Need some help on lens decision..

[DCFLA]

So I have a Nikon D50, but now it is pretty much my moms because I do not have much time for photography, she uses it a lot in her class taking pictures of her kids, and around the house and backyard of butterflies and things..

Currently she uses the zoom lens that it comes with, and I also bought a fisheye lens but she never uses that, only I do when I use the camera.

Anyways, her birthday is coming up and I am planning on buying a good zoom lens for her, does anyone know of any good ones? Because I do not no much.
Preferably no more than $350-$400,

And I know she will be using it for my graduation which is in an inside stadium that requires a pretty good amount of zoom to get a good up close photo, seats would be a couple 100 feet away..

Any help or idea would be great, thanks.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Sell the kit zoom and get the Sigma 18-250 HSM/OS

With that budget you 'might' be able to find a used 70-300VR, but I doubt it.

 

[itznfb]

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SLD DG Macro Lens

Stay away from the 18-200+ lenses.... The only people that use those are NOYZE and Ken Rockwell

 

[hossmaster]

get her a 50mm 1.8.

 

[boogschd]

Stay away from the 18-200+ lenses.... The only people that use those are NOYZE and Ken Rockwell

thats a bad thing? :/
been eyeing an 18-200 for a kit lens replacement :/

 

[PhotoXopher]

Wow, I'm honored... Me and my hero Ken Rockwell mentioned in the same sentence together!

 

[itznfb]

Stay away from the 18-200+ lenses.... The only people that use those are NOYZE and Ken Rockwell

thats a bad thing? :/
been eyeing an 18-200 for a kit lens replacement :/

lol. 18-200mm lenses have their function.... look in my sig

Wow, I'm honored... Me and my hero Ken Rockwell mentioned in the same sentence together!

lol. After I posted that I googled "Ken Rockwell" just for fun. I spent the rest of my day at work reading all the hilarity.

 

[boogschd]

Stay away from the 18-200+ lenses.... The only people that use those are NOYZE and Ken Rockwell

thats a bad thing? :/
been eyeing an 18-200 for a kit lens replacement :/

lol. 18-200mm lenses have their function.... look in my sig

Wow, I'm honored... Me and my hero Ken Rockwell mentioned in the same sentence together!

lol. After I posted that I googled "Ken Rockwell" just for fun. I spent the rest of my day at work reading all the hilarity.

lol you guys suck

link me to that 'ken rockwell hilarity'?

 

[PhotoXopher]

I enjoy Ken Rockwell's site, but you have to take it with a grain of salt... I give him credit for the vast amount of time he spends on it and actually applaud his efforts - he provides a lot of information (most of it is rather well thought out). That said, you have to understand his style, even he tells you this... in fact he warns you of this.

 

[itznfb]

thats a bad thing? :/
been eyeing an 18-200 for a kit lens replacement :/

lol. 18-200mm lenses have their function.... look in my sig

Wow, I'm honored... Me and my hero Ken Rockwell mentioned in the same sentence together!

lol. After I posted that I googled "Ken Rockwell" just for fun. I spent the rest of my day at work reading all the hilarity.

lol you guys suck

link me to that 'ken rockwell hilarity'?

Just type ken rockwell in google and start reading some of the random hits you get. The majority of it will be entertaining.

I enjoy Ken Rockwell's site, but you have to take it with a grain of salt... I give him credit for the vast amount of time he spends on it and actually applaud his efforts - he provides a lot of information (most of it is rather well thought out). That said, you have to understand his style, even he tells you this... in fact he warns you of this.

He has two extremes. He goes way off the deep end on some technical articles... and the same day he might write an article that he claims is factual but is actually 100% biased opinion.

The big question is always is he a lunatic or a genius? Then I found this of an interview he just did at J&R and I found the answer. Definitely both. And as much as I love to Ken bash I bet I would have a great time with the guy if I went on a shoot with him.

 

[Bull Goose]

The big question is always is he a lunatic or a genius?

I think he's neither. In a video I saw of him at B&H he had a child-like innocence. Because of this he can appear um, mentally challenged, but I think he's just totally earnest.

Also, he has us all fooled, because for better or worse he's made himself so popular that he can pop up at random in discussions and then get talked about.

 

[itznfb]

I think he's neither. In a video I saw of him at B&H he had a child-like innocence. Because of this he can appear um, mentally challenged, but I think he's just totally earnest.

Also, he has us all fooled, because for better or worse he's made himself so popular that he can pop up at random in discussions and then get talked about.

Well. The mentally challenged plays into my lunatic theory. And if you read some of his technical articles you'd find that he's either really intelligent, or they are copy / pasted from another source / or someone else wrote them.
Plus, I'm sure he is making some bank from advertisers due his now legendary status on the intarwebs.

Either way... he is my hero.

 

[Jaszek]

THE VIDEO

OT ALERT!!!!: Now I know why the guys at J&R are Nikon biased. Whenever you are in NYC go in there and pretend you want a camera. They will do anything for you to buy a Nikon. Then you say you like "that" Canon. He will tell you the Nikon is better, even if its not. Take it from someone who goes there at least once a week at lunch to play around with lenses

 

[itznfb]

lol that's awesome. Next time I'm in that area I'll have to see if I can get in an argument with someone that works there.

 

[invisible]

Ken Rockwell talks to the average Joe who doesn't need a snazzy SLR to take photos. You know, guys who don't post on photo forums... which make up 98% of the market and only buy entry-level stuff. Nothing wrong with it. When Ken Rockwell says "buy a D40 with a 55-200 and you're set", he's not talking to anybody reading this thread. Likewise, the average Joe is not interested in Thom Hogan's material.