Looking for a good walk around lens (50mm)?

I enjoy taking photos as a hobby. I wouldn't say I'm and excellent photographer or anything, but I really enjoy doing it! I have a Nikon D3100 with a kit lens (18-55mm) and a 55mm-200mm zoom lens. I want to get just a basic walk around lens to use when I'm on vacation and just out and about.
I was thinking a 50mm lens with a low f-stop (like f/1.8 or something like that).So I went to Nikon's website to look, and there are 5 or so different 50mm lenses, all for different prices.

I just want a lens I can use to take good quality photos of people, places, and things while I wander around and stuff. It doesn't have to be amazing, just good. If anyone could tell me what lens specifically would be good for me, I would really appreciate it!

I'm not sure why you would want another lens, when you have two perfectly good lenses that will do the job for you, especially the 18-55 lens. That is a good all-round lens for taking the kind of photos you are talking about. If you want a low f-stop, you can set it with the camera menu.

If it doesn't have to be amazing then why not just use the kit lense so you don't have to waste money? Sure it'll be slower than a f/1.8 but you can compensate with other settings, and you'll still get a quality image.

50mm makes a great portrait lens on a crop sensor (like your D3100) It is also good for low light. But it does not make a good walk-around lens for most people. Try this: Tape your 18-55 lens at 50mm and try shooting at only the 50mm focal length for a few days. You will see how limiting that focal length is. 50mm has a 75mm FoV on a APS sensor. You can use any Nikon 50mm lens, but you will need the AF-S version if you want autofocus.

If the kit lens is not long enough, you might think about the 18-200VR lens. That is what I use for a walk-around lens on my D300. The VR will give you an extra stop or more to handhold.

Personally, I'd choose a 35mm lens for a "basic walk-around" lens for your camera. 35mm is the "normal" focal length on a DX sensor. You can get a 35mm f/1.8 DX lens for under $200 and it will auto-focus on your camera. A 50 might be too long for you to just snap pictures without backing up a lot of the time.

Although, I agree with Ara57. The 18-200 is the best all around walk around lens for your camera. It's $850, though.