Wide angle or better standard zoom?

CAMRAman

CAMRAman

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I'm fairly new to photography and have gathered some cash to invest in some new glass.

I mostly shoot landscapes/outdoors, sometimes dedicated photo trips (ie tripod, proper location, right time etc) but often just opportunistically while out walking/climbing/mountian biking with the camera and one lens in the bag. I'm looking to do a bit more of the former and take some more thought out landscapes.

Currently I'm using a Nikon D5100, the 18-55mm vr kit lens and 55-300mm vr for extra reach.

I've been looking at wide angle zooms like the sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 but I am starting to wonder if starting out with better standard standard lens would make more of a difference more of the time.

So I suppose my question is would I notice a significant improvement in image quality with something like a constant f/2.8 zoom over the 18-55 kit lens which I would probably use more of the time OR would I be better off adding the wider range to my set up and keeping the kit lens.

Any recommnedations of particular lenses? ideally in the sub £500 area.
 
Outdoors in good light you won't see a huge difference over the kit lens.

...but for £500 you could get the 10-20 and a Tamron 17-50 2.8 (you need more posts to see the classifieds on here).
 
If there's a chance you'll be going to full frame in the foreseeable future, I would avoid any Dx/DC/VRii (i.e. crop only) lenses and go for FF compatibility now - all FF lenses will work on Dx bodies, although you'll need AF-S/HSM to keep AF on your current D5100. The so-called Trinity of Nikkor lenses for FF are the 14-24 f/2.8, the 24-70 f/2.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8, although there are cheaper alternatives from Sigma, Tamron et al.

If you're planning on sticking with Dx, I would (in your shoes) go for the Sigma 10-20 to extend the wide end of your current line up. IIRC, the older variable aperture model is supposed to be better than the newer constant aperture one (and is probably cheaper!)
 
Get out and shoot with what you have it should be find for landscapes if you find yourself wanting wider after a while get a wide angle if you find the kit lens lacking quality get something better. By the kit you need not what you think you need or some else thinks you need!
 
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