Lenses...

[justplayin123]

I have enjoyed photography my entire life. I am the one that never has a photo of myself at an event because I am the one behind the lense... I have decided to explore my passion. I have not invested in education or equipment before so I am starting at the beginning. My current camera is a Kodak Z710 so I have ALOT to learn! I think it is time to go a little deeper now. I have decided to go with the Nikon D90. I do not have a working knowledge of lenses and would love any help you can offer as to which lenses I need to get started. I love photographing the outdoors, flowers, animals, sporting events... Can anyone help me to understand which lense kit I should get for the most versatility and then I can add more as I go?

 

[Dao]

As usual, the kit lens that shipped with the camera cover most of the general photography. And it is a good lens to learn. Once you learn more about camera gears, you should have an idea what to get next.

 

[wescobts]

Depending on what lens they offer, or you can buy just a body and pick a lens out. If doing the latter, I suggest the 18-70mm DX. First off for a kit lens it's pretty nice, sweet spot at F8, nice zoom range, and not to expensive, buy used if possible. It also has a good balance, doesn't make the camera front heavy or awkward. It is wide enough to get most landscapes, great street work and could get by on some sports events if you were close enough. Once you get the hang of it and listen to some folks here, you'll have an idea what to get next.

 

[Overread]

My advice is to stick with the kit lens that comes with the camera - most of the choices about what lens is right for you rely on you having a basic real world understanding of how a lens performes and how things like aperture, focal length affect your shot and just what they look like when you use them. Otherwise your stuck at the level of "I got this lens its really great you should get this" Which whilst it can yeald good results is a very hit and miss affair.

Go for your kit lens - play and get used to using it and then see where its limits are and how deep your interest (and how deep your pocket) are and go from there.

 

[DScience]

I think if you already love photography, I would say skip the poopy kit lens and just get an even cheaper lens, but way better quality, the nifty 50mm f/1.8. Most brands make it for pretty cheap, so check it out!

 

[Overread]

the 50mm f1.8 is an often recomended lens for either canon or nikon shooters since both are very cheap, and yet give very good image quality, whilst also having a very wide max aperture.
However I would not get this single lens instead of a kit lens - simply put 50mm is only one focal range, it can work very well in a wide diversity of situations, but its only one thing to work with and get a feel for. These days even the cheap kit zoom lenses can deliver an acceptable level of image quality and thus use this chance to get a bit of a feel for difference focal ranges as well. Learn just what 18mm through to 70mm look like and how they work with your shooting style.

 

[DScience]

the 50mm f1.8 is an often recomended lens for either canon or nikon shooters since both are very cheap, and yet give very good image quality, whilst also having a very wide max aperture.
However I would not get this single lens instead of a kit lens - simply put 50mm is only one focal range, it can work very well in a wide diversity of situations, but its only one thing to work with and get a feel for. These days even the cheap kit zoom lenses can deliver an acceptable level of image quality and thus use this chance to get a bit of a feel for difference focal ranges as well. Learn just what 18mm through to 70mm look like and how they work with your shooting style.

I only used my 50mm on my camera for about 4-5 months. I loved it, took all sorts of photos, and a wide variety. I personally feel that the f1.8 gives you more creative options than the wider range of focal lengths produced by the kit lens.

Also, I recommend this only if you plan on obtaining more lenses in the future.

 

[justplayin123]

Thanks for all the advice!! I am most certainly going to want more lenses as I advance. (Just don't tell my husband!!!) Right now I want to do exactly as most of you have advised... get to know the camera and how to make it work for me. So for that reason I am looking for the most versatile setup where in the beginning I am not trying to switch lenses a lot.

 

[RandyA]

I did the same. Got the D90 with 18-105 and love it. Added the 70-300, 60 micro, and 18-55. Wish I would have waited and got zoom micro. Good luck.

 

[Divatologist]

I love my D90. I think you should start out with one zoom and one prime. For some it's a pain to switch lenses, but I don't mind. I love my 50mm for the bokeh effect. I like my zoom for the ablility to fit everybody and everything in the shot. You can also zoom in without having to get close. You should definitely get the 50mm lens. It's my favorite lens so far.

I'm like you. I love taking pics, but rarely get to be in any of them, especially now because no one knows how to use my camera I'm looking at tripods and a remote now. I want to be in the pics too sometimes. I know you'll enjoy the D90.

Now that you're buying more expensive equipment, you should put all your equipment on your renter's/homeowner's insurance individually. If any of my equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged, they will replace it (with the value at the time it was insured). No send outs or refurbs. So save your receipts. I remember seeing a youtube video about a guy who got the D90 and went to Disney World the following week and it was stolen. The D90 definitely ain't cheap.

 

[Derrel]

Your budget will decide what you can afford. Lenses are like fishing rods--there is a specific style and type for every single need--over sixty different lenses in the Nikon family. The D90 will take old lenses and new lenses, autofocus and manual focus lenses. AF, AF-D, and the new AF-S style lenses will work on the D90. Prime lenses have only one focal length, and always have the same angle of view. Zooms zoom in or out. What you like to photograph and how you like to do it--from in close, or from afar, determine what lenses will work best for you.

I own over 50 lenses in a collection begun in 1982. Crop-body makes a lens behave differently than DX; you now have DX. The slow-aperture kit lenses are fine in bright weather and outside--indoors, they need flash most of the time, since the apertures are so slow these days. f/3.,5 is not "fast", and f/5,.6 in a kit lens is decidedly slow. The D90 is a good camera, worthy of good lenses. To save money, I buy used lenses almost all the time,except for a handful of lenses.

Learning ONE lens at a time makes sense. For the D90, I think you ought to buy the 24mm f/2.8 AF-D, used, the 50/1.8 AF-D, and the 70-300 VR. Start there, with used lenses, and if you don't like the lens, sell it,and look for another. The Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF or AF-D is another top lens choice. Those are four of the most-essential lenses, all of which are light,small,and good.

 

[mdruziak]

Start with the kit lens (something that starts around 17mm). As you gain more experience, you will learn how that lens is not meeting your needs. Once you figure that out, you will know what your next lens needs to be.

 

[PatrickHMS]

Here is another vote for one of the basic zoom "kit" lenses to start with (you can even buy used to save some $$ (any of the following:18-55mm, 18-70mm, 18-105mm, 18-135mm). Then add the 50mm f/1.8 as your second lens.

 

[itznfb]

The basic kit lens is fine but for the things your interested in shooting the 55-200 VR would better suit you.

I can't stand the blanket suggestion of the 50mm prime. That lens is close to useless for the type of photography the OP is interested in.

 

[iolair]

I recently entered DSLR-world, and while I've got a couple of zooms, I've been happy keeping my 50mm 1.8 on my camera almost all of the time. As well as being good quality, amazing value for money, I also think it's better for learning because it forces you to move around and find the best framing for a shot instead of just zooming in and saying "OK, that'll do".

Depending on the type of photography you want to do though, there's a risk the 50mm might not be wide enough if you own a crop-body camera.