What is the best 50mm prime lens for my d7000?

Hello everyone.

I just got a new d7000 and am using the 18-200 VRII for general purpose and daily use. I have read from those that seem far more knowledgeable than myself that a 50mm prime is a must have for sharp pics and low light shots of various sorts.

My question is, there are a couple of Nikon 50's I'm looking at; AF 50mm 1.8 and the AF 50mm 1.4. The 1.4 is a great deal more money and am wondering if there is a significant difference ?

Also, Sigma and Tamron make a great deal of lenses and am wondering if those should be considered.

I would like a good value for a 50mm prime for low light and sharp imaging.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,

ANDY

I bought the 1.8 and am MORE than happy with it. It's a lot more light than the normal zooms (kit lenses) and I'm very happy with the sharpness. On the plus side, if and ever you upgrade to the D700 or it's successor, it will work with it.
You can have a look in my gallery to see how it performs on a D700.
For the money, it's unbeatable.

Well for the price the Nikkor 1.8f 50mm is your best bet hands down.

if you want a good lens for cheap, the 1.8 is the way to go. it really is a good lens for the money. I had the 1.8 and loved it, but upgraded and love my 1.4 even more for not only image quality, but build quality and durability as well. Not everyone is a fan of the 50mm length (I am) so you may want to try the cheap route and see how you like it, get a feel for it, then if you like it, spring for the 1.4.

JoeLewisPhoto said:

if you want a good lens for cheap, the 1.8 is the way to go. it really is a good lens for the money. I had the 1.8 and loved it, but upgraded and love my 1.4 even more for not only image quality, but build quality and durability as well. Not everyone is a fan of the 50mm length (I am) so you may want to try the cheap route and see how you like it, get a feel for it, then if you like it, spring for the 1.4.

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Thanks much everyone. Looks like my research is correct, the 1.8 is a great low light/portrait/sharp lens. The 1.4 intrigues me for sure and maybe I will save my pennies for that one.

ANDY

start with the 1.8....when your ready to upgrade, you will get close to your money back out of it. the 1.4 IS worth the upgrade though.

Has any one found the 50 1.8D to be a really really REALLY tight fit on their D7000? I feel like I am going to break the mount every time I put it on?

I have both the D7000 & the 50mm f1.8can't say I have that problem?

The best 50mm prime is the f/1.4, hands down. It has superior optics and build quality. However, as already mentioned, it ain't cheap. It's well worth the investment though. I miss mine! The f/1.8 is still an awesome lens, and for the price, you can't beat it. I once wrote that every photographer should have this lens in their bag. It's insanely inexpensive and gives a lot of bang for your buck.

ThePhotoLegend said:

Has any one found the 50 1.8D to be a really really REALLY tight fit on their D7000? I feel like I am going to break the mount every time I put it on?

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My 1.8 was a very tight fit on the D90 I used to have. By far a tighter fit than any of my other lenses.

The best 50mm prime for your D7000?

I'd have to say the Sigma 50 1.4 is the best of the 50mm primes (even over the Nikon 50 1.4).

I'm not crazy myself about the 50mm focal length on DX but if I was - I definitely get the Sigma. Great build quality and super sharp.

bluenoser said:

The best 50mm prime for your D7000?

I'd have to say the Sigma 50 1.4 is the best of the 50mm primes (even over the Nikon 50 1.4).

I'm not crazy myself about the 50mm focal length on DX but if I was - I definitely get the Sigma. Great build quality and super sharp.

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I would also suggest the Sigma 50mm f1.4 for it's better bokeh compared to the Nikon counterparts. If the price is too high for you, then I would get the new Nikon 50mm f1.8G which is listed at $220. USD.

How do the newer Nikon 50mm lenses compare size wise to the older manual focus lenses??? If they are similar it seems to me that a 50 would be a great choice for any DSLR because of the size factor...seems like a 50 would be good for half length portraits like a traditional 85mm focal length...is that true?

ThePhotoLegend said:

Has any one found the 50 1.8D to be a really really REALLY tight fit on their D7000? I feel like I am going to break the mount every time I put it on?

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My 50 1.8D was a bit tight on my D3100 but after a few days going from 300 to the 50 it quickly got easier

What would be the cost for Sigma 50 1.4?

I was thinking about either 35 mm instead of 50, what do you suggest?

LOL the best one is the one you can afford

so far the fully manual 50/1.4 works great! i have taken shots a long distance and they still come out clear after cropping.

the nikon af-d f1.8 is reputed to be one of the sharpest, if not the sharpest of its type. insanely low priced too! works great with the raynox dcr250 filter if you want to do macro too. at about £110 gbp every nikon owner with on camera af motor should have one!

I am using the D300 and I recently bought a nikon AF-d 50 f1.8. It is less than USD 100.

In my opinion, it is a great lens and I love it. Many shots I took recently would not be possible using my afs 18-105 kit lens. The key is the f1.8. The only draw back is it is fixed at 50 mm. For a DX camera, it is 75 mm.

It limit you on wide angle and a bit short in zoom. If I may consider again, i may look at 17-50 f2.8 and 85 f1.8 combination. But I have not use either so this is just my guess.