New to D5000, which of these two lenses? I'm a first time dslr buyer and I'm strongly leaning towards the D5000. Besides the standard 18-55mm lens that comes in the kit, I've seen kits that also include the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G as well. That sounded good to me till I stumbled onto this lens, the 35mm f/1.8g, which it seems many people rave about. Most say it shoots in great detail and is very good in low lighting (two important things for me). With the purchase of the camera, I'll only be able to get one of these lenses right now. Between the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G and the 35mm f/1.8g, which would you recommend? thanks New to D5000, which of these two lenses? I'm a first time dslr buyer and I'm strongly leaning towards the D5000. Besides the standard 18-55mm lens that comes in the kit, I've seen kits... » Read More New to D5000, which of these two lenses? I'm a first time dslr buyer and I'm strongly leaning towards the D5000. Besides the standard 18-55mm lens that comes in the kit, I've seen kits that also include the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G as well. That sounded good to me till I stumbled onto this lens, the 35mm f/1.8g, which it seems many people rave about. Most say it shoots in great detail and is very good in low lighting (two important things for me). With the purchase of the camera, I'll only be able to get one of these lenses right now. Between the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G and the 35mm f/1.8g, which would you recommend? thanks « Show Less
990745
Congrats on the D5000 (and both great lenses you have). Be sure and get that 35mm down the road, believe me it will probably be the best 200$ you'll ever spend if you do any shooting indoors. I have tons of other lenses (including a 50mm f/1.4) so I held off for a while on getting the 35mm f/1.8, once I did finally get it I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner, it's that good. Happy shooting.
990746
Thanks for the replies. I finally went ahead with my purchase in late february. I love shooting outdoors so I went with the 55-200mm lens. A great point was made, coming from the world of point and shoot, I wasn't use to not being able to zoom in and in that regard, the 55-200mm lens definitely does it's job. If I shot everyday in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon or from the top of the Empire State Building, I'd probably get more out of the 55-200 lens. But I never really zoomed using my old P&S; and so far, have hardly used my 55-200. I'll save it, probably use it down the road. But when I can I plan to add the 35mm prime to my collection. Thanks for the replies. I finally went ahead with my purchase in late february. I love shooting outdoors so I went with the 55-200mm lens. A great point was made, coming from the world of point and shoot, I wasn't use to not being able to zoom in and in that regard, the 55-200mm lens definitely does it's job. If I shot everyday in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon or from the top of the Empire State Building, I'd probably get more out of the 55-200 lens. But I never really zoomed using my old P&S; and so far, have hardly used my 55-200. I'll save it, probably use it down the road. But when I can... » Read More Thanks for the replies. I finally went ahead with my purchase in late february. I love shooting outdoors so I went with the 55-200mm lens. A great point was made, coming from the world of point and shoot, I wasn't use to not being able to zoom in and in that regard, the 55-200mm lens definitely does it's job. If I shot everyday in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon or from the top of the Empire State Building, I'd probably get more out of the 55-200 lens. But I never really zoomed using my old P&S; and so far, have hardly used my 55-200. I'll save it, probably use it down the road. But when I can I plan to add the 35mm prime to my collection. « Show Less
990747
depends on your usage, i'd say the 35mm f1.8g because its a better all rounder and is a lot sharper than the 55-200 ( i have both of these ) the 35mm is great for indoors i chose the 35mm 1.8 over the 50mm 1.8 because its wider. The build quality is not that great on the 55-200 and the vr motor gives a noise also the focusing speed is slow on the 55-200mm
990748
I would suggest getting the 35mm because it's going to be a lot more useful for 99% of your shooting situations. Unless you really need to get up close to a subject, like during a football game, the 35mm is the best choice. It's excellent in low light, great for portraits, and really really fast. It's an excellent buy, you won't be disappointed. If you're still uneasy, go to a store to try it out. I went to B & H to try it out, where I made my final decision.It all really comes down to putting each in your hand and trying them out to see which one will suit you better. Good luck!
990749
I have a D5000 with the standard kit lens (18-55mm) and also the 55-200mm that you are considering. I do not use my 55-200 much for day to day shots. Unless you will be doing a lot of travel or outdoor shots where you need to zoom a lot, I would definitely go for the 35mm f/1.8g. I plan to buy one myself in the next few weeks and think it would be much more versatile for day to day shooting. I, too, have heard rave reviews about it, and speaking from experience, neither the 18-55 mm lens included in the kit nor the 55-200 are particularly good in low lighting situations. Go for the 35 mm, and let me know how you like it! I expect to order mine soon! I have a D5000 with the standard kit lens (18-55mm) and also the 55-200mm that you are considering. I do not use my 55-200 much for day to day shots. Unless you will be doing a lot of travel or outdoor shots where you need to zoom a lot, I would definitely go for the 35mm f/1.8g. I plan to buy one myself in the next few weeks and think it would be much more versatile for day to day shooting. I, too, have heard rave reviews about it, and speaking from experience, neither the 18-55 mm lens included in the kit nor the 55-200 are particularly good in low lighting situations. Go for the 35 mm,... » Read More I have a D5000 with the standard kit lens (18-55mm) and also the 55-200mm that you are considering. I do not use my 55-200 much for day to day shots. Unless you will be doing a lot of travel or outdoor shots where you need to zoom a lot, I would definitely go for the 35mm f/1.8g. I plan to buy one myself in the next few weeks and think it would be much more versatile for day to day shooting. I, too, have heard rave reviews about it, and speaking from experience, neither the 18-55 mm lens included in the kit nor the 55-200 are particularly good in low lighting situations. Go for the 35 mm, and let me know how you like it! I expect to order mine soon! « Show Less
990750
I'm glad someone posted this question! It really has helped me decide to buy this lense too. I have the double kit with the other 2 lenses mentioned. I haven't used the 55 200 yet!! The weather is terrible and I'm afraid to take out the new camera. I do a LOT of indoor shooting of my kids and this lense sounds like it will work very nicely. I'm still blown away by the D5000. The pictures in just Auto mode with the 18 55 kit lense are night and day above my other cameras. I'm in heaven!
990751
I just bought the 5100 Nikon and the 55-300 lens, but I shoot birds, wildlife type things so I am wanting to know which lens do I need to zoom in on birds, ect. I cannot get much of anything with the 55-300 , flowers, humans, ect...not a good buy for me but I will keep it a bit longer-
1203850
yep. I am going to amend my advice and recommend the Tokina 11-16 2.8. This gets excellent reviews and is faster than the others for low light shooting such as UW. I shot with the 10-24 such subjects as a gilded church. It came out spectacular. All in all, if money is not an issue, it is a tossup between the nikon and tokina. I switched to fx format and now use the nikon 12-24. It's a monster. BTW, another great option for the Nikon DX is the great 18-200 zoom.
1268001
need to purchase the lens in conjunction with a Nikon DSLR or package. When going through checkout, at the next to last page, it asks you for the promo code. If it doesn't take it, make sure that it hasn't already been applied. You should see $100 in the "gift card and promotional" fund, and it asks you whether you want it applied to your purchase (check box). I purchased my D3100 with the standard 18-55 lens, added the 55-200, and got it for $96. Great deal. Total cost of the package, camera, two lenses, case and DVD instructional video's (also free) $700. unbeatable.
1420442
I use the 1.4X as well as the 2.0X between my Nikon D-200 and the 80-400 f4.5 Nikor D lens. The optical quality is very good for the price. Plan on using a tripod more often because you will loose a stop and end up shooting with a slower shutter speed. Happy Shooting!
501123
Congrats on the nice lens! I have the 17-85. It's better than my 18-55, but I would love to get the 17-55 someday. Heck, I'd like to get a lot of different lenses someday! But being completely new to dslr, I think what I have now will suffice until I get going.
185426
i have the d3100 and i love it. since you're a beginner on a budget save the $ and get the cheaper d3100, and stay with the kit lens it comes with. the d3100 can take wonderful photos, and handles very well. the kit lens is a good lens, great for beginners. once you're more advanced with your skills, and you've learned some of the manual modes on the camera, then i'd recommend either the nikon 50mm 1.8g or 35mm 1.8g. one thing you might want to consider adding when you get the camera, is a telephoto lens for reach/zoom. the nikon 55-200mm af-s or 55-300mm af-s are great lenses and will give you more reach, so you can be farther away and get in close to your subjects. just something to think about. oh, another reason i like the d3100 over the d5100 for beginners, it's got a guide mode to teach you how to use the camera. very useful! good luck, let us know what you end up getting.
1019877
I did NOT buy the kit lens...bought camera with the 18-200mm lens instead....love this lens....a bit heavy but just great....no need for multiple lenses.
422107
bought my nikon d40 lately. read good things about the camera through kenrockwell site. it helps me a lot to decide. now am thinking of buying the nikkor 18-200mm VR lense. btw the 50mm f1/4 lense and d40 they say is compatible. but am not so sure how to install the lense in the camera. any suggestions?
2096570
Depends on what you are planning to use the lens for. If you are into wildlife photography then you may need the 18-300.The 18-200 is a pretty compact lens while the 18-300 is huge and weighs about 10 more ounces. Check out this link to see the relative sizes..........http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/comparisons/DX-super-zooms/index.htm As far as Leon's criticism of this lens is concerned I would definitely not call this a poor lens. Just keep in mind that as with any superzoom there are compromises that have to be made. It would not be fair to compare the sharpness of this lens with a prime lens or with a pro quality zoom lens like the 24-70 f/2.8. So if you are into pixel peeping you will be disappointed. This is a good walk about lens that lets you capture a variety of scenes without having to change lens. This is not a fast lens and needs good lighting to capture good photographs. In summary if you are looking for a portrait lens look elsewhere but if you are looking for a lens that you can travel with and capture vacation memories then the flexibility that this lens provides you is excellent.
270545
Well, this lens is designed for full-framed DSLR. The D5000 is a DX sensor...not full frame. I would not buy it for the D5000. Buy a lens that is designated for the DX system. I believe it may save you money as well.
1192316
I have had the 18 to 200. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that lens. If you're predisposed towards it, I won't try to talk you out of it, BUT . . I really like the 18 to 140 on my daily carry D5200. Fits the job and fits my hands. VERY sharp with great contrast and saturation. BTW, my fair, civic gathering lens in my D300s is almost always the 18 to 300, so ya makes your choice and you take your chances. IMHO, as long as it says "Nikon" on, you can't go wrong. Pick one.
947782
i cant remember all the reasons i chose the 4500. maybe the zoom. or one you can change lenses. I can promice you i did a lot of research before i decided on the 4500. Its a great "outside" camera. Not so good indoors under poor lighting. ( must use flash) I have taken some very nice pics and i am very happy with it. I plan on getting into it some more very soon. I think its a great 1st digital camera. hope this helped
79346
I have used a 70-300mm EF and a 55-300mm AF lens with my D5100. Though the 70-300mm EF is a higher grade lens, I think that upon looking back at my results, the 55-300mm AF lens option gave me clearer images than the 70-300mm lens does. You will, however, be happy with either one. My 55-300mm lens was stolen last summer and I replaced it with a refurbished 70-300mm EF lens. If I were going to do it again, I'd probably get another 55-300mm lens. But on the other hand, the 70-300mm lens has a larger lens aperture and so it works better under lower light conditions than the 55-300mm AF lens. Life always seems to be about choices and trade-offs doesn't it. I hope this was helpful.
423679
If you are going to stick with a DX sensor Nikon for a while, then I think the 18-300mm is your best value. The image quality is going to be very comparable to the 28-300mm, plus the 18-300 has these advantages for the DX shooter:- It starts at 18mm, so you have much wider coverage for landscape shots or tight spaces- It's smaller and lighter. Since this is going to be an all-purpose travel lens, this will be very helpful- It's about $150 less- If you ever go up to FX / full-frame, you can always sell this lens down the road and recoup about 65-75% of the original cost Enjoy! If you are going to stick with a DX sensor Nikon for a while, then I think the 18-300mm is your best value. The image quality is going to be very comparable to the 28-300mm, plus the 18-300 has these advantages for the DX shooter:- It starts at 18mm, so you have much wider coverage for landscape shots or tight spaces- It's smaller and lighter. Since this is going to be an all-purpose travel lens, this will be very helpful- It's about $150 less- If you ever go up to FX / full-frame, you can always sell this lens down the road and recoup about 65-75% of the original... » Read More If you are going to stick with a DX sensor Nikon for a while, then I think the 18-300mm is your best value. The image quality is going to be very comparable to the 28-300mm, plus the 18-300 has these advantages for the DX shooter:- It starts at 18mm, so you have much wider coverage for landscape shots or tight spaces- It's smaller and lighter. Since this is going to be an all-purpose travel lens, this will be very helpful- It's about $150 less- If you ever go up to FX / full-frame, you can always sell this lens down the road and recoup about 65-75% of the original cost Enjoy! « Show Less
923246
I too have the 45-175. Keep an eye out prices vary all the time. If you see a 'great deal' (especially used) GRAB IT. That is true for all items on Amazon. Now, you have three lenses and you must have a kit lens with your G5? If you have a bare G5 then none of these is my best advice, you will not like how 45mm (effectively 90mm) is not nearly 'wide' enough for close up shots... So, assuming you have a 14-42 and this is your SECOND lens you have price and age to decide. lowest cost (and low weight) is the newest 45-150 (2012). Best overall range, in my biased opinion, is the 45-175 (2011) Significantly older and middle of the three pricewise (and much heavier and larger) is the 45-200 (2008). Really, like someone else said, just keep checking (sometimes the price will change significantly during a day), I got my 45-175 for 192 and change last June. Best of luck!
369535
I own the D80 with 18-135 lens and love it. Yes, you sacrifice a tad of fabulousness by picking the lens with the broader range, but I wanted bang-for-buck versatility first. I recommend getting at least *one* of the Nikon-Nikkor lenses, since they have proprietary circuitry that (I believe) the after-markets don't. The one thing you'd gain by starting with the 18-55 lens is that it *is* quite a bit smaller. I hate to mention it here, but I found - post-purchase - my local (Atlanta) membership w'house had a kit with *both* lenses for less than I paid for the body + lens.
2071316
When you order the 'nikon' version, they just include the nikon T adapter, which works with all nikon 35mm slr's. You should also check your manual to see what functions are disabled when using a non-cpu lens. In case it is not obvious, you'll need to focus and set the lens aperture manually with the lens. With the d5000, all light metering is disabled and you can only use the manual (M) mode. Nikons compatibility page for the d7000 seems to imply you'll still be able to use aperture priority(A) mode: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7000/compatibility02.htm but you may need to find some lens data to load onto your camera to get that working properly. At $100, I'm pretty happy with this lens. It's sharp and lighter than I expected and let me experiment with a longer focal length.