a general lens questions asap please!!

CD1982

Senior Member
okay so im looking to add the Nikon 35mm f/1.5g lens to my collection..

I just bought the 50mm f/1.8 lens the other day its an okay lens it can produce nice results..
should I return it and get the 35mm or keep both??? I like think i would like the 35mm for landscape shots.
and I have seen better results from the 35mm lens for landscape shots also..

so I am trying to decide If I want to keep the 50mm or return it
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
You mean the 35mm 1.8 I'm assuming. Do you own a DX or an FX camera? I'm also assuming that you own a DX, so you may want to go wider than a 50mm for landscape shots. The 35mm is a nice piece of glass, but if you're shooting a lot of landscapes, you will find that you'll be yearning for an even wider lens, like the Tokina 11-16mm or the Sigma 10-20mm soon enough.
 

wornish

Senior Member
Depends on what you want to take pics of and what camera you have.
if it's full frame then 35 is better for landscape shots, 50 mm for general shots.
if it's DX then 35 is not wide enough for big landscapes and the 50 is ideal for portraits

bottom line keep both.
 

CD1982

Senior Member
well I cant afford one of them lol.. I do basic landscape shots and vehicles.
but the 12-24mm is out of my question entirely
 
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TedG954

Senior Member
Well, then you can buy something that isn't really good for what you want.... now.

Obviously the 35 is more general purpose at 52mm than the 50 is at 75mm.

In the end, you'll still need something wider than 35 (52).

Your other option is to buy a good panorama program. That would solve your needs immediately.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
I always preferred my 35mm to the 50mm on my DX camera. I voiced this quite a bit over the last couple years. It never seemed to nail the focus on my DX the way the 35mm did. However, on my FX camera I am much happier with the performance. Don't ask me to explain why I get better results in one place over the other, but I do.
 

CD1982

Senior Member
Not everyone can afford expensive lens if I could then I would buy one. But anyway ill just have to figure it on my own.. thanks anyway
 
I shoot DX also and have been trying to decide on a prime for other reason. I do have the 11-16 so wide is covered. I have been leaning toward the 35 so it will really act more like the normal lens I grew up on with 35mm film.
 

CD1982

Senior Member
i have seen some nice general landscape shots on flickr shot with the 35mm. also a few very nice panoramic photos shot with the 35mm lens...
some of them using the 5200 which is the camera i have..
someday yes i will get one of the more expensive lens more than likely after a vehicle is paid for..
what i am trying to figure out an decide if i need both 50 and 35mm lens..
 

J-see

Senior Member
Not everyone can afford expensive lens if I could then I would buy one. But anyway ill just have to figure it on my own.. thanks anyway

If you need the money, I'd pick the 35mm over the 50mm on your DX. Even if it is 50something mm on your cam, the 35mm lets you frame your shot wider than the 50mm. You can take a shot with the 35mm that is about identical as the 50mm by simply taking some steps forward and/or cropping/cutting the shot in post. But even when taking some steps backward, you can never take the same shot with the 50mm as those taken with the 35mm. You can always make your FOV narrower in post. Wider seldom.

For landscape and vehicles both would work but the 35mm provides a couple more options.
 
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CD1982

Senior Member
i know the 50mm i have taken some decent photos of my cat and some things inside my home and outside as well..
it gathers light really well in some low light shooting..
 

J-see

Senior Member
i know the 50mm i have taken some decent photos of my cat and some things inside my home and outside as well..
it gathers light really well in some low light shooting..

For low light it won't differ that much, they're both 1.8. For sharpness, from what I checked, the 35mm will do slightly better on your cam until somewhere between 5.6 and 7.1 while after that, the 50mm does a bit better. The difference is small however. Not something we'll notice.
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
I would opt for the 35mm in your situation. You can always step in but sometimes you can not back up any more. Then you might look for a wider manual lens for the occasional landscape shot.
 

fotojack

Senior Member
Yeah, in your situation, CD, I'd opt for the 35. Great lens. Strangely enough, nobody mentioned the 18-55 or the 18-105 lens for landscapes! The 18mm focal length will give you a wider FOV for landscapes. It doesn't have the light gathering ability of the f1.8 lenses, but you did say landscape, and I don't know many people who take landscape shots at night. :)

While I'm at it here, where are you situated on the planet? Prices vary all over the world, so it would be nice to know where you are, so we could give you an idea of the prices of gear where you live. :)
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I too would suggest the 35mm over the 50mm if I had to pick between them. Both are great but you can duplicate the "reach" of the 50mm with the 35mm by zooming and cropping; you can't "widen" the 50 to match the 35mm perspective, however. Both are excellent lenses but on a DX camera body the 35mm is the way to go in my opinion.
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