Own 35mm 1.8 is there a reason too also buy 50mm ?

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mark240590

Senior Member
Hi guys,
I'm starting too wonder if it will be beneficial too buy a 50mm be it 1.4 or 1.8 depending on the prices, I've not too long had the 35mm which I really like but with my first due in March I want to ensure I have the best arsenal for those precious moments. My first thought was the kit lens should be good enough but now I'm thinking of stumping up the cash for another prime.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark.


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SteveH

Senior Member
I have the 35mm f1.8G and the 50mm f1.8D - Both are equally good. For portraits, the 35mm will be too wide, and the 50mm maybe towards the wider end of portrait lenses (On a crop sensor)
Other options would be the Nikon 85mm f1.8, or the Sigma 24-105 Art is apparently very good.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
mark240590 said:
Hi guys,
I'm starting too wonder if it will be beneficial too buy a 50mm be it 1.4 or 1.8 depending on the prices, I've not too long had the 35mm which I really like but with my first due in March I want to ensure I have the best arsenal for those precious moments. My first thought was the kit lens should be good enough but now I'm thinking of stumping up the cash for another prime.
Click to expand...
On a DX body I find the 35mm the more flexible option than the 50mm. The 50mm is nice, a great little prime to have, but while you can always zoom and crop a 35mm shot to match the 50mm field of view, you can't widen then 50mm shots field of view to match the 35mm. I would not use either lens for head-and-shoulder portraits, they're just too wide for it and cause too much distortion at those distances. The shortest tele prime I'd use on a DX body for portraiture would be an 85mm. Fortunately the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is a pretty decent lens all the way around.

As a final thought, Have you considered something like the 18-140mm, or are you strictly looking at primes?
....
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I have both the 35mm f/1.8G and the 50mm f/1.8G. When all I had were DX bodies (the D5300 and D7100), the 35mm saw way more action than the 50mm ever did. With switching to FX, the 50mm and 85mm are seeing much more use.

50mm is that "nifty fifty" as JH mentioned, mostly because it most closely resembles the view angle that we're used to seeing when not looking through a viewfinder. On a crop sensor like the D5200, your 35mm will perform/look more like a 52mm focal length would look on an FX body, so you're already there. Based on my own usage, I would probably skip on the 50 and go with something longer as the next jump up ... particularly since the 50 would likely also overlap with your kit lens. I would more likely go to something like the 85mm f/1.8G as the next prime, rather than the 50, in your case.
 
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aroy

Senior Member
For portraits, get the 85mm F1.8. That will be longer than the kit 18-55 so you will be able to shoot from a distance. 50mm is too near 35mm.
 
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mark240590

Senior Member
Hi guys thanks for the swift responses plenty food for thought. I had not previously considered a zoom lens as I heard good things about the 50mm prime for portraiture.

Most of the shots I take will be improv as opposed too planned since we're talking my main customers will be my dogs and our baby :)

I do want to keep the cost fairly low as landscape/ architecture and Astro shots are what I much enjoy shooting.

Mark.


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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
mark240590 said:
Hi guys thanks for the swift responses plenty food for thought. I had not previously considered a zoom lens as I heard good things about the 50mm prime for portraiture.

Most of the shots I take will be improv as opposed too planned since we're talking my main customers will be my dogs and our baby :)

I do want to keep the cost fairly low as landscape/ architecture and Astro shots are what I much enjoy shooting.

Mark.


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Click to expand...

Go with the 18-140. Especially for kids and dogs. Gives you the chance to get the shot when you don't have the time to change lenses or move


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T

Texas

Senior Member
I got my 18-105 for an incredible price (used). It's really good.
50mm on my DX has been super duper fine for portraits to my eyes anyway.
 
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mark240590

Senior Member
Thanks so much for the advice people. I'm giving the 18-140 some serious consideration. Then it means I can get rid of my kit lens :)


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mark240590

Senior Member
Thanks I'll look into it. Either way it means I can lose a lens instead of gaining another and have the headache of deciding which too carry. I had previously considered the 18-300 but I have a 70-300 which is good for the times I need it which is normally only when I'm on holiday so buying a "kit lens" as such too stay mainly on the camera would be silly.

Thanks very much. My biggest criteria is too get nice portraits :)


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Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
mark240590 said:
Thanks I'll look into it. Either way it means I can lose a lens instead of gaining another and have the headache of deciding which too carry. I had previously considered the 18-300 but I have a 70-300 which is good for the times I need it which is normally only when I'm on holiday so buying a "kit lens" as such too stay mainly on the camera would be silly.

Thanks very much. My biggest criteria is too get nice portraits :)
Click to expand...
18-1XXmm for all-around day-to-day versatility, the 85mm if you're serious about portraiture.

IMO.
 
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mark240590

Senior Member
It's not really my game. But I don't want to miss out on great images of the dogs and the baby :) I'll do some reading and let everyone know my decision thanks everyone :)


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RobV

Senior Member
I have only been at DSLR photography for a little over a year, so I don't know a lot, but I have always considered any of these 18-nnn 3.5-5.6 lenses to be "kit" lenses. They are not particularly fast, subject to distortions, and built to lesser standards.

I assume you have been practicing on the dogs with the 35mm?
For a newborn baby, I think that will be the perfect lens. Fast enough for natural light, and you already own it.
I would get the 85mm 1.8, if you want to be further from baby when shooting. It is going to be like a 127.5mm on your camera.
 
LouCioccio

LouCioccio

Senior Member
Mark,

When I bought my SLR's (the analog type) many years ago for people or group my go to lens was a 28mm because the 50mm I would need to move a wall in the living room or dining room and my carpentry skill are not that great :rolleyes:. So like the others said an 18mm would be the right one for this groups. I had one participant in one of my classes that had an older Rebel (so noise at low light was a problem) and she went to Europe on vacation and her outside shots were good but the lens failed miserably for inside shots. I suggested to pick up a wide angle that was fast and use that in the inside. I also said to tell her husband that she needs a newer camera body. I knew them both and he could afford to do so. Even now with my Nikons DSLR I still use that 28mm AIS lens at gatherings. D500 with 28mm F/3.5 AIS lens. Not sure if EXIF is striped processed with Affinity Photo 1.5 Beta 11.
DSC_2481a.jpg
 
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Fortkentdad

Senior Member
Bought the 35mm 1.8 for baby pictures of my granddaughter - does a marvelous job of low light, goes nice and wide. My wife's favourite set up is the 35mm on the D5100. She loves it.

Then I bought the 50mm 1.8 - hey it was on sale for $99 and I had $99 burning a hole in my pocket. Best $99 lens I ever bought. I bought the AFD which only works on DX camera with a built in motor so not the 3000 or 5000 line but good on the older D90 or D7000 series so would be a manual focus lens on your D5200. Can be done but a skill to learn . A 50mm with motor AFS or a Siggy Art one or others is not $99.00.

I use the 50mm on both the D610 FX and D7100 or D90 DX cameras. On the DX the 50 has the FOV of a 75mm so is almost like using the FX 85mm 1.8 (which I also use). All depends on what you want. With primes the zoom is in your feet. Need a wider shot step back three feet. Which works until you hit the wall. Same for getting closer. Yes you can crop a 35mm down and get just that smiling face but there is something to be said for using all your pixels.

I think having the 35mm, 50mm and 85mm 1.8 set is a very nice collection. But fair warning once you get the fast prime bug there is not stopping you. I'm looking hard at an ultra wide fast lens - maybe the Siggy Art 20mm - which is two grand. Next thing you know you want faster and they don't give away those 1.4's.

I like my 16-85mm AFS is a grand upgrade to the DX kit zoom. I'm looking now at getting a super all in one like the Siggy 18-300 as a travel lens for my wife. She'd pack light - the super-zoom and the 35mm with the D5200. Zooms are nice, use them all the time but they are not nearly fast enough to use without flash inside without very high ISO which works but ain't great. Faster zooms (e.g. 24-70 2.8) are a good compromise but are still not a 1.8.
 
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