50mm lens for Nikon D40??

[SaraJane]

Can anyone help?
I want a 50mm 1.8 lens for my D40. But the problem is the one that is the cheapest won't auto focus on my D40 So which one do I get?

[dcclark]

Here's a question: are you sure that you want a *50mm* lens? I say that because Nikon has a new 35mm f/1.8 lens which is not only very inexpensive (about $200 new), but will autofocus perfectly. In addition, 35mm is closer to "normal" (in terms of field of view) than a 50mm on your D40.

[SaraJane]

Thanks! I'm not sure!!
I have a 9 month old daughter and I mainly take photos of her, and mainly indoors and it would be great to not to have to use the flash so that's why I want it. And I love the DOF!!
I have the normal 18-55mm lens that came with my camera and that's all. So if I put it on 35mm and look through it that's the distance the lens would be at? I think the lady at the shop mentioned the 35mm one to me but said that was a wideangle lens so I wouldn't want it?? Don't even know what that means really, pmsl.

[SaraJane]

Just checking it out, what does this mean??

DX-format, normal single-focal-length lens with 35mm focal length (picture angle is equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats)

[firebox40dash5]

Yes, it'll be the same view as your lens @ 35mm, but smaller, lighter and with a much larger aperture.

35mm might be slightly wide angle on a full-frame (FX) camera, but it's not on a DX camera. It's a great lens at a great price, now that you can find them in stock.

DX bodies, because of their smaller sensors, have a narrower field of view than a full-frame sensor. For Nikons, it's 50% narrower, which is why a 35mm lens has the same FOV as a 52.5mm lens on FX/film.

[OsmosisStudios]

The 35 will also allow you to get closer to the little one. 50mm is a little on the longish side on DX, especially for small children/babies

[SaraJane]

Awesome, thanks for all the info guys! I can't wait to get it!!

I was trying the 50mm one and I had to get back a bit to take photos of my daughter and kept chopping her head off too so this might be even better then!

[dcclark]

Originally Posted by SaraJane

Just checking it out, what does this mean??

DX-format, normal single-focal-length lens with 35mm focal length (picture angle is equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats)

DX means "lens designed for the smaller (compared to standard film) sensor on your camera." This doesn't really mean a lot for you -- it'll work fine on your D40.

Single focal length lens means that it's not a zoom. These "prime" lenses are often lighter, sharper, and less expensive than zooms. They also are usually faster, meaning they can collect more light (you only ever see f/1.4 or f/1.8 primes, not zooms).

Picture angle is equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats means what it says -- basically, because your "DX" sensor is small, the field of view of the lens (how wide of an image you can see from left to right) is equivalent to about a 50mm lens on "FX" (meaning, "standard film size"). 50mm in film is considered "normal", meaning, looks like the field of view which your eyes see.

So, your 35mm lens is not wide angle. It will be normal, meaning, perfect for the use you want.

[SaraJane]

Thankyou so much for your help everybody! I'm so excited, DH is buying the lens for me for our anniversary on Thursday