Got $100, what should I get

[TriggerLoft]

I currently have a Nikon D5300, a tripod, an 18-55mm lens, and a 55-200mm lens.

With $100, I have two options:

Option 1:

I can either get this Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens for $226 (and bust $126 extra dollars out of my pocket, which I guess I can do). I heard f/1.8 lens are a must.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens for Digital SLR Camera Body | eBay​

Option 2:

I can get this $75 speedlite from Neewer
https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-750II-...UTF8&qid=1512256566&sr=8-6&keywords=speedlite
and this $30 Altura 0.43x wide angle lens for macro photography
https://www.amazon.ca/Altura-Photo-...=1512251575&sr=1-10&keywords=macro+lens+nikon
​

What would you recommend?

​

 

[Derrel]

SURE-get the speedlight, but do not, under any circumstances, by the screw-in Altura 'lens". Seriously! it's a very limited use device.

A Neewer speedlight and the 18-55mm and 55-200 pair will be very useful to you! Your post, as it stands now, has an incorrect URL pasted in to the speedlight--you accidentally pasted on the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D lens URL.

The 50mm f/1.8 AF or AF-D lenses (1980's to 2000's era) will NOT autofocus on your D5300, but the 50mm f/1.8 AF-S G lens will autofocus in the D5300.

A decent bounce-capable speedlight flash unit will be VERY helpful to you, in many situations. Flash that is shot from the camera's hotshoe, and bounced off of walls or ceilings, or off of the Rogue Flashbender, will do great things for you.

I would spend that other $25-$30 on...the Rogue Flashbender!!! See their site for some insight into what this type of device can do for you!

Rogue FlashBender 2

 

[Light Guru]

Save it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[khakoo]

Given your current kit, I would certainly buy a dedicated speedlight with bounce / swivel such as the one to which you've linked. This will open up the most shooting opportunities for you, especially family and social shots aiming the flash into walls / ceilings as you move around; just watch out for colour casts. I've no complaints about Neewer gear, but if you can push up the budget a bit I'd recommend a Godox TT685N. The N denotes configuration for Nikon (mine are TT685C for Canon):
https://www.amazon.ca/Godox-Thinkli...8&qid=1512473588&sr=8-4&keywords=godox+tt685n

The next item on my list would be a polarising filter. There is simply no substitute for this in your toolkit, cutting out reflections and glare to reveal detail and colour. Buy "circular" not "linear" (their physical shape is the same, don't confuse this with the choice of screw-in or square). Better polarisers are also more expensive, of course, but a cheap one will be fine to experiment with until your skills and equipment demand an upgrade.

I think there's rather too much fuss made over the "nifty fifty", a 50mm f1.8 lens. Pros and cons:
1. All else being equal, a prime lens should offer superior optical performance over a zoom. The reality is this is too crude a guideline, as quality varies within each type and overlaps between them. Study qualified reviews of the specific lenses that possess the specifications of interest to you before purchasing.
2. Perspective is close to that of the human eye, promoted as aiding the learning process. However, a fixed 50mm focal length limits your composition options. Note also that, on your crop sensor D5300, the field of view of a 50mm focal length is equivalent to 75mm on full-frame.
3. A wide maximum aperture is handy for higher shutter speeds and / or shallow DOF, but do you currently feel especially limited in these areas? Would you be better off saving up for a lens that meets more needs?

I'll echo Derrel on the Altura device, it's essentially junk. If you want a wide-angle lens then buy a real one that won't compromise image quality (I have serious doubts about those sample photos). That "macro lens" attachment is also a bad idea. If you want closer focusing without spending on a true macro lens then buy a set of extension rings with electrical through contacts.

 

[Dave442]

Flash

 

[lance70]

50mm all day long

 

[Destin]

A savings account. Get a savings account.

Save up a little more cash and get something a little bit nicer.

 

[ac12]

I currently have a Nikon D5300, a tripod, an 18-55mm lens, and a 55-200mm lens.

With $100, I have two options:

Option 1:

I can either get this Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens for $226 (and bust $126 extra dollars out of my pocket, which I guess I can do). I heard f/1.8 lens are a must.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens for Digital SLR Camera Body | eBay​

Option 2:

I can get this $75 speedlite from Neewer
https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-750II-...UTF8&qid=1512256566&sr=8-6&keywords=speedlite
and this $30 Altura 0.43x wide angle lens for macro photography
https://www.amazon.ca/Altura-Photo-...=1512251575&sr=1-10&keywords=macro+lens+nikon
​

What would you recommend?

​

All depends on what YOU want to do.

Do you NEED the lens or the flash.
Or which would you use more?

Option 1.
"I heard f/1.8 lens are a must."
This tells me that you do not NEED this lens, but think you do based on what you read.
f/1.8 are NOT a must. If you do not have a need for it, then you do not need it.

First focal length. 35mm vs 50mm.
YOU need to determine which focal length best matches your need.
YOUR need, not what someone else thinks. Because what I need and use may not match up with what you need.

I would get (and did get) the 35mm f/1.8 DX lens. Currently about $170, on sale.
I sometimes shoot in LOW light, so I had a need for it.

Option2.
You do have the built in pop up flash. Though I generally do not like pop up flashes.
So if you do not have a flash, getting a flash makes sense...IF you will use it.

Do NOT get any wide angle adapter lens.
If you do, be prepared for POOR quality image.

 

[nerwin]

I'd get the 35 1.8g DX and a Yongnuo flash.

 

[petrochemist]

I currently have a Nikon D5300, a tripod, an 18-55mm lens, and a 55-200mm lens.

With $100, I have two options:

Option 1:

I can either get this Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens for $226 (and bust $126 extra dollars out of my pocket, which I guess I can do). I heard f/1.8 lens are a must.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens for Digital SLR Camera Body | eBay​

Option 2:

I can get this $75 speedlite from Neewer
https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-750II-...UTF8&qid=1512256566&sr=8-6&keywords=speedlite
and this $30 Altura 0.43x wide angle lens for macro photography
https://www.amazon.ca/Altura-Photo-...=1512251575&sr=1-10&keywords=macro+lens+nikon
​

What would you recommend?

​

It sounds like the $100 is burning a hole in your pocket - so maybe a new pair of pants will be your best bet

If you manage to fined the wide angle lens for ~$3 it MIGHT be worth it, but that's still dubious. Actually I never tried the macro option with any of the wide angle adapters I've tried over the years they're unlikely to be achromatic but could be worth $3 if you don't have any other macro options.

Either a speedlite or a fast prime could be useful - which wins out depends on the sort of photography that appeals to YOU most.

Some low light situations are unsuitable for flash, either it will kill the romantic lighting, or it isn't allowed... Fast lenses also allow for shallow DOF if that's useful to you. There are legacy 50mm lenses that can be used on your camera in a limited way (Manual focus, with aperture priority or manual exposure mode) These will be considerably cheaper then the G series & might be adequate for the times a fast 50 is useful to you. Reversing one of these older primes in front of your existing lenses would give you a good entry to macro if you wish to try that - They can also be used reversed directly on the body or with cheap extension tubes...
If the manual lens approach is something that appeals to you check with a Nikon expert on which types of lenses are suitable for your camera. Nikon's DSLRs are not quite as backward compatible as my own system.

Flash can be incredibly useful indoors, for macro and for portraiture. But if your typical subjects are further away it will be quite useless. IMO it also needs a lot of learning to get anything like the best from it!
If you do decide the flash is the best option for you, I'd recommend a suitable TTL cable for the flash