Great Lenses for Nikon on a budget

[dan.rpo]

Im a new Nikon D40 user, and i am on a $200 (approx) budget for a new lens (all i have is the 18-55 kit lens)..what are some options?!

 

[Kegger]

55-200 VR is a good one.

 

[Steph]

'Great lens' and 'on a budget' are usually mutually exclusive. What do you want to shoot with your new lens? What cannot you do with your current lens? Those are the questions you should ask yourself before spending money on a lens.

 

[dan.rpo]

Well i dont shoot anything specific, i just got the D40 and have turned photography into a photo...no specific subjects..ill shoot anything from landscapes to close ups...i love panaoramas, what kind of lens would i get for that?...macro pictures, i can just use macro filters (screw on) or is a macro lens (ex, 50mm) better?....my next choice was the 55-200 VR by Nikkor...unless someone convinces me different.

 

[benhasajeep]

The 50mm 1.8 is a great lens for the price, but unfortunately it will not AF on your body. I have heard that they are starting to update the prime lenses to AF-S. When these models come out then you will be all set. I would say sice your limited to 55mm right now. I would say your choice of the 55-200 would be a good one.

 

[Steph]

Well i dont shoot anything specific, i just got the D40 and have turned photography into a photo...no specific subjects..ill shoot anything from landscapes to close ups...i love panaoramas, what kind of lens would i get for that?...macro pictures, i can just use macro filters (screw on) or is a macro lens (ex, 50mm) better?....my next choice was the 55-200 VR by Nikkor...unless someone convinces me different.

Well, if you need a longer lens that the one you use at the moment, the 55-200 VR is a good choice within your budget. For macro pictures, a macro lens will give better image quality than screw-on filters, although you might be pleased with the results provided by the latter. It all depends on your expectations.

Make sure you actually need a new lens. It feels like you just have money to spend and thought: 'why don't I buy a lens?'. If you have spare cash you could spend in on other things to improve your pictures such as a tripod (invaluable to improve landscapes and macro shots IMHO) or maybe some software for post-processing your images. Or you could save the money until you are able to make an informed decision about your future lens purchase(s).

But then again, it is your money so if you feel you need/want the 55-200 VR, go for it, it is a good lens for the price.

 

[dan.rpo]

Well, i already have a tripod, and i already have a bunch of software...im a graphic design student, so i have the full CS3 suite, i have photomatix, and a few others...so i figured my next step was a level up lens..

 

[Steph]

Well, i already have a tripod, and i already have a bunch of software...im a graphic design student, so i have the full CS3 suite, i have photomatix, and a few others...so i figured my next step was a level up lens..

OK. Go for the lens then.

 

[jonahr]

it's a little above your budget, but nikon now makes a 50mm F/1.4 AF-S, (which will autofocus with your camera.)

http://www.adorama.com/NK5014AFGU.html?sid=1226113601123767

unfortunately its about 4 times as much as the 50mm f/1.8 AF

 

[dan.rpo]

^a little above my budget? lol, thats about twice!

 

[benhasajeep]

Also its not out yet and date has not been set. I was going to buy a 1.4 a couple weeks ago. But then I read that they are bringing out new models. So I figured I would wait.

 

[puyjapin]

Hi
Ive also just got a D40, was also considering some of the conversion lenses initially to save a bit of money, ive noticed there are tele converters, wide angle and macro on e bay for little money but not sure what the results would be like. Im new to DSLR also but can see how the 55mm lens can be limited especially for nature shots. Let me know if you get any converters and what they r like.... cheers

 

[dan.rpo]

i am new too...what are conversion lenses?

 

[puyjapin]

they are a cheap alternative to a proper macro lens, they screw on like a filter, hence its possible to get macros, telephoto and wide angle, they are quite cheap, esp from hong kong on e bay...for example have a loo at this link
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=macro+lens+d40&_sacat=See-All-Categories
in fact they r so cheap even if they r crap they can just go in the bin

 

[jev425]

what would the 55-200mm lens do to improve the pictures that can be taken with the 18-55mm lens?