50mm or 35mm?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CJ
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CJ

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Another prime thread! Its that time of year again when people start asking me what I want for x-mas, so naturally, photo gear. I've been thinking about asking my parents for either of the less-expensive Nikon primes; the 50mm 1.8 or the 35mm 1.8. Since both are close in price and relatively inexpensive I want to know people's take on both. For a while I thought the 50mm was the way to go. Of the numerous reviews I read, almost no one had anything bad to say about it. But lately I've been shooting more wide than anything else (not that the 35mm is that wide, but it's obviously wider than the 50mm), plus the 35mm is AF-S which will auto-focus on my D40x where the 50mm will not. I have read that the 50mm is super sharp and an all around very nice lens, is the 35mm the same? There don't seem to be quite as many reviews on the 35mm as the 50mm so that's why Im asking here. I have not shot with either so I have no bias.

Thoughts on either/both?

Just so we're clear I am talking about the f/1.8 only. The 1.4's are more expensive than I'm comfortable asking for for christmas.
 
Be CAREFULL about which lens you get! ; :o ; Your D40 will not support auto-focus on the older versions of these lenses (also the cheapest), you need the DX version. (B&H approx price - $110 for older lenses, $190 for DX version, $400 for the f/1.8 )

Something else to keep in mind is your D40 will multiply the focal length by 50%, so that 50 is a 75, and the 35 is (roughly) a 50. If you're looking for a 50mm experience, the 35 is your lens.

If you're even hoping/dreaming/thinking of moving up to a full-frame sensor'd camera, that DX lens will probably go away with the old body. For me, I don't quickly throw things away, including my old bodies. There's still good reasons to hang on to my D200, and it's assortment of DX lenses...
 
Get the 35/1.8. ; You'll enjoy the wider frame of view to start with on the DX crop. ; And the two companies that make a 35/1.8 specifically for crop cameras - well they are actually quite good! ; My Sony 35/1.8 is incredible wide open, and it costs the same as the Nikon version. ; It's a purchase I don't regret making.
 
I have no desire (right now) of a full frame. I still have a lot to learn and am only thinking/dreaming of going up to a D90 or an older D300. I was pretty settled on the 50mm before I even started looking at the 35mm. Is the sharpness close the same between the two for the people that have used both?
 
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