From 50mm f1.8D to 35mm f1.8G AF-S?

[delgadina]

I love my nifty fifty. But, I just have one problem with it. I have a Nikon D3000, which lacks an autofocus motor, so I can't autofocus with it.

I'm used to manual focusing, but more often than not, I can't focus fast enough to meet my subjects. I tend to shoot a lot of people in motion and candid pictures, and while I try to focus where I predict them to be, I usually miss out on some awesome shots. :\

A body upgrade is totally out of the question, haha!

I was thinking of a 50mm f1.4 AF-S, but it's way out of my price range as of now. But what say you of the 35mm f1.8G AF-S? Is it a good compromise, and will it fit my purposes? Or would it be best to save up for the 50mm f1.4 AF-S? I'm happy enough with the 1.8 aperture, so we can rule that out for now.

Can anyone give me any insight and advice? Please and thank you!

[firebox40dash5]

That's hard to say. If you like the focal length of your 50mm, then the 35mm won't be the same. At least it's wider, so you can crop your images, or just get closer, and gain shallower DOF too. That said, I think the 35mm AF-S is a great lens for the price, and certainly fits your need for a fast prime that'll autofocus with your camera.

Even if the 50mm AF-S were in your budget, you could sell your D5000 for a D90 and just keep what you have now, probably for less money. I had a similar dilemma- my 50mm is the only lens I have that isn't AF-S. But reason won that argument- I could buy myself an SB-800 for the price difference between the AF-D and AF-S 50mm lenses.

[Jane's Nikon]

Hi there,
my first post, only joined Christmas Eve & enjoying everyone's contributions & learning so much from reading the posts..

I'm a novice & only received my first digital SLR back in April but loving it after point & shoot.

A couple of months ago I purchased the AF-S 35mm lens you've mentioned & it is the lens I grap first, it allows great shallow DOF, its fast, & I'm really happy with it. I tried out the 50mm in the camera shop which is alot more expensive & found it more difficult to create the type of shots I was looking for, but I'm sure it probably has to do with my inexperience too.

Once I work out how to upload to this site I can show a few shots,

cheers Jane

[delgadina]

Originally Posted by firebox40dash5

That's hard to say. If you like the focal length of your 50mm, then the 35mm won't be the same. At least it's wider, so you can crop your images, or just get closer, and gain shallower DOF too. That said, I think the 35mm AF-S is a great lens for the price, and certainly fits your need for a fast prime that'll autofocus with your camera.

Even if the 50mm AF-S were in your budget, you could sell your D5000 for a D90 and just keep what you have now, probably for less money. I had a similar dilemma- my 50mm is the only lens I have that isn't AF-S. But reason won that argument- I could buy myself an SB-800 for the price difference between the AF-D and AF-S 50mm lenses.

Haha, I am hoping for an upgrade D90 in the future. That's why I'm a bit reluctant to splurge on the 50mm f1.4 AF-S, haha! But I've only been dabbling with photography for less than a year, and I'd like to milk the entry-level camera for all it's worth before moving up.

I think I'll be okay with the focal length of 35mm.

Thanks for your comment!

Originally Posted by Jane's Nikon

Hi there,
my first post, only joined Christmas Eve & enjoying everyone's contributions & learning so much from reading the posts..

I'm a novice & only received my first digital SLR back in April but loving it after point & shoot.

A couple of months ago I purchased the AF-S 35mm lens you've mentioned & it is the lens I grap first, it allows great shallow DOF, its fast, & I'm really happy with it. I tried out the 50mm in the camera shop which is alot more expensive & found it more difficult to create the type of shots I was looking for, but I'm sure it probably has to do with my inexperience too.

Once I work out how to upload to this site I can show a few shots,

cheers Jane

Yeah, I think you were looking at the 50mm f1.4 AF-S. Mighty expensive! The 35mm f1.8 AF-S seems like a happy medium. Hope to see your shots soon! Thanks!

[amberskies]

I'm not very experienced (just researching lenses like you!) but I borrowed a 50mm 1.8 and then a 35mm (can't remember the ap range on that one) and I liked the 50mm a LOT better. It seems more flexible to me. Enough so that after using both I've decided that I have to get the 50 even though, as you said, the 35 with AF-S is a reasonable price.

It's a hard call.

[delgadina]

Originally Posted by amberskies

I'm not very experienced (just researching lenses like you!) but I borrowed a 50mm 1.8 and then a 35mm (can't remember the ap range on that one) and I liked the 50mm a LOT better. It seems more flexible to me. Enough so that after using both I've decided that I have to get the 50 even though, as you said, the 35 with AF-S is a reasonable price.

It's a hard call.

Hmm, maybe I'll try to borrow a 35mm f1.8 first. Or I wonder if they'll let me attach it to my camera in the store. Hmm. I'm in no hurry to buy anyway, so I have more time to think about it. Thanks for your input!