Need Advice For Purchasing Nikon Lens?

I'm an advanced amateur, and have a Nikon D7000 with the kit lens 18-105mm VR.

I recently purchased the Nikon 35mm 1.8G for portraits/night shots but I want to purchase new Nikon lens that can replace my kit lens and a telephoto lens. I have looked at the 16-85mm VR and the 17-55 2.8 but the 17-55 is extremely expensive and has no VR. Also, I saw the 28-300mm VR but it is an FX lens, I will lose a lot on the low end since it will become more like 40+mm on my DX camera and it is a $950 lens.

Should I purchase the 28-300 VR / 55-300 VR to replace my kit lens… Or should I purchase the 16-85mm VR and get the 55-300 VR as well? At the same time, I don't want to be carrying 3+ lens when I travel.

I had the 18-200mm VR before and it is out of the question. I have heard the 16-85mm is sharper.

Any suggestions?

I'm a Canon guy but our lenses are pretty much the same. My primary lens is the 28-200, it's fast, sharp and accurate. This lens stays on my camera all the time because it's wide enough and long enough at the same time.

The main reason is that every time you change lenses you're opening your camera to sensor dust.
So I don't change very often and the 28 lets me go without changing most of the time.

I have the Nikon 18-200mm VR and I have noticed that it does have some issues when wide open. But stopped down to f/8, it is as sharp as my pro-grade Nikon glass.

But that is typical of any super zoom, as the 18-200mm is 11x.

You mentioned you had issues with the 18-200. I don't think it is unique to that lens, and you will have the same issues with any higher powered zoom. I think you will find that the 28-300 or any of the aftermarket super-zooms will have the same issues. Super zooms are just not quite as good as other lenses.

Here is a semi-scientific test I did with the 18-200mm lens vs.various f/2.8 and faster higher quality lenses that I own. You can see some significant loss in quality at f/5.6, especially at 24mm and 35mm. But at f/8, it does quite well.

http://www.althephoto.com/lenses/superzoom.php

And here is a similar test between the 18-200mm and the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses which many people have. The 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses, being consumer-grade do not do all that much better than the 18-200mm (at least compared to my pro and prime glass). But when stopped down to f/8, they are all quite good. So the 18-200mm is at least as good as the consumer-grade kit lenses.

http://www.althephoto.com/lenses/super-zooms.php

The 18-200mm is not my primary lens, but it is the one I take when I'm on vacation as I do not want to lug around a lot of heavy glass. When I'm on vacation, it is usually in the Caribbean, which is bright and sunny most of the time. I have found that generally f/8 works well in the daylight conditions that are normally present in the Caribbean.

When on vacation, I leave my good glass at home, and I'm willing to trade the limitation of having essentially a daylight lens for the convenience of a single lens.

But to complement the 18-200mm, I also take a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 super-wide, which is an outstanding lens.

Actually, my "good" lens set consists of the Tokina 11-16mm, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, and Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lenses, but I don't use the 80-200mm for travel as it is big and heavy. It is my fast action sports lens.

I have a couple of f/2.8 macros and a 10.5mm fisheye as well, but those are my specialty lenses, and I don't carry them when I don't need them.

I also have a Tokina 80-400mm telephoto, but I treat that as a specialty lens as well.

At any rate, I find that I can get adequate coverage with my 50mm, as I can easily zoom with my feet for focal lengths between the 16mm of the Tokina, and the 80mm of the Nikon.

I always buy full-frame glass if I can (but the Tokina is a DX lens).

I own the 16-85, have shot a lot with the 18-105. Personally… If I didn't get the 16-85 for a steal I wouldn't have bought it. Yes it's as good lens but the difference with the 18-105 doesn't justify the price difference to me.

Tele.ask yourself if you really need the 300mm. If the answer is no then get a 55-200.