to the flowers? A wide angle lens isn't meant for close shots but for increasing the coverage area. They'll make everything appear smaller as well. You'll want a macro lens designed to move in very close but these will also have a smaller aperture. I do suspect that one thing you're seeing is the effects of a short depth of field. When you move in very close and open up the lens, you might have only a fraction of an inch of depth that's within focus. To use a normal lens at it's closest focusing point, you'll need to use a smaller aperture (larger F-stop number) and increase the light intensity. This will add depth of field but may also cause other aberrations. Work with it and learn. I grew up with film so mistakes cost money. Good luck.
I have a Nikon D80 DSLR and don't know much about photography, but want to learn. One problem I've had with the camera is trying to take close up shots. For example, my parents have some small flowers that I'd like to take a picture of and even when I put the camera in flower mode it won't take a picture unless I back away from it.
What would be an affordable lens that would do a good job at taking close up shots? Anything I should be wary of?

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic