New and Looking for a Good Lens!

[shirayuki]

Hey everyone!

I am a beginner to photography and have a Nikon D60 (inherited from my uncle) and am currently looking for a good lens to go with it =D
Not really sure of what I want the lens for...maybe for travelling purposes (to which many would recommend the 18-200) but I reckon I'm a bit more of a pixel peeper as well =D so I am also considering 17-70s =D

As you can see, I'm quite fickle minded...but I need to lens to start off my photography hobby.
Currently have these 2 in mind, (only gonna buy one)

Sigma 18-200mm OS HSM f3.5-6.3
Sigma 17-70mm OS HSM f2.8-4.5

Please let me know which you would recommend (maybe let me know if there are any other lenses out there that I can consider). I'm on quite a tight a budget (hence the sigmas), something around AUD$500 would be great =D.

Please reread the forum rules regarding new members promoting commercial sites.

Anyway, I hope I have posted in the right section! (Sorry moderator if I did not) I look forward to hearing from you guys soon! =D Thanks!

[Wayne]

I see a mod edt coming up.

I hedge the Nikon 18-200 VR2 is every bit as good as those Sigma's, so if you are a pixel peeper and the Nikon isn't good enough, you may be no more satisfied with those Sigma's and the Nikon is close to budget.

[Patagonia]

I´m very happy with the Nikon 16-85 f3.5-5.6 as an all arround lens...it´s arround AUD$600 though...

regards

[shirayuki]

Wayne: not too sure if there is a big quality difference between the two lenses above though... Dont think my eyes are trained to see distortions and all, but I've seen really good pictures from 18-200s (but the reviews seem to always slam down on the softness of the sides and the distortions...especially with sigma's 18-200mm where apparently it performs badly at 80-135...)

Patagonia: thanks so much for your input =) however, I was thinking that if I was to sacrifice the super-zoom, I'd like the trade off to be for f2.8 which the 17-70 offers =D

[macrocephalic]

I don't know anything about the nikon lenses, but I'm sure I've heard some good things about the nilon 18-200 VR - not sure which version of it though.

[Tengu]

I and my wife both have D60's

I have asked a couple of lens questions on the Nikon part of this Fourm... so check out those answers

we have the kit lenses 18-55 and 55-200 AFS VR's
she has the older 18-135 AFS (not VR)
I have the Sigma 150-500 APO OS HSM
we are getting the Nikon 35 1.8 AFS VR this week

it depends what you are plannign on shooting
since you inherited the body did you get any lenses at all with it?

[kiwi]

Have you any lenses to start with ?