Will I be disappointed by a 18-55kit lens over my NIkkor 28-105?

beercan

beercan

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Steve
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Hi all,

I've just upgraded from a D50 to a D90 and I'm looking for a new lens.
I currently own a Nikkor 28-105 f3.5-4.5D AF and a Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6

I want something I can use for general walkabouts and portraits of the kids etc, with the main criteria that it's wider than the 28-105. I've read a lot of the posts on here which recommend lenses of around £300 but I don't have that kind of cash right now. I've been considering the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AF-S VR DX kit lens which seems a very good buy for £120, however I'm worried that compared to my 28-105 I'm going to be disappointed with the quality (get what you pay for etc). Also is the VR worth the extra £30 over the non-VR? I don't currently have VR so unsure if it would make a big difference.

What's bugging me about my 28-105 is a couple of things: 1, it weighs a lot and starts to drag a bit on a long walk, and 2, it's nowhere near wide enough. I find myself always stepping back and indoors it's a PITA. Also, despite a good review, KR's statement "I wouldn't bother with it on DX; on DX, I'd use a DX kit lens instead" is making me think the 18-55 is the way to go...


So chaps and chapesses, is the 18-55VR a worthwhile buy or should I save up and go for something more expensive, (bearing in mind it'll probably take another 12 months to squirrel away £300-400 without the missus noticing - will I be pleased I have saved up?)... :help:


As a side note, as I have the 70-300 I would be short by 15mm in the middle of the range but I don't really think this would be a big issue as the 70-300 only comes out for use at full-zoom anyway... Does anyone think from experience that I could be wrong on this?

Thanks for reading, sorry for all the questions and your help and comments are appreciated as always. :thumbs:

Regards
Steve
 
If you are looking to spend around £120 try and find a used Nikon 18-70mm, it comes with glowing reports. I had the 18-55mm non vr as a kit lens, it's small cheap and plasticy but always produced good results for around £40 used. If you are looking to save up a bit the Tamron 17-50mm also comes highly recommended especially the non motorised af version for around the £200 + used.
 
I've always been satisfied with my Nikkor AF-S 18-135mm as a walkaround lens. It's non-VR ut the image quality is pretty good and they can be had used for about the same price as the 18-70.

HTH :)
 
No idea of the price there but the 18-105 kit lens is the one I see most often recommended when someone asks about the D90 over the 18-55.
 
I would agree with Steve, I use an 18-135 as a walk-about lens and as you haven't used or needed VR I don't think you would be disappointed with one. I paid £149 for mine from a local dealer so I should think you will do better than that on here. I have also found that having to change lenses less often is a benefit ( from when I used the 18-55 kit lens and a 55-200 ) and I haven't missed the extra zoom.
Having said all that I must admit that I find the VR essential on my 70-300 and I did at one time consider changing the 18-135 to an 18-105 with VR but up to now I haven't found it necessary.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. :thumbs:

A guy in work has a D40x with the 18-55 (non-VR) kit lens so I borrowed the lens today and took a few snaps at lunch. I have to say there was a massive difference at the wide end but also the contrast is much stronger, with the oranges and greens of the trees much more pronounced compared to my 28-105. Weight wise it was much better too. The only disappointing factor was the lack of macro compared to the 28-105, but for the money, I think this may be the way to go until I can afford something better. :)
 
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