D5000 only accept AF-S lenses... would you go for a 35mm f1.8 for portrait?

[jorf]

I'm reading through this carefully and haven't seen the issue of 35 vs 50 addressed much other than proximity to the subject. (I'm in the same boat with the D5000 and not huge budget - in retrospect....) I think this has probably been discussed into ashes but, with the DX crop, how do they compare for portraits?

[inkista]

Originally Posted by jorf

I'm reading through this carefully and haven't seen the issue of 35 vs 50 addressed much other than proximity to the subject. (I'm in the same boat with the D5000 and not huge budget - in retrospect....) I think this has probably been discussed into ashes but, with the DX crop, how do they compare for portraits?

Kind of like a 50mm vs. an 85mm on a full-frame, but with a slightly bigger DoF.

Generally, a 35mm is going to be better for smaller working spaces, and full-length shots, the 50 better for larger working spaces or torso/head shots. It depends on your personal preferences for framing and working distances as to which one is the better fit, but if you want to go at all "environmental" (i.e., including the surrounded environment to put the subject in context), most folks will go for the 35mm length on a crop body.

For those wondering why you'd go for a manual focus lens, I'll second the main reason (cost), and add a few more: because you can use old legacy/vintage glass which has its own rewards on look/feel; you'll have a manual focus ring that isn't compromised for AF performance (ah, the joys of a long MF throw....) and you can set the hyperfocal length or scale focus with more accuracy (scale focus = using the distance scale to set the focus point, rather than looking through the viewfinder. Great for shooting from the hip, and staying inconspicuous without a camera in front of your face).

And if you wanted to put Zeiss ZF lenses on your Nikon--they're all manual focus, too.

If you're shooting fast-moving action or your own eyesight isn't great, then you need autofocus, but for most everything else where you have the thinking time, you can probably do ok without it.

[kristenh]

entirely possible the OP has already bought his lens by now- but i faced the same quandry and considered two things:

- the subjects i photograph most frequently. for me, it's fast little kids- so i felt i would miss a lot of shots w/o autofocus

- my own eyesight- i don't wear glasses but i am feeling like i might need to soon. i was afraid that i wouldn't be able to judge as well as the autofocus

so i got the 35 mm 1.8 option. i absolutely love it, for my purposes.