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.