three of the best...

Budget

nikon AF-S dx 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6g Vr ii £200/$250 The kit lens is widely available as a bundle with many DX Nikons, it’s worth splashing out a little more on the ‘VR’ version that offers image stabilization

Step-up

nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4g ed Vr £950/$1100 With a 5x zoom range, this stretches further than most, but while the maximum aperture is constant at f/4, it’s slower than ‘pro’ f/2.8 standard zooms

Ultimate

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 dg os hsm | a £1200/$1200 24-70mm is the classic full-frame standard zoom range. The fast f/2.8 max aperture marks this out as a pro-level lens. Image quality is every bit as good as the official Nikon 24mm f/2.8e ED VR, but the Sigma costs £1000/$1000 less