unsure of which prime lens to get. please advise me.

[SoonRah]

Hello all, i am now looking at getting either a 50mm or 38mm lens for me Nikon D90.

Can someone adivise me on which lens to look at?
I want something fast but also am on a budget. (i know fast doesnt = budget) but need a happy medium.

I like tamron as i have two thus far but would look at others for sure.

Thanks for you help.

Jason

[kiwi]

Not enough info really

a) why do you want primes ?
b) to shoot what ?

[SoonRah]

PLease forgive my ignorance but i was under the understanding that a prime lens is a fixed lens, have i got the term wrong?

I want this lens to compliment what i have thus far being a 18-200 tamron and 90mm tamron.

I want something mainly for portraite images in lower light? indoors wihtout having to use flash? will i achieve this with a 50 or 38mm with a high f stop?

[kiwi]

yeah, a prime lens (fixed focal length) is different than a fixed apperture lens (which could be a zoom also)

50 1.8 is cheap and good
35 1.8 is cheapish and good and faster to focus and track subjects than a 50 1.8
50 1.4 af-s is faster again

So, no bad choice here.

I think on a D90 Id go a 35 1.8 as you have the crop factor.

[SoonRah]

Thanks Kiwi
The camera is also used by my wife and she is frustrated with the other lens not perfmorming in lower light.
The Zoom lens is 3.8
the macro is 2.8
is 1.8 comparied to 2.8 going to be noticibly faster?
or would i be better going with the 1.4?

[SoonRah]

Looking about i am considering now the AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

any thoughts?

[kiwi]

that's the one I was talking about, there is no 38mm that I am aware of

I think that's a cracker of a good lens the 35

Re diffrence between 1.8 and 2.8, yes, it's a great deal faster

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number

[Xenedis]

Hello all, i am now looking at getting either a 50mm or 38mm lens for me Nikon D90.

Can someone adivise me on which lens to look at?

Apples and oranges. It depends what you want.

A 50mm lens on a D90 will provide framing similar to 75mm on a film SLR.

A 35mm lens on a D90 will provide framing similar to a 50mm lens on a film SLR.

It all depends on what field of view you want.

[bigdazzler]

Mate by the tone of your question (and the subsequent honest mistake with the aperture values), it sounds to me like you pretty new to all of this. If Im mistaken I apologise.

1.8 is faster than 2.8, therefore letting in more light through the lens, therefore allowing better low light performance and making it easier to achieve handheld shutter speeds without compromising ISO. 1.4 is faster again than 1.8, making all that just that little bit easier again, but at a price.

35mm on a crop sensor like your D90 is a handy lens. Dunno if you can get a 1.4 though ?? The Nikon guys will be able to advise you on that .... if not, the 35 1.8 will be great for you for now.

[eliemarga]

I guess it's really depend on what do you want, it's fine if you want to have a low light performer f/1.8 should be "ok" on most application, but no matter how big your aperture will be, there's always limitation how dark is should perform well.

maybe I'm wrong, but I believe that:
1.4 is tad bigger than 1.8, the difference is really big. However 1.4 is expensive, 1.2 is also expensive and for nikon it's a non-AI version if I'm not mistaken so it won't meter on your D90.

if you get 35mm/1.8 you can do handheld shoot with slower shutter speed than 50/1.8 without getting much blur, thought this is not really always true.

[TOM]

SoonRah, it depends on how you see the world. Some see it wide (tend to love shooting with wide angle lenses), some see it long (longer focal lengths). No one here can really tell you what lens to get, because only you know what you really want to photograph it, and how you want to compose it. Most scenes can be framed very similarly....ie a 50mm will frame a scene very close to a 35mm taken say 4 metres closer, but it depends on how you want that scene rendered as to what lens you use. Borrow/hire the prime lens/es from a shop or friend, and shoot with them for a weekend. You may then have a better idea of what you want.

[davidd]

For portraits I would go for the 50mm 1.8, (I have one), it is a good focal length for portraits, and is good value for money. It will work very well on your D90. If you really have to get close, then a 35mm is better, but if you can step back slightly, I like the 50.

[maccaroneski]

As you have an 18-200, why not, using some gaffers tape, set it at 35mm for a day and go out and shoot, and then next time, tape it down to 50mm. That should give you a feel for which focal length you like best.

For the record, and although it might not suit your purposes, I have the 35mm 1.8 and it's a cracking little lens - fast autofocus, light, sharp and a nice bokeh.

[bigdazzler]

As you have an 18-200, why not, using some gaffers tape, set it at 35mm for a day and go out and shoot, and then next time, tape it down to 50mm. That should give you a feel for which focal length you like best.

.

Thats a good idea Tony ... but of course, the DOF thing. In terms of FOV and perspective alone though, thats a great idea. Love gaffa tape, build a house with that stuff

[eliemarga]

It will work very well on your D90. If you really have to get close, then a 35mm is better, but if you can step back slightly, I like the 50.

umm...you mean to get it wide? and step up to the front to get closer?

[davidd]

The 35 will be better if you don't have much room(indoors), so you have to get closer, but I prefer the 50 for portraits if you have enough room to get back a bit. I would like an 85 even more, but you need even more room.

As Tony says above, the best idea is to see which length you prefer first, by using your existing lens.

[bigdazzler]

davidd is right. You need much more space to work effectively with a 50 than a 35. Particularly on an APS-C sensor with a magnification of x1.5

It all depends on where the OP will be taking the majority of the photos.

50s and 85s (I have both) are great outdoors and when you have more room to move. I shoot loads of portraits at 200 when i have the room. Kiwi shoots them at 400 from the next suburb

[SoonRah]

Cheers for all the adivice, has helped heaps.
I am only fiarly new to all the tech side of this yes.

[SoonRah]

I think i will go for the 35mm i mentioned. I guess the main result i am wanting from this lens if better images in lower light, and seeing how cost is an issue then i am leaning toward the 35mm. Something quicker would be nice but from what you have all said i wiil be happy with the 35mm.

Cheers again

[maccaroneski]

I think i will go for the 35mm i mentioned. I guess the main result i am wanting from this lens if better images in lower light, and seeing how cost is an issue then i am leaning toward the 35mm. Something quicker would be nice but from what you have all said i wiil be happy with the 35mm.

Cheers again

Although the 50mm 1.8 is cheaper than the 35...