Just purchased a Nikon d7000 and need help with lens choices for a trip to Ireland

[lucyred62]

I think many good points are being made. I think for my trip I just wanted something that would capture the most pictures without having to change lenses constantly. I will be sight seeing with 3 other people who I am sure would not be happy if I had to stop all of the time to swap lenses. I realize that there are really professional great lenses out there that are expensive, but I am not in a position financially, or skill level to be honest, to justify paying that much for a lens. I guess I just wanted to find out which was better, the 18-105 or the 18-200, or if there is an aftermarket lens that is better for a general good walk around lens. As I have said, I can return the kit, and just buy the body, and get the 18-200 or another all around lens used on amazon or ebay.( in looking at prices, I guess I didn't realize there is about a bigger difference in price then I thought between the two lens, even if you go with the older model of the 18-200 that doesn't have the lock on it). That being said, i guess is it worth the extra money to get a little more zoom.

The other questions were if I brought another lens to swap occasionally, would it be a macro lens, a 35 mm or 50mm lens, or a larger zoom. That being said, are there any of these(can be aftermarket) that are good( I know they wont be great in my price range), that I can afford.

I think it is a good idea to save and not buy a ton of lens, I just want to have a good walk around lens to learn, but wasn't sure if there was an additional lens I could add to start out with that would help me learn how to take pictures of my favorite things which are landscapes, birds, dogs, and nice close ups of people. When I looked on amazon, I could get a used Nikon 12-24 f/4G ED IF DX lens for about $725.00 used, and a Nikon 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 ED IF VR lens for about $550.00 used, so it would be in my budget.

Do people feel then that these lens are not worth getting to learn on, and I should just stick with the 18-105 or 18-200 lens to learn on?
Thanks

 

[gsgary]

Make sure you go to Northern Ireland much nicer than Southern Ireland and the people are friendlier

 

[jaomul]

Make sure you go to Northern Ireland much nicer than Southern Ireland and the people are friendlier

Sony is better than canon. English people are taller than Irish.

 

[CCericola]

Unless you are specifically going on a photography trip where everyone in your group will be transporting equipment and setting up shots, save your money. Take a 50mm 1.8 which is nice and light and enjoy yourself on your trip. If you want to waste money get the 18-200 or the 18-270. Both are horrible lenses and not worth the plastic they are made out of.

 

[Infinite_Day]

I would get the 70-300 and stick with the 18-105 for now but that's just my two cents. You're going to wish you had more time but you will have a good time. We went to Scotland last year for 11 days and that wasn't enough so we added more time on for Ireland. As far as the driving - learn the proper etiquette and take your time. It's not that hard if you are confident and don't get too nervous. Make sure you have a GPS. Intersections don't often have stop lights but roundabouts instead and it's easy to take the wrong exit out of them. Good luck and have fun!

 

[lucyred62]

Yes, I wish I had more time. I would have loved to see Scotland as well, but I guess I will have to go back again. The roundabouts are what I am afraid of. I have a friend who came to the USA from Ireland as an adult, and he told me he doesn't even like to drive in the roundabouts. Silly question about the GPS, but can you just purchase maps from Garmin(that is the gps I have, and download it onto our existing gps?

I am leaning toward just keeping the 18-105 for now. The difference in price between it and the 18-200 is almost double, and that is for a used lens. All the reviews of the lens say it is just alright and no better then the 18-105, so I don't think it will be worth changing. Since this is my first Nikon, I have no lenses, so I think keeping the 18-105 to learn on is not a bad thing.

Thanks

 

[djacobox372]

For macro i would save $$ and buy an old manual focus 105mm f2.8 micro. Better built with smoother manual focusing for about 1/3rd the cost of the auto focus version. One of the great things about the d7000 is the compatibility with these fine older lenses.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

The 18-200 is a jack of all master at none. I wouldn't get it. If you need a one lens wide that flexible focal range then sure but if you dont care about carrying two lenses, get the 55-200 then.

No, there's a reason why 18-200mm is more expensive that both 18-55mm and 55-200mm together. 18-200mm is as sharp as both lenses at almost all focal lengths. 18-105mm and 18-135mm is better than 18-200mm at their focal length though.

All compared at f/5.6
18mm
- 18-105 > 18-135 > 18-55 > 18-200
24mm
- 18-105 > 18-135 > 18-200 > 18-55
35mm
- 18-105 > 18-135 > 18-200 > 18-55
55mm
- 18-105, 18-135 > 55-200 > 18-55 > 18-200
70mm
- 18-135 > 18-105 > 55-200, 18-200
105mm
- 18-105 > 18-135 > 55-200
135mm
- 18-200 > 18-135 > 55-200
200mm
- 18-200 > 55-200

As you can see, the 18-200mm is a very good lens. It's not much worse than the 18-105mm or 18-135mm in terms of sharpness. And the difference is very subtle when comparing them, mostly 5lp differences, and take note that I'm comparing using the older 18-200mm. The newer one should be better.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

Buy the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 and Sigma 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 and you'll be spending only $1070. They are almost as sharp as Nikon's equivalent.

 

[Infinite_Day]

Yes, I wish I had more time. I would have loved to see Scotland as well, but I guess I will have to go back again. The roundabouts are what I am afraid of. I have a friend who came to the USA from Ireland as an adult, and he told me he doesn't even like to drive in the roundabouts. Silly question about the GPS, but can you just purchase maps from Garmin(that is the gps I have, and download it onto our existing gps?

I am leaning toward just keeping the 18-105 for now. The difference in price between it and the 18-200 is almost double, and that is for a used lens. All the reviews of the lens say it is just alright and no better then the 18-105, so I don't think it will be worth changing. Since this is my first Nikon, I have no lenses, so I think keeping the 18-105 to learn on is not a bad thing.

Thanks

Yes, you should be able to just purchase the maps and download them onto your current unit. That is exactly what I did with my TomTom and it worked pretty darn well in Scotland. I actually found the roundabouts to be MUCH more efficient and highly enjoyed the driving because people were actually driving instead of eating, texting, talking on the phone, etc. We only hit heavy traffic congestion coming into Glasgow and that's because it was rush hour and they're doing a massive reconstruction project on the motorway there. Just remember - you can go around the roundabouts in a complete circle if you miss your exit. I would seriously suggest reading up on the driving some. The speed limit signs are smaller and there are other subtleties that are good to know. Also, watch your speed because there are speed cameras everywhere and if you get nabbed by one the rental car company will very graciously forward the fine on to you! Just remember to keep calm and you'll be fine. The transition is not as hard as it sounds. One other tip - if you can't drive a standard transmission make sure that your reservation is for an automatic. Standards far outnumber automatics and there are fewer automatics to be had for rental so they go fast from what I hear. Wow - that wasn't about photography at all!

I have the 18-105 and want to replace it but it's really not a bad lens for the price and will work pretty well for you as you learn. I would suggest looking into something longer if you're looking to wildlife but that's entirely up to you! Good luck with your decision!

 

[FTWingRiders]

The Nikon 12-24 f/4G ED IF DX is a great lens for sweeping landscapes. Love mine.

 

[ecolnago]

If you've not been to Europe, keep in mind things are different than in the States. Streets are narrow, city/town spaces are more confined, buildings tighter together, etc. You can usually walk up and get pretty close to anything, but often there's no way of backing up to take more into the frame. A wide angle (wider than your 18 if your DX) is strongly encouraged. I p/u'd a Tokina 11-16 which siute me well, but there are plenty out there in this range.

I've always taken tele-photos w/ me to Europe, but never actually found a need/opportunity to mount it, and won't bother taking one again. Never owned the 18-105. Had the 18-70 kit lens that came w/ the D70 (and wish I'd kept it!) and the 18-200 for a short period of time, all sort of in the same range. While the 18-200 was quite capable of taken good pics in good light, found I just rarely ever shot anything at over 70/80 mm and I HATED the lens creep. Mine had the lock, but still, having to unlock your lens before each series of shots was a bit much for me. That said, I'd think your 18-105 should suite you fine in good light. The 16-85 is also something to consider if you just want something different. Have the 17-55 as well, but can't seem to let my 16-85 go. The lens's size is easy to lug around for hours and it's range suites my shooting style very well. But for Europe you'll still want something wider than even the 16.

For a fast prime, take the 35 over the 50. Again, things are tight, even the interiors where you'll likely use the fast glass. You can usually take a few steps closer if needed, but you often can't back up as there'll be a wall stopping you.

Todd

 

[zamanakhan]

I would be happy with just a 18-55, there is NOTHING wrong with going with just the 18-105 although I think it's expensive for what it is. Personally I like to shoot ultra wide so I took a 10-24 on vacation with me along with a 35 1.8 and 80-200 afs 2.8 pretty much covered everything. If I were you i would return the 18-105 and get a 18-55 with 55-200 add a 50 1.8, perfect travel no compromise kit. Those 3 lenses cost used similar to just the one 18-105. That is what I had with my older d5000, I eventually sold em to move to faster glass, but for travel it was a hard kit to beat. As for 35 vs 50... It's a tough call, if u keep the 18-105 or even get anything that is a bit wide, I would get the 50, if u are looking for something to replace the general wal around get the 35. If you do want to spend ur full budget forget all of them and get a used Nikon 17-55 2.8 lens. It's a beauty, it's got a great range on dx and it's fast.