I am considering the D90 and was wondering what would be the best all round lens to match to it. I would prefer the flexibility of a zoom with a reasoble range. I appreciate the issues in providing advice without fully knowing the expectations of the user. I suppose I am seeking advice on what lens to purchase that will match and /or enhance the body and any future body upgrade. Perhaps the Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II DX? Any advice greatly appreciated.
Cheers Les

Les: The Nikkor 18-200 is not a bad lens but I generally find that a zoom range of about 18-80 makes for a mechanically and optically better unit. 200mm on a D90 is equivalent to 300mm on a 35mm camera -- do you really need that? And if you do why not buy a 200mm prime lens? I have a 180mm Nikkor that does very nicely when I need the extra reach and I bought it secondhand for very little money. TL

Terry: The majority of shots would be hand held or mini tripod taken on walks and at gatherings. My mate (and family) gets a bit frustrated now without me changing lenses - though there would be times I could get away with it.
Close up - flowers, Insects - ground textures while standing, faces.
Mid Range - birds, scenery, figures, structures.
Long range - as above.
At distance I would like to catch that random close up image that is gone when you arrive. With a 35mm slide one could do that to some extent on the wall screen.
I look for capturing a time in space in memory of the event or location and to bring to detail things the eye normally just scans over. The range and quality of the lens and the capacity of the camera body will govern how far that space extends. I tend to use the zoom (current digital) to frame shots and have not used programs like photoshop, to date, to crop. I expect that the outcomes will be a product of what I purchase and governed by it to some extent.
I would be aiming for sharp clear images and would be somewhat frustrated with myself if I purchased a long zoom and the results were no better than a digital zoom and the lens overall did not match a shorter zoom; which from your response it will not. Any further advice appreciated. Les

Les: Start with the 18-105 Nikkor lens. I know that the 18-200 seems like some sort of ideal all-in-one lens that can be left on the camera all the time but I am not persuaded.

And you should be coming to terms with Photoshop -- PS Elements is not that expensive and it will give you so much more control over your images. The great advantage of digital over film lies in this area of post-camera manipulation. What we once did in the darkroom we can now do on the computer. And cropping is perhaps the most basic of all image improvement techniques, whether in the darkroom or on the PC.

TL

Terry

Thanks for this site and your green guide column.

My Dad got me interested in photography. He used Leicas and I now use an R9 with a 50mm, 90mm and 100mm. As much as I love my Leica lenses, I find the need to scan everything frustrating.

Nowadays I use my Minolta Dimage A1 far more often than the R9. Its optics are quite good but it's limited in many respects.

Having read your review, I'm drawn to the Nikon D90 but I know little about Nikkor lenses. People rave about Leica glass but I don't see much unqualified praise of Nikkor.

This is a big decision for me and I'd be very glad of any thoughts you might be kind enough to share.

David: With lenses it is strictly a case of getting what you pay for. The best Nikkor lenses are magnificent, but they are expesnsive, just like Leica optics.

There are cheap Nikkor lenses which are a mixed bag. Generally the fixed focal length prime lenses are all good, even the relatively inexpensive ones. But with zooms the nexus between price and quality is fixed.

I have owned Nikon D70, D80 and D300 cameras and I have loved them all. And I have managed to acquire some good second hand Nikkor lenses at reasonable prices, mainly on eBay. My Micro Nikkor 60mm lens is my favourite piece of glass and it cost me $450 on eBay. I also have a good Nikkor 180mm that I got cheaply. One of the advantages of buying Nikon or Canon is the large number of second hand lenses that will work on these cameras.

Hope this helps. TL