Better Kit Zoom lenses...

[linearity]

I want to buy a D80, and there are several options for zoom lenses that come with the kits. This will be my first DSLR, and modern camera for that matter as my film camera is an old manual Canon A1.

#1 - Nikon D80 DSLR w/Nikon 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Lens - $1099.99
#2 - Nikon D80 DSLR w/Nikkor 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6G AF Zoom Lens- $1049.99
#3 - Nikon D80 DSLR w/Nikkor 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S- $1299.99

Which of these has the best lens of the group? Ultimately I want to get more quality lenses, but one of these will have to do till I get the money to expand. I am leaning toward #1, then #3, and finally #2.

I suppose #4 is buy the body and a lens seperate. Is there a moderately priced zoom lens that is better than the ones listed above?

Thanks in advance.

[linearity]

Forgot to add this above.

The D80 has a 1.6 crop factor. Does that mean that the focal lengths are really adjusted by 1.6? So the 18-55 is really comparable to a 29-88 in 35mm?

[Photo-John]

Yes, the focal length needs to be adjusted by 1.6x. It's an "effective" conversion because the optics aren't actually changed. But for all practical purposes, 18mm on the D80 is comparable to 28 or 29mm on a 35mm camera. That's why the kit lenses are all so wide.

By focal length, I like the 18-135mm best. But I don't know which one has the best performance. None of them has user reviews here yet. If anyone reading this has any of those kit lenses, please post reviews. We need reviews for those lenses!

If I was to make a recommendation is would be for the Nikon 18-200mm AF-S DX lens. It costs considerably more than the lenses you're looking at. But the reviews are excellent and it won a Choice Award this year based on those reviews. It will cost more, but I don't think you'd regret it, if you can come up with the money. Heres a link to that review page:

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Lens Reviews >>

Hope that helps!

[Franglais]

I have the 18-200 VR and I like it a lot. It doesn't come in a kit, though (they can't make enough of them to satisfy demand). You might be able to find the 18-70 in a kit. This is another excellent choice that I also have (it came in a kit with my D70).

The 18-55 and 18-135 get good reviews in the magazines (distortion is rather strong on the 18-135 but you can correct for this in software). I don't have either of these lenses because they are not built for heavy use. I take thousands of pictures a year and a lens with a plastic mount does not feel right. Even the 18-70 and 18-200 are not built as strongly as Nikon's professional lenses but I'm comfortable with them.

I would definitely not put the 28-80 on the D80. THis is nother plastic lens built for film and the parameters for a digital camera are quite different.

Charles

[Frog]

I bought my d80 with the 18-135 and am happy with it.
It isn't metal but seems sturdy and I like the range. Sometimes I want more but I'd opt for another lens that didn't have that much range if I wanted more.
I'd do a review but I don't have the technical lingo to do so.

[Franglais]

I bought my d80 with the 18-135 and am happy with it.
It isn't metal but seems sturdy and I like the range. Sometimes I want more but I'd opt for another lens that didn't have that much range if I wanted more.
I'd do a review but I don't have the technical lingo to do so.

Write a review but just write what you think. You've already said that you're happy with the feel of it and that you like the range. What do you use it for? Is is particularly suited for something that you do? Anything it's not suited for? How is it in low light, does the focussing still work OK? What size images do you do? Is it OK at this size or have you noticed any weaknesses? Etc.

The professional reviews in magazines and specialised we sites are very interesting. The story told by real-life users in sites like this one are equally interesting and I listen to both.

Charles