shuagster said:
Finally! I have made up my mind!! I'm on a tight budget so I'm gonna forget about the 18-200 or 16-85... I'm gonna get the 18-105 as a walk around lens and the 35mm 1.8 for low light. Eventually if I feel like I need longer focal lengths I'll get the 70-300VR.

Thank You everyone you have been of great help in my decision. :)

Sounds like a good place to start. It will at least help you figure out if you need anything else down the line. I just got the 35 f1.8 and I was surprised that it was built pretty well for the price...metal mounts and all. Lol I will take the wisdom of my wife and say you even though you are all excited about the camera you don't need to have it all at one time. If it takes a while to save up for a better lens later on then so be it. You will be able to take pictures with those 2 lenses and it is easy to be caught up in needing more and better, but I don't think I have heard anyone that has been really disappointed by a Nikon lens even the kit lenses.

Finally! I have made up my mind!! I'm on a tight budget so I'm gonna forget about the 18-200 or 16-85... I'm gonna get the 18-105 as a walk around lens and the 35mm 1.8 for low light. Eventually if I feel like I need longer focal lengths I'll get the 70-300VR.

Thank You everyone you have been of great help in my decision. :)

My everyday lens (also using D5000) is the Nikkor 18-135 AF-S DX. I do not miss the VR feature. My other lens is the 70-300 AF-S VR and then I carry a TC-20E II teleconverter which was modified to fit the 70-300 lens. I stay in sunny South Africa and found this combination pretty much as close to my level of competence as what my money could buy.
Of course, an infra red remote and a Manfrotto 7301 is reqiured when the teleconverter comes out.
Why did Nikon make some lenses incompatable with the teleconverter? Taking one lug off makes the TC compatable to my lens, but why do Nikkon not want it to fit? It is a super combination in bright light.

I got the 50mm f1.4 AND the 70-300VR off ebay for the cost of a 18-200 new.....

Indecisions, indecisions... Thank you everyone for the advice, but the more research I do, the more undecided I get. For now, I'm only saving up, so when I have some cash, I can think more seriously about making a decision. Also I have an 50mm, a SB-600 and a Tripod on my list, so I'll be saving for a while...

I'll probably end up getting the 55-200 to complement my 18-55, or I'll get the 18-200 VR.

If you are dead set on finding a single everyday lens I think your best solutions are either the 18-105 VR DX or the AF-S 18-200 VR. Just depends on how much you want to spend. The 18-200 is close to twice the price of the 18-105. I got the 18-105 with my D90 kit. I have an ultra wide zoom, telephoto zoom and a 50 prime, but my 18-105 lives on my D90. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but it handles that focal length range pretty good for everyday casual shots. When I am more serious about what I expect from my glass I will go to my other lenses.

;-) saying that you are not mean twice sure helps confirm that you are indeed not mean. ;-) get my meaning .. LOL !! heh !

Re lens choice... I think for a newbie (putting my newbie hat on, oh it still fits .. gosh what a surprise .. :-) I would go for the longer lens. and since you have waited so long maybe you should wait a bit longer to see if the rumoured 55-300 eventuates. On teh other hand that 70-300 VR is a good lens you wont regreat getting it. (PS if you are considering the 70-300G, dont get that 70-300 G get the VR version)

Good luck.. with your decision.

Well am not trying to be "mean" shuagster. All of those lenses are good. it really depends on which one YOU think fits best for YOU. I can recommend the 35mm f1.8 all day and all night but it's about what works for YOU and the kind of shooting you do or want to do.

Hey shagster,

I'm assuming you are on a tight budget (like me) - I have the D5000 too. My lenses are the 18-105VR, 70-300VR and 50 f1.4. I feel I have adequate glass for my useage and my budget - if I didn't have the tight budget I would have wider/faster lenses instead, but with those lenses I can be getting good results and learning lots about taking images and post processing.

It is crazy that you haven't made a decision yet, just do it and get on with enjoying life. With the ability to correct lenses in post processing now, life got simpler.

HTH,

Hey Niko, sorry if I annoy you with my Noob posts, I'm just a beginner photographer trying to get deeper into the field and Yes, I have read other posts about the lenses, but what I'm really looking for is input from more experienced people who could help make my decision easier.

Sincerely, Shuagster

Please do a forum search as those lenses have all been covered NUMEROUS times. They are all good lenses an it just depends on YOU and what YOUR needs are.

Hello again. It has been 3 months since I started this thread and no, I have not made a decision and I have not made any purchases. So I come back a bit more informed in the field of Photography being that when I first posted I had just been gifted my D5000 and did not really know much. 3 months ago I didn't really know what I needed or even what I wanted, now I have realized that what I want and need is a lens to complement the 18-55VR that I already have and I want to know if I should go with the cheaper and lighter 55-200VR or go with the 70-300VR, I don't really mind the price difference as I am only beginning to save for this purchase. Also if you know about any rumored updates on these two lenses, I can wait. I am also considering getting a prime lens for low light, I am strongly considering the Nikon 50mm 1.8 but I am open to suggestions.

I am using the D5000 as well ( waiting for D300s replacement or D700 replacement)
My everyday lens is the Nikkor DX AF-S 35mm F1.8
I chose this as it is close to same focal length as 50mm is on FX cameras and for better low light performance. For a zoom lens , I am saving for new Nikkor AF-S 16-35 F4G VR.
Everyone needs are different.

Dan

I shoot with D90, D300, and D700 many days. I finally bought a D90 myself as I had been recommending the camera for so long and many of my friends were buying it on my say so and then asking questions that it just made it easier to use one more myself. Another reason I bought it as after i had helped so many set up their rigs i began to realize that the D90 had features I liked a lot and besides it made a great small field camera. I used the 18-105VR kit lens as I had been really impressed how well that lens does within its range. If I was going to demand 70-300VR type wildlife, or performance sports use I would suggest the 18-105VR lens. But that is two lenses. Now on that camera I just leave the 18-200VR lens on it as it is frankly an amazing lens. There are times I put on a Micro Nikkor as up close it will beat a 18-200VR. This does leave the increasingly expert user which you may well become with the realization that there is no perfect lens. I have photographed with lens which cost thousands more than the 18-200VR lens. The actual shots taken under real life conditions make the 18-200VR look like a great purchase. BUT if you had to say that shooting it compared to the 18-105VR within that range....then I see no appreciable difference. I owned some of the more expensive 2.8 zooms and felt they were too heavy. When the D400 and the D90 REPLACEMENT arrives they will be awesome cameras. But it is very wise to look very close at good NIKKOR glass. I have seen many friends buy other brand aftermarket lens and within two years they were broke and would not take photos. In my experience Nikon lenses keep on working for MANY years. Two lenses you should really look close at are the 70-300VR and the 16-85VR. If I have had my doubts about ONE NIKON lens it would be the 18-55VR. Within its range it is very good. The problem is that everyone I know who use it are always wishing it had more range. I'd always take the 18-105VR lens over the 18-55!!!

I have been considering picking up a D5000 too .. almost pulled the trigger last month.. still might... to replace my D200 clone S5pro. Well really to tide me over till the D300s replacement comes along.

Not to mention that the matrix metering on the D5000 is much better than on the D80.

Well I think being able to shoot HD video is a huge gain for some people. And besides he still has the D80.

It's exactly like replacing with a D300 with a D90. You lose many controls and only gain a few features not seen on the older model... For some it works but it still seems kinda odd.

What's wrong with that?

You replaced a D80 with a D5000?

Yeah the older version was AF-D compatible.

Maybe, everything I can find out about that lens says it has a Tamron BIM (Built in motor), but maybe that is a newer version?

You don't have to post this same question in more than one thread Dennis.
Look for lenses that are AF-S compatible. Your Tamron is just AF so it doesn't have an autofocus motor so it won't autofocus on the D5000 but will on the D80.

Yes... I can hear the motor on the D80 when auto focusing.

Is the 18-250mm screw driven? Meaning, do you hear the body focus motor working on the D80 when you have it on that camera?