What kind of lens should I buy for my Nikon D60?

The kit lenses for most dSLRs are 18–55mm with an aperture range of maybe f3.5–22, which is great for all-around photography (hence it being the standard!). If you want something with as much flexibility as you describe, I’d go for something in that range (with image stabilization if you can afford it). Then you can always get a really zoomy lens later, or a macro, or a wide-angle, depending on what you really enjoy shooting.

I have a kit lens and a 50mm fixed lens that goes to f1.4 that I use for portraiture. The kit lens is good enough for everything else, and then the only thing I felt I needed was a wider lens, so that’s what I got to augment it. (And I actually use my 50mm a lot less than I thought I would!)

My suggestion would be for multiple lenses, due to the swiss army knife conundrum (e.g., a swiss army knife isn’t very good at any of its tasks compared to a dedicated tool, but it’s pretty good at all of them)

My kit currently consists of a 12–24, a 28 prime, a 60 macro prime, and a 70–300.

The two primes are significantly sharper than the zoom lenses. With the crop factor, the 28 prime (or a 35 prime) is a really good “carry around” lenses for casual shooting, since they’re close to a 50mm “normal” lens in 35mm equivalent.

But I’d agree with @fireinthepriory—a “faster than normal” kit lens would be a pretty good bet, but I would tend to avoid anything that is “also” a macro lens, and if you want to do macro go with a dedicated 105mm. (I use the 60mm because I needed a SUPER sharp portrait-length lens for copywork—it does macro well, but it’s hard to get really close to things with it b/c of the shorter length. I used a rented 105mm to shoot a friend’s sculpture portfolio and it was excellent for that)

a sigma dg 70 to 300 mm 1:4–5.6 make sure you get the motorised one so it auto focuses.

There is no ideal lens for all around photography. That is why so many lenses exist. The long/wide zoom are a huge compromise, they are often only really effective over a short part of their total length.

I carry a couple of wide primes 12mm and 20mm, a portrait prime 85mm F1.4, a short/wide zoom, (17–35) a medium zoom (35–105) a medium long zoom (100–200) – and a long zoom (200— 300) and even then with the zooms it is compromising when compared to prime lenses. If you are a enthusiast, don’t waste time with cheap lenses – you will regret it. Go for the good glass. If you just want to take reasonably good photographs and have no strong interest in photography as such – then you might be happy with “fits all sizes” zoom. I wouldn’t use one for anything more than a doorstop. I like my images sharp – all the way into the corners – with good colour and no flare or CA.

Oh, and I would caution you against buying anything by Sigma. I started out with a couple of sigma lenses, which I thought looked okay, until I started using high quality lenses.

@bpeoples Oh, and I would caution you against buying anything by Sigma.

That is a tad unfair – to disparage an entire product line from a company based on a couple of low end lenses that you have owned. While Sigma certainly does produce – like most third party lens manufacturers – a large number of very average lenses, they also produce some fine lenses. Lenses that are popular, universally well regarded and good enough to be classed as professional lenses.

Their 25–70mm F2.8 IFEX DG HSM, 30mm F1.4 EX DC, 50mm F1.4,EX DG HSM, 70mm F2.8 EX DG Macro, and the 20–200 F2.8 EX DG APO are all very well reviewed and popular lens. Their 500mm F4.5 EX DG APO tele is one of the best 500mm lenses that I have used. They are pulling more $5000 second hand.

I have used some very ordinary products from Sigma, but there certainly have been some noteworthy exceptions.

Thank you all for you answers. You have been very helpful. I will think about the whole purchase over again, so that I will get the best I can. I must say I agree with @DarkScribe and @bpeoples, that I would have to purchase multiple lens, for every single one masters it’s field and range of motives…

I have also heard a lot about Sigma lenses not being able to match with other firms, but on this matter I must agree, that I really depends on what you buy, and that Sigma surly also has got great lenses. You can’t really expect, to get world class lenses when you do not give out a lot of money for them. When we talk about low priced lenses, these are usually on the market for hobby photographers, who are happy with the results.

I will surly get back to you if I need some more help, and hope I get a great response like that again.

I would set on 3 useful lenses, this way it’s easier to carry and you can have a good variety. I would get a 12–24mm f/4 for wide shots, a 24–70mm f/2.8 for all around shots and a 70–200mm f/2.8 VR for the telescopic lens.. So you have a wide variety of lens with good aperture. The initial investment will be brutal but trust me… It’s totally worth it.