Lens to begin with...

Jpilch · Sep 12, 2011

Hi I finally decided to purchase a nikon d5100 16.2 as my first dslr camera. Never gotten this high in photography but very excited to get started. I was thinking as my 2 lens I think to start off with should be a fixed 55m lens and a 77-300mm lens. Is there any recommendations from you guys which ones I should look into. I will be traveling to israel in december hopefully and next summer im trying to spend 3 months in South America. I want a good lens for nature and for action sports like wrestling, fishing and surfing. I also spend a lot of time in NC and nature over there is very unique as well in its self. Let's not forget the great surf there is to offer in NC. I was thinking of purchasing the nikon body seperate and purchasing the lens on there own as well. Unless you think different...

I know I sound lost and trust me I am. I just don't want to make extra purchases if I can afford not to!

robertandrewphoto · Sep 12, 2011

I think you'd be better off getting an 18-55mm lens instead of the 50mm fixed. I have one of each of those and the 50mm fixed is mainly for portraits and a select few sports I shoot....and occasionally macro because of the aperture. 70-300 is a good choice though

kundalini · Sep 12, 2011

The D5100 can come kitted with the 18-55mm lens. That lens is capable of taking very nice, sharp images. My suggestion is to get used to that and then expand your lens choices. I can appreciate the desire for more and better glass, but the numbers you threw up in the OP for focal lengths are not right. Check your sources again. Your future trips mentioned do not sound confirmed. If they happen, you may want to source out local rentals for lenses, rather than purchase at this time. Get familiar with your camera and one lens first.

I am a native Tarheel and the beauty in the state of NC you speak of is quite real.

Good luck.

ulrichsd · Sep 12, 2011

I like my 70-300 a lot, but I agree if you only have two lens you might be better off with something wider than 50mm. But the 50mm and 18-55 are so cheap you might as well get both of them. On vacation you'd would definitely miss not having range below 50mm for buildings, landscapes, etc. If you were looking to get an ultrawide zoom, then I'd say you could maybe skip the 18-55mm though.

Those 3 lenses would make a nice setup.
Good luck,
Scott

MTVision · Sep 12, 2011

I have the d5100 and it came with the 18-55mm and the 55-300mm. I bought the 50mm f/1.4 a few weeks ago. The 50 stayed on for a while because it's new and it's such an amazing lens. But, it's nice to have something a little wider. I think it'd be better to learn on the 18-55 than the prime lens

MTVision · Sep 12, 2011

I have the d5100 and it came with the 18-55mm and the 55-300mm. I bought the 50mm f/1.4 a few weeks ago. The 50 stayed on for a while because it's new and it's such an amazing lens. But, it's nice to have something a little wider. I think it'd be better to learn on the 18-55 than the prime lens

subscuck · Sep 12, 2011

You can go quite far with a body/kit lens combo. It's fair to say that all kit lenses are capable of more than acceptable pics when you know how to get the best from your gear. That requires some fundamentals in both camera/lenses and the photographic process itself. You mention sports. Everybody wants to shoot sports when they get their cam. The fact is, sports photography is it's own discipline within the broader discipline. It takes a lot of knowledge and some gear suited to it. A xx-300mm kit zoom will prove inadequate. It takes a lot of reach and a lens fast enough to get the shutter speeds you need at long focal lengths. That = $'s. Lots of 'em. Do it right, take the time to read and learn. Lack of the fundamentals will lead to a lack of progress. There's more to know than you may have imagined. None of it is "nice to know", it's all must know stuff.

This might be a nice initial set up for you.

I have the d5100 and it came with the 18-55mm and the 55-300mm.

It will be more than enough to start with and will take you a long way thru the learning curve. Start reading as well. Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson will start teaching you what you need to know. There's a lot on line as well. Once you start learning and applying that knowledge, you'll figure out what you need in a lens to do something you can't do with a kit lens. That's when you start buying better glass.

Jpilch · Sep 13, 2011

Wow! Thanks guys, just got my butt handed to me. I mean that in a good way and have much to read up on. With all these recent replies im excited and have something to look forward to read up on now that I have more of a direction. Where before I was peeing into the wind not really having anyone giving me a cardinal direction. I can see myself purchasing a lens kit. I just saw there were regular lens and then telescoping ones. As far as my trips go, I apply to birthday-right tomorrow and ill find out if I get accepted to the trip to israel and South America is almost a for sure thing as long as I dont hit any bumps in the road between now and then Ill have the money needed to make the trip considering how little im working these days now that I decided to go back to school. NC is very beautiful, My family has a home there on the beach and love getting out of miami to go there. You can't beat looking under your feet on the porch and looking at multiple deer eating at night! Thanks guys.

Jpilch · Sep 13, 2011

Anyone have any suggestions on best deals on the kits or amazon and best buy online the best way to go. I found a website called dealsfordigital.com where they had the nikon d5100 body only listed for 619.00 where everyone else was listed at 675.00 etc... I looked into the website and called there number after a 20+ minute wait I finally got a guy on the phone supposedly out of New York and it's a online store only. When I told the guy im curious about there place because it seemed like a scam website. He was puzzled and didn't seem to care much. I still don't trust the website and probably spend the extra money somewhere else knowing I will recieve my product.

DiskoJoe · Sep 13, 2011

A good lens to start with would be a sigma 24-70 f2.8. the fixed aperture throughout will allow you to control the shots better and it would be a lens you would not outgrow quickly. Tamron also makes a 28-75 f2.8 that you can get new for about $400. good lens. very sharp. a sigma 70-200 f2.8 is also a great lens for travel. very expensive but well worth the money. I use mine alot for street photography and portrait work.

Sigma APO DC 70-200mm f2.8 II EX Macro HSM for Nikon | eBay

Nikon Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 D AF lens EX Aspherical DG DF | eBay

NEW TAMRON 28-75MM F2.8 XR Di Lens f/ Nikon D3100 D7000 | eBay

subscuck · Sep 13, 2011

Jpilch said:
Anyone have any suggestions on best deals on the kits or amazon and best buy online the best way to go.

While I do occasionally use Amazon, you need to check and see if it ships from them or a third party. While the majority of their third party suppliers are OK, some are iffy. My first choice would always be B&H Photo, followed by Adorama as a very close second. Either of them will be comparably priced with Amazon, some items a few dollars more, some items a few dollars less. When dealing with something like camera gear, after purchase support is very important. At B&H or Adorama, if you need to call, you talk to people who know and use the gear they sell. With Best Buy or Amazon you don't. Last but not least, if you see a website selling for significantly less than B&H or Adorama, run. Run fast.

Overread · Sep 13, 2011

*Moving to equipment subsection*

Jpilch · Sep 13, 2011

Thanks for the last 2 post, I looked at the prices over 2 lens you recommended to me and seem respectable. What would I be gaining and loosing from that 200mm lens from a 300mm lens I'd asked about originally? It's about a 600 dollar difference between buying a kit and buying those lens seperately. How much will I be benefitting from making that much of a jump in price for someone just starting off?

Valtheri · Sep 24, 2011

[h=6]Tell me, does it matter 18-105mm lens for better lighting of the photos (ISO), or only has the best zoom in. What are the difference between 18-55mm and 18-105mm in detail. Please tell me.[/h]