Tough choices....

outlet15

Senior Member
So I have my D5200. I've got my nice little 18-55mm lens and my 35mm lens. I bought a nice backpack for it fit in. But I'm getting itchy. I am still learning and I am enjoying photography, but I want more. I want a new lens that can be used for anything from portraits to landscapes or anything in between, or a good speedlight.

Now when it comes to lenses, I was looking at a bunch. The Nikon 85mm 1.8, the 70-200mm 2.8 (I'd have to save for that), the tamron 10-24mm (I used it once), or a bunch of others. (clearly I'm not certain which area I want to be in.)
For speedlights I am torn between going cheap and getting a YongNuo 560 III, or the Nikon SB700.

What direction would most of you all go in and which way should I go if I want to expand my horizon?
Thanks.
 

Rick M

Senior Member
You really need to decide if you want to go wider or longer next. When I buy a flash ( I don't use them much) it will be an SB700.
 

WhiteLight

Senior Member
haha.. you've been infected quite badly with the NAS bug..

Do figure what you want to do, or decide what purpose you want the next lens to serve till you get the itch again :p
all lenses obviously won't work for all situations
 

Bill16

Senior Member
Rick and White light are very right! One lens just won't really do it all, and so I would recommend thinking about what you'd like to shoot most and find a lens that does that well. I also agree with going for the sb-700 flash if you decide to get a flash. I have had some very good advice myself, recommending that flash for me too! Lol :D
 

outlet15

Senior Member
Thanks. It is tough picking just one medium to shoot when you first start off (or so it is for me.) I have really enjoyed mediums in motion, or carry the potential for motion. I would really like to do some aerial photography soon.
I will calm my itch for now and exam my plans a little more closely before I just go jumping into something.
If you have any strong suggestions about must haves, please share.
 

WhiteLight

Senior Member
I will calm my itch for now and exam my plans a little more closely before I just go jumping into something.

Excellent idea.
If you decide what genre you want to start with, like for eg you mentioned aerial photography, which would indicate requirement of a zoom lens, you would narrow your selections down to a great extent.
 

Bill16

Senior Member
If I'm right and your talking about planes, then you should check out some of the threads here. I know we have some people here shooting planes, and you could maybe ask some of them for a lens suggestion. :)
If your including birds, then I know we have some people here who take awesome bird shots!
A lot of what you'll want to look into, is how much you have in your budget for a lens. That can often cut down the choices you'd need to choose from.
After seeing the photos using a 80-400 lens, I would think this lens might be a good choice for you if it will fit in your budget. I wish I had the money for one myself for sure! Lol :)

Anyway there are bound to be some members here you can get some great advice/suggestions on what lenses would be best for your focus subject! :D

Thanks. It is tough picking just one medium to shoot when you first start off (or so it is for me.) I have really enjoyed mediums in motion, or carry the potential for motion. I would really like to do some aerial photography soon.
I will calm my itch for now and exam my plans a little more closely before I just go jumping into something.
If you have any strong suggestions about must haves, please share.
 

skene

Senior Member
It's kind of hard trying to decide what you will be shooting on a day to day/monthly basis. So to try and narrow down lenses for you to purchase is a very delicate thing. Everyone has their opinions on what they like, based on what they normally shoot.

So with that said...

If you are going to be doing landscapes, there is nothing wrong with the 18-55 that you currently have. The 18-55 is a very broad and wide lens provided that you have enough distance.

DSC_0651.jpg This is at 18mm using the same 18-55mm lens.

If you are going to focus on portraits... 50, 60, 85, 105 and the coveted 70-200 F2.8 are all good lenses to own... depending on budget.

Flash I can say you may want to wait a bit till you get a bit more familiarized with what is needed for lighting. If you want to try your luck, try out one of Yongnuo's offerings or try and find a nice used flash to start with.

GL..
 
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