Hello all,
I'm an owner of a Nikon D5100 with Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 and 55-200mm 1:4-5.6 lenses. I really enjoy landscape photography. What should be the next lens I put in my camera bag? $400 would probably be the most I would want to spend.
Thank you in advance!
Hello,
I've been in the same position as you are now about a half a year ago when I started with photography and now I would want someone told me what I am going to tell you now. I lurked through these forums and was asking the very same questions as you are now, because I wanted to upgrade, to improve. I got told that I should take my current gear outside instead of lurking for a new equipment.
Let me tell you something. You said you love shooting landscapes. Take that $400 and buy a good, sturdy tripod with a good ballhead with a knob that won't creep (meaning when you fasten it, the position of the camera won't change). Don't make the same mistake I made when I was starting. I bought $70 Velbon tripod saying it will hold the camera just as well. Guess what. Half a year later, I spent another $400 for a sturdy tripod made by Giottos. I read this qoute, that each photographer has two tripods. The cheap one and the good one. If you want to shoot landscapes, you will be on your tripod majority of the time, so treat yourself and your camera and buy a good one. I recommend the brand Giottos, it is "cheaper Gitzo".
As for the lenses, your setup covers pretty much every situation you can come across. Why would you need another lens? Shoot with the ones you have and if there is something you will be unable to shoot with your current setup, buy the lens that will do. I understand getting new lenses is exciting, but the truth is, it never fulfills you. I can tell when I bough a lens, soon I wanted a next one, the other one. Be hard on yourself and stop, you'll thank me later.
You can shoot landscapes perfectly fine with your 18-55, 18mm is wide enough for landscape shots - decide for youself:
This is the shot I took with 18mm focal length on a kit lens, decide for yourself if it is good enough for you.
If you have a good tripod and insist on buying some new lenses, I can recommend you Nikon 35mm f/1.8 which is an ultra sharp lens capable of clean shots in low light situations, however, you can't zoom with it. The another one I'd recommend is the one I am using right now - Nikon 16-85 f/3.5-5.6 - it has wider end than the kit lens (16mm is considerably wider than 18mm which is good for landscapes), it has better build quality (metal tubes, metal mount, weather sealing) and the pictures from it are so sharp you can cut yourself just from looking at them.
Hope it helps.
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