[Wannabe]

I've heard a few people mention "overlapping" of lenses.. can someone explain to me what this means.. I have a Sigma 28-300 F3.5-6.3dg Macro.. so does this mean that a Sigma 28-200mm, and a 70-200mm would be more or less the same? Sorry for the stupid questions.. trying to figure all this out, and you guys know everything.. lol!!!

I have a 50mm, 28-300mm, and 18-135mm, so would a 28mm be different than my 28-300mm?

Thanks!!

[JMitchell]

Overlapping just means that where one focal length ends on one lens, another lens starts at a focal length before that.
That's confusing, so here's an example:

Your 18-135 and your 28-300 overlap, because 135 is longer than 28.
The ideal is to have zooms that stop right after each other (like my two zooms: 18-70, 70-300, but in fact I was just lucky with my choices and needs, it wasn't really planned )


Hope that helps a bit

[ChrisRabior]

I was told that overlapping is done because a zoom lens is going to suffer quality at the extreme wide and telephoto of it's range. 50mm on a 28-70 should be sharper than 18-50 or 50-150 lens. So, instead of relying on your 18-50 and 50-150 to cover the 50mm mark, you'd use the 28-70.

I don't know how much truth there is to that, but I can see the argument in it. It's the same notion as lenses having a sweet spot for aperture (f/2.8 lenses are best stopped down to f/3.5 or f/4, etc).

The other practical reason is just having options for full coverage. Your mention of 18-70 and 70-300 covers the 18-300 range, but isn't practical if you want to shoot 50-150 unless you have two camera bodies. You'd have to keep swapping lenses. Overlapping lets you pick and choose exactly the range you need, without the likelihood of needing to swap lenses.

[Wannabe]

Thanks very much!! Ok.. so it wouldn't make sense to buy any more lenses within the feilds that I already have then?

[AQ]

Not really unless you have a special reason to get one. For example you want a compact mid range zoom as a walk about or travel lens. Or you want a fixed prime lens that may give you more image quality for a specify purpose. Basically you really need a specific reason to buy a lens other than "Oh I fancy that" , which I think a lot of photographers suffer from.

[Wannabe]

Originally Posted by Anthraquinone

Not really unless you have a special reason to get one. For example you want a compact mid range zoom as a walk about or travel lens. Or you want a fixed prime lens that may give you more image quality for a specify purpose. Basically you really need a specific reason to buy a lens other than "Oh I fancy that" , which I think a lot of photographers suffer from.

Ok.. I think I may be suffering from this..

Thanks!

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Anthraquinone

Basically you really need a specific reason to buy a lens other than "Oh I fancy that" , which I think a lot of photographers suffer from.

Good grief.....that is such a male comment!

[JMitchell]

Says the mod with the 70-300 VR How long have you had that D70? Oh yeah, 5 months!!!!!

[Angela]

Originally Posted by JMitchell

Says the mod with the 70-300 VR How long have you had that D70? Oh yeah, 5 months!!!!!

And!? Your point is!?

[JMitchell]

Oh the avoidance game is it? You know what I mean....

[Angela]

No not at all. That was my point exactly. I didn't need a reason to buy that lens, I fancied it. But then that's because I am woman. We don't need a specific reason to buy something, other than we fancy it!! It's a very male thing to need to have a specific reason to buy something.....excepting Dave of course, who's obviously in touch with his feminine side!

Apologies to Wannabe for hijacking her very sensible thread!

[fionaB]

im in total agreement Angela............... ( havent a clue what u are on about but we girls MUST stick together!)

[AQ]

Quote: