18-70mmf/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S and 55-200mm/f/4-5.6G ED AF-S

fjorner

Senior member
Oct 4, 2000
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Looking at DSLR's and the lenses. I get the basic idea, but what exactly do all the numbers mean?
 

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
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Hehe. Which brand?

18-70mm = zoom range. (Remember to multiply this by 1.6 to get the actual range on an APS-C body.) This is a good range for an APS-C DSLR.
F3.5-4.5 is the lowest aperture. This lens has variable, not constant, aperture. Meaning, it's 3.5 at 18mm and 4.5mm at 70mm. The lower the aperture (F2.8, F1.4) the better, and it's best if it's constant.
G/ED/IF = Nomenclature from a partciular brand. Canon uses "IS" and "L" and "DO" here.
AF-S = Similar to EF-S I suppose. Meaning, the lens can only be used on APS-C bodies.

Most DSLRs are APS-C (D50/D70, Rebel XT, EOS-20D/30D). If not APS-C, they are 35mm or full-frame sensor (Canon 5D, high end stuff, etc.)
 

kaizersose

Golden Member
May 15, 2003
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18-70mm: focal length of lens. 50mm is 'normal', anything less is a wide angle, any more a zoom (this changes when using most digital slr's, too much to explain here)

f3.5-4.5: f-stop, max aperture or 'speed' of the lens. the widest it can open. commonly referred to as speed since the wider a lens can open, the more light it lets in, the faster shutter speed you can use. lenses with wide apertures are termed, 'fast lenses', remember that f-stop is an inverse measurement, so f1.4>f2.8>f3.5.

g, ed-if, af-s: proprietary nomenclature from the manufacturer, in this case nikon, refering to the quality, features and purpose of the lens.

before you look at buying a dslr, might want to do some research on photo basics. not trying to be patronizing, but the more you know, the better chance you will get what you want and not pay for features you dont. it will also help you use and enjoy your camera much more once you own it.

fell free to ask more questions should they come up though, there are lots of photogs on ATOT

edit: touche' GTaudiophile, beaten to the punch. nice use of 'nomenclature' btw
 

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
29,767
33
81
I think kaizersose and I pretty much nailed that...and we both used the word "nomenclature" without seeing each other's post! :)

A Canon example would be, the EF-S 17-55mm F2.8IS or the EF 24-105mm F4L IS. The former (EF-S) will work only on APS-C bodies. The latter (EF) will work on both APS-C and Full Frame (FF). The former is a faster lens (F2.8) but both offer a constant aperture. They both offer "IS" or Image Stabilization to counter the movement of shaky hands at low shutter speeds. The latter is an "L" lens. L lenses have a red stripe around them. Think of them as "Luxury" lenses or high-end.
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: kaizersose
18-70mm: focal length of lens. 50mm is 'normal', anything less is a wide angle, any more a telephoto (this changes when using most digital slr's, too much to explain here)

f3.5-4.5: f-stop, max aperture or 'speed' of the lens. the widest it can open. commonly referred to as speed since the wider a lens can open, the more light it lets in, the faster shutter speed you can use. lenses with wide apertures are termed, 'fast lenses', remember that f-stop is an inverse measurement, so f1.4>f2.8>f3.5.

g, ed-if, af-s: proprietary nomenclature from the manufacturer, in this case nikon, refering to the quality, features and purpose of the lens.

before you look at buying a dslr, might want to do some research on photo basics. not trying to be patronizing, but the more you know, the better chance you will get what you want and not pay for features you dont. it will also help you use and enjoy your camera much more once you own it.

fell free to ask more questions should they come up though, there are lots of photogs on ATOT

edit: touche' GTaudiophile, beaten to the punch. nice use of 'nomenclature' btw

FIXED
 

fjorner

Senior member
Oct 4, 2000
619
1
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I'm a Nikon man, and these are nikon lenses for a D50 or D70.

Am I right in thinking that a lower f-stop means better shots in low light? Fast motion?

In Nikon terms, what is the difference between ED-IF and ED?
 

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
29,767
33
81
Originally posted by: fjorner
I'm a Nikon man, and these are nikon lenses for a D50 or D70.

Am I right in thinking that a lower f-stop means better shots in low light? Fast motion?

In Nikon terms, what is the difference between ED-IF and ED?

I am a Canon fanboi, so I can't answer all these...

Lower aperture/f-step = the wider open the "pedals" in the lens = more light coming into the lens = faster shutter speeds possible = good for low-light or fast-motion shots.
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: fjorner
I'm a Nikon man, and these are nikon lenses for a D50 or D70.

Am I right in thinking that a lower f-stop means better shots in low light? Fast motion?

In Nikon terms, what is the difference between ED-IF and ED?

Goto your local camera shop. They should have a book of Nikon lenses. It's basically free literature advertising all of the techonologies and abbreviations in their lenses and the specs of every single lens they make. I picked one up for my mom, and it's great.