best starter lens for Nikon D5100

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

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should be buying a D5100 body soon and was wondering what lens i should buy for it?

would Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens be ok to start with? cost about £89 or should i take this opportunity to buy a better lens?

new to DSLR so am a complete beginner

thought id buy body only and decide on what lens to buy, i always try look ahead saves me buying and selling old kit

any help much appreciated

thanks
 
It depends what you're using it for? I'd try a 35 1.8 to start off with, fantastic cheap lenses and lots of fun to learn with
 
ok, thanks

probably right until i get to grips with it all

where should i buy the 18-55mm from? any preferred cheap places?
 
I would stump up forthe18-105vr, better optically and the focal range is very useful. Probably thebest value for money lens from any manufacturer.
 
Second hand vs brand new, plus the difference in the two mpb ones is the condition the lens is actually in. The £49 one will be tatty compared to the £69 one.
 
That is the lens and best uk price. I am very impressed by it, it keeps up with my pro lenses costing 5 times the price.

It is a very plasticky lens but it feels ok to hold and zoom. You will appreciate the 105mm end over 55mm, and it should mean you are not wanting to upgrade it very quickly. Even if/when you do upgrade it becomes a versatile lightweight travel or hiking Lens.
 
I have recently got the 18-105mm and it's fantastic, at the wide end objects appear further away than they really are and the zoom range is great for taking distant pictures.
 
The D5100 with 18-105mm is £540 from digitalrev.com or with 18-55mm £410. I think it's worth paying £130 for the better lens, or you could get a 35mm prime instead.
 
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Yeah don't get the 18-55. It's decent but you'd want to replace it almost straight away as soon as you start getting into photography. The 18-105 and 35 1.8 are both great lenses and you'd have a fair while longer before you grew out of them
 
I've just bought a d5100 with the 18-105mm lens for £529 from Jessops. Although i have read some negative things baout the lens, apparently at 18mm it gets really fuzzy around the egdes.

Also read some positive stuff about the 18-55mm, apparently for a cheap lens it is very good.
 
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18mm looks ok to me as an amateur.

v3g17s.jpg
 
Thanks all

I'm hopefully getting the d5100 hardly used second user. And it's coming only as body only.

Might opt for the 18-105mm.
 
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