Questions on lenses and aperature

[CarlConti08]

So I'm looking to get a DSLR, likely a Nikon D40 or D60. I recently bought a D40 on ebay for a good price from a seller with 300+ feedback at 99.7% positive, unfortunately it turned out to be too good to be true as the seller was fraudulent. So I won't be receiving a camera from them anytime soon and will likely have to wait around 30 days for my money back as paypal settles the dispute. But at least this gives me some more time to think about my purchase and things that will likely go with it, like lenses.

One thing I'm most interested in is macro photography. The book I'm reading gives an example of how one would adjust the settings for a flower shot. It gives an aperature of f/2.8 which, according to the book, blurs the background while providing a sharp subject. Obviously the kit lens is not the best lens for this type of shooting.

What I'd like to know is: in order to get this type of shot, would the lens' aperture have to include f/2.8? Is there any way I could do this type of shooting with the kit lens? I would like to avoid investing thousands of dollars in something I've yet to actually do, not to mention I am starting college in the fall and the school is not cheap, in fact its really expensive. I'm not planning on studying photography or art in college, maybe a class or two for enjoyment. This is purely a hobby. But any suggestions on budget equipment that can perform well enough for a complete amateur would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading (if you got this far) and thanks for any (any at all, even not relating to my questions) information/advice you can give me.

 

[bryphotoguy]

Macro work requires a macro lens. Those kit lens are not sufficient for macro work. You certainly get what you pay for when it comes to lenses.
If you can't afford the gear, rent it. I borrow unrented equipment from work every weekend so I don't have to buy it. A macro lens will run $35 for a weekend where I work.

 

[Dysfunction]

You'll also note that the f2.8 refers to the widest aperture the lens provides. It'll stop down farther, which will give you greater depth of field. Ideally bry is right, a macro lens is far superior to any of the extension tubes etc that are available, and if you're seriously interested mostly in macro photography, it would be money well spent.

 

[Macman8807]

Get a nice tripod and a good macro lens. Nikon has a few and Sigma has some as well, both are good because you will be stopping down to f/8-16 to get everything in your frame to be in sharp focus. Stopping down you lens just means your making more of your subject in the field of focus.

 

[WonderMike]

well I am late on the reply...but what has been said so far is great advice...if you are looking into doing macro in the future then a macro lens is a must...the next thing I would suggest is if you are wanting the lens to auto focus then you need to look into what lenses are available for the D40 and the D60 cause they use a different AF lens than the other Nikon cameras....if this is a problem I would suggest looking at the D70 cause it will use more AF lenses