To prime or not to prime, that is the question!

Mentalblock

Mentalblock

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Neil
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I nice surprise gift from my Wife - a Nikon D90.
I'm so chuffed and wanting to start expanding my kit now I can buy extra lenses - I had a bridge camera before with a fixed lens!

So the question -
- Do I get a prime with a fixed focal length but more fun playing with DOF.....
Or,
- Do I get a telephoto with a better reach than that of the standard kit lens (18 - 105 VR).

Any views/ comments would help with the dilemma.

Thanks
 
Get a Prime, you'll love the clarity and sharpness of the optics as well as the DOF fun.
 
Mentalblock said:
I nice surprise gift from my Wife - a Nikon D90.
I'm so chuffed and wanting to start expanding my kit now I can buy extra lenses - I had a bridge camera before with a fixed lens!

So the question -
- Do I get a prime with a fixed focal length but more fun playing with DOF.....
Or,
- Do I get a telephoto with a better reach than that of the standard kit lens (18 - 105 VR).

Any views/ comments would help with the dilemma.

Thanks
Click to expand...


It depends on what you're planning to shoot, if it's motorsport or birds in flight then you need something long, if it's going to be portraits then a 50mm or more usefully a 35mm f/1.8 might be a better buy.

A lot of people will recommend the 50mm f/1.8 as their cheap and great value for what they offer, however on a crop sensor it's quite a long focal length, so you may not find you use it much, a 35mm f/1.8 on your camera would be closer to the traditional 50mm "standard" once the crop factor is taken in to account and would probably come in handier.

If you find that it's greater reach you lust after then the 70-300 VR is a good place to start.
 
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What, she got you a camera and didnt get a lens too!!! Have words :p

If you can afford the £1k+ for a Nikon 24-70 then it will be hard to beat. On a more realistic budget...

Nikon 18-70 - good value kit lens and around £100 second hand, better than 18-105 or 18-55 lenses.
Tamron 17-50 or 28-75 2.8 - great IQ, gives you 2.8 and around £200-£250 SH
Nikon 70-300VR - £400 new, £300 SH, great longer lens
Nikon 35mm/50mm primes. I personally find 50mm better than 35mm although that goes against the norm. Primes generally will be as sharp as you get and really get you thinking about composition more and improve your skills.
 
I love primes, but you have to know what focal length you want to shoot otherwise you'll have to get quite a few and then spend as much as you would on a decent zoom.

Alot of people recommend the cheap 50mm f/1.8 which in my opinion on a crop is a really odd focal length (ever seen a 75mm lens after all!) so take time to find what you like before you buy one.

I shoot landscape but I find my 24mm and 35mm to be very handy.
 
If you already have a kit zoom, then there is alway a place for a prime in the bag.

Coming from a bridge to a dslr without a zoom kit lens might seem less flexible.

My ideal bag would have a mix of of zooms and primes as they both have their unique benefits.


Andy
 
Thanks for the comments - It was the D90 kit I got - I'd dropped plenty of hints!!
It came with the 18-105 VR, so I have some reach.

My bridge was 28-300, noted as being equiv to 135, so I'm guessing that's a better crop factor on the bridge sensor. A simple zoom test with both cameras confirms the kit lens wont reach as far as the bridge, but the IQ is much better on the D90, so some PP would get an equivalent picture.

So by the looks of things, a cheap second hand 35mm prime could be fun?
Anyone any more to add?
 
Definitely go for a prime!

The 18-105 is convenient for most things, but the fun you can have with a 35 or 50 f1.8 is endless. The shallow depth of field makes for some awesome portraits - something your bridge camera can't get close to challenging.
 
Mentalblock said:
Thanks for the comments - It was the D90 kit I got - I'd dropped plenty of hints!!
It came with the 18-105 VR, so I have some reach.

My bridge was 28-300, noted as being equiv to 135, so I'm guessing that's a better crop factor on the bridge sensor. A simple zoom test with both cameras confirms the kit lens wont reach as far as the bridge, but the IQ is much better on the D90, so some PP would get an equivalent picture.

So by the looks of things, a cheap second hand 35mm prime could be fun?
Anyone any more to add?
Click to expand...

I think you mean bigger not better:p

If you look at any lens for your Nikon and multiply by the crop factor I think it is x1.5 you will equal your bridge range. This is being referenced from a 35mm sensor.

For example a 200mm lens will be 300mm-equiv135 on your new body.
 
Usually when I wanted to travel light, I bring 1 allrounder lens(a kitlens) and one prime. And it served me well so far :)
 
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