'all rounder lens' or wide lens

[ChenGuy]

Hi guys need ur expertise to help me decide on which lens to get 1st.

As i will be away for a month to thailand for work, and i am planing to get a lens that wud help me capture some nice pix when i am there. I am thinking of nikon 18-200mm to learn more photography while i am there. Or tokina 11-16mm lens for lens landscape pix. Newbie here, ur help will be very much appriciated. Thanks.
Btw i what i have now is a d80, 18-55mm lens and 50mm f1.8 lens.
More incline towards the 'travel' lens.


Hmmm... Seems like most of the ppl here are asking me to go for 18-200mm. Any one to comment abt the wide lens?

[Legoz]

Originally Posted by ChenGuy Hi guys need ur expertise to help me decide on which lens to get 1st. As i will be away for a month to thailand for work, and i am planing to get a lens that wud help me capture some nice pix when i am there. I am thinking of nikon 18-200mm to learn more photography while i am there. Or tokina 11-16mm lens for lens landscape pix. Newbie here, ur help will be very much appriciated. Thanks. Btw i what i have now is a d80, 18-55mm lens and 50mm f1.8 lens. More incline towards the 'travel' lens.

18-200mm.
It will be everything you need for a long time.

Regards

[Lomographer]

Originally Posted by Legoz 18-200mm. It will be everything you need for a long time. Regards

despite the fact that the 18-200 is an all-rounder lens

i still prefer to take 18-55, it's a great lens and just with it, i can make great pictures.

but if you need the focal length and zoom, it's a very convenient lens.

[JacePhoto]

yup. 18-200... however i come to realise that the past 2 years, i never used it beyond 135 mm... hahaha

[mangboso]

its only me, but i dont like 18-200mm i dont know why
I love to bring my 12-24(most of the time) and my 80-200mm in steady mode

[jgjonathangoh]

u already have a 18-55mm, maybe u can get the 55-200mm VR? cost only about 350. its a very good lens too. u can read the reviews..

[tkbonz]

If you just need a light setup for travel, I'd swear by 18-200vr. Used one on a trip before and you will love the convenience! Don't care what ppl say about the IQ, its still a very good lens.

[AbangR]

though everyone is saying 18-200VR, I gotta say that I loved my 16-85VR more.

16mm is wide enough for landscape, while 85mm + cropping can substitute the 200mm.

I found the images much sharper than 18-200, which I owned for a year before switching to 16-85.

[ChenGuy]

Originally Posted by AbangR though everyone is saying 18-200VR, I gotta say that I loved my 16-85VR more. 16mm is wide enough for landscape, while 85mm + cropping can substitute the 200mm. I found the images much sharper than 18-200, which I owned for a year before switching to 16-85.

Thanks for the info, but am i right to say that perspective at 85mm and 200mm are different? Even after being crop? I am still learning. Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by jgjonathangoh u already have a 18-55mm, maybe u can get the 55-200mm VR? cost only about 350. its a very good lens too. u can read the reviews..

Initally i tot of getting a 55-200mm too but i think chaning of lens will be a bit too inconvience for me. Thanks for ur feed back

Originally Posted by mangboso its only me, but i dont like 18-200mm i dont know why I love to bring my 12-24(most of the time) and my 80-200mm in steady mode

This is some what the set up i am looking for too. but not for now. Too ex liao. No money. But then again for travel i might not be looking at the 80-200mm cos for weight. Btw u dun feel its heavy while hanging on ur neck?

[ChenGuy]

Originally Posted by tkbonz If you just need a light setup for travel, I'd swear by 18-200vr. Used one on a trip before and you will love the convenience! Don't care what ppl say about the IQ, its still a very good lens.

Hey thanks for that, as for now i think barrel distortion and so on wun be too much of a problem to me. Cos the problem lies with person behind the camera now (me), and not the setup. But then again will it be difficult to sell it off again in the future cos of the poor IQ?

[reanimator]

People will still wanna buy the 18-200mm vr lens.. cause its convenient for travel photography.

[Legoz]

Originally Posted by AbangR though everyone is saying 18-200VR, I gotta say that I loved my 16-85VR more. 16mm is wide enough for landscape, while 85mm + cropping can substitute the 200mm. I found the images much sharper than 18-200, which I owned for a year before switching to 16-85.

85 mm with cropping to substitute 200mm?
Thats a whole lot of compromise if u ask me.

Regards

[photobugg]

Originally Posted by ChenGuy Initally i tot of getting a 55-200mm too but i think chaning of lens will be a bit too inconvience for me. Thanks for ur feed back This is some what the set up i am looking for too. but not for now. Too ex liao. No money. But then again for travel i might not be looking at the 80-200mm cos for weight. Btw u dun feel its heavy while hanging on ur neck?

If you do not want to change lens, then probably you need not ask for advice anymore. You've already made up your mind.

[AbangR]

Originally Posted by Legoz 85 mm with cropping to substitute 200mm? Thats a whole lot of compromise if u ask me. Regards

a compromise that I took for the 16mm, which is more valuable to me

[ChenGuy]

Originally Posted by Legoz 85 mm with cropping to substitute 200mm? Thats a whole lot of compromise if u ask me. Regards

Thanks Legoz, but do u mind explain more to this? i dun quite get it. Very sorry, i got poor english.

Originally Posted by photobugg If you do not want to change lens, then probably you need not ask for advice anymore. You've already made up your mind.

hmm.. Thanks. but seem like no one is toking abt tokina 11-16 mm lens. Will it be more advisable to buy this tokina wide lens or jus get the 18-200 mm lens.

[idiosynkrasia]

You should keep in mind the reason you want a new lens for. Don't waste time on intermediates and temporary lenses. If an upgrade is all you wish for, and you don't intend to go any further than casual pictures, 16-85 delivers decent quality for its price. The 50mm is more versatile than you think it is.

If you like wide angle, 14-24 is the way to go, don't cringe at the price tag or "insufficient wideness", cringe at the sharpness the lens gives.

I'd like to say that you should not buy for the sake of buying. Consider something which will always be your timeless classic.

If price is an issue, go with the 16-85 or 12-24. Always buy original!

[ChenGuy]

Originally Posted by idiosynkrasia You should keep in mind the reason you want a new lens for. Don't waste time on intermediates and temporary lenses. If an upgrade is all you wish for, and you don't intend to go any further than casual pictures, 16-85 delivers decent quality for its price. The 50mm is more versatile than you think it is. If you like wide angle, 14-24 is the way to go, don't cringe at the price tag or "insufficient wideness", cringe at the sharpness the lens gives. I'd like to say that you should not buy for the sake of buying. Consider something which will always be your timeless classic. If price is an issue, go with the 16-85 or 12-24. Always buy original!

Hey thanks alot for the comments. But i dun think i could be that rich to go original all the way. Haha. But i dun understand why dun go for 'temporary' lens since i am a newbie. Wouldnt it be nice to use 'all rounder' kind of lens to pick up my photography skill before jumping into getting great lens?

[idiosynkrasia]

No prob, I'd prefer to think long term when you decide to give up photography. Owning a good piece of glass would mean it would be easier to sell it off. Owning a 18-200 is up to your tastes, but at about the same price (roughly?), the 16-85 gives you better quality? Also, should you be addicted to photography, at least the decent piece of glass would last you nearly all the way.

Slowly upgrading is just a nice way of saying I'm stimulating the economy. Just think about all the money you could've saved if you bought one of the trinity lenses straight away? If cost is a factor and you can live with your lens, save it.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/ is a pretty decent reference site to check out reviews on lenses.

Ultimately its up to you what you'd like to choose and there is no hard and fast rule as to what you should or should not get. Do more research, try the lenses out at the shops, sleep over it. Generally, most people I've ever met have wide angle lenses, I'm just the odd ball with telephoto.

Good pictures are mostly attributed to the person's skill, good equipment merely improves it.

[Shutterlance]

Originally Posted by ChenGuy Hmmm... Seems like most of the ppl here are asking me to go for 18-200mm. Any one to comment abt the wide lens?

you can't go wrong with the Nikoor 18-200mm as an all rounder lens... go for it!

[woolman]

yeah the Nikkor 18-200mm VR is not nad as a walk around lens... but can be on the heavy side though...