Looking to add a lens to my kit 18-55 on my D40

I am not really going to do long range wildlife photos. Most will be in the Disney/vacation distances. Just looking for some opinions for a zoom or telephoto for my camera.

 

If you want the best of both worlds, the 'AF-S Zoom-Nikkor D 18 - 200 mm f/3.5 - 5.6G DX ED IF VR' (whew!) is a great lens for general walking around. (better resell value too should you choose to REALLY blow the budget and move up to FX).

To be honest, you can just about glue the 18-200 to the camera and forget about it for general family/vacation photos!

 

Yeah, I saw that instead of the traditional 'Nikon Black' barrel they changed it to a very deep blue metallic, and also changed the red 'VR' badge to pink. The upside is that possession of the lens will afford a %2 discount on park admission.

 

I have the above 18-200 lens and I love it! Used it during my May WDW trip for everything.

 

I have to agree here...I have the same lens, and use it most of the time in the day. I usually switch to my 50mm 1.8 at night - still trying to get better with that lens!

 

As a walkabout and travel lens, it's hard to beat the Nikon 18-200 VR. Here's a link to a review I wrote soon after I got it.
http://www.themagicinpixels.com/forum/i ... 801.0.html

Most of the pictures I have posted here over the last year (unless noted) were taken with this lens. You should hear from Craig soon, too. He's another fan of this lens.

 

Is ~$680 a decent price for this lens?

Is the 18-55 VR worth it to replace the kit lens? or just stick with the 18-200?

 

That is a good price. B&H has it a bit cheaper. Use the link at the top of this page. When I got mine they were in short supply and I ended up paying more than MSRP. My excuse is I had a WDW trip coming up fast.

What I'd suggest is keep the 18-55 VR for if you ever sell your D40 as it will be easier to sell with a lens. Don't be nervous that the lens costs more than the camera, you'll be able to use it on newer cameras or sell it at a good price.

 

Count me among the 18-200 VR owners. I love the lens--it's actually the only one I have right now. I ended up paying $250 for mine, and it included a B+W UV filter and a Tiffen Polarizing filter. If money is an issue, I suggest looking for big packages on eBay (sold by individuals or authorized sellers, otherwise you'll get grey market) and reselling the items you don't want. I got really lucky when I bought mine, because some seller had just listed it with a D50 body for a really low price, and at the time I had a 10% off paypal coupon and Live.com was offering 25% cashback on eBay purchases. I later sold the D50, and ended up with a really sweet deal on the lens and a couple of nice filters.

If you buy new, I'd look for a better deal than $680. Last I saw on Amazon, it was around $660 with free shipping and no tax to most locations. Check Abes of Maine, too.

 

OK, what is the real difference between f/2.8 and f/3.5. I know the definition, but not the real effective difference on a DSLR. I want to take picutres in dark rides sometimes

 

My D40 actually came with a 18-55 and a 55-200...

My 18 - 55 covers pretty much everything I do except in areas (like the theme parks) where I really want to zoom in on all the details. I carry both with me at all times. Having a 18 - 200 would have been soooo much more efficient.

 

I have a 18-55 and a 55 - 200...

I recommend you listen to those recommending the 18 -200!

I *wish* I had all in one instead of having to switch out my lenses.

I use both religiously, but the lens needed depends on where I'm at.

At MK I'd use the 18-55 for the castle and wider shots...but then would have to switch if I want to zoom in on details the 55 won't reach. It's a major annoyance you won't have to deal with if you buy the wider range lens.

 

Anybody know if the TAMRON 18-270 is worth looking at as an option to the Nikkor 18-200 VR?

 

Your Nikon will only work with specific lenses...

I am sure one of the guys will come by and tell you id the Tamron will work on your D40.