New to Nikon - looking to buy new lenses.

Im new to Nikon with the D5100. I came from Pentax where the lens market is pretty nice and not expensive.
I can't decide wheater to get a 35mm or a 50mm fast prime for portraits and street photography and use the kit lens for landscapes, or should I get something like an 18-200 ?
basically I want to go as sharp as possible and I know that primes are better, but if I buy a prime, im looking to get a Non Ai vintage lens by Nikkor. If I get a 18-200 it will be a new one.

The 50mm f/1.8G is a VERY sweet lens!! you cant go wrong with it !

I vote 35mm.

I vote 50mm f/1.8 G for portraits, 35mm f/1.8 for a wider "street" lens, and 80-200mm or 70-300mm VR for longer reach.

On a DX camera, like yours, the 50mm f/1.8 will be the equivalent view of a 75mm lens on a full frame camera. That is closer to the most accepted ideal portrait length.

Whatever you get needs an AF motor in the lens...AF-S

pedroj said:

Whatever you get needs an AF motor in the lens...AF-S

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I have been using the manual 50mm f2.0 from Pentax for the last year I really don't need AF that much.

NathanShx7 said:

Im new to Nikon with the D5100.
I can't decide wheater to get a 35mm or a 50mm fast prime for portraits and street photography and use the kit lens for landscapes, or should I get something like an 18-200mm?.

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The most common and popular lens for starters is the 35 mm f1.8G DX lens. Eventually you'll get more lenses. Look into the Nikon 16-85mm lens instead of the 18-200mm lens.


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Congrats and enjoy your new camera. Like it has been posted, the 35mm and 50mm are both great lenses to have. If you can swing it, I would also suggest the 85mm for portraits (if you are not planning on shooting indoors/or have a lot of room to back up).

Another vote here for the 35mm 1.8G if you want a good prime. For a good daily-walkabout lens that won't break the bank I'd suggest the Nikon 18-105mm or the newer Nikon 18-140mm.

Ijustwant1 said:

The 50mm f/1.8G is a VERY sweet lens!! you cant go wrong with it !

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I've got one too....and for the price, you can't beat it.

Frankly, aim for future use as well since you will have options to go to.... full frame sensors! GO Nikon! That said, try to get AI 50/1.2. Bragging rights; awesome piece of low light lens; sharp/er than 1.4 and 1.8 at 1.4 and 1.8 respectively.

Please check whether the D5xxx bodies meter with non cpu lenses. The D3xxx bodies do not, and you will have both manual focusing as well as manual metering. The higher end bodies do meter with older lenses.