Kit lenses and other Lenses for Nikon d5100

[Goldcoin79]

I am going to buy the nikon d 5100 but need advice on lenses. I was planning on buying the twin lens kit with the 18-55 mm lens and 55-200 mm lens so I have a short range and longer range lens. Would this be a good idear or would I be better off getting the kit with just the 18-55 mm lens and buying a longer range lens separately which is not a kit lens?

if you would advise buying the second lens separate what would you suggest? And if so I don't want the second lens to cost much more than if I buy the twin lens kit.

any advice is appreciated.

 

[Nikanon]

It depends on what you plan on taking photos of? I started off with that exact same kit lens combo when I picked up my D7000 a few months ago. I kept my 18-55 since I liked that range and I just sold my 55-200 although it was a nice beginner zoom lens the AF was too slow and did not work that well for me in low light conditions outside. I mainly shoot my kids sporting events and portraits. With that said I purchased the 70-200 2.8 VRII which better suited my needs at the moment. I'm not saying you should purchase the same lens because everybody has different needs and budgets.

For a beginner lens combo those 2 are ideal to learn from since you can use a variety of focal lenghts and see which one suits you better. From there you can take your photography skills to the next level and save some money to purchase better glass in the future.

FYI, I also picked up a 50mm 1.8G which is also a great inexpensive prime lens that takes really good photos as well.

 

[greybeard]

I think I would recommend the 18-55 and 55-200 + adding a 35mm f/1.8 for those times when you need a really fast prime. As others have said, the 55-200 isn't the fastest lens in the stable but, it does a descent job for what it is. Yes the 70-200 f/2.8 VR II is much faster both optically and focusing but, it cost 3 times what you are paying for the d5100 and 2 lenses. I don't think I would jump into that kind of investment until you know exactly where and how you will be using it.

 

[Goldcoin79]

I would like to use the camera and lenses for taking portraits of my children doing landscapes and getting nice holiday photos, I also want to get a nice shallow depth of field from the lenses when taking portraits of my children. Do you think the kit lenses will suit me to do these things?

 

[Patrice]

So your looking at entry level stuff and you don't want to go above kit prices - you might as well find the best price you can for the body and the two kit lenses. Save your pennies and add a flash to your shopping list. At this level of equipment an SB700 or some similar iTTL compatible swivel head flash will do more for your photography than any other accessory.

 

[KmH]

Kit lenses are consumer grade lenses.

Prosumer grade lenses will cost more than consumer grade.

This is the Nikon Budget Trinity of Zoom Lenses
Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (will not auto focus on a D5100. Is an FX lens)
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (will not auto focus on a D5100. Is an FX lens)

And the pro grade Nikon Trinity of Zoom Lenses;
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

 

[Rafterman]

I would like to use the camera and lenses for taking...

1) portraits of my children
2) doing landscapes
3) getting nice holiday photos

I also want to get a nice shallow depth of field from the lenses when taking portraits of my children

1) The 35mm f/1.8G already mentioned above, or the 50mm f/1.8G will be fantastic for this.
2) The 18-55mm kit lens is no slouch when it comes to shooting landscapes. Invest in a decent tripod and you'll be good to go.
3) See number 1

Shallow depth of field for portraits? Again, the 35mm and 50mm 1.8G will get you as shallow as you want for just $200 each (although, the 50 is about $250 now because it's in short supply).

Get the kit with the 18-55 and the 55-200. Throw in another $200 for the 35 1.8G and you'll be set for quite a while.

 

[Usul]

A think you better buy 18-105 mm kit lens becouse you'll got more versatile focal range so you don't need change lens frequently and you won't be pleased of IQ on 150-200 mm of 55-200 lens. Also as was mentioned above get 50 or 35/1.8, tripod and an external flash (but not SB-400). I guess at the begginig you better have some additional equipment for different situations than extra focalrandge youn'll be use only 5% of times. I guess even the focal range of 18-55 will be enought for you purposes.

 

[Rafterman]

you won't be pleased of IQ on 150-200 mm of 55-200 lens

You might not be happy with the image quality of the pictures that you personally are getting with it, but the 55-200mm VR is a great lens for the money and it can produce good quality pictures, even at 200mm on an entry-level DSLR camera.

Case in point...

200mm, 1/1000sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, shot with a D3100

 

[Goldcoin79]

Just one more question to add to the subject. What is better the 55-200mm kit lens or the tamron 18-270mm PZD lens.

I would appreciate your advice.

 

[Rafterman]

Just one more question to add to the subject. What is better the 55-200mm kit lens or the tamron 18-270mm PZD lens.

I would appreciate your advice.

Considering the 18-270 is $650 by itself, I'd stick with the 18-55 and 55-200 from a purely monetary standpoint. While I'm sure it's nice to not have to change a lens, I've heard and read countless times how soft those "all-in-one" zooms can be at the long end. Plus, the Tamron has a max aperture of only 6.3 at 270mm, which would typically mean you'd need plenty of light to achieve faster shutter speeds.

The Nikon 18-200 VR gets good reviews though and costs a bit less at $600. It may be worth looking into if you have your heart set on a do-it-all zoom. If you want longer reach beyond 200mm, you can get the 18-55 and a 70-300mm from either Nikon or a 3rd party company like Tamron or Sigma.