d5100_Nikon's reviews

  • Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD SP AF

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp, quiet
    Not always focusing accurately

    Much much better than the Nikon 55-300mm I returned. I can get fairly sharp pics with this lens at 300mm. Very happy with that! There are some things to be aware of - you need lots of light to use a faster shutter speed, and other things that are less important. I totally recommend this lens!

    reviewed June 28th, 2012 (purchased for $360)
  • Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor

    7 out of 10 points and not recommended
    sharp up to 200mm, metal mount
    soft from 200-300mm, heavy

    This one is going back. I got it at a huge discount with my camera purchase but I chose wrong. I should have gotten the better cheaper 55-200mm lens. I wanted the extra reach the 300mm should offer but it's only sharp up to 200mm so what's point? Ok, I guess if you aren't picky and want to zoom in but I'd like to be able to zoom in and still get a sharp picture out of it, not just an acceptable one. Now I'm screwed because I can't get the other lens at the discounted price I could have gotten it at when I bought the camera. Oh well.

    I did get nice pics with this lens, but it took many many not so great pics to get the few good ones. Too unreliable in my book.

    reviewed June 25th, 2012 (purchased for $250)
  • Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    lightweight, sharp, large aperture, great bokeh
    auto-focus not always accurate

    Disclosure - I am not a professional. Ok, I do have an opinion though. This lens is awesome! It produces super sharp pictures with minimal effort.
    I've tested it out at wide open and stopped down to 11 and was pleased with the results. It's really fast too!

    My only little complaint is that it doesn't always auto-focus on what I want it to. I'll point it at something 5 feet away and press the shutter release button half way to let it focus and it shows me with red blinking lights what it's focusing on and if I do it again and again, not moving the camera at all, it will focus on different things each time.

    Not sure if this is the lens or my camera d5100 (w/11 focus pts).

    One more point, I didn't think I would need a filter to protect this lens since it is recessed, but I do because it will get dusty in there so buy yourself a 58mm filter to go with this lens.

    I had to choose between this and the 35mm and I'm not sure I chose the right one. You have to stand back with a cropped sensor body so it's technically a 75mm lens, not 50mm. And the 35mm would be a 50mm on a cropped sensor body so although I'm super happy with this lens, I wish I'd have gotten the 35mm first. I'll be happy owning both though one day.

    reviewed June 25th, 2012 (purchased for $216)