35mm 50mm 85mm 1.8G

Braineack

Braineack

Senior Member
well, one's a wide angle and one's a telephoto. You'll pretty much always have more pleasing bokeh with the longer lens--you're magnifying the out of focus area, leaving you with large soft patches of color.

I find the DX 35mm 1.8G just a lens; sharp, but nothing special.
 
J

J_Murphy

Senior Member
Blue_Esq said:
I'm wrestling with the same decision as J_Murphy. I just picked up a d5300 and I'm a novice looking for a good and versatile prime lens. My intent is to take some landscape shots and some portrait type shots of family, friends and the coming kid. I'd like to be able to learn to establish some bokeh. I was recommended the 50mm f/1.8 over the 35mm f/1.8 by the local camera shop, but I'm not sure that the extended focal length with the dx format will be versatile enough for what I want to do. I certainly recognize that I'll need a true wide angle for landscape work in the future, but I'm just getting started. Any recommendation would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

You never know what something is like until you have tried it, so I suggest just going out and buying whichever one you feel will suit you best (or renting if you're camera store offers that). I felt the 35 mm would suit me best so I went out and bought it. Unfortunately I live in Canada and we've been in the depths of winter the last 10 days that I have had it, so I've only used it indoors primarily on my cats. I don't like shooting in -15 to -20 windchills and snow. Because of this, I still can't really give a good review of the lens. I like the idea of being able to get a wider shot in the event that you do need it. You can always zoom and crop out any unwanted details. You will still get good background blur with f1.8 regardless of the focal length. Keep in mind we are only talking a difference of 15 mm here between the 35mm and 50mm lens.

If you are doing a wide variety of photography (portrait and landscape) and you are really serious about it, than you will likely need more than one lens anyways.

All the other advice on here is good. Go shoot with your kit lens and see which focal length you use more often.

Bottom line, if you feel the 35 mm will suit your needs better, just pull the trigger and see if you like it. If you are not happy, you can always sell it and buy the 50 mm....or keep the both.

If I remember later, I will post some of the photos that I have taken so far with the 35mm.

Good luck!
 
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cadomniel

Senior Member
I have the 35, 50 and 85mm as well on the D7100. I had the 85mm up for sale earlier this week but I changed my mind because if I ever get a full frame body I think I would use it more often. I will probably get the 20mm/1.8G next because that is useable on both DX and FX cameras.
 
SkvLTD

SkvLTD

Senior Member
35/1.8 was a solid cheapie indeed, but lately I'm finding that I need at least a true 24 if not 20mm FOV. I'll also keep highlighting the fact that you CAN use the 35 DX on FX more or less just fine. It projects across the whole sensor and you only get vignetting wide open.
 
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cadomniel

Senior Member
Nikon needs to make a 24mm/1.8 and price it around $600. The Sigma 24mm/1.4 Art gives us another option to the very expensive Nikon 1.4.

I have been thinking about getting the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 zoom but its huge and I like small prime lenses that would work on FX or DX.
 
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cadomniel

Senior Member
I received the 28mm/1.8G today and the 20mm/1.8G is on order for me. The 1.8G primes are a good value. IN many cases like the 85mm its a sharper lens then the f1.4.
I wish the build quality felt like the older AI-s lenses and not plasticky...
 
B

Bill16

Senior Member
I have the af-d 20,24,28,35,50 and they feel and work great for me, but all my Nikon's have the built-in focus motor to run the AF! Anyway maybe they would be a workable idea for some of you who have a Nikon model with the focus motor! :)
 
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