I know there are a lot of professional photographers here, and so I would like to get some pointers as to where I should start. I'm a complete beginner and I'm currently in the market for a DSLR. I'm looking to pick up a Nikon D80, but am completely clueless as to what lens I should go with for car photography. Will one lens be sufficient to get most shots or will I need to pick up several lenses? Looking at something that may also work with low lighting shots as well. Should I pick up the camera with the Nikon kit lens? Or select other Nikon lenses? Are Sigma's any good? Zoom lens or prime lens? I ran across a review of a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro, which seems like a decent lens but not sure if it would be what I am looking for. Suggestions are welcome.

 

Just a heads up, make sure you don't get a grey market camera or lense.

If your a true beginner to DSLR even SLR then I would recommend a Canon Rebel or Rebel XTI they have a easier interface for beginners. Now if you know cameras then go for the D80 but for a beginner to pick a D80 is hmmm, how should i put it a little overboard.

A D70 is where i would start. Now i prefer Nikon myself but I picked up a Rebel XTI to learn a few things and will eventually move to a D200 or a D200S. It's your money after all. Now the question is how long have you been taking pictures?

Prime lenses are good for low light situations but i've never used one so I couldn't help you on that. It' always good to have a really good lens preferable Nikon Nikor lens. Some people miss this for some reason but a nice tripod always comes in handy especially at night.

Goodluck!!!

 

prime lens>zoom lens in terms of quality and sharpness
zoom lens has more functionality
18-50 should be sufficient if your only taking pics from within 100ft
but if your going to events and taking pics from the stand something in the 70-300 range will help

also +1 on a solid tripod

 

There is a "photography 101" sticky up top. Read through the posts and there are some discussion about lenses.

 

For car (still?) photography, I'd suggest something in the range of that Sigma. The Nikon 17-55mm 2.8 DX is a very good lens.

Remember, the photographer is more important than the equipment. Find some shots you like and try to duplicate them. Once you learn how to "see" the image through the camera's eyepiece, you'll find you can take advantage of those fancy lenses even more.

 

+1 on the Canon XTI, I actually used to shoot nikon and moved over to canon. I would suggest a 17-40 or something similar. I use my 17-40 L glass all the time for my car shoots and it somewhat lives on my camera. Its a good all around lens, a bit wide but then can kick in a bit as well. I also will reiterate that you need a good tripod, you will not regret it ! Good luck !

 

Thanks guys for the feedback. I already have the "good" tripod back from my film SLR days. I still have my Canon EOS Elan film SLR but wanted to move into DSLR. Really wanting to switch to Nikon for a change, hence I'm looking at the D80. And yes, I have looked at the Photography 101 thread. Very helpful info there. But I wanted to know the "range" for still car photography. Because if the range of 18-50mm is what I should be looking at for this type of shooting, then I just wanted other people's assurance. I think having a wider angle lens will help in composing the car into the scenery. Medium zoom lens of 85mm and above seem to be used for portraits. And I probably will not be using a higher zoom lens for car shows and zooming into people etc. The Macro feature on the Sigma is nice should I need to take special close-up shots. Would this Sigma f/2.8 be ok for some low light shots or night time shooting? Or do I need a prime lens like a 50mm f/1.8 etc? Or something wider?

 

2.8 is fine for night shots.... that's where your tripod comes in.

Check out www.fredmiranda.com and www.dpreview.com for more info on specifics. I'm sure someone at one of those places has used that lens.

 

I like Nikon better because they have more lenses available. But I like Canon because it is more user friendly. If you a big guy go for the big cameras, D80 or 30D. They are heavier, but for big guys it mean a more steady shots. Also you are not stumbling with the camera. The others like D40 or XTi are lighter cameras so you have to be careful when pressing the shot bottom so you don't shake the camera around. I found the D80 just perfect to fit in my hand and they come with a nice lens from the box (18-135mm). all you would need is a 55mm or lower.

 

if you're going with a d80, i'd suggest the 18-135 kit lens.

That's all you really need for car photography. unless you really want to get into it.

 

yeah in short that pretty much what I said.

 

I thought I would need a more specialized lens, but I guess I'll try out the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens first and see how I like it. Otherwise, I was thinking an additional 50mm f/1.8 lens might be worthwhile for night time shooting.

 

i just bought a nikon d40 and so far it's a great camera. pics are clear and sharp, lots of options too

 

I have everything mentioned here, and I love it.

 

camera phone works

 

You'll probably want both a wide angle and a telephoto lens. It really depends on the landscape and architecture in your area. I live in an area where the backgrounds suck so I prefer using a telephoto lens. If I lived in an area with mountains, lakes, nice buildings... I'd use a wide angle lens more often.

As far as max aperture, you probably won't shoot wide open that often unless you're taking photos of something you want separation, such as emblems, engine bay components, etc. Most of your exterior shots will be 4.0-5.6. If you shoot them wide open, most of the car will be out of focus.

I'm a Canon shooter, but my primary lens is the 70-200 f/2.8L IS. I'll use the 16-35 f/2.8L for interior shots and a few exterior shots but the tele zoom is used for 90% of my automotive shots when I have the space to maneuver. I'll handhold with the 70 200 down to about 1/60 then I remove the circular polarizer (worth 2 stops), and then I use the tripod when my shutter speeds get too slow.

Another reason I like the telephoto zoom lens is that I'm able to stay further away, reducing any chance of my reflection on the paint. When I use a wider lens, I have to position myself at certain angles to avoid showing up in the shot.