Telephoto and Wide Angle Lenses

Hello everyone,
After many years of using compacts I was given a D3100 as a present this year. It is my first dslr and I have started to teach myself how to get off auto and onto manual through books and just getting out with my camera which I love.
My question is do you have any advice on wide angle and telephoto lenses because I have got a beginners course soon which also covers these two areas.
A work colleague has suggested the Sigma 10-20 and the Sigma 50-500. Any advice on whether these are of good quality and value for money would be appreciated. I was originally looking only at Nikon lenses. My main areas of interest are landscapes, nature, night sky, abstract and architecture if that is of any help.
Thank you.

Wow, a 50-500.. that will be nice for your nature shots. If you are not going to be using a tripod (tripod better be able to support your cam with that lens when extended all the way out) when at the end of that focal range, i would suggest getting a lens with VR, it will help. I can not really suggest any specific lenses, but i can say that the two focal lenghts - along with the 18-55 that i assume you have - is a good start. Sigma and Tamron are good 3rd party brands. I am sure someone will come along and suggest you some specific lenses. Read the reviews on them and perhaps go to your camera shop and see if you can test them out in-store. Good luck

Thanks for the advice. Yes I have got the 18-55 kit lens.
Good point about the tripod and the VR. I will take that into account when I buy a tripod at some point. I hadn't really thought of getting a lens that went up to 500 until my work colleague said the Sigma one had good reviews for a lot lower price than other lenses of that size. It's good to know that it is known as a decent make.
I did think the 3 lenses would cover a good range and would be suitable for the course, but being new at all this I wasn't entirely sure.

for a wide angle, you can't go wrong with a sigma 10-20 or a Tokina 11-16. Both great performers. As for a telephoto, it depends on what you want to shoot. 500 may be too much reach to lug around. Most people get around just fine with the 200-300 range. I would also suggest something with VR (nikon) or OS (sigma). I would steer away from Tamron lenses in this category. Not that hey are bad, but the focus motors tend to be slugs. Which brings me to the next part...You are going to want something that has a motor built in. Otherwise, your 3100 wont auto focus, and well, its good to manually focus for macro, its not practical for anything else.

I'm with Joe on that 500mm, it's a bit of overkill, and the Sigma isn't going to give you the high quality you want for close up nature shots. I agree that a good 200-300mm lens would suit your needs and be great for all purposes. Get a 2x teleconverter to go with that lens, and BAM, you're shooting little birdies from a mile away.

Browncoat said:

I'm with Joe on that 500mm, it's a bit of overkill, and the Sigma isn't going to give you the high quality you want for close up nature shots. I agree that a good 200-300mm lens would suit your needs and be great for all purposes. Get a 2x teleconverter to go with that lens, and BAM, you're shooting little birdies from a mile away.

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Some questions concerning the teleconverter: 1) if he were to get an entry level 200-300mm, would the teleconverter be suitable for slow lenses, especially at the top end of the focal range? 2) Would he be able to get AF using the teleconverter? Thanks

Thanks for the advice people. I was a bit concerned at the size and weight of the 500. I didn't know about the teleconverters so I have learnt something new there. It would make much more sense to go down that route so I will have to do some more research before I make my decision because as D5100Shooter says I will have to find out whether the lens will still auto focus or not. I'm not experienced in manually focusing so I don't want to try and run before I can walk!

dddodgerrr said:

Thanks for the advice people. I was a bit concerned at the size and weight of the 500. I didn't know about the teleconverters so I have learnt something new there. It would make much more sense to go down that route so I will have to do some more research before I make my decision because as D5100Shooter says I will have to find out whether the lens will still auto focus or not. I'm not experienced in manually focusing so I don't want to try and run before I can walk!

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In rgards to AF, i jsut say beware. It may work okay, it may not. It really depends on the lens/converter combo - as far as i have read. Try it out, see if it works for you. If not, you can always return it to the store. Also, remember, if you get a 2x converter, you loose 2 f stops. Another thing to consider is your metering. the converter may play havoc with your metering. Again, just some advice from what i have been reading.

I can see there is a lot I am going to have to learn with this new pastime! Luckily I didn't just jump in and buy the lenses without asking for advice. I think I will just get the Sigma 10-20 and then get a lens with good reviews around the 200 or 300 mark for now. I will start working my way up to the more technical stuff when I am more comfortable and experienced with my camera.

Yes, you will need to be careful when considering a teleconverter/lens combo. Best advice is to buy local (from a real camera store). Those guys will be able to help you out. If not, I've had great success with both the Adorama and B&H tech department with stuff like this. They are there to help.

While we're at it, I want to remind you that when using a long lens with a tripod, you shut off the VR function. VR is only used when hand holding the camera and lens combo.

I will have a visit to some of my local stores to get some more hands on advice with this. I guess I won't know which is best for me until I try them out. Thanks for letting me know about turning the VR off when using a tripod. That is really useful to know when I eventually get one.