Help on the purchase of our 1st DSLR D90 and Lenses

[soonercrew]

we are about to purchase our 1st dslr... after looking for a week now and handling many different models, we have chosen to go with a nikon d90... we are beginers, but figure that if we go with this model we may never grow out of it! this will be a hobby for my wife and i... we still have yet to decide whether to go new or used, and if we go used were not sure where it would be safest to look??? we will be doing our photography of: family photos, friends, kids sports, vacationing, my classic car hobby (very important to me to choose the right lens for this imparticular! lol), nature...etc... we know that our best choice will be multiple lenses, but which ones???? our local dealer suggested a body only, and then to go with a 12-? or 16-? (cant remember which one) and a 70-300... im pretty sure he wasnt just trying to sell me something either since he suggested that i buy used as a begginer... sound right??? my budget for the entire package will range from 1200-1800 (quite a range i know, but we will pay more if were getting the right stuff new/used!!!) and if anyone knows someone that may want to part from their current equipment let me know!

we will both be taking a 6wk course on using our camera, among more in the future on special photography options...
any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!

[polvadis]

As a beginner myself, I would personally go for the 18-105mm lens that the D90 comes kitted with. I bought that lens for my D40 to start with and found that it's pretty much the one lens for all my current needs. I would then buy the additional 70-300 for the zoom.

There are seasoned photographers here that could answer this better, but this is my beginners opinion.

[fionndruinne]

I might be inclined to buy body-only, but only buy used if you are sure of the reliability of the product, and preferably if it comes with a warranty. Otherwise I would be inclined to purchase a new, body-only camera. You might go with the 18-105mm kit lens, it's got a wide coverage from wide-angle to moderate telephoto. But if you want a separate telephoto lens then the 18-105mm would overlap more than a little. I hear the 16-85mm is a good lens, and the 55-200mm VR is another good telephoto choice, albeit less reach than the 70-300mm.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

How about start small and much later upgrade your lens choices.

Perhaps a new D90 with the kit 18-105 lens. It'll take a while to grow into that and feel that you need better lenses. It has a wide range and is pretty cheap. You won't have to change lenses too much either at the start.

A 16-85VR is a better lens but much pricier. There are several variations of the 70-300 so you have to be aware people are recommending the VR version.

[K1W1]

I replied to this when the OP asked the same question in the "What camera should I buy?" section.

If you do cross post it's always a good idea to let people know that you have done so and why. Some forums (not this one fortunately) get very nasty about people cross posting the same question in numerous locations.

[BikerJohn]

Having a D90 I would have a hard time sharing it with my wife. ;)

Seriously, if you think you both will really like it, I'd be prepared to buy a second body after about 6 months.

[XaiLo]

I agree with fionndruinne, D90 body only,16-85mm, the more images I see from this lense the more it's impressed me, it is sharp to the point it has me debating between it and a prime lense. The 55-200mm VR dollar for dollar this has to be in the top three of Nikons best deals on a lense. And I'll also suggest the new 35mm f/1.8 for those low light situations. The 70-300mm is also a great lense for the money.

D90 $914.95
16-85mm 629.95
55-200mm VR 219.95
35mm f/1.8 199.95
70-300mm VR 589.95

The D90, 16-85mm, 55-200mm VR, get you in under budget these prices are from B&H a very reputable online dealer. You will also cover a good focal range and these lenses overlap in a good way and should cut down on the need to swap. Also note that the non VR versions of the suggested lenses are not as optically sound as the VR versions... matter of fact they're not even in the same league.

[jcon]

Id also suggest a decent flash like the SB-600.