Lens 'Shopping' - Want Advice

[cosine4]

So this is what I currently have:
Nikon D5000
15-55 f/3.5-5.6 VR
55-200 f/4-5.6 VR
35 f/1.8
Bower 2x Tele-converter (against recommendations, but does work OK in manual focus mode)

So let's say I have $1000 to buy 1 lens. I don't, but if I have a plan I can save

So what would YOU do given this was your setup.

The types of pictures I like to take are as follows:
1. Family vacations
2. Stuff worthy of putting poster size prints on my wall
3. Stuff that is just 'fun'

 

[cosine4]

Oh, I wanted to add that $1000 is not a challenge lol, if your next lens would be $100 even better

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

My question is, what are you having problems shooting or what is limiting your shooting?

 

[toomanycars]

If it was me I would replace my normal zoom with a faster one. It's a little over your $1000.00 Like...

Nikon Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/300490-GREY/Nikon_2147_17_55mm_f_2_8G_ED_IF_AF_S.html

 

[cosine4]

My question is, what are you having problems shooting or what is limiting your shooting?

The biggest things that I would like to improve on are long reach (500mm ish maybe???) and low light with zoom.

In general though, I just want to branch out a little and don't know where to.

A couple things that I have thought about are:
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 (wonder how much I would really use it)
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 (wonder if I would get any benefit over my 35 f/1.8)
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 (less lenses to carry/change, but won't be able to do anything new)

I have also thought about a fish eye or ultra wide angle but don't know much about it.

 

[photo_chick]

The biggest things that I would like to improve on are long reach (500mm ish maybe???) and low light with zoom.

In general though, I just want to branch out a little and don't know where to.

A couple things that I have thought about are:
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 (wonder how much I would really use it)
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 (wonder if I would get any benefit over my 35 f/1.8)
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 (less lenses to carry/change, but won't be able to do anything new)

I have also thought about a fish eye or ultra wide angle but don't know much about it.

That 500mm f/6.3 is really, really slow. If you're in anything less that full sun and want a decent shutter speed at a low ISO you may need at least monopod if not a tripod. To me that long is overkill unless you're doing wildlife photography or want to spy on your neighbor three houses away.

I love my fisheye... I got the Samyang after seeing the shots on the fisheye thread here. Very happy with it and can't beat the price. Though being all manual it does take a little work.

My advice is to take some time to really figure out what you want before buying. That way you don't end up wishing you'd have bought something else.

 

[mom2rtk]

There are SO many directions you can go with this, but only you can say what's most important to you.

If I were you, I'd start hanging out here and studying the photo threads to see what's calling out to you.......

1) What about a fisheye or ultra wide angle lens? Study those threads and see if either calls your name.......

2) Are you loving the super sharp photos you see from some posters? Maybe you want a faster sharper walk around lens like that nice $1300 one someone linked above.......

3) Are you loving the crisp clear zoom shots with gorgeous bokeh????? Maybe a faster zoom like a 70-200 2.8??????

Maybe if some of these options are more than you want to spend, you can sell one of your current lenses to offset the cost.

Once you know more about what you want, everyone here is great about pointing you in the right direction of which one to get. But you really need to have a direction you want to go in first.

 

[disneyboy2003]

The biggest things that I would like to improve on are long reach (500mm ish maybe???) and low light with zoom.

Wow! What are you taking pictures of? Birds-in-flight at night? That would be one reason I could see where you'd use a 500mm focal length PLUS zoom PLUS have a need for low-light. (That, and the spying on your neighbor's house at night, as previously mentioned )

Believe it or not, there actually IS a lens that meets your requirement! It's the Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 lens! The focal length extends to 500mm, and the large f/2.8 aperture is great for low-light photography.

Unfortunately, the price of $25,999 is just outside your budget.

I'd probably rent a stroller for this baby while at the parks.

 

[cosine4]

Wow! What are you taking pictures of? Birds-in-flight at night? That would be one reason I could see where you'd use a 500mm focal length PLUS zoom PLUS have a need for low-light. (That, and the spying on your neighbor's house at night, as previously mentioned )

Believe it or not, there actually IS a lens that meets your requirement! It's the Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 lens! The focal length extends to 500mm, and the large f/2.8 aperture is great for low-light photography.

​

Unfortunately, the price of $25,999 is just outside your budget.

I'd probably rent a stroller for this baby while at the parks.

lol, yeah I have seen that before...but maybe I should have been more specific.

Something like a 500mm OR low-light with zoom


I am starting to think about the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS to help simplify my shooting experience. Does anyone have any experience with this lens?

 

[handicap18]

The biggest things that I would like to improve on are long reach (500mm ish maybe???) and low light with zoom.

In general though, I just want to branch out a little and don't know where to.

A couple things that I have thought about are:
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 (wonder how much I would really use it)
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 (wonder if I would get any benefit over my 35 f/1.8)
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 (less lenses to carry/change, but won't be able to do anything new)

I have also thought about a fish eye or ultra wide angle but don't know much about it.

I haven't looked into the 150-500 Sigma lens, but their 50-500 has gotten some good reviews.

I have the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and am going to sell it. It is a very nice lens, but I ran into some missed focus issues in lower light even when I was using a flash. I did a wedding back in September and luckily I also had my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which was much better. I was very disappointed in the Sigma. I ended up buying the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 which is pretty much perfect (although expensive).

If your looking at the Sigma 18-200 and you are saying you have the potential for $1000, then go for the Nikon version instead.

When I first started buying new glass I went with specialty lenses. 90mm f/2.8 Macro, Sigma 30mm f/1.8, Sigma 10-20mm and in reality I don't use them that much. I'll probably sell the 90mm f/2.8 Macro. I do like the 30mm and have had some fun with the 10-20mm.

I was able to pick up an old Nikon 70-210mm f/4 though that wont auto focus on the D5000, but will hold me till I can afford the 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII.

Lately my lens buying has been upgrading to better/professional glass. I first got the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which for its price is outstanding. I used that lens almost exclusively until I recently got the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 which is even more outstanding.

 

[cosine4]

.................

If your looking at the Sigma 18-200 and you are saying you have the potential for $1000, then go for the Nikon version instead.

................................


I first got the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which for its price is outstanding. I used that lens almost exclusively until I recently got the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 which is even more outstanding.

I am thinking that somewhere in the $500 range is where I want to be realistically so that I can buy it sooner than later

I was looking at the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 at a local shop last weekend.

 

[wenrob]

Wow! What are you taking pictures of? Birds-in-flight at night? That would be one reason I could see where you'd use a 500mm focal length PLUS zoom PLUS have a need for low-light. (That, and the spying on your neighbor's house at night, as previously mentioned )

Believe it or not, there actually IS a lens that meets your requirement! It's the Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 lens! The focal length extends to 500mm, and the large f/2.8 aperture is great for low-light photography.

Unfortunately, the price of $25,999 is just outside your budget.

I'd probably rent a stroller for this baby while at the parks.

This had me:

I am thinking that somewhere in the $500 range is where I want to be realistically so that I can buy it sooner than later

I was looking at the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 at a local shop last weekend.

The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is a sweet lens but even sweeter is the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. It's sharp and gives great color. You lose a smidge on the wide end but you gain a little zoom. It's my favorite, everyday lens. Not to mention that f/2.8. But if I had the cash I'd upgrade it to the Nikon 24/70 f/2.8 in a heartbeat.

 

[DisneyFanInPA]

This had me:


The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is a sweet lens but even sweeter is the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. It's sharp and gives great color. You lose a smidge on the wide end but you gain a little zoom. It's my favorite, everyday lens. Not to mention that f/2.8. But if I had the cash I'd upgrade it to the Nikon 24/70 f/2.8 in a heartbeat.

I'm not a very experienced photographer, but I just got the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens and I love it so far! I'm sure the Nikon is better, but for the price (~$500), it is a really nice lens.

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

I am going the other way here. I personally have been wanting a wide angle lens for a while. I also think it fits you 3 criteria nicely. There are 2 Nikon DX lenses right around the $1k mark. The 10-24 and 12-24. The 12-24 is slightly faster on the long end, as it is fixed f4 while the 10-24 goes to f4.5 on the long end. Though the 10-24 is faster wide open at f3.5.
I think you could take some great poster candidates with these lenses.
On the other hand if you would like a zoom, I have had a nikon 18-200vr for a few years now. I like that lens because I never need to change lenses while out and about.