Try something with Image Stabilization. I treated myself to a Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 EF IS USM for Christmas this year and have been amazed at the difference those little gyroscopes make. Admittedly mine's a Canon and your is a Nikon, but the principle's the same.

Just an amateur's 2

I have a D70 and D2X cameras..and several film backs..and all the lenses that were awesome in film...are still awesome for digital. I would ask one question..

exactly what gap are you trying to fill?

you have lenses that range from 18-300mm (27-450mm in 35mm terms) plus the awesome ( and cheap) 60mm Macro lens.. so what are you lacking? perhaps then it would be easier to help you fill that gap

the 200mm micro Nikkor is AWESOME if you are into the macro thing and want to be able to shoot bugs or critters that might be scared away by the close shooting requirements of the 60mm

the 12-24mm F/4 is simply the finest super wide angle made for the Nikon mount..you wont believe how distortion free the 12mm position is.. nor PERFECT...but WOW!

I use the 28-70mm and 80-200mm F/2.8 AF-s ED_IF lenses and they are legendary for film...and just as good on a digital back..

nothing beats a cheap $99 50mm F/1.8 ..if you attach it to the D70 and bump up the ISO to 1600 you can practically shoot in the dark at 1/30 sec exposures... and get better images than if you shot 1600 speed film in ambiant light

the 18-70mm is a solid lens...it has a bit of distortion in the wide portion...but for the price its a bargain. you COULD opt for the 17-35mm F/2.8 which is an AMAZING lens...but super pricey...it will give you distortion free images at those wide angles.. I think its wiser to buy the 12-24mm since it give you wider range..and the 18-70mm performance clears up once you hit 24-28mm...so the 2 lenses kind of compliment each other..

I do disagree on the image stabilization issue... its cheaper to make an image stabilized lens than it is to make a fast lens. Fast lenses tend to be better made and also have better optical performance. Slow image stabilized lenses tend to be just that......cheaper lenses with a gimmick...Ive owned the 80-400mm and i sold i the very next week. the gimmick just wasnt worth the poor optical performance. The one exception i have used is the 200-400mm F/4... but you will pay a high premium for that kind of glass..

its a great technology, but i think its not very well integrated into the Nikon lineup yet.. if it was so great, all the top shelf lenses would have it.. Think about it, it would be an opportunity for Nikon to have an entirely "new" lens line.. and theyd reissue all their older lenses with the new tech..

Personally I prefer the 24-120, I use it for darn near everything. It has fairly wide focal range and despite the fact it's f3.5-f5.6 it still performs well. I picked mine up before they added the VR option but I have a friend who has a new one and is very happy with it. Just be warned It's a monster...

Mike

Thank you for all the replies... I appreciate it. I have been having a hard time with my 60mm - not sure why, but it just isn't working for me. Odd. I am going to take it back to the store and see if they can help me. Otherwise, just always looking for recs!

Another question re lenses - do you all buy them online? If so, which sites? TIA!
Dawn

whats the problem? underexposure? autofocus?

both are very common problems with macro lenses in general..if that's the case. Also the 60mm has a focus lock on it to limit the travel...so try using that

in general the macro lenses should be shot in manual mode with manual focus especially if you are getting REALLY close...

is it another type of problem?

Thanks for the info. I have been shooting it in autofocus - and not too close. The camera just tries to focus and doesn't stop - goes in and out and doesn't stop doing this. I did try to shoot it in manual focus - but the shots came out with a lot of noise and just not very good overall. I have, in the past, taken some really nice shots with it (outdoors) - so not sure why it's not performing well now...?

The Tamron 90mm Macro is my favorite lens...but I like to get close on stuff.

I recently purchased a previously loved Nikkor 35-70 2.8D from www.keh.com. They specialize in used equipment. The lens i bought would cost 700+ new, i got it in excellent condition for 400. Im very pleased. I agree the 18-70 is a solid lens but i crave that 2.8 and the kit lens was just to slow! Keep something in mind when you buy lenses: Buy for a full frame body not a 1.5 crop factor.