NEW CAMERA

The lens that Nikon gives with your camera 18-55mm is a very good and sharp lens, Now the question is How to choose your next Nikkor lens ?: what kind of photos do you want to take? Read our recommended lens article and get your answer,

Recommended Portrait lens for D5100
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens, Best and affordable all purpose prime lens for Nikon D5100 , this lens is prime lens(non-zoom) and more faster and sharp than the basic kit lens. the 35 mm lens gives you a classic 35mm format and you can use this lens for street photography, for shooting a family event or single / group portraits.
The good – Excellent image quality.
35mm price – $199.00(approx) Buy it from Amazon || $199.95(approx) at  B&H

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S
Nikon 50mm is a FX format lens and will act as 75mm lens in your Nikon D5100 DSLR (due to 1.5X crop factor), the lens gives you a very less working area but highly recommended if you want to shoot professional looking portrait with your DX format camera.
Nikon 50mm lens price – $229 Buy it from Amazon | $216 (approx) at B&H

Recommended Zoom Lens for D5100

Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR The Best Zoom lens available under $250(street price), the images are sharp and VR (Image Stabilization) works perfectly.
The Good – from Price POV the lens is sharper and a excellent performer, Drawback – Auto Focus is bit slow .
55-200mm Price – Available Under $250, Buy it from Amazon || Price: $224.95 at
B&H

Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikkor Zoom Lens, Auto focus is faster than 55-200mm VR lens, very low or no Chromatic aberration even at 300mm, This lens is remarkably flare resistant and Bokeh quality excellent at f/8 (aperture).
The good – Very good optics and VR works perfectly, Drawback of this lens are same as other zoom lenses, Images taken at 300mm images are bit soft.
Nikon 70-300mm Price – $549.00, Buy it from Amazon || Price: $519.95 at
B&H

Travel Lens – Nikon 18-200mm VR
This lens covers all your requirements from wide to standard zoom lens, the optics is really very good and good for outdoor use.
The Good – Very good optics and covers a very good range. Drawback? In low light you need a good flash, some minor distortions, A bit expensive and heavy.
18-200mm price -Available Under $850 at Amazon || Price: $799.95 at B&H