I’m looking to buy a used “telephoto” (?) lense for our Nikon D60. We are looking to capture wildlife on a trip to Alaska.
What do you recommend?
EDIT: It is a D60, not a D50. I don't think this makes a difference, but I wanted the correct info out there.
Probably this one, it is the most compatible it seems:
Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G Ed Lens
I think that is actually what I used on my trip to Alaska back in 2009.
Lens rental is also an option people do not typically think about.
Im no pro, just a guy with a camera, but this one is quite nice for the price.
my brother does do professional photo work and has very expensive stuff, he was impressed by that cheap tamron. Oh i actually bought one and use it occasionally. Its made me want to use my camera much more so than before.
OK, questions. How far away do you expect to be? Are you driving/hiking/taking a cruise? Does size and weight matter? Do you want/need autofocus (and stabilization - I don't know if that's in-lens or in-body on Nikons)? What do you want to do with the photos: make poster-size prints/make small prints/post online? What's your price range?
As far aa distance, I don’t think much more then 100-150 yards? I don’t know if we would even know that there is something to shoot at more than 150 yards???? But I’m only guessing.
We’ll be hiking, and a cruise. Size and weight don’t matter to me. And as far as price, I’m dipping my toe in the water to see if we can afford it. If I found a lense for $100, yeah, we’d do it. If the price of entry was $500, I think we’d have to pass.
Oh, I don’t think auto focus is a deal breaker, but it wouybe nice
Going to look at that link that TJL pisted, and look into rental prices....
Ok, those lenses are more reasonable than I thought. Thanks folks!!
Anything you shoot from the ship will likely be more than 150 yards away. If you decide to go for something as long as the 70-300 linked above, I'd suggest you also consider a lightweight monopod for use at the long end - it can make the difference in sharpness if you're not accustomed to shooting with a long lens hanging off the front.
Anything you get is going to be fine if the photos will always stay digital. If you're printing, quality starts to matter a lot more. I prefer primes, so I'd probably take something like a 135 or possibly a 200, but the 70-300 zooms will be more flexible and give you more reach.
I forgot to mention, I don’t expect to ever print them, and yeah, tri and/or monopod for sure.
Heres where i ended up with a tripod, not bottom barrel in price or quality. I got the 72” one because the other common next size down didnt get the camera to my eye level. I have a pretty crummy back so being able to stand up straight and not hunch over is good. Like the lens, my brother approved of this fairly cheap tripod. Seems to be pretty good quality but i havent used it much yet. Oh this tripod also has a monopod built in, its pretty cool.
As for that tamron lens, that seems to be the only “cheap” lens they sell, the rest of their stuff is pretty pricey. I take that as they make pretty good stuff. I mostly wanted it for outdoor photography, nature n birds stuff. Its nice being far enough away to not spook a creature but getting a photo like your an inch away.
Because your D50 is older, I don't think the AF-P is compatible, but this guy is: https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70-300-vr.htm
The Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR is what I shot a lot of bird and race car stuff with while I still had a D3100. I never used a tripod because the VR was good enough (something you'll definitely appreciate on a boat). Usually, VR-Normal was enough, but you can set it to VR-Active if you're having issues.
Kylini said:Because your D50 is older, I don't think the AF-P is compatible, but this guy is: https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70-300-vr.htm
The Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR is what I shot a lot of bird and race car stuff with while I still had a D3100. I never used a tripod because the VR was good enough (something you'll definitely appreciate on a boat). Usually, VR-Normal was enough, but you can set it to VR-Active if you're having issues.
Would that work with a Nikon D70? I have one and never use it. I figured I'd put it to use.
In reply to yupididit :
Yup. You’re good to go. https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr
The AF-S G lenses are the “newest” lenses that work with that series of camera (and the OP’s D50). Only the newest Nikons work with AF-P.
For anyone with an older Nikon (I have a D90, myself) or contemplating a Nikon, seriously consider digging around on Ken Rockwell's site. There is a great wealth of information to devour in there, and Ken is good at giving you the plusses and minuses of each option, for both cameras and lenses, so you can make your own decisions. I personally have a Nikon 55-300 that I love. I am considering buying a similar lens for my daughter's D3300 so she doesn't have to keep borrowing mine. There are cheaper lenses available that will do the job as, well, however, I bought this one from a friend a greatly reduced price.
Also, some with the older cameras might want to consider some of the Nikon bundles that come with a kit lens and a telephoto already included. This is just a sample, and there are much better deals that pop up from time to time, especially heading into the Gifting Season. The advantage is that you get a newer, better, lighter camera, with more features and less shutter clicks on it, for the price of couple lenses in most cases. The downside is that you don't get image stabilization, which can make getting truly sharp images difficult at the end of the range. If my D90 didn't work as well as it does, or was an older model, I would seriously consider going this route for myself. My daughter's D3300 works very well, and was much cheaper than my D90, to boot. The D3500 is even better, and lighter, as well. The fact that the newer cameras share more easily to your phone for eBay, IG, forums, and FB was almost enough to push me into getting one, but I have a memory card that does this, I hate to throw old stuff away or abandon it, and I am also incredibly stubborn.
His sight is full in info for sure. Unfortunately, may as well be written is Russian. I don't understand anything I'm reading.
So, I'm looking for an AF-S lense? Is that Auto Focus, uh, sport? hahaha. I know it's not sport, but am I right on the AF part?
Stand back, I've got this one. 
My wife is a professional photographer, and I might as well be (well, I would be, but I have to work to fund our travels.) We travel as much as we can photographing wildlife.
First, the only lens you want is the Tamron 150-600mm. There are two versions, the first one and the "G2." They are virtually identical, so get either one.
Second, your D60. Even the most basic DSLR Nikon offers today blows the D60 away. An outgoing D3500 with an 18-55mm lens is around $450, and that model is giant steps ahead of the D60.
Please ask any questions you like! We love helping people take better photographs.
DrBoost said:His sight is full in info for sure. Unfortunately, may as well be written is Russian. I don't understand anything I'm reading.
So, I'm looking for an AF-S lense? Is that Auto Focus, uh, sport? hahaha. I know it's not sport, but am I right on the AF part?
Yuuuuup. The AF-S family lenses will work great on your camera. There are two sensor sizes: DX (small) and FX (full frame). Your camera is DX, so you can use cheaper lenses designed for DX-only cameras. (The more expensive FX lenses will also work.)
Nikon made a really *cheap* 55-200 DX-only telephoto lens that came with a lot of cameras and is pretty darn solid. It's mostly plastic, so it's very lightweight (good for carrying around) but I don't think it autofocuses quiiiiiite fast enough for race car stuff. It's why I endorsed the *not as cheap* 70-300 VR: slightly heavier, but faster autofocus and better VR; plus it's been supersceded by the newer AF-P lens so you can find it cheap too!
I believe your options are:
Nikon AF-S 55-200 mm f/4-5.6 VR II (cheapest option; should be around $100)
Nikon AF-S 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR (essentially the same innards, slightly more zoom; about $150 used or refurb)
Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR (my recommendation as it has better autofocus and stabilization; about $250 used)
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II (costs over $1,000)
Still having trouble understanding what I can and can’t use with the D60. Will this work?
https://www.amazon.com/Quantaray-Tech-10-70-300mm-f4-0-5-6-Nikon/dp/B00O9N5XOM
Yes. Your DX camera will take any Nikon DSLR lens.
Though I'm not sure a used rebranded Sigma is your best choice here. New, maybe. They are supposed to take good photos if you have good light. I just wouldn't buy used unless I knew the seller, and the lens.
I wouldn’t dip that low into the bargain basement. I’d stick to Sigma/Tamron or Nikon. If it’s a Nikon Nikkor then make sure it’s
AF-S (auto focus with motor built into lens and semi-smart electronics)
and not
AF-P (auto focus lens with stepper motor built into lens and super smart electronics so we can force people to buy new lenses)
nor AF or AF-D ( auto focus with motor built into the camera body )
if you’re looking at Sigma/Tamron, you want to look for “auto focus with motor in lens”, afaik
but, I’d be buying the 70-300 AF-S VR for $250 that Kylini mentioned
Thanks
I will chime in to say that you'll likely find yourself still undergunned with a 300mm, hence why folks who want "good" captures of wildlife typically go for a 600mm or longer.
I was in this dilemma awhile back but decided that since I'm not a professional, spending $1000 on a lens isn't in the budget, but there is another, similarly expensive option: a Nikon P1000. I'm not sure there are many consumer lens that will match its amount of zoom. It may not take pretty images with beautiful DOF, but it'll capture images of stuff you can barely see.
DrBoost said:Still having trouble understanding what I can and can’t use with the D60. Will this work?
https://www.amazon.com/Quantaray-Tech-10-70-300mm-f4-0-5-6-Nikon/dp/B00O9N5XOM
DrBoost,
Look at these:
This is all you need. These items are common and available. You can purchase new or used as your budget allows.
Don't buy anything from Quantaray, much less a lens. You would never want to buy photographic equipment again.
Tha for the links Shadeux, but $900 is way out of my (not stated) budget, and $400 for a camera that doesn’t have the lense I’m looking for is going to end up being more expensive too.
fwiw this is what I captured when I did an Alaska cruise tour back in 2009. Similar equipment to what you have/want.
https://www.kabelphoto.com/Destinations/Alaska-2009-Cruisetour
I had a Nikon D90 with the Nikon 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 and 70-300 f/4.5-5.6. Would I have liked a full frame camera and longer glass? Sure, but this is what I could afford at the time. I wasn’t even a super serious photographer at that point. But ten years later Photography is a big part of my profession and I still love the photos I took on that trip!
Thanks all.
We have a Nikon 70-300 lense coming Monday. I will for sure be taking lots of pics before the trip for thevery reason oliverbrick stated.
Awesome pics kabel
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