Best overall lens?

GRUNTILDA · Jun 15, 2012

What lens would you guys/gals say is the best overall lens from nikon, sigma, tamron, tokina...etc is for the $200ish price point? Keep in mind this is if you were to only have one lens and just starting out.

Solarflare · Jun 15, 2012

Well, i could think of 4 options, depending upon what you want:

- Nikkor 18-105mm zoom lens for a good general zoom. No high quality in any respect, but okay if you buy it with the camera.
- Nikkor 18-55mm zoom lens for less telephoto power, but lesser macro abilities. Again only buy with camera, otherwise its too expensive.
- Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8 G DX prime. Zoom with your feet and enjoy superior low light power. 35mm is about the angle you have with your eyes.
- Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G DX prime. Again zoom with your feet. Need to get in distance depending upon subject. Again superior low light power.

I myself am currently using exclusively the 35mm prime. I just dont see how I also need the 18-55mm range since I can zoom by feet. Next week my 55-200mm telezoom will arrive, though.

SCraig · Jun 15, 2012

There is no such lens because what is "Best" for one person is not necessarily the same for the next. I seldom use anything UNDER 150mm and frequently want more than 500mm.

PapaMatt · Jul 10, 2012

The very best all around lens is the one you use most of the time!

I find myself shooting around 16mm to 80mm most of the time outside so I think at Nikon 16-85mm would do me just fine, my next buy I think> In low light you need a fst lens, so you have to give and take!

Designer · Jul 10, 2012

GRUNTILDA said:
What lens would you guys/gals say is the best overall lens from nikon, sigma, tamron, tokina...etc is for the $200ish price point? Keep in mind this is if you were to only have one lens and just starting out.

Right. There is no "best" lens. Am I to assume that you will have only one lens for a while? Have you a Nikon body already? I have found that the "kit" lens often offered with the purchase of a body is probably the best value at the time. Now considering your budget, I might recommend either the AF-S Nikkor 18-55 G VR, or the AF-S Nikkor 55-200 ED VR as a good starting point. Both of these lenses are often packaged with an entry-level body and they will get you started making pictures without a lot of fuss and expense.

fjrabon · Jul 10, 2012

Solarflare said:
Well, i could think of 4 options, depending upon what you want:

- Nikkor 18-105mm zoom lens for a good general zoom. No high quality in any respect, but okay if you buy it with the camera.
- Nikkor 18-55mm zoom lens for less telephoto power, but lesser macro abilities. Again only buy with camera, otherwise its too expensive.
- Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8 G DX prime. Zoom with your feet and enjoy superior low light power. 35mm is about the angle you have with your eyes.
- Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G DX prime. Again zoom with your feet. Need to get in distance depending upon subject. Again superior low light power.

I myself am currently using exclusively the 35mm prime. I just dont see how I also need the 18-55mm range since I can zoom by feet. Next week my 55-200mm telezoom will arrive, though.

Zooming with your feet isn't the exact same as zooming with a telephoto lens (and the converse, zooming out isn't the same as using a wide angle).

a photograph taken with a 10mm will look drastically different than a photo taken with a 35mm, even if basically the same exact scene is in view. Same thing for a shot with a 200mm.

BD_Avant · Jul 10, 2012

I'm still reacquainting myself with photography, and bought a D5100 kit a few months ago. The kit came with the 18-55 and 55-300 lenses. These have worked great to get me used to shooting again, and have decent results. The only other lens that I bought, was a 35mm 1.8. I bought it about a month ago, and haven't taken it off since (except during a recent trip to the coast). I bought it because my wife and I had our first son, and I knew lots of family would be visiting, and it doesn't require a flash most of the time. In fact, I've never used the flash with it on.

pixmedic · Jul 10, 2012

if you can get an 18-105 VR lens for $200, I personally think that is your best choice of the lenses you listed. it gives you a wide-ish angle, and a decent bit of zoom.
the quality is decent overall and the VR is a bonus when/if you need it. if you dont care about the VR, you can get a used Tamron 28-300 lens in that price range as well, and works
fairly well as an "all around" kind of lens.

o hey tyler · Jul 10, 2012

Solarflare said:
Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G DX prime. Again zoom with your feet. Need to get in distance depending upon subject. Again superior low light power.

The 50mm f/1.8G is not a DX lens dude. All you need to do is google it if you are unsure. I knew that, and I don't even shoot Nikon. I'm a Canon guy myself. Internet search is your friend.

orb9220 · Jul 11, 2012

Sorry not enough coffee and confusion was still residing in ole neural net.
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fjrabon · Jul 11, 2012

orb9220 said:
"18-55 and 55-300 lenses. These have worked great to get me used to shooting again, and have decent results. The only other lens that I bought, was a 35mm 1.8."

Click to expand...

And want makes you think you need another lens? Is there a Need? or just want? If just a want then you would already know what range and speed lens you needed which would make it a need. And it most likely would run more than $200. Also what about flash? tripod? CP and ND filters? many other things can come in handy with the lenses you do have.
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Huh? You're responding to somebody who isn't the OP, who said nothing about even buying another lens (besides the 3 he/she already owns), let alone "needing" one.