50mm 1.8D or 35mm 1.8

[Nicostorm]

Trying to decide between the 2 lens's. Any help would be appreciated. I shoot mostly general things but am wanting to do more portraits. I have the 18-135 and the 85mm macro. Bought my daughter the d3100 so i want her to get some use out of it to.

Thx in advance!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snaps-alot/

 

[MTVision]

The 50 1,8d won't autofocus on the d3100. The new 50 1.8g is a little bit more then the 35 1.8g but it's really nice.

I've never used the 35 but I love the 50!

 

[flatflip]

I like both focal lengths personally but the 35mm is more versatile for me.

 

[Cfitz]

For portraits I think the 50mm might be a little better. A cropped sensor gives it an effective focal length of around 75ish so it's more suited for that kind of stuff. It's all down to personal preference really though. Try both 35 and 50 on the lens you have now and decided then. Also go down to a shop where you can try them both out for yourself.

 

[Nicostorm]

Thx on the 50mm 1.8D. I will rule that out if it wont af on the 3100.

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum

 

[RobertDarasz]

N35mm/1.8G would be the most usable lens for this camera. And it was mentioned before - D type lenses don't provide auto focus on bodies without the AF motor screw and unfortunately the D3100 doesn't have one.

My guess for portraits in the budget zone would be either Samyang 85/1.4 (no autofocus AND CPU - which means you can't shoot with it on A,S,P modes because it doesn't support any automatics. Aperture is chosen by changing the ring on the lens and time is set normally in the camera. Also the viewfinders light meter won't work) or Nikon 85/1.8D (automatics will work but still you have to set the focus manually + a bit more expensive)

IF you want to have all the goodies with a 85 mm lens there's also the $1,500 Nikkor 85/1.4G.

 

[MTVision]

N35mm/1.8G would be the most usable lens for this camera. And it was mentioned before - D type lenses don't provide auto focus on bodies without the AF motor screw and unfortunately the D3100 doesn't have one.

My guess for portraits in the budget zone would be either Samyang 85/1.4 (no autofocus AND CPU - which means you can't shoot with it on A,S,P modes because it doesn't support any automatics. Aperture is chosen by changing the ring on the lens and time is set normally in the camera. Also the viewfinders light meter won't work) or Nikon 85/1.8D (automatics will work but still you have to set the focus manually + a bit more expensive)

IF you want to have all the goodies with a 85 mm lens there's also the $1,500 Nikkor 85/1.4G.

There is also the sigma 85 1.4 for less than the Nikon brand!

 

[RobertDarasz]

But still it's around $1000. A bit too much for a budget zone lens

 

[Nicostorm]

Thx for all your help,

 

[thierry]

Yes, go for the New 50mm F1.8 G which will autofocus on the 3100. It is even sharper than the old 50mm f1.8D and is an absolutely spectacular lens. You can still get it for around $200 which is nothing in the world of great lenses. Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

 

[brush]

Which focal length do you shoot at more often? As much as I love my 50mm when I filter my photos in bridge I find that most of the time when I have my 18-135 lens mounted I do more in wider ranges range so I'm considering buying a prime at like 30 or 24 or something. If you've got software like Bridge that'll let you filter your photos by focal length go look at your past stuff & see which lens will be more useful to you.

 

[djacobox372]

Yes, go for the New 50mm F1.8 G which will autofocus on the 3100. It is even sharper than the old 50mm f1.8D and is an absolutely spectacular lens. You can still get it for around $200 which is nothing in the world of great lenses. Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

Heck the f1.8G is even sharper then the expensive f1.4G. It's the obvious choice for anybody looking for a 50mm nikon lens.

 

[ceejec]

I shoot with D90, and i traded my 35 for the D because of the price.. I know its not much but when i was a beginner I told my self "why not" on the nifty fifty. IMO the 50 is a better portrait lens since the I saw a small amount of distortion on the 35.. Its on my camera 80% of the time

 

[sm4him]

Yes, go for the New 50mm F1.8 G which will autofocus on the 3100. It is even sharper than the old 50mm f1.8D and is an absolutely spectacular lens. You can still get it for around $200 which is nothing in the world of great lenses. Amazon.com: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

Except that Amazon is out of stock on them, and last time I even *saw* an estimate, it said product would ship in 1-3 months!

I ended up buying one on Ebay, through Adorama; it's a refurbished lens, but I've bought refurb items before with no issues. Plus, I got it for less than $200, shipping and all.
Can't tell what I think of it because it's not here yet...hopefully by Thursday!