Im honestly about to lose my mind with my Nikon D7500. I took it on a trip to the coast last week and the constant lens swapping between my kit lens and that cheap prime I have was just a nightmare. I missed like three perfect shots of my dog because I was fumbling around with a lens cap and trying to twist the stupid thing on in a hurry. Im just so done with carrying a bag full of glass that I dont even use half the time.
I have about 600 bucks to spend and I need something that can handle everything from landscape shots when I go hiking to decent portraits of the family without me having to stand a mile away. Is there even one lens that actually does it all well or am I stuck in this cycle forever? I just want to be able to leave one thing on the body and stop missing moments because of my gear. Does anyone actually like their all-around zoom or should I just look into a different system entirely...
Adding my two cents, honestly, stay away from those super-zooms. I bought a Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD a while back and the corner sharpness was just trash, unfortunately. I had huge issues with focus hunting too. Youre better off saving a bit more for the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR. It is way sharper and covers that sweet spot for landscapes and portraits without being a total letdown.
Just catching up on this thread. Honestly, I spent years lugging around bags of glass before realizing that convenience beats specs for candid stuff. I picked up a used Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM and it honestly lived on my camera for ages. It is way sharper than kit glass and fits your budget perfectly if you look for a deal. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to actually enjoy shooting again.
Oh man, I totally feel your pain! I used to be that person fumbling with lens caps until I finally gave up and grabbed the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. Honestly, it was a total game changer for my D7500. Now I just leave it on the body for 90 percent of my trips and it makes everything so much easier.
- It covers wide enough for those epic landscape views.
- The zoom range is fantastic for grabbing portrait shots without being right in peoples faces.
- The vibration reduction is seriously amazing when you're hiking and a little shaky. Just keep the lens hood on all the time so you dont have to worry about caps as much. You'll definitely stop missing those quick shots of your dog, I promise!
