apesht13

Hello everyone! I have a Nikon d3200. I am looking for the best possible lenses for beginners. Would like to know a good zoom lense for taking pictures of wildlife and a good macro lense kit with filters. Basically I’m looks big for reasonable lenses to learn with. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!!

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Welcome to our forum...I like the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105 and 200. I se both depending upon what I am photographing. If your budget allows it I would suggest the Nikon Nikor 200-500.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

Welcome. In my opinion, you should save your money a little longer and invest only in full frame lenses. I know there will be a lot of people that will disagree, but my reasoning is that while there are fine DX lenses on the market, if you ever decide to upgrade to a full frame camera, your DX lenses will be useless. You may use FX lenses on a dx body, but you will not have the same success using dx lenses on a full frame body.
If you need to save a little money, try KEH for used equipment. Adorama and B&H Photo also sell used and reconditioned equipment.

Trustforce Loc: Chicago, Illinois

I would side with Orrie. My entry into DSLR was with a D5100 7 years ago, with the 18-55 and 55-300. 3 years later, I bought the 18-200 which was a great single lens for trips. Had I thought more about it, I probably should have gotten an FX zoom instead. Don't get me wrong, I loved the photos I got with my 18-200. But now I've got a D850, and had to buy FX glass.

The moral of the story, buy the best glass you can get, even if you have to save up for it. If you think that you will never migrate to a full frame sensor ever, then get the best DX lenses, but the options for better glass remains with FX lenses Some time or another, you will want to trade up from your entry level body to get more features.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

Take a look at a new Tokina 100mm with Nikon mount (next line).
B&H: Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X M100 AF Pro D Macro Autofocus Lens for Nikon AF-D B&H # TO10028PNAF MFR # ATXAFM100PRON $379 new

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Welcome to the forum.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

As to lenses, it depends to a degree on how much money you have to spend. For a macro, I would choose the Nikon 60mm f/2.8. It costs around $650 new. For wildlife it depends on the distance you will be shooting from and the size of your subjects, but I think a Nikon 70-300mm will do the job. On a crop sensor camera it has a minimum angle of view equal to that of a 450mm lens. You can buy one used from Adorama for between $90 and $350 depending on model and condition. Both lenses are FX lenses and the macro will be the equivalent of a 90mm lens on a DX camera, which is an ideal focal length for portraiture. For general photography the Nikon 18-105mm DX lens is a good choice.

The only filter you may want is a CPL (Circular Polarizer). Do not buy a UV or clear glass filter. It is a racket dreamed up by the industry to sell you a high markup product that is unnecessary. Always use a lens hood and lens caps to protect your lens. Also, you do not need a large array of filters like you do for film photography. Your camera and computer can simulate most of the filter effects of film photography for you.

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

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Welcome to our forum!

I can understand getting a camera for a beginner, but you should always try to get the best quality lens you can. Cameras come and go, but lenses are forever.

https://www.camerastuffreview.com/en/general/best-lens-for-nikon-d3300
https://www.switchbacktravel.com/best-lenses-nikon-d3300
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-first-nikon-lenses-you-should-buy/
http://lensespro.org/best-lenses-for-nikon-d3300/
http://www.smashingcamera.com/2014/03/6-best-lenses-for-nikon-d3300/

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Welcome to the Hog, enjoy.

d3200prime

FYI: I don't believe any af-p nikon lens is compatable with the d3200.

df61743 Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

My advice is, do not shop for "the best possible lenses for beginners." People tend to spend money on what they think is entry level equipment, then upgrade to a little more expensive gear, and finally on the lens they really wanted in the first place. Skip wasting your money on the first two steps, and save up for the last step. Get the best high end lens your budget will allow, and you won't be a "beginner" long.

nikonkelly Loc: SE Michigan

I might suggest that you consider the Nikon 200-500 mm. yes it is more money than you spent on your camera, but that is normal for quality. No the 200-500 is not the most expensive lens even if it might look like it at first. A really good wildlife lens will cost you $10,000 US dollars or more where as the 200-500 is around $1400. If you wanted something a little less expensive maybe you would look at a used 300 F4... but it just depends on what kind of quality you want and how much you want to pay for it. I was where you are at one time. I got the D70 and the 70-300 and it was ok, then I bought the 70-300 VR... and it was better... then I bought the 70-200 and when I added that all up, I had spent about $2700 instead of $1700 which was the cost of the best lens that I was considering... and mind you this was in 2006-7. I am saying this only so that you dont buy the lens that is cheapest and then rebuy a cheap lens again and again only to spend more than you would have if you had bought the right lens first.
kelly

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Probably the best wildlife zoom for use on your camera is the Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6G VR. That's a big lens and not cheap (though it's far, far less expensive than some other 300mm, 400mm and 500mm lenses).

More affordable, but not nearly as powerful, are the Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm FX VR or the AF-S 55-300mm DX VR. I recommend avoiding the cheapest of all AF-P 70-300mm DX, which doesn't have image stabilization (VR). On longer telephotos such as these, image stabilization is a very useful feature.... especially when using the lens on an APS-C camera such as yours, which tend to magnify any camera shake movement and are more susceptible to it. Stabilization really helps with that! Nikon calls it VR ("vibration reduction")... Sigma and Tamron respectively call it OS and VC ("optical stabilization" and "vibration control"). The various manufacturers' in-lens stabilization systems might be a little different from each other, but their function and purpose are pretty much the same.

Nikkor are often some of the very best, but tend to also be among the highest priced. If you are open to third party lenses, Sigma and Tamron each offer some that you may wish to consider. They both have relatively recently introduced and reasonably affordable 100-400mm models... not exactly small, but not nearly as big as the 200-500mm Nikkor. A difference is that the Tamron can optionally be fitted with a tripod mounting ring (sold separately), while the Sigma has no means of doing so. There also are larger and more powerful 150-600mm lenses from both of them. An older version can still be found for less, but currently there is the Tamron 150-600mm "G2". Sigma offers a similar quality 150-600mm "Sport" model. The older Tamron and the Sigma "Contemporary" 150-600mm are both a bit more lightly built and don't have quite as good image quality.

There are many good macro lenses to choose among: Nikon themselves makes a variety, plus there are a number of third party that are very good. I recommend a lens in the 85/90, 100, 105mm range of focal lengths. This is a good compromise that's long enough to offer sufficient working distance for most subjects and yet be relatively easily hand held. This range leaves you with:

Nikkor AF-S DX 85mm f/3.5G VR
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 (two versions, similar but the more expensive is Internal Focusing, has VC stabilization and has higher performance USD focus drive)
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM
Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8G VR IF-ED (FX)

All the above are auto focus models. Below models are not:

Tokina ATX-Pro 100mm f/2.8 FX... a "motorless" lens, manual focus only on your D3000-series camera (requires D7000-series or higher model camera to AF).
Samyang/Rokinon 100mm f/2.8... manual focus only
Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8... various models old and new, manual focus only
Zeiss 100mm f/2.8... manual focus only
PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f2.8... "Perspective control", 1:2 magnification (all others are full 1:1 capable), manual focus only.

When it comes to image quality, no worries. All macro lenses above are excellent and you'd see little difference in IQ between any of them. It's more the other features of macro lenses that set them apart from each other.

For example, auto focus speed is one thing to consider. Now, all macro with auto focus aren't particularly fast focusing, they tend to be slower than non-macro lenses... That's because depth of field tends to be very shallow with high magnifications and macro lenses are designed for focus precision, versus focus speed. Also, macro lenses need to move their focusing elements some distance within the lens, to go all the way from infinity to 1:1 magnification a few inches in front of the lens. Lenses that use more advanced focus drive systems such as Nikon's AF-S, Sigma's HSM or Tamron's USD help improve focus speed to an extent. Some of these lenses also have Focus Limiters that can be set to restrict the AF system to stay within a specific range and help with focus speed. The simplest of these will have just two ranges... full and limited. The more sophisticated may have 3 or 4 range Focus Limiters.

Note: Image stabilization, which some of the above include (VR, VC, or OS), is less effective on macro lenses. At the highest magnifications it may have almost no effect. But it might be more helpful when using the lens for non-macro purposes, i.e. at relatively low magnifications.

I really don't know what you mean by "with filters". All these lenses can optionally be fitted with a screw-in filter (sizes vary). But I very rarely use any filter on my macro lenses. I also rarely use them on telephoto lenses like the above mentioned for wildlife. Both types of photography, often any light lost to a filter offsets any benefit of using the filter. And with digital imaging, very few filters serve a purpose.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

I have a sigma 70 - 300 with a macro switch that will focus on a ball of the Queen's crown on a uk stamp, but has a minimal depth of field (rare that you will focus on something that small WITH a great DOF) cost new about £95.

As a zoom lens 300 gets you into the tree tops - but hand held it is too far for me keep sharp - works a treat on a tripod though. It's a kit lens.....

The sigma is a cheap lens....the moral is that a lens with a macro switch will be a good single lens to learn both with.

Also look at 'extension tubes' for macro...these cost a fraction of the price of a lens. - even the cheapest 'chinese' non electronic ones work well in manual mode.

As a beginner you will want to 'shoot everything' which is great! What you will learn is that to get the best shots 'the shoot everything lens' hasn't yet been invented despite the advertising. Each area of photography has developed 'specialist glass' or tricks like 'putting various lenses back to back using a double thread ring. Ring flashes to stop motion and light up a very small area close to the camera or focus stacking to increase DOF.

There are a variety of forums on UHH that discuss 'different aspects' of photography. Plus a google search of 'Macro' will introduce you to both Techniques as well as Kit. A search of 'wildlife' again will give you a broader understanding of what you will need and 'how, when and where to do'.

Having tried various techniques with your existing kit, and gained an understanding of what is on 'your wish list' Ask your question again within the sections that you are interested in rather than the main photography section......There will be more expertise in a specialist section than in a general section. Your research will tell you which 'range of lenses and kit are being used' so your question may just be about A or B....and peoples experiences.

I don't wish to dampen your enthusiasm in any way.....but the moral of photography is that 'specialists' use specialist skills & techniques as well as having 'favourite lenses. The same as racing drivers don't just climb into a very fast car...and hope to stay alive.

Don't confine your research to just what KIT should I buy. Broaden it into an understanding of the techniques used and what else makes that image that made you go 'I want to do that'.

Have fun