Calling camera geeks!

Hopefully I've attracted the right breed of .org member with the thread title

I just want some advice on choosing the right lenses for some situations, I was wondering what people are using on here for certain things.

Firstly, I would like a longer lense (something that goes up to at least 200 mm, dosn't need to be shorter than 55 mm as my kit lense for my Nikon D60 is 18-55mm). Nikon lenses look good, but a bit expensive (although I have found a 55-200 mm lense on the interwebnet for £150 with auto focus and the vibration reduction VR doolaaly). Has anyone had any good experiances with these lenses?

Also, I took some pictures the other week at the soho meet at night, I had to use my flash. I would like a lense that allows a really wide aperture (low f number) so I can get in as much light as possible and hopfully get a decent enough shutter speed for decent exposure and without blurring (otherwise maria will have to lug my tripod on her back, too long for the topbox). What is out there for me at a relativly affordable price?

Cheers people,

Matt

You've had your answers in the other Soho thread, I guess. For portrait / low light stuff, you want the 50 mm prime lenses, which will act as 75mm in the D60. The f/1.8 is wonderful, but you'll have to manual focus on the D60, the f/1.4 is more expensive but even better.
As for longer lenses, if you're on a budget, the 55-200 f/4-5.6 VR is the way to go. If not, get the 70-200 f/2.8.
This is one of those areas where you really get what you pay for...

[fizzwheel]

I've got a Nikon 70-300mm with VR on it, its is IMHO a good piece of kit. I've also got a 55-200mm without the VR and no problems with vibration on the non VR lens.

I found though that you always want focal length its a slippery and expensive slope...

With lenses IMHO you get what you pay for. But you could look at Sigma and Tamron lenses as a cheaper alternative.

In my experience anything with a low F number costs a fortune, so it depends on your budget and what you're prepared to pay, the other thing is how much use are you actually going to get out of it.

Instead of a tripod. I found fence posts, gates, my own bike make suitable steady bases for taking pics at night then you can use a slower shutter speed and still get a blurr free pic. Also you can get mini tripods or also a bean bag makes a useful rest for the camera to.

Thanks guys! Yea filipe, i did get some answers on the other thread in the soho section, bu I just wanted a proper discussion to look back on to help me work out what to get.

Fizz, the bean-bag is a great idea, I can get a small one and use my bike tank or something like that as a platform, then I can leave the bean bag in my topbox I have a smaller tripod, its not overly stable when the legs are extended out though.

I'm considering Sigma and Tamron lenses aswell, but I'd like to see what I can get from Nikon stuff first...

Cheers guys,

Matt

One thing that will help you lots is an infrared remote. Get yourself on eBay, you should be able to get a compatible one for a fiver or so. The Nikon ML-L3 original one is not too expensive either, but it's money you save. Even if you're not using it to take self-portraits, you'll want to use it to minimise camera shake when you're already at the limit (and yes, your finger on the shutter will be noticeable even on a tripod). Camera on tripod / bean bag, VR OFF! (VR looks for vibration, if it doesn't detect it it might induce some of it's own), remote. Job jobbed.