Hey guys, newb here.I just recently bought a D3200 kit with the 18-55 lens. I read a review before purchasing that the lens that come with the 3200 doesn't take full advantage of what the camera can do, which is main reason I decided to go with one lens kit.
I would like to get a 55-200 or 55-300 lens. Is the
Sigma 70-300 lens better or worse then the
Nikon 55-200? Or are both those on the same level as the 18-55 that doesn't take full advantage of the 24mp sensor? What difference will the higher end lenses make?
If you're buying the 55-200 or 55-300 lens because you want it to shoot different subjects and you need to "zoom" in on them more, then by all means those lenses are fine. However, if you're looking to buy a new lens because you read a review that the quality of the 18-55 was not good enough for the D3200, then the lenses you are looking at are about the same quality as the one you got in your kit. They just cover a different range.
Here are the DXOMark Scores for the lenses you mentioned:
18-55 (your kit lens): 13 (the higher rated version - the lower rated version is 12 - not sure which one comes with the 3200)
55-200: 12 (for the VR version - 11 for the one without VR)
55-300: 12
If you are buying a lens for better than kit quality, then you first have to determine whether you want to replace your kit lens or supplement it with a lens with a different purpose (portrait, telephoto, low light , or ultrawide), then decide whether you what type of lens you want (macro, zoom, prime) and finally decide how much money you have to spend on it, then it is easier to make an informed decision.
If you decide you're looking to replace your 18-55 with a better quality lens with a similar purpose, then I would look at the Sigma 18-35 f1.8. It is the highest rated lens for the D3200 on DxoMark with a score of 26.
If you decide you want to supplement your kit lens with a telephoto zoom, then you can look at the Sigma 50-150 f2.8, the Tamron 70-200 f2.8, the Nikon 70-200 f2.8, the Sigma 120-300 f2.8, or the Sigma 70-200 f2.8, which all score between 19-22 on DxoMark. Warning...none of these lenses are cheap. If you decide you're looking for a wide angle zoom to go along with your 18-55, look at the Nikon 14-24 f2.8, the Tokina 11-16 f2.8, Tokina 16-28 f2.8, Sigma 10-20 f3.5 which all score >16 on DxoMark.
Finally, if you're looking for low light capability and you have a tight budget, consider the 35mm f1.8 and/or 50mm f1.8 primes. They're each about $200 brand new and are great lenses for that price. You do lose the convenience of the ability to zoom though. Good luck and if you come back with some more information, someone here will definitely be able to help you further.
