Nikon D60... now I need a lens.

mightee

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I'm a complete newbie when it comes to photography, but I am looking forward to learning. My problem is this:

I'm (obviously) working on a budget. I've decided on the Nikon D60 as my camera, but I need a decent (and cheap) wide-angle lens that will function nicely in low lighting conditions.

Any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. (Links would be nice, too.)
 
I'm a complete newbie when it comes to photography, but I am looking forward to learning. My problem is this:

I'm (obviously) working on a budget. I've decided on the Nikon D60 as my camera, but I need a decent (and cheap) wide-angle lens that will function nicely in low lighting conditions.

Any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. (Links would be nice, too.)

Here are a few good options-

50mm (not exactly "wide")

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-Nikkor-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00005LEN4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237257907&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Electronics[/ame]

17-55 (relatively wide and pretty pricey but also very fast [desirable for low light])

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-17-55mm-2-8G-ED-IF-Nikkor/dp/B000144I2Q/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237257972&sr=8-18]Amazon.com: Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens: Electronics[/ame]

The kit lens that comes with the d60 is also pretty wide on the 18mm lens, however it is a relatively slow lens which is not desirable in low light. However, the d60 does handle pretty high ISO's well so the kit lens may work for you. How low light are we talking?
 
Sweet, quick first reply!

Yeah, $1,200 is way, way out of the price range.

What about the 18-55mm AF-S VR that comes with the kit? Is that even worth trying in low light?

 
the 50mm is only 133 dollars. Unfortunately, it does not auto focus with the D60. I know because, I bought it. lol Yet, I love taking pictures with it. The best uses for it are portrait, landscape and low light. It is not a wide angle lens, but it is cheap and a great addition to person starting a collection. Plus with having to manually focus, you will learn not to rely on the camera all the time, and use your imagination more. I find myself using this lens more often that I thought I would. Good hunting.
 
Sweet, quick first reply!

Yeah, $1,200 is way, way out of the price range.

What about the 18-55mm AF-S VR that comes with the kit? Is that even worth trying in low light?

I have the D60 with the 18-55VR kit lens and I really like it. The VR on the kit lens definitely helps in the low light situations, and with it at f/3.5 at 18mm (for the wide you mentioned) it works well. Especially at the price.

I would not hesitate to recommend the D60 with the kit lens for a beginner on a budget. Will it do as well as a D300 with the 17-55 f/2.8, of course not, but for $500-$600 it is a great camera.

For true low light, Nikon does have a 35mm f/1.8 that just came out that works with the D60 and cost around $199.
 
Not sure what your budget is, but the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 is about $369 @ Amazon. I just got it a couple days ago after reviews I read here, and I love it. I think it has put off my needing (wanting) a new camera for a while.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-18-50mm-Macro-Lens-Nikon/dp/B000UC5YSQ[/ame]
 
Nikon came out with a 35G, not super-wide, but good for low light. IF you can really stretch the budget, I would get that and the 16-85, so you can cover the wide and LL ranges while having comfortable telephoto.
 
Get the d60 kit with the 18-55. You can check the images people have done with this setup at night and they are good quality. Plus you can get the two together for cheaper than buying the body and a separate lens. I got the d60 with the 18-55 and the 55-200 from BB for $700 which is about what you can find it for online. The problem you'll find isn't in the lens but with the amount of noise you can get shooting at 800-1600iso. Overall, I love my setup and think it's great for the $.
 

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