Lens suggestions for beginners

Hi all. I am a new member of this forum and would love to get some insights to the world of photography
I am currently using a D5300 and consider myself as a beginner in photography world. I am planning on going on a trip with a few friends and would love this opportunity to get great shots of my friends and the landscape.
I have the following lenses
18-55mm kit lens
55-200mm f/4-5.6
50mm 1.8d
I have decided to get a 50mm 1.8g so it works the autofocus on my body
I am confused between these lenses and if i should invest in them or not
Tamron 16-300mm macro
Sigma 18-250mm
Tamron 18-270mm

I wanna try my hands on Macro photography but i have a budget of $250. I read somewhere that using Macro extension Tubes with the 50mm 1.8g will give me good Macro shots but i will need to get super close to the subject which isnt always a chance. Any help with this will benefit me alot as i cant spend alot on expensive Macro lenses just to try something out. I have heard the 18-250 Sigma also has a good Macro feature with a 1:3 Magnifying Ratio. Cheers and Thanks

The more extreme the zoom range on a lens the more compromise in image quality is involved.  Personally, I wouldn't recommend anything in the zoom ranges you listed.  Add a wide angle zoom to one you already have.

An extension tube will allow any lens to focus more closely and can provide pretty good macro results.  What it doesn't provide is the flat field that true macro lenses have.  The flat field provides more depth of field up close and better performance at the edges of the frame.  Also the true macro lens will focus to infinity.  You would need to remove the extension tube to get to infinity focus.

I'm not suggesting that you can't get acceptable results with a wide range zoom or an extension tube.  I'm just trying to explain the compromises involved.

G'day Jack
I can emphasise with your dilemma - so many choices and who knows where to go next? I have been playing with SLRs since the 1960s and have had this 'problem' many times. So may I offer you some thoughts

a) do not buy a new lens just because the advertising seems to make this item out to be 'superb' ... that's the job of the advertiser and it's not always to your advantage
b) work out yourself from your own style of photography just what you really need ... do you like long-lens stuff? ... do you like wide-angle stuff ... etc. and let this direct your lens needs

The 20x zoom lenses you mention are aimed at the "all-in-one" market, and if you are a traveller where size & weight are more important than 'best' sharpness, then go for one of these lenses. However if you can easily carry short-zoom lenses [ie: 5x zoom not 20x zoom] then stick with the 2 lenses you've got coz they're generally good image quality lenses

You say that you'd like to do some macro stuff - and yes, a good macro lens will set you back $500 to $1000. A cheap alternative is extension tubes mentioned earlier, but they have their issues with focus when using zoom lenses.

What I would strongly suggest you look at is the "Canon 250D" close up lens for use on the 55-200 zoom. The zoom stops at 1,1metres, whereas with the 250D the focus now comes down to about 10inches AND you still have all the zoom lens capabilities to alter image size. I use these lenses all the time for my closeups / macro stuff and they're beaut and sharp

Hope this helps,
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Well, a Canon device won't work on a Nikon, so there's that.

If you want to do macro work, accept that you'll have to be reasonably close. A very long lens (e.g. 200mm) can work well, but they're spendy. You might consider a Tamron 90mm or shorter macro lens and a set of tubes.

Get the f/1.8G, yes. They're not expensive.

I would not suggest any of those 3 lenses, as they duplicate the range you already have. If you want to spend the money on a walkaround lens, find a used Nikon 18-200. But what you have is perfectly serviceable. Learn and grow, then worry about more equipment.

G'day mate

Gary
Well, a Canon device won't work on a Nikon, so there's that.

If you want to do macro work, accept that you'll have to be reasonably
close. A very long lens (e.g. 200mm) can work well, but they're spendy.
You might consider a Tamron 90mm or shorter macro lens and a set of
tubes.

I don't mean to be rude but for this specific item you are incorrect.  The Canon 250D is a closeup lens that is screwed onto the filter ring of the main camera lens.  It matters not whether the camera lens is a nikon-canon-leica or a superzoom with 20x zoom or whatever

The 250D is a 2-element apochromatic lens that comes in multiple filter-thread sizes and has an optical 'strength' of +4 dioptres, thus having a focal length of 1/4-metre.  ie: when attached to a regular camera lens, it forces the focus to 1/4-metre or 10 inches.  As the camera lens's focus mechanism moves to a closer focus point, so that slides down to maybe 7 or 8 inches

Using such a lens attachment on a long-zoom lens is a fabulous way of doing closeups while maintaining a reasonable distance between the front of the camera and the subject.

Here's several samples for you ...

1- a Nephila female & male in web

camera to subject distance around 9-10 inches

2- the front end of the female cropped

showing closeup details of the spider

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

ps: I don't know why my response has suddenly gone to italics in the middle of the message. I can't find how to edit my main response
Phil

You can usually edit your post until another post follows it. I think. I wish they'd fix that.

Anyway...

I'm not intimately familiar with Canon products, but I understand now that the 250D is a macro filter/lens. I get it. Certainly reasonably priced option.

My comment about long macro lenses was in the context of the stated budget, only. Give the modest nature of said budget, an add-on seems a prudent choice.

Appreciate your samples.

Thanks mate - but I can't find a key to get me back into edit mode after the comment is up on screen. Phil