New DSLR owner, lens advice please

[Danauk]

As many of the pictures I have seen here on this board and in Disneyland threads has inspired me so much I finally took the plunge to buy a DSLR camera. After some research I opted for the Nikon D40x which comes with the standard 18-55mm lens. I will obviously use this lens a lot to learn how to use the camera with. However I do enjoy taking landscape shots so would like to purchase a wide angle lens. However I do not know which would be appropriate for me. Any advice? Obviously as I am new to this I do not need anything too expensive just yet!! Also I have noticed quite a few people seem to use the 18-135mm lens in the parks would I be better off getting this instead for park shots or would be 18-55mm be OK for now?

 

[YEKCIM]

I don't have the 18-55, but understand it to be a decent performer for a kit lens. The wide end of that lens is equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm film camera, which is decently wide. I suggest you use the 18-55 for wide angle shots and see if you really need anything wider. I have the 18-135 and it is very adequate for the vast majority of my "wide" needs. You might consider either the 55-200vr ($212 online) or 70-300vr ($470 online) for some extra reach. Both are very good consumer tele-zooms and would complement your existing lens quite well. If you decide you need to go wider than 18mm, there are a number of choices around, including the new 16-85vr Nikkor ($600 online), the Sigma 10-20mm ($480 online) and several other third party lenses.

(Edit: Prices shown are US; I just noticed that you are in UK)

~Y

 

[Suburbanmom]

I started with the 18-55mm Nikon lens and still consider it the lens to use when I need a wide angle. I think it's a great little lens. It doesn't have great reach, but it has been more than adequate as my walk-around lens for more than a year. I have the 70-300mm zoom and pull that out when I need it.

 

[seashoreCM]

If the 18 to 55mm lens on your camera is as wide as a 28mm lens on a 35mm film SLR camera then the 55mm corresponds to 85mm on a film camera which is between 2x and 3x zoom on a typical point-and shoot. You'll get a lot of all around shooting with that (28-85mm in 35mm film camera equivalents).

The 18-135mm lens on your camera would be equal to a 28-215mm lens on a 35mm film camera. Same wide angle, just more reach (telephoto).

You'll have to evaluate or read about the quality of one of these lenses versus the other. In general the greater the zoom, the greater the chance of aberrations at some or all of the zoom positions.

Digital camera hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/digicam.htm

 

[El Nebuloso]

As was previously posted, the 18 end of your range is pretty wide. I have the Tokina 12-24 and my brother has the Sigma 10-20 (both Nikon mounts). Both are great lenses but at ~$500 they aren't really cheap. You may want to work with the kit lens for a while and then decide whether you need something wider or if your type and style of shooting dictate something else. Either way, Enjoy