As a newbie you are doing very well and I join Thomas recommending that you keep the kit lens you have now. Since you are looking for an economic lens the 55-200 will also serve you well. I had one and it gave me beautiful images before I updated to the 70-300 VR-S which is considerably more expensive and obviously a better lens.

Right now your primary goal should be to learn basic photography and there is plenty of information online. Learn exposure and get familiar with ISO and what shutter speeds and lens openings (apertures) are capable of doing creatively. All that information will enhance your photography.
Good luck.

They are all beautiful shots but the first one immediately caught my eye.

Curmudgeon said: "Neither, there's absolutely nothing wrong with what you have. Save your money and take your wife out to dinner."

I am sure the majority here are not professional photographers. For a majority of us only RAW data shines but for a news agency speed on reporting the news is paramount. It is not the same a processed JPEG from a RAW data than a JPEG straight off the camera. I believe that the news agency is trying to get the images fast avoiding the manipulation that is done to a RAW data....and the associated delays.

I shoot both types of files depending on the circumstances. Modern JPEG files have been improved to give us today excellent images and I have several of them which to my eyes look spectacular. It is true that RAW data is flexible and with its 12, 14 or 16 bits of information we can manipulate it knowing there will not be sudden changes of colors, banding or other artifacts. I want to emphasize again that modern JPEGs are better than ever and although some over here believe those files can be manipulated as if there is no tomorrow I totally disagree, the less manipulation the better for a JPEG.

I occasionally shoot wildlife, I occasionally shoot street photography but when I have done it I have gone with JPEG. I keep on saying that modern JPEG files are of excellent quality, if we manipulate RAW data we will end converting to JPEG and lots of data will be lost, no matter what.
Software engineers are not stupid and news agency are not either. I still believe there is a reason why a JPEG is not only the universal file but it is the primary file in our cameras when we buy them. I can see a significant difference between JPEG files from around 2001 and those of today. It all seems to indicate to me that software engineers keep on working to extract from our cameras the best images we can achieve.

Jack said: "Well here at 8:40 EST I have read 5 of 5 pages of this and nobody mentioned that Angel Adams made great photographs with the tools he had perfected and he will never be replicated."

Is it necessary to say it? I would mention it only to those not familiar with him or the zone system. When he was shooting during his young years with 4x5 cameras he was using a Pentax spot meter and although I am not sure, previously he was using a Weston Master which was not as precise.
When he photographed "Moon over Hernandez, New Mexico" he did not have his meter with him so it was rather dark and he took a guess at the exposure. The resulting negative was badly underexposed but his mastery of the darkroom made another work of art out of that negative. Moon over Hernandex has become one of his most famous work.

I guess we all work with what we have and know better.

If you are not planning on doing your own film development you will not be able to use the zone system. The first step here is to use a densitometer or to experiment with the development of the film till you find the development time that better fits your prints. Sending the film to a professional lab will never achieve that. With b&w film the exposure is for an important shadow area which is usually exposed minus 2 stops from meter reading. The development of the film will control the highlights and that requires testing.

Ansel Adams used Tri-X with Kodak HC-110. That is exactly the same combination I used till I began to use digital. I still cannot get with digital the results I got with film and although digital has much more tonalities than a b&w film I have not been able to reproduce those tonalities. Perhaps I do not have the right software, perhaps I am missing something I ignore.

I am sure you have already learned some of the zone system theories but keep in mind that a good exposure with film means nothing if the right development time is not applied to the negatives. There is no way you could know what the right development time is for your camera and film till you use the densitometer of experiment, like I did, with the development you intend to use.

Good luck.

I have never been disappointed when I used my Nikon lenses.
Your images are very nice and tack sharp.

I am using Olympus micro fourths thirds system. My cameras have mechanical and electronic shutters. I have used the electronic shutter for sequential shooting and landscapes but most of the time I am using the mechanical one.
Very soon a majority of the cameras made will have what I believe is called Global Shutter. It will allow flash sync. speed at any shutter speed besides allowing faster shutter speeds of 130 FPS or more.

Clark, you can buy a USA imported Nikon camera or lens and if it is only a few years old Nikon will not repair it.

You are blessed, Murphy is a very beautiful playful dog.

Addendum: I forgot to mention that I have not used a lens that failed to do its job when I did mine.

Let me put this in perspective for you. When you buy a zoom lens you are buying convenience. A zoom has a complex optical design where the manufacturer has to make certain compromises to achieve the best resolution of each focal length. Today zooms are better than ever and the quality of professional zooms are just superb.

A single focal length lens requires less compromises during the formulation of its optical formula. They tend to be better optically than a zoom but many times they are not convenient, at least not as convenient as a zoom. A zoom could be the difference between making the image or loosing the opportunity to make it. All 50mm lenses are among the best optics because they offer a minimal to non existent amount of distortions and they are all sharp. Your 24-85 f3.5-4.5 VR zoom is an excellent lens with pretty sharp resolution and in my case it has served me well, even for my usual 12x18 inch enlargements.

My 50mm Nikon lens is the old 50mm f1.4 S (single coated) of the 70's. It is very sharp but lacking multi-coating I need to watch for flare and ghosting images when shooting against a strong source of light. I bet you do not have those problems with your D lens.

Those three shots are beautiful and of excellent quality. Given a choice the first one caught my eye with the beautiful light.

Very nice Jaymatt.

When it was Olympus their service was excellent. I never needed repairs but whenever I had doubts or a question to ask I received an answer in a timely manner. Most recently I bought a refurb EM-5 Mk III, no complaints, the little camera works to perfection and it is loaded with new to me technologies that I can use in my photography. I can see that the new company that has kept the Olympus lens division with ALL of its employees is offering excellent service to their customers.

I have used Nikon cameras and lenses for more than 40 years and most recently I have been using Olympus cameras to my entire satisfaction. I would say the future looks bright for OM Digital Solutions.