Which lens is better to go for learning photography?
I have a Nikon D3000 DSLR and a 18-55mm kit lens. I have learnt the basics and I'm feeling I need to enhance my expirience with photography but I'm stuck in between two lenses. ( since they cost almost the same)
1.AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED
2.AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
Please advise me which one to go. Also please advise me how to use the apeture setting to ideal photo. My thumb of rule is "max apeture is better picture" but i don't get the required pic was having in my mind. Please help how use the apeture numbers effectively
(you can check my flikr page )
Choice 2.
Your rule of thumb regarding aperture is wrong. Different apertures are used for different situations… There's no "best" aperture. You need to read a basic photography book. I recommend a book called "Understanding Exposure."
50 will force you to be more creative
the zoom will make you lazy
the 50 has the added benefit of allowing you to deal with out of focus areas.
it doesn't make a picture better or worse but it does give you a few more options to play with.
Important factors in lens choice is the subject matter and photographic situations.
The 50mm is a good lens in low light due to the wide maximum aperture and is suitable for portraits and some landscape use.
http://aviewfinderdarkly.com.au/2011/04/27/how-to-use-depth-of-field-for-landscape-and-portrait-photography/
The 55-200mm zoom has the ability to get closer to subjects the shorter focal length lenses can't. Very often there are physical barriers preventing photographers moving in close to use the shorter focal length lenses. Typically sports and action and some reportage situations restrict the movement of photographers.
It is more about what you want to photograph.
The zoom lens will complement your 18-55mm nicely - you will then have the range covered from 18-200mm, however, the 55-200mm is not particularly fast and not tack sharp either.it'll be handy for those situations where you can't get physically closer to the subject.
The 50mm will encourage you to frame & 'zoom' with your feet - the wide aperture will also be good for low light & shallow depth of field and its a very sharp lens.
Your rule of thumb is a nonsense - you shoot the aperture you want for the effect you want. If you are shooting portraits, or any subject where you want to isolate them from a boring or cluttered background, then you want to shoot wide open (small f number) as that throws the background (& foreground) out of focus & emphasises the subject.
If you shoot landscapes, or detail shots where everything needs to be in focus, front to back, then you need a small aperture (large f number). There's no 'best' for a particular shot.
In terms of image quality, lenses do not perform there best when very wide open (tend to be soft) or completely stopped down (can get diffraction & chromatic aberration). Most lenses are at their best optically stopped down a few stops from wide open.
Based on your Flickr account, I'd say the 50mm would probably be better for you.It'll give you really nice depth of field compared to the 55-200mm… Great for portraits and general shooting!
(BTW, I'm in LOVE with this photo: 
It makes me want to know more about the story behind it!)