C & C Please. Which Lense Should I get

[bohboh]

Hi All,
I got my beginner SLR camera Nikon D40 few weeks ago so i am completely new to photography.
I am thinking about getting a new lens (since i only have 18-55mm) for macro photography.
Option A: Nikon 105mm f/2.8
Option B: Nikon 18-200mm
Which one will you recommend for beginner? :blushing:

Anyway, I took a few photos last weekend C&C Please:blushing:

Thanks!

 

[rdzmzda]

ummm wow kill some of the photos posted..a good rule of thumb is no more than 4....secondly are you using the 18-55 as a macro? cause im no nikon expert but i didnt think that was a macro lens? secondly does it have to be nikon? because i have the sigma equivalent for my canon (they make for nikon too) of that 105mm macro lens and i like it a lot check it out. im sure just starting out you wont notice a lot of difference and above that im just a fan of prime lenses.

 

[puyjapin]

The kit lense is not a macro lens. I spose the 18-200 would give you a lot of scope generally and you would not need the 18-55 mm lens. I am also considering getting a new lens for my D40 and will probably go for the 70-300, for wildlife. However I am undecided if to get the sigma which is £150 or the Nikon with the Vibration reduction, which I think would be very beneficial (for me anyway) but thats over £300......

 

[Overread]

well first up kit lenses tend to have reasonable minimum focusing distances - they can get some decent closeup shots.

As for which lens you should go for here is a good way of thinking about a new lens:

1) what is the job of the lens? What will the lens allow you to do that you can't do already with your current kit?

2) budget - how much you have to spend - also factor in your interest levels and how long you are willing ot save for as well.

In the end you have listed 2 very different lenses. The 18-200mm is a super zoom which offers you a big focal range and would be good as a walkaround lens - I can't comment on how sharp it is as a lens only to say that cheaper end lenses in this line can be rather soft at the long end.
The 105mm micro is a macro lens (nikon call things micro just to be different ) and thus for macro work would be the ideal choice for you. It will offer you true macro (that is 1:1 - the image on the sensor is as big as it is in real life) and thus let you get really close to insects. The lens also has VR which is vibration reductin which makes handholding the lens easier since it counters handshake - though at macro levels it has less of an effect. Also the 105mm will work as a normal 105mm lens as well so its not just limited to macro work.