want to buy a few primes... but which...

Ad B

Senior Member
Hi,

I intend to buy (I think) 2 prime lenses.

Not so expensive stuff, just good, pretty light sensitive and very sharp...
That's pretty much my requirements.
As far as I have read, my choices would be a Nikon AF-S 24 mm F1.8 and Tamron SP 85 mm f/1.8 Di VC USD(Model F016).
To use on my D850. The 24 mm, a smaller and lighter combo for urban area. Shorter as a 20 to 24 mm gives too much distortion, I don’t want to deal with that.
The 85 mm for a bit longer work, man/street photography or maybe portraits.
Are these lenses in the opinion of the more experienced, good choices?
I like those pretty little AF D models, but they don’t get good numbers from DXO...
According to DXO the results of the AF-S 24 mm and the Tamron 35 mm lens are nearly the best in this length, very good, very sharp.
But, strange (in my opinion), I can’t find a used 24 mm on the Internet.

It this lens so good that no one sells it...?
Or does this lens have dark sides, so that no one buys this lens and therefore there are no secondhand 24 mm AF-S lenses for sale...?

My zooms are a Tamron 24-70, a Tamron 28-300 and a Sigma 150-600 C.
Thanks.
 

Ad B

Senior Member
Thanks Iansky,

very nice examples, it sure will help me to decide...
I enjoyed your site some more...
Very, very nice, to enjoy your pictures of British Motorcycle Championships July 2017 at Castle Combe.
 

Iansky

Senior Member
Thanks Ad B, the 24mm is a very recent purchase for me but very well worth it. I bought it to use on the DF and it does not disappoint!

Good luck with the decision.
 

Texas

Senior Member
[FONT=&quot]Sigma Super Wide II AF 24mm f/2.8 1:4 Macro Lens

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I've got one of these and it is great (used prices have quadrupled in the past 15 years).
It plenty noisy on focusing. Worth it for the quality of the pictures.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 

fhibbs12

Senior Member
Ive got a Tamron 35 1.8 VC and the new 90MM Tamron Macro sitting in a box next to me that I have been debating on selling.

I went back to the sigmas. I really enjoy the 135 Art and the 35 Art combo.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Personally I consider the 85mm too short for portrait work. Yes I know it is considered a "portrait" lens but I don't think it works well on an FX. You're too close to your subject and somewhat intruding into their comfort zone. A longer lens creates a larger distance which puts them more at ease.
 

Ad B

Senior Member
Hi,

I’m not going to buy a 50 mm lens, not a f1.4 or a f1.8.
It’s too long for walk around shots in urban area and not wide enough for landscapes.
And 50 mm isn’t long enough for street and portrait, I like 85 mm at least for that.
I think I will start with a 24 mm lens.
To travel light and a bit small, I’m going to try the AF-D f2.8 version.
I can buy one new for €275,- (± $325,-).
 

spb_stan

Senior Member
I suggest renting lenses to be sure you really want that FL. 24mm for walking around it pretty versatile but not wide enough for much landscape. I have the 24 1.4G Nikon and ended up using it less than any other lens in my kit. I borrowed a 20mm 1.8G, which is over $1000 lower cost and found it a really good lens and 20 mm to be a very versatile lens. With wide angle, if not level with the horizon there is perspective distortion but barrel and pincushion distortion was very low. I think it is the best deal in wide angle general purpose primes now and borrow it for weddings and other events were groups are shot with a lot of atmosphere like an ornate church or in a museum to get a good sense of space.


Someone mentioned the 85 being too short for portraits but unless one has a large studio, and is seeking more compression distortion, the 85mm fl is probably the most popular because there are so many good choices out there. The new Sigma Art 85mm is stellar but bang for the buck, I have not found any better than the 85 1.8G. I have a 85 1.4D and like it, built to last another 100 years but it is larger and heavier. I use it in the studio but more often, I toss my 85 1.8G in the bag....it is 1/3 the price and 96% as good except in CA where it is much better. It is light, well made with a solid feel although the barrel is plastic.
My current portrait lenses include 50 1.2, 50 1.4 Sigma, 50 1.8D, 85 1.4D and 1.8G, 24-70 2.8G, 135 2.0DC and 70-200 2.8. Of all those in that normal portrait range the most used are the 70-200 2.8 and 85 1.8G. A distant 3rd in number of session is the 135 2.0.

Outdoor, natural light or environmental shots where the separation is gained by bokeh, 85 and longer is easier to get desirable subject isolation but in a studio normally you shoot stopped down because you don't need isolation but you do need the best image quality so a lot of lenses that are not so super fast are useful due to their sharpness and color at f/5.6 or smaller. So comparing lenses at the FL you are actually going to use them opens up more options by including slower lens.

I would suggest considering that Nikon line of 1.8G lenses to be some of the best deals for new lenses if you do not need razor thin DOF, and hand hold, because 1.4 on any of these lenses is less useful than most people think. I have a 50 1.2 which is a bear to focus handheld and a few fractions of an inch DOF, and usually stop it down to 2.0 for portraits.
Everyone seems to mention sharpness and speed(aperture) for low light as the main criterias for a lens, but perceived sharpness comes from light. Low light ruins color fidelity and apparent sharpness. There is no reason that any lens made over the last 80 years is not better than your display medium if given decent light.. If one uses light augmentation or modifiers, even lowly kit zooms can deliver stunning images where no one could tell that is was not taken with a $2000 pime. The main reason pros like fast lenses is having more light for AF systems to do their best. Not many serious photos are shot wide open, but every scene benefits from having more light entering the AF sensor. The dialed in aperture is closed down to the instant the shutter starts to open, but the rest of the time, the aperture is open to its widest for VF and AF effectiveness.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I’m not going to buy a 50 mm lens, not a f1.4 or a f1.8.
It’s too long for walk around shots in urban area and not wide enough for landscapes.
And 50 mm isn’t long enough for street and portrait, I like 85 mm at least for that.
I think I will start with a 24 mm lens.
To travel light and a bit small, I’m going to try the AF-D f2.8 version.
I can buy one new for €275, - ±$325.
While I pretty much disagree with everything you say regarding the 50mm focal length, I do have a Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D and like it a lot for what it is. Definitely sharp, definitely small; so small in fact it gets lost in my bag pretty routinely. Distortion (barrel) is minimal and easily corrected for. Comes NIB with a tiny, steel(!) lens hood.
 

Ad B

Senior Member
Hi,
Hi,

I’m not going to buy a 50 mm lens, not a f1.4 or a f1.8.
It’s too long for walk around shots in urban area and not wide enough for landscapes.
And 50 mm isn’t long enough for street and portrait, I like 85 mm at least for that.

While I pretty much disagree with everything you say regarding the 50mm focal length...
Maybe I forgot to write "for me, the way I take my pics".:eek:
When I examen my pics with "ExposurePlot", I use 24-40 mm 85% in urban areas and 75-110 mm for details and people.
A 24 mm using in FF or in DX mode would work for me, as using a 85 mm would.
But for a 85 mm I would need a very sharp lens, because it's about details which need to be very sharp mostly in combination with a blurry background.
With my D850 I easily can crop to DX and still have a decent picture. :cool:
 

Ad B

Senior Member
Hi,
just received a 24 mm AF-D lens, looks really small, on my D850.
Maybe not the sharpest lens option,but still very small... :encouragement:
I'm going to try to use it as much as possible, for example in urban environments.
Environments where I make +/-85% of my photos between 24 and 35 mm.
If this way of taking pics, a bit more picky by using a prime lens, is going to become my joyful way , I also want to buy a very sharp 85 mm lens.
Trying to work more with prime lenses than with a zoom lens.
(one of my good (?) intensions for the new year 2018 ...?:cool:)
 
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