Ideal Glass for Photographing People?

[jor133d]

Hello-

I'm a bit of a noob. I am looking to upgrade my lenses. I currently only have a kit lens that comes with my Nikon d300, a Nikkor 18-200mm, 3.5-5.6.

I've done a handful of weddings with this and a some portraits. I've actually gotten some real good results with it but I now want to upgrade my lenses to improve.

What would you recommend for portrait and wedding photography?

I'm not looking for anything fancy, just workhorse lenses that will be an upgrade to what I have and improve the quality.

So, in addition, I guess I would love to know what other photographers here use most often, when it comes to weddings and portraits?

[Saralonde]

Do you have a particular budget?
A good budget lens for portraits would be the Nikon 50mm f/1.8. It would serve you well in low light and for close portraits.
I'm not as familar with Nikon lenses since I use Canon. Try looking for a lens that can be used in low light or perhaps has image stabilization since you will be taking a lot of handheld shots. I've used a Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS for weddings with good results. A lens that can cover some distance like a 70-200mm would be helpful, too.

I'm sure you'll get more suggestions.

[xxpinballxx]

Saralonde...we'll overlook your liking to canon....lol!
THe 50mm is a great lens for portrait and might want to think of the 90mm for a bit more distance from the subjects....fast lenses and usually primes are the choice for portraiture.
I think for just starting out or "Noob" as you put it you got a trememdous start with the D300! There are a few nice telephoto 2.8's that are also really nice....the 18-200mm 2.8 is a good choice. I think selling the 18-200mm you have for a constant 2.8 18-200mm is a great idea especially for a all around lens.

[jor133d]

Thanks! Very helpful.

One question though, is the 50mm 1.4 worth the extra money or would it make more sense to stick with the 1.8?

[xxpinballxx]

I have heard the differences between the two are minimal build is great on both and at 1.8 its fast as I ever needed.....if you got the extra money i think its a personal choice. I would rather take that extra few bucks and invest in something else...or an older 90mm or even a 28mm.

[kirbinster]

I am fairly certain there is no such thing as a Nikon 18-200 f/2.8 lens. If there was I can imagine there would be a lot of zeros at the end of it.

I have an 80-200 f/2.8 which is a great lens, but I think the list on it is around $900. There is a 70-200 f/2.8 AF-s but it goes for around $1,600. Both are great lenses.

[imagesbyjk]

A 50mm or an 85mm are my two favorite portrait lenses. Get the fastest you can afford.

[gomezef]

Echoing what everyone else said, I have shot some very very beautiful photos with 50mm f/1.8. So cheap too it's almost a steal. I also have the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 that I would highly recommend if you want something versatile. But if I could get any lens though for portrait, it would be 85mm f/1.8. The length is perfect for portrait in my opinion and 85mm prime is a beautiful lens.

[Becue]

Hey guys,

I'm a noob too. What do you mean by "prime?"

Thanks

[gomezef]

This is the place to learn!

Primes are lenses that do not zoom. Now why in the world would you want that? For a few reasons:

1) Best quality. Since they don't zoom, manufactures can focus everything they have on image quality. Although now zoom lenses are catching up, photographers will always swear prime lenses produce the best quality.

2) Cheap(er). They are tons cheaper. Making zoom lenses are tricky so they up the price. But prime lenses are easy(er) to make, so they don't cost as much.

3) Fast. And by fast, I mean they have a low f-stop (a very wide apeture) so they can let a lot of light in, so you can shoot in low light conditions with faster shutter speeds, and they provide shallow depth of field (that beautiful blurring of the background) you see in pictures.

Primes rock! but they can't zoom, that's the only trade-off. Make sure you google terms you don't know, the internet, including this site, is filled with information. Good luck!