First Lens Upgrade from Kit

adversus

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Hi folks, I've lurked here for a long time (although still a hobbyist!) and am ready to ask a question! :)

I'm using a Nikon D5000 with the 18-55 VR kit lens. I'm ready to both size up AND down, to get more distance out beyond what the kit lens offers (for landscape / architectural shots) and a macro lens for some detailed hobby work.

I'm a hobbyist, no desire to turn into a professional photographer, so I'd like to keep it to a hobbyist level cost-wise (few hundred per lens at the most).

Any suggestions?
 
Hey man, I'm pretty much in the same situation trying to keep this hobby low-cost as possible. Since I was mostly taking pictures of family/friends and events I looked for something versatile, ended up with a Tamron 18-270mm. Its been good for the most part but it certainly has its downfalls. So I started looking/reading.

Recently I was able to purchase a 50mm f/1.4 and love the thing. I think that its a great lens to start messing around with learning about exposure and composition, I would highly recommend it. I splurged a bit on that f/1.4 for the USM/bit faster indoor lens but there's a 1.8 version for like 100$, so you can definitely get something cost effective.

Here's the Nikon equivalent:

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

If you're looking for versatility for family functions etc to perhaps take a look at something more like this:

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6

As a lot of people here will tell you, it depends on what you need it for. As I said if you're looking into learning/experimenting with compositions and exposure, you really can't go wrong with the 50mm :)
 
With the d5000 your limited to AFS lenses, which makes it pricey to go wide or long.

Of course if your willing to give up autofocus and light metering you'd a have a many more lenses to chose from in your price range.
 
Auto Focus, while nice, isn't a deal breaker. I'm a firm believer in learning the "hard way" even if the easy way is available :)
 
You may want to consider the following lens:

AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED*(Image Stabilization)

I have it for my D5000 with very good results. You can find it in Amazon for $ 239.
 

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