Nikon Lens upgrade (18-55/55-200)

MrPhotoMan

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Hello everyone. Im looking for some opinions on my potential lens upgrade:

Here is my gear:
Nikon D3000
Nikon Kit 18-55
Nikon Kit 55-200
Nikon 35mm 1.8f (I LOVE THE SHARPNESS of this lens.) I usually never take it off.
Nikon 600 Speedlight

I find myself doing a lot of switching between my 2 Nikon Kit lenses and it can be a PITA at times.

I am thinking about trading those 2 lenses to BHPhoto for a combined $100 then purchase a new
Tamron 18-200mm Macro for $199 (only $100 out of pocket)
Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II Macro Lens AF014NII-700 B&H

Is consolidating mt 2 Nikon kits for this lens? Am I going to downgrade image quality? Im not a professional by any means but I do find myself wishing I had the extra tele range without having to swap out.

Ideally, I wish I could get a low fstop tele but I don't have an extra $1000 laying around.

Some suggestions/alternatives would be appreciated.
 
My advice on a superzoom, is no. Yeah, they sound good, but a lot of image quality is sacrificed. My advice would be to get a 16-85 f/3.5-5.6 and a 70-300 f4.5-5.6. Honestly, superzooms are more of a downgrade.
 
if you love the sharpness of your 35mm, you're going to LOOOOOVVVVEEEE the sharpness of that Tamron.


Plesae read that post with HEAVY sarcasm.
 
Do I stick with Nikon lenes or are Sigma and Tamron alright too at a fraction of the price?
 
Sigma and Tamron have some good lenses, make no mistake about that...I'd just stay away from superzooms, regardless of who made them.
 
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Agree with above posters, avoid budget superzooms if you care about sharpness and quality. Some lens swapping is just a part of life, the key is to figure out what lenses to carry for what you prefer shooting and have planned so you can minimize things. Personally my 35mm stays on my d5200 most of the time I would want the 18-55mm range and I use my feet to zoom.

Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2
 
I went from the 18-55 / 55-200 to the 18-105 / 70-300 with no hesitations.
 
Agree with above posters, avoid budget superzooms if you care about sharpness and quality. Some lens swapping is just a part of life, the key is to figure out what lenses to carry for what you prefer shooting and have planned so you can minimize things. Personally my 35mm stays on my d5200 most of the time I would want the 18-55mm range and I use my feet to zoom.

Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2

Thanks exactly what I have been doing the past 10 months. I just take a few steps forward or back. With my 35mm I can get like 8 inches away from my subject. The sharpness is awesome. At this point in my life and my kids ages I find myself wanting more of the lower range zooms (16-85) My kids aren't in many sports yet that justify something larger than my 55-200 kit lens. Perhaps I will look at some wide angle zooms. (16-85) like suggested.


Thank you to everyone for your insigts. It seems I can really get more lens for the buck if I dont get a Nikon lens.
 
The 18-105 (on my camera most of the time when wandering around) is such a nicer lens than the basic 18-55 (I have one downstairs .. somewhere).

I was very hesitant on going to a 18-200 and somewhat hesitant on going to the 18-140 (price)

so I got a 80-200/2.8 instead
actually my 75-300 AF is very nice too and cheap ) but not a "D" nor VR).
 
I would sell your 18-55 locally (for ~$90) and buy a refurb 18-105 for $200! Keep your 55-200 until you can upgrade to the 70-300VR..
 
I went from the 18-55 / 55-200 to the 18-105 / 70-300 with no hesitations.

the 18-105 / 70-300 with no hesitations.

now this is a plan.
If you care about sharp pictures DONT BUY 18-200mm lenses!!!
They are very comfortable and gives great bang to the buck but the down side is that they produce soft pictures.
So if you want sharp pics stay clear from these lenses.

I wanted to suggest going for the combination of 18-105mm VR and 70-30mm VR but these 2 guys beat me to it.
These are excellent sharp lenses that will not break the bank.
Get them used, there are tons of them out there and my guess you can get both used for around 400$-500$
 
Hello.
I currently have the standard 18-55mm AF-S 3.5-5.6 VR on my D7100 and also use a Sigma APO DG 70-300mm 4-5.6. Sometimes I wish maybe I should also have the Nikon version with VR , what d'you think I should do?
 
Hello.
I currently have the standard 18-55mm AF-S 3.5-5.6 VR on my D7100 and also use a Sigma APO DG 70-300mm 4-5.6. Sometimes I wish maybe I should also have the Nikon version with VR , what d'you think I should do?

Well the D7100 is a very sharp camera that in many cases is limited by the lenses it has.
There are few lenses you can get to really get al the potential of the camera.
I assume you are short on cash so I would sell both the lenses you have and get the Nikon 18-105mm VR and the Nikon 70-300mm VR
I would also recommend you getting the Nikon 50mm 1.8G for portrait, night photography and just for sharp everyday photography.
If you are willing to go used then all these 3 lenses should be yours at roughly around 600$ or around 450$ without the 50mm lens.
If you can spend more then a very good sharp lens instead the 18-105mm VR is the 16-85mm VR, this is considered one of the best lens in its focul range but its more expensive then the 18-105mm VR.
 
Hello everyone. Im looking for some opinions on my potential lens upgrade:

Here is my gear:
Nikon D3000
Nikon Kit 18-55
Nikon Kit 55-200
Nikon 35mm 1.8f (I LOVE THE SHARPNESS of this lens.) I usually never take it off.
Nikon 600 Speedlight

I find myself doing a lot of switching between my 2 Nikon Kit lenses and it can be a PITA at times.

I am thinking about trading those 2 lenses to BHPhoto for a combined $100 then purchase a new
Tamron 18-200mm Macro for $199 (only $100 out of pocket)
Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II Macro Lens AF014NII-700 B&H

Is consolidating mt 2 Nikon kits for this lens? Am I going to downgrade image quality? Im not a professional by any means but I do find myself wishing I had the extra tele range without having to swap out.

Ideally, I wish I could get a low fstop tele but I don't have an extra $1000 laying around.

Some suggestions/alternatives would be appreciated.

Considering your request for opinions, I would suggest you consider the following:

For what they are, the 18-55 and 55-200 kit lenses are perfectly adequate, and nothing comes close to them from a price/performance perspective, given their focal range. The same holds true for the 35mm f1.8. To get better quality than these three lenses, you will have to invest substantially more than the cost of these lenses for the same focal range. If your prime frustration is to continually change lenses, then look to the Nikon18-105mm VR lens, which could remove some of your current lens changes, but is unlikely to increase quality by any margin. Lens quality is on a par with the zoom lenses you currently have (so-so quality), and the new cost will be substantially below the other new Nikon-branded options.

Contrary to other comments above, the super-zooms (like the Nikon 18-200 VR DX) have their place. While they would almost never be in the bag of a professional photographer and do have their shortcomings, they cannot be beaten from a convenience and versatility perspective. Sure, you may lose a little sharpness, comparing them to prime lenses, but photography is all about compromises - Quality vs Convenience vs Cost.

If I were to consider any single upgrade to your equipment, I believe the biggest improvement would be achieved through an upgrade your camera. Any upgrade would be a substantial improvement over the sensor in the D3000. While the performance of the D3000 may seem adequate for your current needs, I do not believe that any investment in lenses is likely to substantially improve the quality of your photographs to justify the additional cost. Will the cost be justified by the improved convenience - Only you can judge that decision.

If you have any intention of moving up the ladder when it comes to both quality and/or versatility (convenience), or both, I would first look to upgrade your camera body, so that it can take better advantage of any lens upgrades you may consider in the future. And note that this can become a VERY expensive hobby if you continually strive for the latest and greatest technological improvements - On the other end of the spectrum, a simple, super-zoom bridge camera may alleviate your current lens-changing frustrations at a lower cost than any DSLR body/lens upgrades.

Decisions, decisions .... Have fun :wink:
 

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