the front, the D90 will serve you just fine IMO.

Get the glass, learn the lingo, here on Nikon Rumors Forum if you like, and see what is done with the various cameras. Lots of excellent D90 shots. And I have no problem shooting my D90 right along side my D4.

great info. thank you. and exactly. just trying to learn and connect the dots. been learning for the last couple years but there's still lots of stuff for me to understand. this is all helping a lot.

Posted 8 months ago #
SquamishPhoto

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Im sorry, but $12,000 is a completely outrageous suggestion. By no means is that a necessity for owning a D800. Its just a camera like any other. Of course the camera shines with exotic glass, but so does every single DSLR Nikon has ever made. Ask anyone here that owns the 105mm VR how amazing it is on their D40, D90, D5000, D5100, D7000, D700, D3 respectively. For well under $2000 one could equip a great variety of lens kits for use with a D800 that would cover most needs for a variety of photographic styles. Be it a couple used pro zooms to cover the range or a handfull of 1.8 and 2.8 primes to do the same, its easy to imagine spending less than $5000 total to give yourself the same range you have now with a FX kit instead. Get a D700 and keep the same $5000 budget and you could really go wild with the glass and probably be just as happy if not happier.

Posted 8 months ago #