Choosing

Well as far as buying a lens goes, I'm a bit behind schedule. However I have narrowed it down (finally!) to 3 main ones.

1.  AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR                                                           
    $649.95

 

 

 

This is the lens that I am leaning most towards. I am a bit hesitant because it is the most expensive out of the 3, but after doing a lot of research and reading hundreds of reviews this seems like it is pretty much exactly what I am looking for.

- The Focal length range is 18-140mm, which is nice and versatile. I was originally looking for a higher maximum focal length of around 200mm, but most of those lenses have a minimum focal range of around 55m which can sometimes be difficult when working indoors. Having such a high minimum also lessens certain photography opportunities such as some landscapes, etc. Since I want a lens that I can use for many things without having to switch lenses often, I really like the 18-140mm range.

-It has a metal mount, as apposed to a plastic mount. This simply makes it stronger, and able to resist small bumps, and also gives it more strength to hold different lens ends that I have. Reading reviews there are dozens of stories about plastic mounts simply breaking off of the camera, and as I plan to this lens for travelling, I figured the stronger the better! Better to pay a bit more now than pay even more later to get it fixed.

-Has vibration reduction. Most do, but I consider it very important! Especially because I am not going to always use a tripod.

-It is fantastic for everyday shooting, and good for wide-range photographic opportunities. Very versatile. Which is perfect for me, as I don't really stick to just one type of photography.

 

-Reviews are the best out of all the other lenses I looked in to. Obviously this is not what I base my research off of, but it is nice to know that others were pleased with it!

2. AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6 G IF-ED

$329.95

 

 -The price is a bit less scary for this one, which is nice.

 

-This lens has a focal length range of 55-200mm. I really like the maximum of 200mm. However the fact that the minimum is 55mm is a bit of a turn off for me, seeing as this would make indoor shooting, or other kinds of photography, difficult in some cases.

 

-Has built in vibration reduction.

 

-Has a plastic mount.

 

-It is a great lens, with a great price, and the reviews are not bad.

 

 

3. AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR

$379.95



 

 

-I am liking the price for this one as well.

 

-The minimum focal length is 18mm, which is extremely nice, and the maximum range is 105mm, which is good. Not as high as I had hoped for, so this one is probably my last choice out of the 3.

 

-Has built in vibration reduction.

 

-Plastic mount. Which I could totally be happy with, however as you know I would much prefer a metal mount.

 

-Reviews are okay, however there are many that say the plastic mount caused it to break off of their camera very easily.

 

 

 

So its pretty obvious which lens I like the most (lens #1). It is a fair bit more expensive than the other 2, but I will be using it very often and (hopefully) will not regret buying it. However as it is not set in stone that I am actually going to choose that one, I figured I would post all 3 just to keep my options open. So hopefully I will pick one by the end of this week! If you have any thoughts or advice for me, feel free to comment, I would love all the advice I can get!

What I am looking for.

So what I am looking for is pretty much a lens that is a bit of a step up from the kit lens that I currently have (which is an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR) So here are a few things that I am hoping to find in a potential new one!

Focal Length Range
One of the main things that I am looking for is one with a bit of a better focal length range (or "zoom") because as the 18-55mm is great for lots of everyday things, there are many times where a bit more zoom would be extremely helpful. Whether its for photographing nature or people, or anything really, it's always nice not to be so tied down with not being able to get as close as you like without physically getting closer to the subject. On the Nikon website I found an article that used a brilliant visual representation of different focal lengths.

http://en.nikon.ca/Learn-And-Explore/Article/g3cu6o2o/understanding-focal-length.html

So as you can see, my 18-55mm lens has some zoom, but I am hoping to upgrade to one that has a maximum zoom of around 135mm to 200mm. Once you start getting to the higher focal lengths you need to start using a tripod in order to avoid shaky or blurry pictures, and since I am looking for a "walk- around" lens I am not going worry about spending extra for a maximum focal length that I will rarely use, seeing as I am not going to carry a tripod around with me.

VR Image Stabilizer

A must for any lens that I am thinking about buying, is that it has to have VR (Vibration Reduction) Image stabilizer. Almost all lenses do, but it is definitely a great thing to have when you are not using a tripod (which is pretty much all the time in my case!)

 I also need an AF-S lens, because my camera does not have a built in focus motor.

 

Metal mount vs Plastic

Another (minor) thing that I am looking for in a lens is a metal mount, rather than a plastic mount. What that means is that the part of the lens that attaches to the camera will be metal, and thus a good deal stronger and able to withstand small bumps and such. While researching through some lens reviews I came across literally dozens of stories about the horrors of plastic mounts, and how, in some cases, the smallest bump will make the lens literally break off of the camera. (Yikes!) So considering I would like to keep this lens for a while and hope to use it for travelling and such, it would probably be worth the price increase to get a metal mount rather than risk paying more money later to fix a plastic one.

 

And as for the price range... Well I'm not quite sure yet. I don't really want to set one until I have an absolute idea of what I am going for!

 

So obviously this post did not include all  of the important aspects to a lens, but its a start! I have currently reduced the amount of lenses that I may be interested in to 5, and I will definitely be looking into much closer detail in order to pick the one that's right for me!