Alrighty...I've got the D50...I've got some great photos...only one problem - with the kit 18-55 lens (which is actually pretty good), it's somewhat useless for lighthousing until I get a telephoto.

I've been looking at 4 lenses out there, and I can't figure out which is best for my purposes. There's no spot in the tables and charts for "offshore lighthouses," so where else to turn but to the fellow Wackos who would actually know.

Here's the 4 I'm looking at and my views on them right now. If you own one of these lenses, I'd love to hear some input, especially on how they work fully-extended. And, of course, lighthouse photos would be VERY helpful!

The list...

-Nikon 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF Zoom-Nikkor: This is actually a discontinued lens, but it's my current favourite. The sites I have read all regard it highly, higher than the current equivalents. It's also all-metal construction, which I like. The major downfalls to me are the fact that it's a push-pull, which seems to allow more dust in as well as being a little more "loose," and the fact that I'd need to purchase it used.

-Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED/G: There's two versions of this one, the ED and the G. They replaced the 75-300. Reviews say that they're basically both the same, which is worrying, because they also say that the G is rubbish. The $140 price for the G is attractive, but it's also all plastic. The ED is extremely expensive if it were the same, however. It's got the modern advantage, but it seems that it's VERY soft on the 300 end, which I'd think wouldn't be good for lighthousing.

-Sigma 70-300 Lenses: There's a few of these, different versions. They all seem basically the same. I see a bit of mixed reviews - some say that they're better than the modern Nikkor pair, while others say that they're really just as soft, and not Nikon. I wasn't even considering 3rd party lenses - I bought a Nikon for Nikkor lenses - but I'm not 100% sure on this one. I'd need to see some photographic proof before feeling comfortable with this one.

---

Right now, I'm really leaning towards the Nikkor 75-300, but I still have a few doubts. And I can be swayed.

I wish I could be looking at the Nikkor 70-300 VR, but I'm not in the position to buy a lens that costs as much as my camera did right now - maybe save up for later.

I know there's a LOT of Nikonians here...and any good lighthouser SLR user's going to have a zoom in this range. But man, is it overwhelming!