D5100 plus what lens? (my first DSLR-general use)

Like I said though - for that pricetag. There's so much one can buy with €800.

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http://www.kevinschoenmakers.nl

Dang it, messed around and missed that one that was going for $225.

Marc Trotter said:

Dang it, messed around and missed that one that was going for $225.

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That is the story of my life

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http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

Looking at the BB website, they do have the 5100 body in @$799 vs the 18-55 kit @$848. They have the 18-105 listed @399 but s/b $100-200 discount with camera purchase. The $200 may also be good for the 70-300VR lens. The 35G1.8 seems to be BO. The 50G 1.8 may not be here till July.

This is another weekend for the 10% Reward coupon (10% from Regular Price).
Happy shopping!

Thanks, all, for the input. I have ordered D5100 body only off of a corporate award site which I had enough points on. I also just ordered a barely used 18-105 off of Amazon.

I still have about $150 worth of points on that award site. So, I was wondering what I should also order. What kind of quality filter do you recommend for the lens? What SD card do you recommend for the D5100? What else should I pick up? Thanks again!

Unless you're planning on shooting at very high altitude or in ocean spray, a Circular Polarizer should be all you need. As far as memory cards, they're like laptops for me, I don't worry about the brand. The important thing for cameras is the card's read/write speed. If they have a prime lens, that'd be a fine other choice for your remaining credit, too.

Marc Trotter said:

I still have about $150 worth of points on that award site. So, I was wondering what I should also order. What kind of quality filter do you recommend for the lens? What SD card do you recommend for the D5100? What else should I pick up? Thanks again!

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Don't worry about a UV filter. Your 18-105 should come with a hood, which will protect your lens just as well. (But instead of degrading image quality, like UV filters do, improve it.)

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http://www.kevinschoenmakers.nl

Can anybody recommend a quality circular polarizer for the 18-105?

Marc Trotter said:

Can anybody recommend a quality circular polarizer for the 18-105?

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With filters, you get what you pay for. B&W, Heliopan are the quality names that are mentioned explicitly in the comedy article about shooting through 50 filters (see news page on this site.) No doubt Tiffen makes some good ones. But some of the lesser brands also make bad ones. If it is cheap, it is probably a waste of money.

On the other hand, I have played with a Tamron filter that actually was cheap at 27 bucks for 72mm ... and it was not horrible. Still, I don't bother with it much because it cuts so much light. It only works in blazing sunlight and I am not that fond of shooting in blazing sunlight unless it is unavoidable (an event, etc.)

--
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

Marc Trotter said:

I understand they have an 18-105, a 16-85, and a 18-200. I have read posts here and on other forums about people who are quite pleased with the results and

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I played my friend's 18-105 not really impressed, I uses the 18-200 vr for a few years now, you really need some experience to get great sharpness, so I think 16-85 is the best choice, it slightly wider for more subjects.

my choice will be:
1st 16-85
2nd 18-200
3rd 18-55 vr kit lens
4th 18-105

kevinschoenmakers said:

Marc Trotter said:

I still have about $150 worth of points on that award site. So, I was wondering what I should also order. What kind of quality filter do you recommend for the lens? What SD card do you recommend for the D5100? What else should I pick up? Thanks again!

Click to expand...

Don't worry about a UV filter. Your 18-105 should come with a hood, which will protect your lens just as well. (But instead of degrading image quality, like UV filters do, improve it.)

--
http://www.kevinschoenmakers.nl

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True enough, but how many of us actually use the hood? I've got a nice little nick on my lens from forgetting protection one busy evening of shooting. I don't normally use the hood since I'm pulling it in and out of the bag and would need a much bigger bag to store it in shooting position; the hood is also much more conspicuous. So I'm not against a high-quality UV filter on the lens; B/W, Heliopan, or the highest end Hoya should all work fine. It's those $20 specials you get at the photo hawkers that you have to stay away from. As far as a circular polarizer is concerned, the Nikon offering is actually quite good and not as expensive as the B/W and Heliopans; but prepare to spend close to $100 for this level of quality. Mine sits at home most of the time.