Hi, welcome to the Sony Forums
You don't mention the camera you're using or looking at getting, but most Sony alpha/NEX buyers opt for a 'kit' – camera body + lens – which gives them something like the 18-55 zoom as standard. These are fine for everyday use and most users never buy anything else.
You may choose to compliment these lenses with a telephoto that will extend the 55mm maximum focal length; the ideal is to either match or overlap the maximum you have with another zoom, such as a 70-300. It's also possible to get wider lenses, covering the widest possible upto the widest on your 'kit' lens, like an 11-18, although they're often expensive and generally less popular than telephoto zooms.
You could also opt to make do with one lens to cover all bases, something like the SAL18250, which as the name suggests, gives you a reasonably wide 18mm to decent 250mm telephoto, all in one lens. In this case you would go for a body-only deal and add on the lens you want, rather than get a kit.
The linked examples all assume you're looking at alpha bodies, but the same options are basically there for NEX too.
Overall, the choice you make depands on the shots you like to take. Again, people tend to want to cover all bases. However if you really want to specialise, you could look at macro lenses for extreme close-ups, or long telephoto lenses for dedicated sports and wildlife work. A kit lens + one or both of these might be an option in that case.
Cheers
Mick
