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I have a Nikon D3100 and I'm using the lens that came with it. I took a beginner class a while back ago and have a general idea of aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. I invested in a fixed lens but always have a hard time controlling the settings. I'm much more comfortable with a zoom/variable (I think they are the same thing?) lens. One of the first things our instructor said is to invest in a good lens and that the kit one is mediocre. That was a year ago. I feel more comfortable now shooting in manual and would like to upgrade my lens - yay, go me!
With that said - and probably sounding like a total novice - I'm interested in getting a new lens for Christmas but I don't know what to get. Something for family vacations, taking pictures of my growing toddler, and just general daily life. Taking pictures of flowers is also a hobby.
Any suggestions? I've been hesitant about going to a store b'c my first experience was a total disaster. I felt like an idiot. Needless to say, I didn't buy my camera from that store. I haven't set foot in a camera store since.
I would love your advice and if you can refrain from getting too technical, I'd appreciate it. I'd love to hear your explanation though of why you chose that lens ... just treat me like I'm an idiot though. Haha. THANK YOU!!
What is the fixed lens you already have and do you use it? Do you want a new lens to replace the kit lens or something to use in addition to it? What is your budget?
I am a Canon user but there are third party lenses I could recommend and once I know the answer to these, I will have a better idea of what to recommend.
#1.) The kit 18-55mm lens that comes with the D3100 is far from mediocre ... "This $180 Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens is a winner." so says Ken Rockwell on his site ... Nikon 18-55mm VR
#2.) I just got the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-S lens new for $200 and love it for its ability to take fantastic pictures of my grand kids, with my D3100
3.) There is a Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 lens available for purchse at $1400 that most everyone says is fantastic. check it out here ... http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1755.htm
I shoot Canon, so I'm not familiar with Nikon lenses. However, I have a 100mm macro lens that is also great for portraits. I love candid shots of people, especially kids. If you're a bit farther away, it will be easier to take photos of them without them knowing and posing for the camera.
I don't think it's that easy. If your pics were all indoors I would suggest a f1.8 prime. Just remember the crop adjustment. This is a great portrait lens and really cuts down on the need for flash. You can find them for $150.
Outdoors is tougher. The jump from the kit lens to real glass gets expensive - what's your budget?
What is the fixed lens you already have and do you use it? Do you want a new lens to replace the kit lens or something to use in addition to it? What is your budget?
I am a Canon user but there are third party lenses I could recommend and once I know the answer to these, I will have a better idea of what to recommend.
Yes, I want a new lens to replace the kit lens. I know they are expensive. The fixed lens I invested in but have a hard time using it properly is a 50mm ... I paid between $100-150, can't remember. I've used it several times and have gotten some nice pictures but I feel like a variable lens has more flexibility. I'm okay with a variable lens not being as better as a fixed one - I'm only a newbie and happy with the pictures I do "capture correctly". I don't want to go more than $300 but if it's worth the money, I'd be willing to invest.
Yes, I want a new lens to replace the kit lens. I know they are expensive. The fixed lens I invested in but have a hard time using it properly is a 50mm ... I paid between $100-150, can't remember. I've used it several times and have gotten some nice pictures but I feel like a variable lens has more flexibility. I'm okay with a variable lens not being as better as a fixed one - I'm only a newbie and happy with the pictures I do "capture correctly". I don't want to go more than $300 but if it's worth the money, I'd be willing to invest.
With a budget of $300, you won't really be upgrading on the quality of the lens. There's nothing wrong with that, in my opinion, just letting you know. Price and budget should always be taken into consideration when judging the quality of the lens.
Check out the Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM. It would replace your kit lens and though won't be better quality, it would provide you with some telephoto, which you're sorely lacking. It's a tad over your budget at $339 on Amazon: Amazon.com: Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 AF DC OS HSM Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo - but based on the lens quality comparison tool at The Digital Picture the optics look okay for the price. The similar Nikkor 18-135mm looks like better quality but also about double the price. So the Sigma might be a reasonable compromise.
It will be very tempting to look into a "super zoom" lens like an 18-200mm or 18-300mm - but the more zoom that is crammed into a lens, especially a compact lens, the poorer quality it will be. So I would keep it under 150mm unless you want to drop the wide angle and go for something more like 50/70-200mm, which would be a good range for something in addition to your kit lens, not to replace it. Most of the 70-200mm lenses tend to be a bigger and heavier and more expensive but Nikon has a more compact 50-200mm for about $250 though and judging by the optics examples on The Digital Picture, it's reasonable quality for the price: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-55-200mm.../dp/B000O161X0
Having said all that, the best lenses for flower photos are macro lenses - these are also good for portraits because they tend to be very sharp (when you're magnifying a flower that much, it's gotta be sharp) but they also tend to be fixed lenses so not necessarily ideal as an "all purpose lens". It is good to have the flexibility of a zoom lens as an all purpose lens but for specific tasks like flower pictures, you need a specific lens. Keep in mind that the benefit of a DSLR is being able to switch lenses. While it may seem more convenient to have a lens that just covers everything, if that's what you want, in some way you might as well have gotten a non-DSLR. So maybe sometime in the future you can look into a macro lens for your flower pictures as well.
As for the 50mm you already have, they can be great lenses. They do force you to move around more physically but in general, fixed lenses tend to be sharper than zooms and 50mm is neither wide angle or telephoto so they often get recommended for a "general usage" lens. But if you find it too limiting and aren't going to use it, I recommend you sell it.
Yes, I want a new lens to replace the kit lens. I know they are expensive. The fixed lens I invested in but have a hard time using it properly is a 50mm ... I paid between $100-150, can't remember. I've used it several times and have gotten some nice pictures but I feel like a variable lens has more flexibility. I'm okay with a variable lens not being as better as a fixed one - I'm only a newbie and happy with the pictures I do "capture correctly". I don't want to go more than $300 but if it's worth the money, I'd be willing to invest.
Given your requirements, you should consider a fast lens, which will typically lead you to primes (50mm/1.8 for example). You could also get a fast zoom lens (typically f/2.8 for maximum aperture) but they will be more expensive.
Personally, I don’t see much point to replace kit zooms unless you’re looking for extra range, or for a faster lens. In your case, something like Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 might work. You could look at lightly used, to possibly fit under your budget.
Thanks everybody for the awesome advice. I'm willing to go as high as $500 but it sounds like if I'm not willing to invest in the $1,000+ range, I might as well keep what I've got. I'm definitely going to look into your suggestions though.
If anybody else comes across this post, feel free to add your 2 cents. More opinions, the merrier.
THANKS again everybody!
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