0. The NIKON - 18 / 200 mm if /3.5 - 5.6 GO ED IF AF-SO DX VR is an excellent lens.  It provides Vibration Reduction (VR) technology which is important if there will be any minor movement of your subject.  It also has excellent auto focus speed and sharpness with a wide angle telephoto (comparable to a 27-300 lens in 35 mm film format).  It has a very quiet motor with fast and sharp auto focus and superb color quality.  It can be easily switched from automatic to manual focus. You will be able to take clear, quality pictures from long distances or as close as 8 inches from the subject.  This is a good single lens solution when you don’t want to take a bag full of different lenses with you.  This lens will give you great images, both close-up and far away, good landscapes, action shots and is just great for general use.  The lens is approximately 19.8 oz and it can accommodate many varieties of 72 mm filters.
0. The NIKON - 80 / 400 mm F 4.5 - 5.6 D ED VR AF long Zoom with vibration reduction (VR) offers sharp auto or manual focus, fast speed, rugged durability and produces photos that are sharp with great colors and of high quality. Unfortunately this lens is heavy - 47oz.  I use this lens with a pistol grip to hold the lens and the camera.  This setup allows a steady hand and sharp pictures if a tripod is not available.  The lens is great for long distance shots and at 300mm gives me a great and very sharp image even when handheld.  At around 400 mm, with proper technique, the lens is serviceable but the image is not exceptionally sharp. At one mile, the images are lower quality but still contain a lot of detail.  This type of lens is good for the photo enthusiast, professional or general user.  It takes 77 mm filters.
0. The CANON, EF 24/105 mm F/4 L IS USM (L means professional) has image stabilization, standard zoom lens (23.6oz, 4 inches long), superior quality and is good  for everyday use but again is heavy. The weight is an outcome of the quality that is built into this piece of equipment. It has a very sharp, fast auto focus, and is well built.  This lens can be used in all Canon models from their D60 to EOS 5D cameras to get professional quality photos.  I find this lens great for portraits, wedding photography and other general purpose shots.  This lens can be used by advanced amateurs or professional photographers.
0. TONIKA  Aspherical  (AF, MF) 12 / 24 SD - F4 -( IF)  DX  AT-X Pro, Super wide angle zoom is designed for exclusive use for Nikon D 200 cameras.  The lenses are very high quality and about half the cost of Nikon and Canon lenses.  It takes Hoya Pro filters and I have found that this thin glass filter causes no distortion on the edges of the image.  This lens produces fast, nice clear and sharp images and can be manually or auto focused.  The F4 aperture allows lots of light to enter the camera and I use them for various tasks.  They are very good in detailed images for scenery, architecture, landscapes, close spaces, and buildings.  They weigh 19 oz and take 77 mm filters.
0. An alternative for the CANON cameras is the TOKINA lens ATXX124 DXIIC 12 - 24 mm F/4 at-x 124 AF pro DX II.  It seems to work well although overall I prefer the brand names for my cameras.  If you do choose to use a generic brand from other manufactures, take care to ensure that the lenses are totally compatible with your camera.  There are many other manufactures that provide quality lenses.  It all depends of how you will use the lens and what you want to pay.

    

Other Digital Camera Accessory Tips:

FILTERS come in many different types, sizes and price ranges. Make sure you get the right size to fit your lens.  Filter can be used for UV and/or scratch protection and for many other purposes.

BATTERIES are an important part of your camera.  Sometimes they fail and if you are on a trip, you might not be able to easily purchase a new battery.  It is wise, therefore, to have an extra battery with you at all times.  Although generic batteries may be cheaper they will not work in all cameras.  For example, the NIKON D 200 does not take generic batteries.  It is prudent to ask the manufacturer whether generic batteries will work with your camera before purchase.

MEMORY MEDIA are also key to ensure good outcomes with your photography.  These media are diverse and may include compact flash, micro drive, memory cards, memory sticks or other media.  All have various gigabytes storage capacity and all can fail or be lost. I recommend purchasing 2 or more of variously sized  storage media to ensure you will have what you need, when you need it and not miss the shot of a lifetime.  Again always make sure the media you choose will fit in your camera memory card chamber.  You can do this by checking your camera’s instruction manual or by calling the manufacturer.  As to how many memory cards to purchase, it all depends on how many images you will be taking and what size picture your camera takes.  I always plan for more rather than less, especially since memory has become quite inexpensive at this point. 

Final Tips - PUTTING ALL TOGETHER:

0. Choose your camera brand and buy the body only since most of the lenses that come with digital cameras are low end.

0.  Choose the lens or lenses you want to do the job.  Always buy good quality so that they will last you a long time with proper care.  I still occasionally get great pictures from my Canon EOS 630 with 35/135 mm lens and Nikon F801/8008 with F8/135 lens for my film cameras.
0. Purchase extra camera batteries.
0. Be sure to get a battery charger.
0. Get a camera flash if you need one.
0. Make sure you have universal electric plugs if you are traveling.
0. Have an extra camera with you if it is critical you get the shot.  Believe it or not sometimes one might fail or be stolen.  You don’t want to be disappointed.  It happened to me long ago on an African safari.  A tough way to learn a good lesson.
0. Bring 2 or more memory cards. Always take spares since they do fail.
0. Depending on your photography assignment you may need a tripod.  I would recommend two, one regular 4-5 feet and one small 3- 31/2 feet.
0. Purchase the right lens filters for the job.
0. Take a camera case and strap.

    

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