Beginner questions re "all-round" lenses.

Hi all,
New member here, don't actually have a DSLR at the moment, but am planning on buying a d5100 in October. My question for you guys, as newbie as it may be, is what lens should I buy for it? I plan on shooting anything and everything from local football games, to birds, fish and and other animals, and whatever else turns up for me to shoot.

I'm on a pretty tight budget, as I'm only 16 and have been saving money from my job at a local take away shop. For this reason, I'm only really after one lens at this point in time, so any recommendations would be awesome.

Thanks in advance!

I am going to go out on a limb and say 18-200 VR AFS DX...relatively cheap, a good multi purpose walkaround single lens kit, and good performance according to what I have read but alas I have never used one. I wouldn't be afraid to buy used from KEH. Something like this is what I might buy for myself in the near future.

if you live in the uk, try mpb photographic. plenty of used stock, tested and warranted. from your ist of subjects you may not need the 18mm wide end. the 55-200 dx vr would be a nice sharp starter lens. works well with a raynox close-up filter and rather cheap as the market in the uk was flooded with them. (dont get the non-vr version). then later on you could get an 18-55mm if you really needed it, also dirt cheap on the uk market. if you really want a compact body with one lens does it all capability consider the nikon L510 bridge camera. learn photography via its manual mode, get a dslr later and keep it as a back-up.

Thanks for the opinions, guys!
Evan, I live in Australia so I'll have a look around other places!
Thanks!

Welcome If it comes with a kit lens like the 18-55 and may be the 55-200 all well and good, these will do you to start, and at this point do all that you require.
If you are just going to buy a body then get a 18-200 dx vr AF-S The AF-S is important, so that it will focus on a 5100 body. I have all three and the 18-200 is on the camera most of the time. Enjoy and I look forward to seeing some great photos.

I would also support the 18-200 recommendation. Whilst I would not describe it as cheap, you get a lot of flexibility for your money. You could live with it for a long time while you learn photography and have all the major focal lengths covered. Even as you progress you will probably always keep it as your travel lens, many folks here do including myself and my better half.

I recently took some landscape shots with mine along with my Tokina 11-16 lens which is very sharp. When I was reviewing them on a PC at home I was yet again noting how sharp the Tokina was, until I checked and realised those shots were the 18-200!! My point is that it will take good pictures.

For the price of a 'kit' I'd get the body and 18-55 as a starter then when you've saved up a little more, look at the other options.
The 18-200 is by far not a cheap lens, but if you're on a tight budget maybe look at the Sigma 18-250 which would be ~2/3 the price.

As you have mentioned taking photo's of football matches, I would go for the body and 18-105mm kit lens, once you have got some experience with the camera you can add more lenses as you go on,

I'm gonna second what nikon photographer recommended, if you can buy it as a kit, that would be the cheapest one lens solution. Second price wise would be the kit 18-55 with a 55-200. I agree the 18-200 is a great lens, if you can afford another $800(us)??

cnyram said:

I'm gonna second what nikon photographer recommended, if you can buy it as a kit, that would be the cheapest one lens solution. Second price wise would be the kit 18-55 with a 55-200. I agree the 18-200 is a great lens, if you can afford another $800(us)??

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The kit lens is very handy and you will be able to use it in 95.538% of your shots. Emjoy your new addiction.