D80= camera
SB800= flash used
Sigma= lens company
30mm= fixed focal length of lens, AKA 'Prime'. It does not zoom
----the d80 has a 1.5 focal length multiplier
----the actual focal length, compared to 35mm film standards, is 45mm

Lenses are still marked with 35mm focal length standards because 1) there is no standard for sensor size unlike the 35mm film 2)most of the current photographers came from 35mm film 2) different camera have different multiplier, my canon has 1.6 and my Olympus has a 2.0. That means that *same* lens would have 3 different focal lengths on the 3 different cameras. Those are not the only focal length multipliers out there. So it is important to know what your camera will do with each lens, vice versa.

I dont know what you are asking for, why do you want pictures from different lenses? What is it that you want to compare? I have 5 different lenses, but it would do no good to show comparision pictures because these lenses would never fit on a Nikon, at least no withou an adaptor.

Joe

Joe's making a good point -- what focal length means has gotten a little confusing these days for the amateur photog with the advent of digital sensors in various sizes.

Here's some more info:

Focal length is the distance from the nodal point (center) of the lens to the film (sensor) when the lens is focused at infinity (the far horizon).

Lenses come in three basic groups: short or wide angle, normal and long or telephoto. For any given camera the normal focal length lens is the diagonal of the film (sensor). 35mm film has a 46mm diagonal therefore the normal lens is 46mm (rounded up) 50mm.

Focal length is related to angle of view which is likely what you're concerned about. Angle of view is a functon of focal length and the size of the film format. Simply put angle of view is how much the lens takes in. For what it's worth here's the math:

Where V = angle of view, F = focal length, and N = length (width) of the negative:
V = arctangent((N/2)/F)*2.

Short lenses have a wide angle of view -- they take in more information. Long lenses have a narrow angle of view -- they take in considerably less information. Consider the two sunset photos below. The first was taken with a normal lens (45mm for 35mm film). The second was taken from the same camera location with a telephoto lens (135mm for 35mm film). Notice how the second sunset is just an enlargement of the central section of the first with most of the first photo cropped away.

Focal length is related to perspective. Perspective is a function of where you put the camera. Camera placement determines the apparent 3D relationship of objects in your photo. If you place yourself close to the objects in your photo the 3D space between them will appear emphasized and even exaggerated (common with wide angle lenses). If you place yourself far from the objects in your photo the 3D space between them will appear de-emphasized and even suppressed (common with telephoto lenses).

This begs the question: Is there a correct focal length that will show viewers of my photos the scene the way it looked to me when I was there taking the picture? Yes there is; for a 35mm film camera that lens focal length would be 75/80mm.

If that was all too esoteric and you're still with me here's a few tips for how to best use the different types of lenses.

Short: expansive landscapes, tight places, buidlings and architecture, crowds and street photography.

Normal: snapshots, family and friends.

Long: isolate distance subject, wildlife, sports, fashion portraits.

Joe

Joe #1 my question was not about the D80. My question was about lens, what would a photo taken from a 30mm lens look like if the same photo was taken with a 135mm lens. Joe #2 answered it by posting the pictures. Simply, what advantage does one lens have over the other, as is shown in the photos Joe posted.

I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I invest into the camera & lens and by seeing the difference instead of just reading, I can see what kind of photo lens I want to start with...I do like the macro look and it was what I wanted 9 years ago when I bought my first camera. I did not know the term Macro at the time and when I went to the different stores and talked to the people behind the counter about what I wanted, I was sold a zoom lens - Canon Z135- now while it still takes nice pictures it never has taken a macro photo. When ever I got close to the image I wanted to take a picture of it was blury.

It wasn't until I discovered this board a few years ago I learned about the Macro term/mode and what it meant and does. - I have a bird and butterfly garden and I wanted to do these photos of the different stages of a butterfly's life for children, because so many of them loved my garden so much.---

Anyway I am planning to buy a nice camera in May and want to know all I can about the different lens an accessories when I buy so I can get what I need to start out with. A picture in this case is worth a thousand words!...maybe several hundred dollars if not a thousand or so also!!! LOL

So thank you both for the information.

Syd,

That sucks about your previous experience of the lens purchase. I just wanted to specifically what the question was because there are so many lenses out there with various combinations and purpose. For instance, macros, you can have a 35mm, 50mm, 100mm macro. Telezoom, I have 11-22, 14-54, 40 -150. There are even macro lenses that are also Telezooms, that is why I wanted what exactly you wanted to know, there are so many options out there.

Since macro seems to be what you are going after I would suggest looking for a lens between the 85mm and 100mm for the D80. I dont know much about Nikon lenses, since I have never owned one. There are a lot of them out there that will fit the Nikon mount, some are great, some are good and there are a lot of lemons out there too. Dont let any salesperson make up your mind for you. I see why you are doing your homework. This hobby is expensive so definitely do homework to make sure you are getting what you want.

I was so impressed last week when I handled the D80, youll love it once you get the hang of it. I will definitely have camera envy when you get it.

Joe
for a nikon lens this would be 18.6mm

this would be 36mm for a Nikon lens

Joe that is a cute little girl. Thank you also for that information about the different Macro's because I did not know that either. I am going to get the D80 in May and want to be able to get a couple different lens when I do buy. I have tried to do a bunch of reading and I am going to buy that book I was looking for the other day and did not remember where or who suggested it. I found it on amazon. Bad thing about that is one can not get an answer from there on the camera's or lens. I emailed a while back on one - on one part of the discription it said it came with an 18 - 55 nikkor lens and in differnt spot it read 18 - 55 Nikon lens. I think I read the nikon lens in the product spec's. I emailed [really wanted to know if it was switched] Amazon and asked why the two different reads and they cant' give an answer because they are bought sold and shipped from all different places! I'm thinking if they wanted to check it out they really could!

I had a friend get burned a while back - he is the one who got me going really serious on this- he bought some camera's, I didn't ask where, but from what I understand is they are knock offs or something like that,-can't remember the term he used- but what ever they were he would not be able to get support for them. I did read in one of the lastest photo mags where pirate cameras will have the serial numbers removed or scratched off and I think that is what he might have gotten.
Anyway point of all that is I trust you all here a whole lot more than some of the sites that are selling things because you will give honest answers according to experience and knowledge, not because you want to make some money off me.
So thanks again for the info on the lens.

Nikkor lenses are preoduced by Nikon. When talking about lenses made by Nikon it is common to interchange the names.

Here is a link you might find helpful:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm#digital

Happy New Year,
Joe