FIRST PRIME LENS

themightyjuice

themightyjuice

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Name
Lee
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In the very near future i'm hoping to get my first prime lens, but i'm not quite sure what kind is best value for money, I use a Nikon D60 and i'm aware that it has some limitations as to which lenses will autofocus with it. I suppose autofocus isn't the be all and end all, but it would be nice.

Any suggestions guys? :help:

Lee
 
AF-S 50mm f1.4 which will autofocus just fine

or

AF 50mm f1.8 which will not autofocus but it will save you £200
 
Well what do you intend to use the lens for and what is your budget? We could suggest an 8mm fisheye or a 600mm f4, but both of those are for very different uses and are very different prices.
 
your budget and intended use?

i have 10 primes and they are all fun but you need to know what you want to use them for or missed shots and frustration may occur.

most people like a 50mm as it is supposed to be the closest to the human eye.
I use an old leica 2.8 35 mm on a crop for that reason.
Sharp with dreamy bokeh and it keeps me fit :p
 
Don't suppose you know what the image quality is like on the AF 50mm f1.8?

Seen the lens on the warehouse express site for £113.89

I know that's cheap for a lens but wondering if it's good value for money, this will probably be my last lens for a while.
 
andrew748 said:
your budget and intended use?

i have 10 primes and they are all fun but you need to know what you want to use them for or missed shots and frustration may occur.
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I'd be using the lens mainly for portraits.
 
a 50mm for portraits is great but doesn't warrant af imo.
also is the d60 a crop sensor? if so that will alter your real focal length (there's a formula i think it's 1.6 x the focal length).
action shots of what type?
footy will drive you nuts because Murphy's law means you will be on the wrong side of the pitch.
And that is the problem with primes, lack of zoom.
yes, they are sharp and sexy and fast but you need to be able to frame your shot, so the action aspect worries me slightly, it can be done but it can also be hard work.

the plus side is that if it's your last purchase for a while you will either hate it and sell it or you will persevere and get hooked :D
 
andrew748 said:
action shots of what type?
footy will drive you nuts because Murphy's law means you will be on the wrong side of the pitch.
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Made an edit to my last post regarding action shots, was just as i posted first time around i realised the f1.8 doesn't autofocus with my D60:bonk:, so i'd have out of focus shots everytime:lol:

Dont know if i should just bite the bullet and go for the f1.4.
As you said, if i hate it i can always sell it.
 
F1.4 will have you giggling like a loon :D

be aware that on some portraits you will have eyelashes in focus and nothing else ;)
but learning is half the fun, get it! i double dare you with knobs on :clap::thumbs:
 
andrew748 said:
also is the d60 a crop sensor?
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I think it is a crop sensor, does that mean i'd be better suited to something like a 35mm?

I saw the Nikon 35mm f1.8 G AF-S DX Lens for £189 on warehouse express and apparently it will autofocus.
 
the AF-S 50mm 1.4 is a cracking lens and don't discount getting a second hand one - mine was from Grays of Westminster and in as new condition.
 
themightyjuice said:
I think it is a crop sensor, does that mean i'd be better suited to something like a 35mm?

I saw the Nikon 35mm f1.8 G AF-S DX Lens for £189 on warehouse express and apparently it will autofocus.
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nope, you just stand further away.
this can alter some aspects of your photo but not to the detriment of every shot.
get the cheap one and play is my best advice.
 
dont they say the 85mm is the perfect portrait lens? if thats so hen on a crop sensor a 50mm would be around 75-80mm, just right?
 
apparently its how the scene is rendered, doesnt 85mm flatter faces because of the fov or summat? obviously a wide and close up will have an effect how the face looks compared to an 85mm from far away?
 
cannockwolf said:
apparently its how the scene is rendered, doesnt 85mm flatter faces because of the fov or summat? obviously a wide and close up will have an effect how the face looks compared to an 85mm from far away?
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no idea mate but the 28mm shot was meant as a joke to the victim in the photo, i had to do a grown up version after :(

I'd recommend a 50mm prime for novelty factor alone if you are used to zooms. It changes the way you take photos.

35mm from 6" that background gives me wet dreams (apart from the bird poo and obvious errors).

50mm from 3ft outside a chip shop one night

not outstanding but fun and unless it's paying the mortgage, photography should be fun :D

themightyjuice get the 50mm and use it exclusively as your walk around for 2 weeks, you will spend a couple of days confused and then it will click and you will love it.
:thumbs:
 
sorry bud i wasnt picking faults and embarrassingly the 20mm shot was the only one i didnt open LOL but now i think about it i bet it was mad
 
cannockwolf said:
sorry bud i wasnt picking faults and embarrassingly the 20mm shot was the only one i didnt open LOL but now i think about it i bet it was mad
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no worries mate :D

i was just trying to showcase the fun / portrait aspects of primes not my skill, we'd need a hubble telescope macro to find that :D
 
Think I'll chase the ever ellusive 100th post then sell one of my lenses to help fund the 50mm f1.4.

Wish me luck
 
it could also be worth pm-ing Kerso for his best price.
or ebaying.
I wouldn't sell to buy if you are happy with your current line up.

if you are that desperate to play, get a canon to nikon adaptor and you can BORROW my canon 50mm 1.8 mk2 ef lens, i never use it now i have the Leica lenses.
 
I'd say 50mm 1.8 as a started, good all rounder and it's cheap and has a good sell on price if you dont use it much.
 
Another vote for a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 :thumbs:

Back when I was using my Nikon film SLR, I'd only ever used kit zooms, and I started wondering what a really large aperture lens would be like.. I ended up buying a 2nd-hand Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 manual focus lens, and was duly blown away by the bright viewfinder image and extreme depth-of-field at full aperture :nuts:

A.
 
andrew748 said:
it could also be worth pm-ing Kerso for his best price.
or ebaying.
I wouldn't sell to buy if you are happy with your current line up.

if you are that desperate to play, get a canon to nikon adaptor and you can BORROW my canon 50mm 1.8 mk2 ef lens, i never use it now i have the Leica lenses.
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Ok didn't know who kerso was, just checked it out, amazing what you find out when you actually spend proper time on here.

As for borrowing your lens, thanks for the offer:thumbs: i've got my heart set on a nifty fifty so i'm going to buy the 50mm f1.4G got a feeling from chatting to lots of people and researching it that i'll love it, and as for selling lenses to buy others.... the lens i'm selling is my sigma 28-300 which i've not long bought from this site but really don't use, impulse buy:shrug::bang: (and before you say it... the 50mm isn't an impulse buy, been thinking about it a while) plus, I already have a decent zoom in my 55-200 kit lens, which will autofocus.
 
:thumbs: Sir yes sir

No promises they'll be good though :lol:
 
I tried a 50mm AF on my D40 but found it far to hard to manual focus it, maybe just me but I missed a lot of good photos of my son because the focus was out.

I got a AF-S 35mm f1.8 which did auto focus and got a lot more enjoyment out of that.

Of course is all about personal choice, just sharing my experience.

Not sure what model you are getting , but the 50mm 1.4 AFS is £100 more expensive than the 35mm AF-S, make the right choice the first time!!

I preferred the 35mm on the crop sensor, as for me the 50mm was too close in and I had to stand further from my son, not always possible to get same light as easy then.
 
Aaaarrgghhh!!!! Just when I thought I had it sussed another lens gets chucked into the fray :razz:

Choices choices, I'm too indecisive for this malarky :bang:
 
Ziggy said:
I tried a 50mm AF on my D40 but found it far to hard to manual focus it, maybe just me but I missed a lot of good photos of my son because the focus was out.

I got a AF-S 35mm f1.8 which did auto focus and got a lot more enjoyment out of that.

Of course is all about personal choice, just sharing my experience.

Not sure what model you are getting , but the 50mm 1.4 AFS is £100 more expensive than the 35mm AF-S, make the right choice the first time!!

I preferred the 35mm on the crop sensor, as for me the 50mm was too close in and I had to stand further from my son, not always possible to get same light as easy then.
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i'm going to sound like a total alkie now
portraitwise;
50 mm for 6ft to 10ft across the pub
35mm for 4ft to 8ft across the pool table
28mm for when you are shooting across restaurant and bar tables.

it takes time to get comfortable with them. and manual focus with stopping down is a pain in the bum at times.
i got the canon 50 first and freaked but soon became used to it.
I then inherited the leicas and it's taken me 6 months to get comfortable with them, using the 50 f2 first and gradually forcing myself to use the ones that confused me.
Then before you know it you get hooked and now my camera bag weighs 25kg and i spend half my life changing lenses.

Seriously, using zooms can feel like a day off but some how isn't so rewarding.

the 50 us a great FL to start with because it helps you to understand the others.

ftr
i also have a 60 macro, 90, 100 macro with bellows, 135, 180, 200, 280 and a 400 but the last four still freak me out.

old lenses are so worth investigating, i feel that the leicas give me an edge in my creative and portrait photography.
 
Ziggy said:
You could always read what Ken has to say :)

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35mm-f18.htm
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i got this far
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX (52mm filters, 6.95 oz/197.0g), about twice life-size.
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and not being the incredible hulk i took everything else with a pinch of salt.
Ken has a niche in this world and i'm very jealous of him. my posts above are from experience, not from juggling affiliate deals. :bang:

themightyjuice get whichever suits you and your budget the best, consider your distance from subject and remember that af is an aid, not a must have when it comes to portraits.
if a myopic fool like me can get this with a 50mm whilst drunk on manual, imagine what you can do and save some pennies.
 
Nifty fifty it is.... Oooohh I'm getting exited :D :nuts:
 
I picked up a old E series 50mm 1.8 on here for £20. Its manual all the way but fun to use and gives great results with practice. Nearly at the 100 mark, then stick something in the wanted section.
 
Might just do that, should pass 100 in no time
 
I have both the 50/1.8 and the 35/1.8 and I catch myself grabbing the 35mm more often than the 50 these days. They are both very nice lenses but the 35mm is a bit more flexible as with the 50mm I often have to walk back too much. (That said, I carry them both, it's just that the 35mm is on by default).

With the D60 this would be no discussion for me at all. AF-S definitely. Manual focus is all very nice when you have it as an _option_, but on the D60 with the 50mm it would be your _only_ option. Not cool (my opinion). When things have to go quick and I want to catch a spontaneous expression or something I really don't want to fiddle around with the manual focus, especially when shooting with a very narrow DOF like f1.8.

Even if the 50mm had better image quality than the 35mm it would still be worth to go for the 35mm on the D60 body. Plus I don't think the quality between the two is any different, both are excellent for the money.
 
You should look at three lenses (assuming a Nikon lens):

AF-S 35/1.8: equivalent to a 50mm lens on full frame (and in older books)
AF-S 50/1.4: equivalent to a 75mm lens on full frame
AF-S 60/2.8 macro: equivalent to a 90mm lens on full frame

All work on the D60.

The 35 is a nice walk round lens and is the most general purpose.
The 50 is a mild telephoto lens on a cropped body like the D60, and a reasonably natural portrait lens.
The 60 is slightly longer and still useful for portraits though, as a macro lens, some people find it unflattering for portraits.

Having said that, there are no rules as to what is a portrait lens and what isn't -- just that the mild telephoto lenses tend to more naturally fit the role.

Try the focal lengths on your existing lenses and see what you like best, and then get the lens to match. If undecided and still want to try a fast prime lens, I'd go with the most general purpose -- the 35/1.8.
 
I recently got the 35/1.8 for my D40 and have used it most of the time whilst on holiday for last week or so.

My contax film cameras are all manual focus and I still use these but I find manual focus hard work on the Nikon without the large viewfinder and focus aids - so I wouldnt touch a non AF-S lens despite the attractive prices.
 
Thanks to some wheelin 'n' dealin I managed to scrape enough cash together, and instead of blowing the whole wad on the AF-S 50mm f1.4G, I decided to get the AF 50mm f1.8D and the AF-S 35mm f1.8G. :D


Use the 50mm for practicing my manual focus (tricky but i'll get there) and the 35mm for everything else.

Once I nail the manual focus there will be no stopping me
 
themightyjuice said:
Thanks to some wheelin 'n' dealin I managed to scrape enough cash together, and instead of blowing the whole wad on the AF-S 50mm f1.4G, I decided to get the AF 50mm f1.8D and the AF-S 35mm f1.8G. :D


Use the 50mm for practicing my manual focus (tricky but i'll get there) and the 35mm for everything else.

Once I nail the manual focus there will be no stopping me
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:thumbs:
having fun? :D
 
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