Another lens question

[Angela2932]

Hi Laurie (and welcome, as well!)
I also have a lens question. I'm new to photography and my camera, a Nikon D40 with a 18-135 kit lens. My DH is thinking about getting me a lens for Christmas, and I'm leaning toward a 50 mm lens, primarily for portraits (mostly indoors). I know the 1.4 is considered better than the 1.8, and that with the Nikon autofocus, there are only specifics brands that will work. What lens would you recommend? Thanks!

Angela

[GeoR]

Hi Angela & welcome to the forum from another Nikon owner. Cant give you advice as I am lens illiterate. That said I am hoping "The Boss" orders Santa to present me with either the 55-200 or the 70-300 VR Nikon lens as I am into wildlife photography. Good luck on your choice. GeoR

[DMurray407]

Angela, I have the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens for my Canon DRebel and really like it for indoor photography. It takes a little getting used to a prime lens after you're used to a lens with zoom-you have to move back and forth instead of zooming the lens in and out the get the shot you want. I really like the 50 mm because it is just the right length for inside portrait type/snapshot work. The low f# (either 1.4 or 1.8) is really nice because I can go without a flash a lot of the time and just use natural light. I know with the Canon lens, the f 1.8 is quite a bit cheaper and I've read really good reviews about the quality of the photos it generates.

[Angela2932]

Thank you, GeoR and Deb. The Nikonian site is fantastic! I can't believe I never found it before! I'm leaning more now toward the Nikor 50mm f1.4, and will just have to learn to manual focus well. . .

Oh, if only there was wildlife to photograph where I live! Mostly it's flat, treeless, barren, ice and snow-covered prairie. . . .

[JulieM]

Okay, Angela, you've got me curious! Where do you live?

[lexcell]

Thanks George and Deb for jumping in here with your excellent advice. I have to agree with what you have said.

Angela, 50mm lenses are only available from the manufacturer. Nikon makes both the 1.8 and 1.4 lenses in AF. To get the very most out of your camera/lens combination I'd go with the Nikon AF 50mm 1.4D

[Angela2932]

Thank you everyone, for your very helpful suggestions.
Julie, I live on the eastern side of North Dakota. The western part of the state actually gets sort of pretty. . . with trees and hills and wildlife. When I first moved here, I had not-so-carefully-read in brochures about "Lake Agassiz", and kept driving around for about 6 weeks looking for it. Then I found out it was a prehistoric lake that had dried up long ago. (Note to self: read the fine print.) There are deer, mostly watched for at dawn and dusk to avoid the dreaded deer/car accidents. No snow yet; the snow will actually improve the stark, dead-tree look.

[JulieM]

Angela: You'll have to start a gallery here if you haven't already. Those stark landscapes can yield fabulous photos...

[krm]

I have a Canon Rebel xt with a Canon 28-135MM IS lens and the 18-55MM kit lens. I've never used the kit lens and use the 28-135 for everything. I really like the lens but a relative told me I should also look at getting the Canon 50MM 1/8 for shooting indoors. It's cheap enough ($80), but if it's not bringing anything to the table, I'm not sure I need it. I work a fair amount in a high school theater I do a lot of cast photography and scene photography in very low light. Any thoughts if this lens will help and how close to the subject do you need to be for a good photo?

[Chuck S.]

krm: I also use the 28-135 mm IS as my primary lens - good choice.

With respect to the value of the 50 mm lens, the answer, as usual, is, "It depends." I guess the best way to think of it is that it's going to be at the lower end of your 28-135 zoom; do you find yourself always zooming all the way out or would being in the first quarter of the zoom range work okay for you? Beyond that, the 50 mm 1.8 is around two stops faster than the 28-135; if the 28-135 gives you 1/30 second exposure, the 50 will give you 1/125 or thereabouts.

I have the 50 mm f/1.8; I don't use it often, but it's nice to know it's there.

[Angela2932]

Julie, I've post 3 "ugly" pictures in the gallery. These were all take at 75 mph, and I just wanted to use my new camera. They're not very good photos. . . but they'll give you a glimpse of my world. . .

Angela's Gallery (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/browseimages.php?do=member&imageuser=15439)

[lexcell]

Angela,
I hope someone else was at the wheel when you did your drive by shootings at 75mph. :)
Remember there is beauty everywhere...sometimes you just have to look for it.

George...my two censt worth for Santa... if you like wildlife photography, be extra good so that Santa will bring you the 70-300mm VR. You will need that extra magnification and it's a much better resolution lens than the 55-200mm.

[Grant]

Angela

I own both a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and an Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. They are both exceptional lenses. Optically I can't tell any difference between them. The only real difference is the speed, the f/1.4 is 2/3 of an full fstop faster than the f/1.8. If you are constantly photographing at 1/30 at f/1.8 and ISO 1600 and underexposing then you will need the faster lens. Like all lenses these two work best in their mid ranges not at their extremes. To me owning the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 is a luxury while owning the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 is a necessity.

Now to portrait work. You should reconsider using either of these lenses wide open for portraits. At a comfortable portrait distance of say 5 feet the depth of field, wide open, is very very shallow (at f/1.4 is 1 inch an at f/1.8 is 2.5 inches).

[Angela2932]

Laurie, oh, I know, there really is beauty everywhere. I was just being grumpy after looking at photos from "other" places. Through a car window, going within-the-speed-limit fast, with a new camera, is a lot to ask! (And no way was I driving!:eek:) I probably could have made any one of those views interesting, with taking care to set up my camera well. . . which I hope to learn to do over time! And hopefully, I'll continue to learn from all of you on this board. . . .

George, if I understand correctly, you're suggesting that there might be a lens much better suited for indoor photography with the Nikon D40? The lens I have right now is a 18-135mm. Do you have other suggestions?

[lexcell]

Angela,
A wide zoom that is "faster" will do a better job of available light photography indoors...the 50mm 1.8/1.4 that is being discussed is one, something like the AF-S 17-55mm 2.8 is another. Of course, there is a price for speed in a wide zoom. It all depends on your budget and actual needs. The 50mm would be great for portraits but a bit too tight for the family around the christmas tree unless you have a huge living room and can back up far enough. The 17-55mm or even say, a 35mm 2.0 would be wider and faster. There are many other options...just giving you food for thought.

[GeoR]

George...my two cents worth for Santa... if you like wildlife photography, be extra good so that Santa will bring you the 70-300mm VR. You will need that extra magnification and it's a much better resolution lens than the 55-200mm.[/quote]

Sorry for the delay in replying as I am busy this week. I realize that the 70-300mm VR is a much better lens. But if Santa only brings me the 55-200mm lens I will love it. At my age any present that my better half gets me is to be cherished. :)





George, if I understand correctly, you're suggesting that there might be a lens much better suited for indoor photography with the Nikon D40? The lens I have right now is a 18-135mm. Do you have other suggestions?
__________________
Angela

Repeat after me. George does not know lens. Do not listen to George's lens advice. Listen to Laurie. Laurie knows lens. Laurie gives excellent advice. That said I hope you will be happy with whatever lens you purchase & pass on the information to me. GeoR

[Angela2932]

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and advice on this! Laurie, I spent some time today using my camera, getting a sense of what the difference would be between 35mm and 50mm, and 35 mm definitely would work better in my house! I understand that "Santa" pushed the button today on the 35mm 2.0 lens, and I'll be sure to have my battery charged and ready to go Christmas am.

Maybe I should ask this question on another thread, but for those of you who live in cold climates, is there anything particular one should do when bringing a cold camera into a warm house? Just wait till the lens "unfogs"?

Angela

[mom to 4]

I have a Canon Rebel. I almost always leave my 85mm 1.8 on it. It is a WONDERFUL lens. Now.... that is a canon... not sure about Nikon....

[bayhli]

Maybe I should ask this question on another thread, but for those of you who live in cold climates, is there anything particular one should do when bringing a cold camera into a warm house? Just wait till the lens "unfogs"?


Hi Angela,

You want to avoid that moisture from condensation. I would think our equpment could handle a bit of "fog" but extreme changes in temperature will do damage with the moisture it creates. My understanding at least.

What I do is carry large-sized Ziplock Freezer Bags in my camera bag. Before I get out of my car I remove the lens and insert it and the camera into separate bags and zip them up. Don't forget the one in your camera bag. Once inside the house I leave them zipped until I think they have warmed gradually to room temperature, at least half an hour but it depends how cold it is out and could be longer. I don't carry too many extra lens with me as it's kind of a pain to go through the process sometimes.

One other thing is not to keep your car overly warm if you are using it to warm up as I often do. I've seen my camera fog up pretty quickly in the car warmth as well. My car is warmed up when I first take my camera outside as well, but again not overly warm. Obviously I never walk anywhere to photo.

Hope this helps - I'm in Northern Canada and I've already had the bags out! :)

[lexcell]

Great advice Pat. You want to keep all of your equipment covered up until it warms to room temperature. That means keeping all your equipment in the bag and the bag zipped up until it warms up.

If you have a camera and lens outside the bag, the ziplock trick works great. You could use a kitchen bag as well.
I don't actually take the lens off the camera. I just put the whole thing is a bag.

If your camera and lens get condensation they will usually dry out over a period of time...you can also take a hair dryer to it to accelerate the process in a pinch but the best solution is to avoid condensation completely if you can.

[Chuck S.]

Here in Texas, the opposite phenomenon exists: when we go from our cool, dry homes into the warm (okay, HOT) humid outdoors, the lenses fog up immediately. So much for running outside to grab a photo of that unusual bird that has suddenly appeared....:( Oh, well....the fog usually disappears just about the same time the bird flies away.