d3200prime

Whether you purchase in a bundle or build your own, these are the lenses you will need for ANY type of shooting ANY where. 1. Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S, 2. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S, 3. Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR AF-S, 4. Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED.

JR45 Loc: Montgomery County, TX

The idea of carting around multiple lens and the possibility of wanting/needing to change lens under adverse conditions scares me.
But, I have bee n known to carry two cameras. I use an older aftermarket 28-200 on a D7200 as a backup to my D500 with
a Nikkor 18-300. I also have Nikkor 200-500 to use on which ever I choose.

Gatorcoach Loc: New Jersey

Bluemoon, welcome to the site. Although the kit lenses are branded and generally very good they usually come in 18-55mm and 70-200mm or something similar. They problem that presents is carrying 2 lenses and dealing with changing them as your target changes. It can become inconvenient very soon. Also one is not really wide angle (nor usually macro) and the other is not extremely telephoto. My suggestion is to look into Sigma, Tamron, and maybe Tokina for a good zoom in the 18-200mm or 20-400 range. They cost between $450-600. Not a bad investment for a quality all-purpose lens. As you get better and develop more specialized preferences then look to more specialized lenses.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Welcome. As others have stated there are many lens options at many price points. You say that you are stretching your budget to get the D500. I guess the first question I would ask is are you sure the D500 is the best choice for what you want to shoot. Depending on what you want to shoot it could be a great choice or not. It is certainly a very good body but I think we need more information on what you want to shoot to give better advise. I don't think people recommending lenses that cost several thousand dollars is probably going to fit your current budget.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Unfortunately we lost our good local camera store in Melbourne - they were a great place to ask questions, see what was available, actually HOLD the cameras, etc. In general, kit lenses are a reasonable place to start until you decide what you want to "focus" on... Especially when you consider that a kit lens may be worth $100-150 or so, and a professional-quality lens easily runs for three to ten times that amount.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Welcome to our forum!

The dealer is the most important element in this equation. Camera prices will be about the same. I have gotten some good extras buying from one dealer rather than an other. As Bebu said, if you like the lens being offered, go for it. Camera/lens packages are always cheaper than buying the lens separately. Sometimes, a packing will include cheap filters and tabletop tripods - not very tempting. I once bought a DSLR that was available only as the camera/lens package. I didn't want the lens, so I sold it on ebay.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Under most cases you should customize your your KIT. However, currently the D500 is being bundled by Nikon with the 16-80 mm lens. This is a relatively new lens from Nikon and on the D500 body it covers 24-120 mm. Which should cover a lot of territory. The Nikon D500 body and lens comes packaged in a special box holding both camera and lens. THIS IS NOT A KIT LENS, but you should get the package for a good price. Currently your getting the lens almost at half price. This lens is not slow and at 120 mm it is f4, which is a decent speed. I bought this kit at Christmas when they threw in the vertical grip for free. It is a good value, that lens is really sharp and I enjoy the range. I own the Nikon 24-120 and put it on my D810, another winner from Nikon. Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.

ELNikkor

The D500 is totally awesome, and with the 16-80, you'll get a good deal on the best all-around lightweight zoom. I do 90% of my shooting in that range.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Welcome to forum. The D500 is Nikon's best crop sensor camera today. The D500 doesn't come with the inexpensive lenses of other Nikon bundle kits that include the 18-55mm with VR and the non VR 70-300mm. It generally comes with a better lens, the 16-80mm. You can choose so many other lenses that suit your needs. And you can buy some very good third party lenses made by Tamron and Sigma. Read reviews on any lens before purchasing. Good luck.

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

Hi Tracy,
The suggestions you've received are all good. I did notice that you said you will "stretch" your budget to get the D500, an excellent choice as you already know so my suggestion(s) will be to look at two "oldie but goodie" non-vr lenses that are tac sharp and inexpensive. You can use them for a while then decide what you can afford later. They are listed below:
1. NIKKOR 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6 Aspherical AF G (around $50.00 on eBay)
2. NIKKOR 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF ED G (around $250.00 on eBay)
I have and use both on a daily basis. The 28-200 focuses to 18" through the complete zoom range so it is possible to take "close up near macro shots" with it but still use it as a walk-around lens. Good luck with your new venture and let us know what you decide. Take care & ...

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

Except that the “kit” lens on the D500 is a 16-80mm f/2.8-4.0, which seems to get excellent reviews from most professionals. I think that the more expensive the body, the more likely Nikon is to pair it with a better grade of glass.

Festus Loc: North Dakota

As a kit, the Nikon D500 is generally sold with the 16-80mm lens. That lens is quite a good, and a good all around lens.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

Just wondering do you even own a camera? There are lots of good kit lens. Have you ever read any reviews? It’s a wonderful place for someone to start and learn or use forever

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Welcome to UHH, Bluemoon! As you've discovered, any question you ask is going to get you a plethora of responses, MOST of them good but once in awhile someone will try to impress you in any number of ways that could be condescending or even rude. Do not worry. Most of them are good and, over time, you'll discover who the people are.
To help with your question, here is one website that offers several possibilities for lenses. If you're considering a bundle, see if any or all of the lenses happen to be on this list.
http://bestphotographygear.com/best-lenses-nikon-d500/

Another website that I would BOOKMARK is one by Ken Rockwell. Some people here on UHH do not like him for some reason but I've found him to be informative and someone who provides as much information as possible about all things with cameras. This link is for his review of the D500 and it includes many great photos using it as well as listing his thoughts on lenses for it. At the very top of the page, there is a link for "search" on his site so you could use that to simply search for lenses if you don't need to get more information on the D500. Good luck!
http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/d500.htm

Festus Loc: North Dakota

The Nikkor 16-80 DX lens is not cheap glass. Full retail is about $1070, US. I own one, and it pairs very well with the D500.