A nikkor 18-140mm AF-S vs 18-55 AF-P, 70-300mm AF-P all with VR for a camera without a focus motor?

Question

Hi I'm getting this deal where I can either get one

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140 mm F/3.5-5.6 G ED VR

Or these 2

Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300 mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR

Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55  mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

for almost the same price as kit lenses with a nikon D5600.
I'm pretty new to photography and I'm extremely confused between these two. Since the camera doesn't have a built in motor all these lenses are good.
Which one should I get.
Sorry if this is too obvious, I'm new and don't know much.
Edit : This would be my first camera, and I don't have a genre that I want to get into right now, I want to explore different types of photography and then decide later what I want.

George Human · Answer

I guess you meant D5600. All of three lenses are perfectly compatible with D5600. I'd get 70-300mm and 18-55mm. I just love how sharp and lightweight 18-55mm is and in 70% cases that's all you need for casual shoot and if you ever need extra reach you'd have your telephoto zoom 70-300mm which is also nice lens. In my opinion 18-140mm is a bit less quality glass then other two.

Answered by George Human on March 14, 2021

xiota · Answer

The camera you're considering has an APS-C sensor. The "normal" focal length for APS-C is about 28-40mm. As long as the lens you start with includes something in this range, it doesn't really matter which one you get. Most people will purchase different equipment as they learn more.
Some recommendations:

Start with a normal prime. (35mm for APS-C.)
Consider picking up a 50mm or 60mm macro next.
If you want a zoom, get a 24-70/2.8, if it's within your budget.
Fill out wide angle and telephoto later. Consider 70-200/2.8.
Consider a mirrorless camera instead of DSLR.

Zooms vs Primes:

Primes seem to help some people improve composition.
Zooms are more convenient.
Zooms tend to have slower apertures. This results in reduced low-light performance and increased depth of field.
Zooms tend to be larger and heavier.
Zooms tend to have reduced image quality when compared with primes in the same price range.

The greater the zoom range, the worse image quality tends to be.
Constant aperture zooms tend to have better image quality than variable aperture zooms.
The "best" zooms tend to be 24-70/2.8 and 70-200/2.8.
There's a 24-120/4 that's intended as a walkabout/travel lens.
You can compare image samples at The Digital Picture.

For the camera, is there a reason you've decided to go for a Nikon DSLR? Have you considered mirrorless cameras? Some advantages of mirrorless cameras:

Potentially smaller and lighter camera bodies.
Short flange focal distance allows lenses from other systems to be adapted.
No need for microfocus adjustment because the same sensor is used for both focusing and imaging.
Image settings can be previewed directly in the viewfinder.
Many have In-Body Image Stabilization.

A nikkor 18-140mm AF-S vs 18-55 AF-P, 70-300mm AF-P all with VR for a camera without a focus motor?

2 Answers

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question