nikon d3100 lens

<p>hi,<br>

I have just purchased my first dslr the nikon d3100 this is my first camera as i am keen to get into photography i got the kit lens with the camera the 18-55 and was wondering what other lens would be good to have i have been looking at the 55-200, and the 55-300 and was wanting a wide angle lens as well any advice would be great</p>

<p>The 18-55 should go wide enough for you unless you want what we call "ultra-wide", and most people, frankly, don't need it as much as telephoto.</p>

<p>Depends on your budget, but the consumer tele zooms are slow like your it lens (nothing wrong with that), so DO NOT buy one without VR.</p>

<p>Look at the two you mention, but also the Nikon 70-300 (there are refurb deals out there that are only 350 US) and the Tamron 70-300, which is apparently very good.</p>

<p>You should probably get some experience with your new kit before purchasing lenses. That may give you a better idea of your needs. There are some good choices for wide zooms depending on your budget. Nikon, Sigma and Tokina offer good wide zooms that differ in range and price. I don't really care for slow tele zooms and can not offer a suggestion.</p>

<p>The 55-200 VR, 55-300 VR and 70-300mm VR will all give you excellent results. The 70-300mm VR will possibly give you a little better IQ than the 55-300mm VR, but is also a bit more expensive. You will be thrilled with any of them.</p>

<p>On the wide end, consider Sigma's 10-20mm which gives you an ultra-wide view with excellent image quality at a reasonable price. For a bit more money, Nikon's 10-24mm is another option.</p>

<p>What is your budget? It will make a big difference in what we can suggest. Nikon 10-20 wide zoom $900.00 or a Tokina 12-24 II $499.00 etc. What about a Nikon 18-200 and sell the kit lens on ebay. That will give you good range (27-300) in only 1 lens. Also someone mentioned the 70-300 VR it is also in my opion a better lens then the other 2 55+ lenses I have one.</p>

<p>+1 for what Carl said. At this point, unless you have a specific gap in your lens that you need to fill, don't invest any money in lenses until you master your camera and learn about photography. </p>

<p>I have to agree with Carl also. Don't get in a rush to go out and buy a bunch of lenses until you learn more about your camera and how it works. You'll know you're ready for a new lens when you don't have to ask "what lens should I get?"</p>

<p>That said, I also know the 18mm-55mm doesn't give you a lot of zoom. I would suggest the 55mm-200mm lens for now, and sit on those two until you learn more and get better with your camera. It's not too expensive, it's a good lens, and it will give you plenty of zoom for most of your everyday picture taking.</p>

<p>Those were the only two lenses I used for almost a year and a half when I bought my D5000. Only now am I finally adding other lenses to my collection. Best of luck!</p>

<p>To ad to what Luc said go 55-200 and I would get a used one,you will save a lot,buy from either <a href="mailto:B@H,Adorama">B@H,Adorama</a> or KEH if you don't like it or have a proplem you can return it.</p>

<p>i remember when i started out, how i was much more keen on getting more reach than a wider field of view. i purchased both the 55-200 VR and the 70-300 VR by turns, and the 70-300 has considerably more reach, but the 55-200 is no slouch. but that was me. if you really want wide angle, consider the options others have mentioned, as i have no experience there. one thing to emphasize, however, is that any lens you buy should have a built-in focusing motor. that's AF-S in nikon-speak. without the motor, you end up having to do the focusing yourself -- which is a drag, especially when you're just starting out. so watch out for that!</p>

<p>I agree that it's best to wait a while before getting another lens. The 18-55 VR is wideangle at 18mm. Do some shooting and then ask yourself if your pictures would be better if you had a wider lens or a longer lens. Also ask yourself if you would rather have one lens or several. Then ask yourself how much money you want to spend. I think you can answer these questions better after you've done some shooting, some reading, and spoken to other photographers.</p>

<p>A good book you should consider is,"Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide". It goes over the features and controls of the D3100 and how to set them and how to use them. It's also a good basic photography book, and unlike others, it's specifically geared to the D3100. Last it contains a glossery of photographic terms.</p>

<p>Lea-Anne, you might consider picking up the Nikon 18-105mm. There are a number of them up for sale that are lightly used or still in the box because of early D7000 adopters who bought the kit (available first) instead of waiting for the body only option to be available, so you can get a good deal right now. I took a quick look at Amazon and they are listed as low as $250.</p>

<p>After you've played with that lens a bit, you can then decide if you want to sell off the 18-55mm or the 18-105mm.. With prices holding reasonably, the whole experiment would hopefully cost you less than $100.</p>

 

<p><em>"best to wait" </em> I think the OP probably has already figured out he needs a 2nd lens. Isn't that why he posted his question?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Elliot, not necessarily. A lot of newbies are full of enthusiasm and want to buy just to buy. It's natural. I just don't want to see him waste money.</p>

<p>thanks for all the advice i think i will go for the 55-200 for now as i feel i need more zoom, thanks again :) xx</p>

<p>Lea-Ann, if you can, go for the 55-300 VR instead. It's not much bigger than the 55-200 VR and you'll really appreciate the extra reach. I handled one and I loved it. I may even trade my Nikon 70-300 VR for one because it's lighter and balances better on a small body like a D3100, and it's image quality is as good.</p>