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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spb_stan" data-source="post: 620179" data-attributes="member: 43545">As someone who shoots a lot in  travel destination...90 countries so far and living in one of the most picturesque cities anywhere, I would suggest wide plus a flash, you never can have wide enough it seems for travel scenes. I sponsor and host many people traveling here and never heard someone express frustration over not having long enough  focal lengths but almost every comments how they wished the brought wider.The 18-105 is a very good walking around lens, surprisingly sharp and the most versatile range, and at the long end makes an impressive style of bokeh if the background is further than camera to subject.There are a number of 3rd party Dx lenses that fit in your price range. I got, as my first UWA after getting the D90 when it was first released, a Sigma 10-20. Ir was about the cheapest lens with autofocus and delivered some very good images. BikerBrent mentioned the 11-16 Tokina which is a very nice lens, better than the Sigma, but also more expensive. Ultra-wide lenses are not thought of as useful for people shots but they can offer some interesting perspective without too much distortion if you shoot  on axis with the mid-point of the subject, and level.  Here is an example, shot only about 5 feet away from my subject, my GF on the roof of the art center next door to our apartmentSo the Sigma is very useful and still gets used a lot.  Mine is the cheaper f/4.5-5.6 version but now the only one in production is the more expensive f/3.5 constant aperture version, which is about $400. You can find used 4.5-5.6 versions for about $200. Used wide angles are often a good buy because they are not flagged every day like a mid range zoom is or how a short telephoto would be.  The next thing to buy is a good flash. It is more important to have good lighting than good lenses or  camera, and it is the cheapest part of photographyA powerful very flexible flash fully compatible with Nikon's CLS flash system can be had for $99 that is comparable to the Nikon SB900 series at 6 times the price. I have 6 flash compatible flash units, 3 SB900 Nikon for about and 3 YN-568ex from Yongnuo. I used a SB900 on the photo about for fill flash due to shooting in harsh mid-day sun. When you learn low versatile higher power off camera flash can be, you will use it very often day or night.Getting a good ultra wide lens and some flash will create a more noticeable improvement than upgrading bodies. The D90 is still a very effective camera and lass leader for  long time. Mine has oveer 130,000 shots and has been lawless. My problem is getting it way from my GF who uses it often. I added a D7000 and D800 when they came out, each very competent but I have no interest in upgrading any thing but what matters to image quality: lighting. Lighting does not have to mean flash or strobes, can be a simple folding reflector, but if used effectively, your D90 with good light for the subject, will simply capture better images than a bigger fancier camera without that advantage.  Most vacation photos are not very good due to poor light. Shifting to Fx, if you really need to should not even be considered until you have the needed lenses. FX lenses cost a lot more, are much heavier so get used less often.  Taking a bag with 25lbs of lenses and body does not encourage going out casually to take some snap shots. You D90 and the 35 1.8, or 18-105 are small and convenient to just have it with you a lot more often so you will have more opportunities for those happy bits of luck to stumble onto unexpected events. [ATTACH]253859[/ATTACH]Good travels and good shootingStan</blockquote>

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