Why does Nikon overlap lens sizes?
I've been looking at Nikon's Camera Lenses and I'm starting to get confused. I've been looking at lens and why does Nikon have different lens. For example they have a 18-55mm which includes 35mm. But then why do they have a single focal length 35mm lens, and a 40mm lens. Can you guys explain?
Because prime lenses have better optical quality than zooms, and many people use primes because they know exactly what length they need.
Every other brand that makes lenses has the same thing.
Easy.
No matter how good a zoom lens is, a prime lens (single focal length) can be made with larger apertures for less.
The AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED costs $1, 900. The stop faster AF NIKKOR 35mm f/2D costs less than $400
Zoom lenses are excellent for those who are shooting under a variety of situations where the ability to move closer or further away from the subject (necessary if using a prime lens) to compose it well without moving much.
In the studio, a zoom lens is not necessary, since the distance from subject to camera is known.
Shooting sports usually includes shooting with both zoom lenses and primes. When shooting basketball, I use a 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens when the action is at the basket where I'm sitting and a 300 mm f/2.8 when the ball is at the other end of the court.
The 24-70 mm costs less than $2, 000 The 300 mm f/2.8 costs just under $6, 000.
Photographers need a variety of lenses and both Nikon and Canon know this, so produce all the lenses that have proven to produce the images that professional and advanced amateurs want and need.
Wow this is a very basic question regarding a DSLR that would only stump a beginner/novice, which you must be. The whole point of a DSLR or any digital camera with interchangeable lenses is to have more control over photographic settings.
There are many settings that help a knoledgable photographer to make a better photo, but there are three maybe 4 that are a MUST HAVE for a good digital camera. The settings a photographer Must be able to adjust independently (not in automatic) are as follows in order of importance:
Shutter speed
Aperture
ISO setting
and possibly Exposure compensation
and each of those settings effects the others. A lens decides what the Max Aperture can be set to.
Now, its common knowledge the worst lenses in any camera system are mostly the Zoom lenses, usually the Kit zoom lenses. Its not to say that there are not any High quality Zooms, because there are. But to make a high quality Zoom lens to be on par or even close to a prime lens they are usually very large and even more expensive. Look at canon L series lenses compared to non L series zoom lenses or compared to Prime lenses.
The best quality lenses for the money are what photographers refer to as Prime lenses (fixed focal length). The two main reasons they are better than most non professional Zoom lenses are, because they usually produce better image quality and they have a faster (larger) max aperture, which is denoted as a lower f/ stop number. Also they are usually lighter and smaller to use and way cheaper than a pro Zoom lens. Also a prime lens is faster(larger f stop) than 99% of any zoom lenses.
Yes Photographers need a variety of lenses, and Every Camera company and photographer, from amateur to professional, knows This.
Yet they all don't feel like paying a great amount for the best of everything and MOST people are willing to take trade offs to save tremendously. Some would rather have small compact lenses and others might rather have one zoom lens regardless of size. An so the lens company's produce all the lenses that professional and advanced amateurs want or need and are willing to pay for. Including basic slow Zoom lenses with acceptable quality that come in a kit with a dSLR so the beginning photographer can start out, without paying a ton of money.
Cost and function.
Zoom lenses, like the 18-55mm, are good walking around lenses so you can zoom out and zoom in on various subjects. But they are limited in quality and aperture. At both ends of the zoom, 18mm and 55mm they will have some distortion. Also, the aperture is limited to f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm, which limits their low light ability. The increased complexity costs more to make.
Fixed focal lenses, like the 35mm, require you to walk forward and back to get the right composition, which may not be possible. Their quality is superior and they have a wider aperture. All lenses have some distortion, but these will have a minimum. Typical apertures are f/1.4, f/1.8, and f/2.0. Their low light performance is excellent. They are simpler to make so they cost less.
So, in order to satisfy the needs and wants of their customers, lens makers make as many types of lenses as they can sell. Often a lens will overlap in focal length with other lenses.