It's a better lens than the 50-200mm Nigel, so I think I'd agree it's the obvious choice.

It's only hit and miss if you let it be. Practice is the thing.

Sounds good to me Nigel.

Nobody's arguing with you Philip, it's a discussion.

It depends how sturdy the tripod is. I'd make sure the centre column was not extended, close down the legs as much as possible and use the 2 second delay to ensure vibrations were allowed time to settle. Then we need a fairly high shutter speed as well - the moon moves quite fast.

Lastly, an absolutely crystal clear night. Atmospheric pollution will cause problems very easily.

You need a very, very solid tripod with this much magnification, and the slightest touch to the camera will set things moving.

Actually MrB, you're incorrect in your statement and the bit you've missed is that under these circumstances each format will give a different picture.

The DOF of a lens does not magically change just because you've put something different behind it. What is happening is that the camera position needs to be moved to provide the same picture with each format. This changes the magnification, which changes the DOF.

So, to recap, a 15mm on a sub-miniature camera gives immense DOF and is a standard lens. A 35mm lens on APS-C gives much less DOF and is a standard lens. A 50mm lens on a 35mm film camera gives slightly less DOF and is a standard lens. An 80mm lens on 6x6.....etc.

It's nice to understand the relationship, but not essential for everyday photography.

But that's no good as a comparison, because the 35mm image is a standard lens and the ALS-C image is a telephoto lens. It's all about magnification, but the complication isn't really necessary in real life.

Take a picture, look at it, magnify the image. If the bits you want are not sharp then use a smaller aperture or adjust where you focus and try again. The very best way to find out what is happening is to shoot some images.

JAK has made a good point. The DOF at a given aperture will always be the same, regardless of the format behind it.

What changes is the the field of view has changed, so to get the original image back needs a wider lens. Conversly, the cut down picture is now a mild telephoto shot with the same DOF as a standard lens on the bigger format.

As you are new, I think for now you should stick to the 18-55mm and really learn how to use it. When you have used it for a while you'll start to realise what the limitations are.

If you don't feel the lens is long enough, you might want distant details pulled in more, then add the 55-300mm to it.

If you find you can't get everything in that you want to, perhaps because you like shooting interior shots, then you need something wider such as the 12-24mm.

If you find you want to shoot insects and small creatures and can't get close enough, then perhaps you should look at a proper macro lens.

Finding your own needs before buying will be much better than randomly buying somebody else's favourite lens.

Welcome!