which lenses?

  • Thread starter Thread starter donrev
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donrev

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Hi Everyone

This is my 1st post as im quite new to photography and only just discovered this forum, which looks fantastic by the way.
After months of deliberating and sifting through the hundreds of reviews i finaly made my mind up and purchased a Nikon D90. I managed to pick the camera up (Body only) from an online auction site, brand new for what i think was a great deal at £450.

I've now found i've got an even bigger headache in choosing which lenses to purchase and could really do with some help...please!

I'm not 100% sure what i'll be taking shots of most and would idealy like all bases covered. I do know ill be taking alot of landscape and architecture pictures and probably portrait shots too. So im not too sure if i really need a big telephoto at present. Would i be better buying quality lenses upto say 200mm for the time being? Not 100% sure how many i actually need.

I have roughly £1000 to spend, so any advice as to what you think i should purchase would be much appriciated.

Don.
 
you've got so many choices :p

Might be worth considering an 18-200 to start with, covers all bases and gives you a chance to decide what you really want to do. :shrug:
 
Hi Don & welcome! :wave:

I'm pretty new round these parts too and recently, December, got the fab D90. I bought mine with the kit 18-105mm VR which is a nice general purpose lens, BUT my 1st lens additional had to be the nifty fifty. I got the 50mm 1.8, costs around about 100 quid new or pick a 2nd hand one up on here for around £75-£80. They are great value take super pictures. For the money you can't go wrong and you still have loads left for other lenses.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Rob.
 
Yes I've seen loads of people raving about the 50mm prime so it was defo on my list :thumbs:

How does the 18-105mm VR compare to the 18-200mm ? is there better quality in the 18-105mm?
 
"Might be worth considering an 18-200 to start with, covers all bases and gives you a chance to decide what you really want to do."

Excellent advice. In general, I gather prime's will give the best quality followed by the shorter range zooms, then the ultra zooms. More inconsistencies over longer zooms with optics having to do more than one job, particulary at certain focal lengths. However, I think the 18-200 gets good reviews and would be a great starter lens and give you an idea of where to get more specialist lenses. One thing I've learned is you'll probably find one or two more specialist lenses you love and use them more than anything else, so you don't necessarily need to cover every focal length. I think it's common for people to have zooms and always use them on max or min focal length, in which case they'd be better with two lenses. For me it's my Nikon 12-24mm wide angle and my favourite, the heavy metal 105mm macro VR. Optimised for macro work - awesome quality - thus giving astounding results for everything else too. With the crop factor on dx cameras like the D90, it's is a useful telephoto focal length and has vibration reduction too which works amazingly well. It's also got quite a wide aperture which is good for shallow depth of field for portrait work and low light etc. Last but not least, it's not a DX lens therefore it will work with a full-frame DSLR if you upgrade in the future - and that's the way DSLRS are probably going to go I reckon, also worth thinking about if you invest in a lot of DX lenses then want to upgrade to full frame...oh and it's shutter sounds orgasmic, ahem, I mean divine. A superwide is great for landscapes, again particularly useful when using DSLRS with a crop factor where 18m isn't so wide anymore. Don't feel bad for splashing out on a pricey lens, you'll appreciate the quality and it will hold it's value well. Don't buy from a camera shop, save on average maybe £100 - on a certain trading website I'm probably not meant to mention - per decent lens... Third party lenses are worth considering if you want to save cash but you won't go wrong with Nikon...I'd advise you spend the grand on less, but higher quality lenses but start with the 18-200mm till you know what you'll use most. Oh, and if you're going to get the 50mm, you might want to go with the 1.4mm not the 1.8mm for that little bit extra but watch for the older ones whose AF probably won't work on the D90. Believe me, manual focus is a fag when your trying to take pictures of people with a 50mm...good luck and be warned that once you start buying lenses you'll always be after another... oh and I wouldn't bother going above 200mm to start with, doesn't sound like you'll need it.
 
georgehowson said:
"Might be worth considering an 18-200 to start with, covers all bases and gives you a chance to decide what you really want to do."

Excellent advice. In general, I gather prime's will give the best quality followed by the shorter range zooms, then the ultra zooms. More inconsistencies over longer zooms with optics having to do more than one job, particulary at certain focal lengths. However, I think the 18-200 gets good reviews and would be a great starter lens and give you an idea of where to get more specialist lenses. One thing I've learned is you'll probably find one or two more specialist lenses you love and use them more than anything else, so you don't necessarily need to cover every focal length. I think it's common for people to have zooms and always use them on max or min focal length, in which case they'd be better with two lenses. For me it's my Nikon 12-24mm wide angle and my favourite, the heavy metal 105mm macro VR. Optimised for macro work - awesome quality - thus giving astounding results for everything else too. With the crop factor on dx cameras like the D90, it's is a useful telephoto focal length and has vibration reduction too which works amazingly well. It's also got quite a wide aperture which is good for shallow depth of field for portrait work and low light etc. Last but not least, it's not a DX lens therefore it will work with a full-frame DSLR if you upgrade in the future - and that's the way DSLRS are probably going to go I reckon, also worth thinking about if you invest in a lot of DX lenses then want to upgrade to full frame...oh and it's shutter sounds orgasmic, ahem, I mean divine. A superwide is great for landscapes, again particularly useful when using DSLRS with a crop factor where 18m isn't so wide anymore. Don't feel bad for splashing out on a pricey lens, you'll appreciate the quality and it will hold it's value well. Don't buy from a camera shop, save on average maybe £100 - on a certain trading website I'm probably not meant to mention - per decent lens... Third party lenses are worth considering if you want to save cash but you won't go wrong with Nikon...I'd advise you spend the grand on less, but higher quality lenses but start with the 18-200mm till you know what you'll use most. Oh, and if you're going to get the 50mm, you might want to go with the 1.4mm not the 1.8mm for that little bit extra but watch for the older ones whose AF probably won't work on the D90. Believe me, manual focus is a fag when your trying to take pictures of people with a 50mm...good luck and be warned that once you start buying lenses you'll always be after another... oh and I wouldn't bother going above 200mm to start with, doesn't sound like you'll need it.
Click to expand...

great advice there, but allow me to correct you on the d90 focus. it has a built in AF and wil autofucus pretty much anything that will mount to it with the flick of a switch.

Al
 
with that budget have a look at the 16-85mm VR excellent IQ and good usable range and then the 70-300mm VR for the longer stuff and again excellent IQ - these two lens will give you a good focal coverage. If you want to change to more specialized lens later on both lens have a good resale value.
 
Don't be afraid of buying used from the classifieds on here, except for my 18-55 kit lens all the others in my sig were bought on here.

You have quite a good budget, I would suggest 3 lenses

1 Nikon 18-70mm highly regarded as one of the best kit lenses £120 ish

2 Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 very versatile lens £350-450

3 Nikon 50mm 1.8 AF £80 ish

:)

^^^^^^^^^^^^ good Idea Above also^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
I would go for the 16-85mm and 70-300VR
If you want prime lens, 35mm F2, 50mm F1.8 and 85mm F1.8
Ultra wide angle Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6
 
landscape and architecture pictures and probably portrait shots too. So im not too sure if i really need a big telephoto at present. Would i be better buying quality lenses upto say 200mm for the time being?
Click to expand...
Not 100% sure how many i actually need.

Can see that with the quote:D.

From what i can make out you'd be best buying the Nikon 16-85VR and use.

Then access eg. wider Sigma 10-20 or longer Sigma 70-200 2.8/Nikon 70-300VR

Dave
 
seventythree said:
great advice there, but allow me to correct you on the d90 focus. it has a built in AF and wil autofucus pretty much anything that will mount to it with the flick of a switch.

Al
Click to expand...

Cool, models progress so quickly, I'm stuck without it on my couple years old D40x...
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys, much appriciated :thumbs:

I've been out today i couldn't wait to get cracking with it so have plumped for the nikkor 18-200mm AF-S vr2 and the nikkor AF 50MM 1.8D to get me started. Got them both for £610.
I was contemplating the 50MM 1.4 but the guy in the shop said i wouldn't need it and for 3 times the price i decided against it.

So do you think i have a good starting point here? and would both these lenses work on another nikon should i upgrade the body in the future?
Also if i were to sell, would they hold their value?

cheers Don.
 
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