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Which Nikon Prime Lens to Buy First?

Nov

2012

November 25, 2012

Buying a DSLR often means having several accessories to go with it, among which are lenses. But choosing your first lens isn’t easy – there are so many choices available at so many different price points, which can make it quite confusing for a beginner to find a lens for a particular need. In this article, I will discuss several budget Nikon fast prime lenses most suitable as a first step into the fixed focal length world. Which Nikon prime should you buy first? Which one would make the most sense? You need a lens to stay on your camera for years to come, you need it to be good for family portraits and some occasional snaps. Or maybe even for your future photography business – who knows?

Well, read on as I highlight the strengths of each affordable fast prime Nikon has to offer. I hope this article will help you with this tough choice most of us had to make at one point or another.

1) Why Buy a New Lens?

So you bought yourself a brand spanking new DSLR and now you want better pictures. Where do you start? When our images do not turn out good, we usually blame the camera, without even having the patience and time to learn how to use it. Do you find yourself using the camera in Auto mode all the time? If yes, then why don’t you first educate yourself and learn what those other “PASM” modes are for? We have plenty of beginner tutorials on this website and our photography tips for beginners page is a good place to start.

Nikkor 18.5mm f/1.8 for Nikon 1 Announcement

Sep

2012

September 12, 2012

By Romanas Naryškin 1 Comment

In the recent sea of announcements, with such cameras as Sony A99, NEX-6, and Nikon D600 receiving all the attention (understandable, of course), it’s very easy not to notice the small things. But then, small things make the bigger ones complete.

Today, along with the attention-grabbing Nikon D600, Nikkor 1 18.5mm f/1.8 prime lens was also announced, expanding the growing Nikon 1 lens arsenal. This lens will act roughly as a normal 50mm f/1.8 lens would on a full-frame camera (such as the great Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G) in terms of angle of view and light gathering (aperture speed). I see it as an extremely welcome addition to the line, complimenting the 10mm f/2.8 lens very well. Both for my personal work and weddings, a 50mm lens proved to be the most versatile so far, and with the 18.5 f/1.8 for Nikon 1 introduced, this mirrorless system has suddenly became much more attractive to me. If only Nikon 1 V1 was (much) cheaper. :)

What I reluctantly didn’t mention at first was that it will not act nearly as a normal fast prime lens would on a full-frame camera in terms of depth of field. Due to the small CX sensor (2.7x crop factor) of Nikon 1 system, depth of field is greatly enlarged because of the shorter focal length (or longer focus distance, depends on how you look at it) needed for the same magnification as compared to a 50mm f/1.8 mounted on a, say, D700. As it happens, tiny depth of field, along with great dynamic range and low-light performance, is one of the most attractive points when it comes to fast lenses. But does that mean there’s no more use for large depth of field? I don’t think so. I personally believe that it takes a lot of skill to use larger depth of field in such instances as wedding photography, and it’s also great for street and travel photography.

But then, you know who you are and what you want. If you found Nikon 1 system to suit you well, this lens is likely going to be a great companion, especially at a low price of around $190.

Pre-order Links

We trust the largest photo reseller, B&H, the most when it comes to gear purchase. Here are some links if you want to pre-order the new lens for your Nikon 1 camera:

A black 18.5mm f/1.8 lens for your black Nikon 1 camera ($186.95)

A silver 18.5mm f/1.8 lens for your silver Nikon 1 camera ($186.95)

A white 18.5mm f/1.8 lens for your white Nikon 1 camera ($186.95)

Of course, you don’t have to match them if you don’t want to. That would turn heads, wouldn’t it?
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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Announcement, Nikon 1 System, Normal Lens

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs f/1.4G

Aug

2012

August 2, 2012

By Nasim Mansurov 74 Comments

Ever since I published my Nikon 50mm f/1.8G review, where I showed that the lens outperforms pretty much any other Nikon 50mm lens, including the more expensive Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, I have been getting a lot of questions from our readers. Some wonder if perhaps I made errors in my assessment of the lens – it seems hard to believe that a cheaper lens would outperform its bigger brother. Others wonder if the 50mm f/1.8G truly is that good, why Lola and I continue to use the 50mm f/1.4G lens for our work (it is also listed in the outdated “Our Gear” page).

After many years of dedicated service, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G finally went kaput on us (it has all kinds of focus issues, probably as a result of field abuse, so it is on its way to Nikon for repair). I had no intention of selling the older 50mm f/1.4G, because it shows a lot of wear and tear and I knew I wouldn’t get much for it anyway. Since Lola cannot live without her favorite 50mm lens, as soon as this one died, I knew that I would be getting the 50mm f/1.8G version.

Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Review

Nov

2011

November 14, 2011

By Nasim Mansurov 91 Comments

This is an in-depth review of one of my favorite prime lenses – the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, which was announced back in September of 2008. For many years the focal length of 50mm lenses was considered a “standard” or “normal” focal length, because it closely resembles the perspective of the human eye. These lenses were widely popular on film cameras and the focal length was ideal for portraiture and everyday photography. As digital SLRs and zoom lenses started taking over the market, popularity of 50mm primes also decreased. The smaller size of APS-C sensors made the field of view of 50mm lenses narrower, while the flexibility of zoom lenses and their low price drove the demand towards convenience. Now that full frame digital cameras are getting more and more affordable, the once forgotten 50mm lenses are regaining their popularity among many photographers. In this review, I will provide a thorough analysis of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G lens, along with image samples and comparisons against other 50mm lenses from Nikon and Sigma.

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G is a professional-grade lens for enthusiasts and pros that need a high quality lens for portraiture, food and everyday photography. Its large aperture of f/1.4 is great for low-light photography and the shallow depth of field helps isolate subjects from the background, beautifully rendering background highlights, also known as bokeh.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Review

Oct

2011

October 3, 2011

By Nasim Mansurov 37 Comments

This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM prime lens that was announced on March 18, 2008 for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony and FourThirds DSLR cameras. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a professional-grade lens for enthusiasts and pros that need a high quality lens for portraiture and everyday photography. Its large aperture of f/1.4 is great for low-light photography and the shallow depth of field helps isolate subjects from the background, beautifully rendering background highlights, also known as bokeh. Unlike cheaper DX lenses, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is designed to work on both APS-C / DX and full-frame / FX sensors from many current DSLR manufacturers, including Nikon and Canon.

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Lens, Normal Lens, Portrait Lens, Product Reviews, Sigma, Sigma Reviews

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Review

Jul

2011

July 31, 2011

By Nasim Mansurov 225 Comments

This is an in-depth review of the new, much anticipated Nikon 50mm f/1.8G prime lens that was announced in April of 2011. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is a consumer-grade lens for enthusiasts and seasonal pros that need quality optics of a fixed portrait lens at an affordable price point. Its large aperture of f/1.8 is great for low-light photography and the shallow depth of field helps isolate subjects from the background, beautifully rendering the background highlights, also known as bokeh.