4 replies to this topic

[suzlipman]

Hello. I currently have a 3100 (purchased 2010) with a kit AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Lens. I have shot a lot of photos with this camera and lens. I largely shoot in Auto, and do a lot of spontaneous street shooting, along with some architecture and landscapes. I have other lenses, but I almost exclusively use the 18-55 for walking around. It's beginning to stick at certain settings. In addition, I feel I could be getting clearer photos. (Though not sure this is a fault of the lens. )

 

Because of the sticking, I'd like to replace this lens. The AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Lens has been recommended as a good replacement. I see that that lens also comes as a kit lens with the 3300 camera.

 

 

A couple of questions:

 

Would you recommend the VR II lens as a replacement/step-up for someone who likes to get (and print) good photos, but is still somewhat of a beginner technologically? Or do you have another lens recommendation?

 

Because the lens comes in a kit with the 3300 camera, am I better off getting the camera and lens together (if I can afford it)? Even though I've heavily used it, My 3100 seems in fine shape. I had it professionally cleaned a couple of years ago. One consideration is, if I buy this lens separately and then end up buying a new camera body, will I be stuck with a duplicate lens?

 

Reading all this, do you recommend a different camera/lens/plan altogether?

 

I'm budget-conscious. I like Nikon lenses. My camera gets a lot of use, including while traveling. I appreciate that my current camera set-up is lightweight and sturdy.

 

Thanks for any ideas!

[ScottinPollock]

Hi!

The AF-S 18-55 VRII is a VERY good kit lens. It's cheap (all plastic), but optically very good, and noticeably better than the other 18-55's (short of the newer AF-P offering - which is not compatible with the D3100). You should be able to find one on eBay for about a hundred bucks.

If you've been happy with your current lens, this will be even better. If you have run into any issues where your current lens has impeded you, tell us about it so that we might discuss something else that might address those issues.

[suzlipman]

Thanks! (Is this "scottshot" by chance? If so, we've met!) I've been happy with my lens, although recently I've noticed a slight sticking through a couple of settings. (It *is* 5+ years old and I use it a lot.) In addition, I've noticed that photos don't seem super crisp, but again I don't know if that's a fault of me or the lens. I'm pretty sure it's time for a new lens. I just don't know if it's worth it to upgrade the camera, too, especially if the lens I'm thinking about is the kit lens that comes with the 3300.

[ScottinPollock]

Hmmm... don't recall ever using that handle, plus I think I would remember if we'd met before.

 

The d3300 and 3400 are noticeably better than the 3100, however I am not a fan of the 3400 due to Nikon dumbing it down from the 3300 quite a bit.

 

But upgrading from one entry level camera to another might not make a lot of sense. While the newer 3000 series models have much higher resolution, better color depth, wider dynamic range, and lower noise, one could certainly make the argument that the 3100 is capable of taking beautiful photographs.

 

So I guess the question is "what is wrong with your clunkers?" If your making large prints and not seeing enough detail, more pixels will help a lot. If you find you are shooting at high ISO and are losing detail because of noise, the lower noise at high ISO will help as well, but not by that much.

 

If the problem is technique, you'll need to work on that. And I'd recommend turning off auto as the first step. Auto gives you control over nothing (aperture, shutter speed, iso, are all adjusted automatically). You really want control of at least 1 or 2 of those (sometimes all three). Here's a way to look at when to control what:

 

Shutter speed - Higher to freeze motion or minimize camera shake, lower to blur motion.

 

Aperture - Controls how much light passes thru the lens, and the depth of field that will be in focus. Smaller numbers mean more light and shallower depth of field.

 

ISO - Camera sensitivity to light; keep as low as possible for cleanest picts, but may need raising if you need faster shutter speed or smaller aperture.

 

That is the exposure triangle in a nutshell, and changing any one setting affects the others.

[suzlipman]

Thanks again! I think technique is the issue, and do need to learn the camera better and get away from Auto more often. I'm happy to hear that you recommend the AF-S 18-55. Thank again for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully.