Originally Posted by MacCool

He needs to first determine his needs relative to the distances that he will be shooting at (zoom range), then determine how much he wants to spend. I have always preferred Nikkor lenses, but there are several other brands, usually cheaper, that may be suitable for him. A good website to review such things is DP Review. It might also be fruitful to read through the various Nikon camera and lens forums on that site.