Not sure which lens is next

Nikonguy88

New member
I have a D5100 with a 50mm 1.8 and a 55-200 f4-5.6 plus kit lens. I am not sure which lens would be a good choice for my next one??? I enjoy portraits and nature.
 

Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Welcome to the site. I sure you will get a lot of feedback. but a couple of questions. Budget, prime or zoom? The lense that is on my camera the most is 24-120 F4 but would not be a good choice for nature a 150-600 be my recommendation for nature.
 

nickt

Senior Member
Hard to answer in a personalized way for you. But... lenses I enjoy most on my d7200 and a brief 'why'....

Sigma 17-50 my newest walking around lens. It was a nice upgrade from 18-140. Sharper, brighter, I get nicer shots with it even though less zoom. My go to for scenery and people pictures. (I do have an 11-17 for special occasions)

Sigma 100 macro. I like bugs and stuff, I'll always have a macro of some sort.

Tamron SP 70-300. I've had this lens a long time on several cameras. It can be had cheap at times with rebates. Make sure you look at the SP version if this range interests you, its decently sharp.

Sigma 150-600 C. This is big but certainly gets me the wildlife pictures I was missing with the 70-300
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

Which "kit lens". I assume the NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. If so and you are happy with what you have (both zoom lens are not very sharp or fast), and the 50mm lens is great for portrait work, so I think your first new lens should be something like a 150-600mm lens for nature work.
 

Nikonguy88

New member
Thanks Brent, you are correct about the kit lens. I guess I assumed that is the only kit lens that is supplied. I do agree that neither one is a very sharp lens, maybe partly due to my knowledge on proper use. I think the 150-600 would be an awesome lens for wildlife which i will eventually add to my collection. For now i am looking for more of an all around lens.
 

Nikonguy88

New member
I guess nature can entail quite a broad spectrum of subjects. Although wildlife is an interest of mine, I think more specifically I am currently shooting streams, ponds, leaves, flowers etc for nature. Thanks for the reply!!
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
I don't have any specific suggestions for you but am wondering if you will be replacing any existing lenses or looking to supplement with something longer than 200mm?

Typically portraits (head & shoulders) tend to be between 85mm and 135mm on FX. Since you have DX, your 50mm f/1.8 should be fine for those. If you are looking to do full body shots, some people go wider while others go longer. It really depends on how much room you have between you and your subject. If you go wider, be sure to keep body parts away from the edges of your frame. There is some perspective distortion that occurs which can stretch body parts.

For nature it all depends - if you are specifically looking for wildlife, then definitely something longer. The previous suggestions of 150mm-600mm would be ideal. If you are including flowers in with your definition of nature, then you'd want something shorter. And what you've got is okay for shorter. Nick mentioned a macro lens. A few people here have a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens which gets good reviews. It could possibly double as a portrait lens if you have enough working room.

If you are looking to replace your 2 current zooms, Nick's suggestion of a 70-300mm lens is good. Typically FX glass is better than basic DX kit lenses it so would be an improvement over your existing 50-200mm lens. Nikon makes a 16mm-80mm f/4 DX lens that is the kit lens for the D500. It is the DX equivalent of the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 that is the kit for some of the FX bodies. But Dan's suggestion of the Tamron 28-75mm wouldn't be as expensive - and I believe some other members have that lens, too. You might want to do a forum search to see some images.

Good luck with whatever you choose! :)
 
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Dawg Pics

Senior Member

Danno

Senior Member
Thanks Dan, is this lens similar to the 24-70mm 2.8? That one runs about $1700 cdn.

Yes it is but it is about 1/3 the price. I really enjoyed using mine. Until I got the Z6 that and the 70-200 stayed on my D700 and before that it was my favorite lens for my D7200. It has no image stabilization but at that size I did not really need it. I used it at Church in low light and the 2.8 or was nice.
 
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