help needed

[Malone]

I recently bought a D90 with the kit lenses. After playing with them for a bit and learning more, I decided to return the kit in exchange for the body only. For the same amount of money, I was able to get the D90 body and a better lens than what the kit included. The kit I purchased came with an 18-105mm and a 55-300mm. I played mostly with the 18-105mm lens, but never even touched the other. I ended up buying a Tamron 17-50mm and am very happy with the exchange.

It really depends on what you're interested in photographing and selecting the appropriate lens. Just make sure you check on the return policy of any equipment you buy and decide whether or not you want to keep it within the time frame.

 

[Mlcarawan]

I have decided to go with the Nikon d3100. Now, my only questions is should I invest in the Tamron 70-300mm Di Lens now. The delima is that I can get a kit that includes the lens cheaper now if the lens will be beneficial now, or does the standard lens zoom well enough take pictures of people & landscapes?

I own this camera and lens and love them both. I bought the 18-55 lens with the camera which I use when I'm taking shots close up. I know eventually I will be buying more lenses but these are working for me now while I'm learning. I purchased my camera and lenses from buydig.com I think I got pretty good deals on them.

 

[bazooka]

I would recommend buying the body only and getting a normal range zoom of a higher quality than the kit lens. If you are wanting to get serious about this, the optical quality of kit lenses is relatively poor. In my opinion, it's better to invest in higher quality glass (photo-dweeb jargon for lens) because it has a better resale value as kit lenses flood the market and you can buy(or sell) them for less than $100. If you want to be serious about this, ironically there really isn't any room in your kit for a kit lens. Having said that, if it's not in your budget, then kit lenses aren't awful to start learning with.