How to decide second lense after 18-105 mm VR?

[shlee]

Hello all,

Newbies to photography and bought a D90 + 18-105 mm nikon VR lense a month ago, great camera and enjoying every bit of it. Very unfortunately mishandled by dropping the D90 broking the lense screw and now in repair, repair will take about a month (hopefully wont cost much coz bought in Korea).

With CNY in the corner I need the camera for some family gathering photos and for the kids, so I am thinking of buying an alternate lense while waiting for the repair.

Can any of you advise what lense should I be looking for?

18-105 mm seems to be a good range for a walk around lense so choosing a second lense become a difficult choice, I don't want to simply buy one and chuck aside when 18-105 mm is being repaired.

Thanks to your advise in advance!!

 

[.Hack]

Sad to hear you dropped your D90.

How bout getting a prime lens for the moment?
Choose between the 50mm 1.8 or 1.4. :think:

 

[luna_sea83]

If budget is not a problem, Nikkor 17-55 f2.8 would be good for family photos

 

[me_jul]

Tamron 17-50 f2.8 is worth considering too

 

[Yapster]

A mid range zoom like 17-50 f2.8 or 17-55 f2.8 should do (wide and tight enough).
Maybe can consider renting it instead of buying since you still get back your kit lens (unless you intend to sell it).
and also an external flash if possible.

 

[kklee]

I would recommend the 50mm f1.8 ... cheap and good.

 

[jnet6]

Go and try out 17-55 range from various brand as is more useful for your general photography and better quality too.
Don't get prime lens first.

 

[shlee]

Thanks for all the responds!! will research into 17-55 range lenses.

But have to ask few more dumb questions here being a newbie:

- what is prime lense?
- won't 18-105 good enough to cover the range, so in future would still 17-55 be much of use except lighter? I suppose the 17-55 quality will be much better?

Renting a good idea but won't work for me in Japan right now...

 

[luna_sea83]

Prime lens: lens with a fixed focal range, eg. 50mm, 35mm...

18-105 is good for street shots, but the 17-55 is a low light lens suitable for indoor and low light situation if u do not want to use flash and 17-55 is a much heavier and sharper lens.

 

[shlee]

thanks Luna_sea, checked the price for 17-55, not cheap... still considering....

 

[alfpoon]

wouldn't getting a 17-55mm lens make the 18-105 lens "obsolete"?

 

[shahrulesa]

maybe something in the 10-22 range?

 

[macrolandscape]

get a 50mm 1.8 if you're on a budget. ive been using this lens for almost every single family shoot or portraiture shots. it will not let you down. excellent lens for shooting indoors. very small and handy. very much worth the money. if ur feeling richer then by all means the 50mm 1.4 but the price difference is quite high. i bought my 1.8 for 175.

and it will not be thrown aside even after u get ur 18-105 back. ur 18-105 might get replaced by other lens though. lol. i replaced my 18-105 with the 18-200.

 

[scenar]

indoors, a 50mm on a DX cam like the D90 is likely to be too tele, esp when trying to take grp photos with >2 ppl.

yes, 17-55 kinda range would be excellent. The 18-200 would be fine too really. More important for indoor shots would be a flash to bounce.

 

[ianwurn]

Nikon 50mm f/1.8
- Good for indoor
- Fast and a great prime
- Full frame lens
- Relatively inexpensive @ $170 thereabouts

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
- Fast lens
- Some zoom capability
- Full frame
- Moderately priced @ $550 thereabouts

Not too sure whether you're concerned with full frame etc, but the 2 lens above will allow continuity over to FF when it becomes less expensive in the next 5 years..... On DX format, the sweet spot of the lens are used since these were designed to be 35mm lenses.

 

[shlee]

I think I will go for Tamron 17-55, much cheaper than nikon 17-55, and its smaller in size. thanks to everyone's feedback, just hope my kit lense repair will not cost too much!

 

[ianwurn]

Hope your repairs comes back alright !

Good luck with the shooting !

 

[cichlid]

I think I will go for Tamron 17-55, much cheaper than nikon 17-55, and its smaller in size. thanks to everyone's feedback, just hope my kit lense repair will not cost too much!

Tamron is 17-50mm not 55mm....

I suggest Nikon prime 35mm f2 and 70-300 vr...so u can cover all the FL ;p

 

[postman]

When i had my 18-200mm, i complement it with my sigma 10-20mm. Good for taking family photos in small spaces. Just dont keep it to the widest (ie 10mm) as there will be obvious distortion.

When going outdoors, it is good for landscape.

It is not too expensive too.

 

[desertstrike]

most value for money is the F1.8 50mm?
did consider the 30 or 35mm F1.8 or F2, can't remember, but it is too expensive...

next up is 70-300, ard 750