Is my 18-105mm AFS lens sufficient for traveling?

[leanne_tran]

<p>Hi everyone,<br>

I'm new to DSLRs and Nikon cameras. I was given the D5000 + 18-105mm lens for Christmas. I'm thinking of buying a prime lens. I'm going to Christchurch New Zealand next month for a few days, will stay in a resort with lakes and mountains and do a trip in town. Will I miss out on anything if I only have the 18-105mm lens? Should I buy a prime lens for the trip? I have heard that prime lens is good for traveling and am considering the Nikkor AFS 35mm 1.8 vs Nikkor AFS 50mm 1.4. The later, of course is very expensive and I tend to go with the earlier if it satisfies my needs at the moment and may be later buy the 50mm if circumstance allow. Besides from take pictures while traveling, I mainly take photos of my 3 year old and want to learn still life photography. I would appreciate any advice! Thank you!</p>

[briany]

<p>Without knowing every situation you'll encounter, I'd venture to say that your 18-105 will be sufficient for traveling - a creative photographer in a beautiful place with good light could fill an album with that lens. I have taken plenty of trips where the 18-70 was my main, if not only, lens. The 35mm would be a nice addition for shots where you'd like more subject definition and a shallower depth of field or want to shoot in low light (one admitted problem area of your 18-105 if you're not using a tripod or are shooting moving objects in natural light indoors). Enjoy the trip!</p>

[mihai_ciuca]

<p>Hi Leanne,</p>

<p>35mm/f1.8 DX is the best lens you can add for less money on your D5000. I encourage you to take it alongside with your 18-105mm lens. This prime will let you shoot in low light settings, also to do some portraits with a better bokeh.</p>

<p>If you can invest more money, there is only one better option at this point, this is the Sigma 30mm/f1.4 which is a faster lens with a unique character, highly appraised on forums. It costs more but deserves every cent.</p>

<p>If the budget is limited, go for Nikon. If you want the best IQ for your money, go for Sigma.</p>

<p>Whatever you pick from these two you don't go wrong... </p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>an 18-105 would probably be sufficient for 70-80% of all shots you're likely to take. the remaining 20-30%% could be shot with a 35/1.8. a 50 is ok for portraits on DX but too long for much else, and the 50/1.8 would be better for travel (it's smaller) if you went that route.</p>

[reid_priedhorsky]

<p>The 35/1.8 is an excellent value and a good FL if you want a prime.</p>

<p>That said, you should buy gear only if you have a clear need for it. "I have heard that prime lens is good for traveling" is not a clear need. :) What specifically do you hope to do on your trip that can't be done with the 18-105 (which is itself a fine lens)?</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>Keep it simple for now. The 18-105 VR should be fine. Ideally you might want something wider for landscapes and longer for wildlife, but I'd wait until you had more experience and have a clearer idea of exactly what you need. The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 is a good lens and not very expensive. I don't know how much you'll use it, but if your money is burning a hole in your pocket, it's a good lens to have.</p>

[robert_hooper1]

<p>Hi Leanne,</p>

<p>Given your experience level, I would keep your equipment to a minimum at this point. Your Nikon 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 should be perfectly adequate for now. Familiarize yourself with the camera and lens you have. After you have more experience, it will become all to obvious what other lenses you need based upon your shooting style.</p>

<p>Get a good <a href="http://www.lowepro.com/">camera carrying system</a> to safely and comfortably transport your camera and lens. Don't forget some lens cleaner, a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/388983-REG/Giottos_AA1920_Rocket_Air_Blower_.html">blower bulb</a>, and a microfiber cloth. You might want to think about a travel sized tripod and ball head as well. <a href="http://www.gitzo.com/cms/site/gitzo/cache/off">Gitzo</a>, <a href="http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto">Manfrotto</a>, and my favorite, <a href="http://www.feisol.net/">Feiso</a>l are all good brands.</p>

[bikealps]

<p>Hi Leanne,<br>

For general travel, the 18-105 kit lens is great. It will cover wide angle (equivalent of 27mm in 35mm) to pretty long in one lens. 105 mm (157mm equivalent in old-style 35mm) is probably as long as you will need for most purposes.<br>

The only things you might be missing are:</p>

<ul>

<li>portraits -- if you want narrow DOF, you need a faster lens -- the cheapest solution is a 50 mm f1.8 for only $120</li>

<li>macro -- for closeups of tiny little things like bugs and flowers... I think the 105 macro is ~$900</li>

<li>ultra-wide -- awesome tool, but another $900 for the 10-24 or 12-24</li>

<li>birds and mammals that won't let you get very close -- how much do you want to pay?</li>

</ul>

<p>Truthfully, the 18-105 is a great all-around choice. If I were to supplement it, I'd get the 50 mm f1.8 for $120 first because it is light and cheap and fun to use. After that, you have to decide how bad do you want it, how much you are willing to pay, and are you willing to carry it. For as much a "kit" lense are maligned, the 18-105 is an outstanding tool.<br>

Allan</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>I know that it wouldn't be sufficient for me - but that doesn't mean it isn't for you. Buy lenses only when you have identified a need for them, not because someone told you so or you read about it somewhere. BTW, the recommended 50/1.8 is a nice lens - but it won't AF with your camera. </p>

[ArthurRichardson]

<blockquote>

<p>Given your experience level, I would keep your equipment to a minimum at this point. Your Nikon 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 should be perfectly adequate for now. Familiarize yourself with the camera and lens you have. After you have more experience, it will become all to obvious what other lenses you need based upon your shooting style.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Plus one vote!</p>

[leanne_tran]

<p>Thanks everyone for offering your much appreciated advices. There are very limited lens choices with D5000, it can only use AF-S lenses. With 50mm lens, so far I can only find AF-S 50mm 1.4, which costs around 800AUD (500AUD for grey market item), that's why I consider 35mm lens that is significantly cheaper. I take quite a lot of indoor photos, mainly of my daughter, who moves very fast and so far the 18-105mm is ok, but I wonder if the 35mm or the 50mm lens will do a better job and due to lack of experience, I don't know which focal length I will use most. <br>

For the trip I will mostly take photos outdoor and landscapes so from your responses I guess I won't need a prime lens though like Brian said, it's lighter and smaller so it's more convenient to carry around, that's one important thing to consider when one travels with a toddler :).<br>

Once again, thanks all for sharing your experiences!</p>

<p> </p>

[reid_priedhorsky]

<blockquote>

<p>I take quite a lot of indoor photos, mainly of my daughter, who moves very fast and so far the 18-105mm is ok, but I wonder if the 35mm or the 50mm lens will do a better job and due to lack of experience, I don't know which focal length I will use most.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Two pieces of advice in that case.</p>

<p>First, don't be afraid to crank the ISO. I have a D90, and for family snaps, ISO 3200 is just fine and I don't hesitate to go all the way to 6400 (Hi1) if I need to. Not sure what the situation is on the D5000, but I'm sure it's not too different.</p>

<p>Second, since your existing zoom covers 35mm, you can experiment to see how you like it - perhaps add a bit of tape or a rubber band to hold it at 35mm if it drifts. Note that 35mm is a "classic" field of view on DX, and that lens is so cheap it's hard to go wrong.</p>

[ramon_v__california_]

<p>your 18-105mm and the 35mm f/1.8 is a great combo for travel. depending on the demand of the day, you can switch lens. even the 18-105mm is light enough to slip in your jacket pocket or bag. when traveling it's always nice to have a wide fast lens.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>Allan, she can get a very good Sigma 10-20 or Tokina 12-24 ultrawide zoom for less than $500.</p>

[errol young]

<p>I went for a month to Venezuela with only a D70, 18-70 and took 3,000 pics some of which are on erroltrip (dot) wordpress (dot) com. I had a 50 1.8 as backup but did not use it. The lens was more than enough. The 18-105 is a good lens too. You should be ine with just that.</p>

[liky_yan]

if you indoor use, bua a sb800 or sb600 or sb900 is far better!