Starter lens for Nikon D200

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jonny7

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Hi ALL again !
Which lens whould you pros recommend i buy as a first for the D200 i've just bought second hand off ebbay ?
I know there are lots and lots to choose from but is there an all rounder just to get me going ( new to dslr ) ????????????

:help::help::help::help::help: Regards - John
 
Depends on budget and what u plan to shoot. 2nd hand I would suggest...

Nikon 18-70, around £100 and I think one of the best value lenses, very good.
Tamron 17-50 or 28-75, both are 2.8 lenses and around the £200 mark, not as good as the Nikon equivalents which can be 4 times the price, but they are not too far off, especially when you get to around f5.6.
Nikon 70-300vr, around £290 and a very good longer lens.
Nikon 50mm f1.8, under £100 and a definate buy IMO.
 
My first lens was the kit 18-105 VR which was great. I then got the 50mm f1.8 which had been on my d90 for 99% of the time until I got the 85 f1.4 and sigma 70-200 f2.8. Previously had the 70-300vr which was excellent also- recently sold for 300.

As a first lens I'd heartily recommend the 50mm f1.8. Sharp and cheap, a belter of a lens!
 
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cambsno said:
Nikon 18-70, around £100 and I think one of the best value lenses, very good.
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as a starter lens, this advice is spot on..............:thumbs:
 
THANKYOU ALL for your help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRILLIANT forum !!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Also the Nikon 18-135mm is a very good lens. It may not be the most robust lens that Nikon produce but it's exceptionally sharp and I found the extra reach compared with the 18-70mm very useful. Should be about £140 second hand, have a look at MPB photographic they usually have a good selection of 2nd hand lenses at a good price.

Cheers and welcome

Andy
 
Add said the Nikon 18-70. It really does punch above it weight. Only lens I regret getting rid of, to the point I will be getting another one.
 
Surprised there's no shout for the 35mm f/1.8 DX. IMHO much more useful than the 50mm which becomes a niche 75mm on a crop.

The 35mm advantages? Incredibly sharp, small and light, low light capabilities, good bokeh. It's the lens I keep a D90 for.
 
If I was intending to keep a DX body, I think I may have gone for the 35mm too. I bought the 50mm 1.8 however as I always intended to upgrade but still have not got round to it. It is a great lens I think, especially at the price.

For an all round lens as a starter however you might like to try one of the cheaper zooms mentioed above and then consider a prime lens.

Also congrats on the D200 I had one for ages, it is an excellent camera I think.
 
Thanks once again for helping me choose the lens ( nikon 18-70 ) as my first for the D200.
Just a couple of questions today, someone mentioned prime lenses, what are they ?
A friend has asked me to take a few pictures at his wedding ( brave man ! ) so i need to invest in a good flash for indoor night shots which wont drain the battery in 2 seconds. Any ideas ???
After getting all the toys i just need to know how to use them. This is going to be a LLLLONG journey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards- John :wave:
 
A prime lens is one with a fixed focal length, say 50mm, instead of a zoom lens, say 18-70mm. Generally speaking prime lenses give a better image quality to zooms as there are always compromises when producing a zoom lens (although this difference is not so pronounced as it once was).
As to a flash, well any Nikon SB flash will do the trick it just depends on how much user interface you need. I personally just use a little SB400 which will point up or down and flashes and thats it. I am looking at getting an older Nikon flash for my film cameras such as an SB20 or 26 and these are cheaper than the modern flashes (but not by a lot to be honest).
If you are going to be taking shots at a wedding I would seriously advise getting a Nikon 50mm f1.8, or a nifty fifty as it is known, as this may allow you to get away with not using a flash in some circumstances. they are pin sharp and can be bought for about £90 2nd hand.

Cheers

Andy
 
Everyone one this thread seems intent on recommending the 50mm. While I agree that every serious snapper should have a 50mm-equivalent, your D200 is a DX camera so you want the 35mm f/1.8 for the 50-equivalent field of view.

Nothing you've said indicates that you would prefer a short telephoto, or FX compatibility, which are the only advantages of the 50mm. You'll no doubt find the 50mm far too long for general shooting should you buy one.

The 35mm however, is a superb lens for everything, and is essential kit for any DX shooter. The zoom will be good when outdoors, but too slow indoors, and too much depth of field for subject isolation when taking portraits.

35mm f/1.8. Buy one.
 
As for flash, I strongly suggest something like the SB600 over the 400 simply because it rotates in two planes (side to side as well as up and down) which means it can be bounced with the camera in portrait mode, which is more often than not what a flash is used for - portraits. More expensive, more useful. You'll end up buying one anyway so skip the SB400.
 
I do agree with you about the 35mm but it is considerably more expensive than the 50mm (more than double 2nd hand) and the 50mm will not lose any value so I thought it might suit a new starter better.
As to a flash again I agree the SB600 is much better and I wasn't really recomending the 400 just saying its what I use, I rarely use flash to be honest as indoors I have a continuous lighting set up but again the 600 is considerably more expensive.
Just trying to keep costs down. :D

Andy
 
Andysnap said:
I do agree with you about the 35mm but it is considerably more expensive than the 50mm (more than double 2nd hand) and the 50mm will not lose any value so I thought it might suit a new starter better.
As to a flash again I agree the SB600 is much better and I wasn't really recomending the 400 just saying its what I use, I rarely use flash to be honest as indoors I have a continuous lighting set up but again the 600 is considerably more expensive.
Just trying to keep costs down. :D

Andy
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35mm second hand is around 115 with 50mm at about 75-80 so nowhere near twice the price. Defo the 600 as far better than the 400.
 
i own a d200 and i am quite new to photography and i bought a nikkor 24-70 f/3.5-5.6 and i think its a great lens for everyday shot, i bought it second hand for around £200
 
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