Lenses??????

[beegal]

hello everyone... i am planning a new Nikon D5100... but i have never had a camera that you can change the lenses and am VERY confused about which lenses to buy.

I know NOTHING about lenses so i really need help. I like to photo flowers (up close) and also other nature scenes, i also love to take pictures of my grandkids...

If you could only have one or two lenses what would they be and why??????

Thanks for your input.

b

[IABoomer]

I'm really inclined to suggest the new AF-S 40mm f/2.8 micro (macro) lens. It will focus very closely for detailed flower shots. It's got a wide aperture for better low-light shooting or faster shutter speeds to keep up with the kids. It would be a pretty decent focal length for a general purpose lens.

The one downside would be getting used to shooting with a prime lens where you have to move to change your framing and composition, but it's something you can get used to relatively easily. I bought my D5000 with the 35mm f/1.8 and with the exception of borrowing an older 70-210mm zoom lens from a friend for shooting my sister-in-law running, I've done everything else I've shot with that one lens.

[3bayjunkie]

Hi! I think I can help. I have been looking at a lot of lenses lately because I just bought a new camera as well.

For flowers I would recommend the 55mm f/2.8 macro lens. see links below:
Nikon Macro 55mm f/2.8 Micro AIS Manual Focus Lens 1442 B&H

for family and a good all around lens try the affordable 18-55mm kit lens that comes with the camera.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by beegal

hello everyone... i am planning a new Nikon D5100... but i have never had a camera that you can change the lenses and am VERY confused about which lenses to buy.

Try reading this primer on lenses. It'll describe the basic features of lenses, like focal length and max. aperture and what they mean in terms of shooting an image. That should help with some of the confusion.

I know NOTHING about lenses so i really need help. I like to photo flowers (up close) and also other nature scenes, i also love to take pictures of my grandkids...

Well, for close-up photography, a macro lens. For landscape photography, your 18-55 kit lens (if you get one with the camera) would be good. And for the grandkids, well, it depends on what kind of pictures you want to take. Lenses for portraits are kind of different from lenses for sports or stage shooting.

If you could only have one or two lenses what would they be and why??????

It doesn't really matter. What would work for me might not work for you. We'd probably want to shoot different things in a different way. I don't have grandkids. I think of nature as an opportunity for birding. I own lenses few people would want in their bags. What lenses you want has to do with what and how you want to shoot and how much you've got to spend.

My recommendation would be to simply get the dSLR body of your choice with an inexpensive kit lens, and get some experience in with the camera and post-processing your images, first. It's a pretty big learning curve. THEN sit down and make a list of all the things about your camera/lens that are frustrating you, and what you cannot shoot with the combo that you really really want to. Then, take that information and start looking for lenses that will work for that.

If you don't know what lenses to look at, it's probably not time yet to think of buying one. Your P&S camera can take the macro shots for now.