5200 upgrades

[Johnny18504]

My wife has been getting into photography(family/maternity) and i want to get her something for her camera for xmas. From what i've read either a 35/50/85mm lense is the way to go. So there is a 1.8D, 1.4, 1.8G...i don't know whats the difference. Also she has the kit lense which is 18-55..does that mean its pointless to buy the 55mm since it is already in that range? Thanks in advance.

 

[mikeyidaho]

For the d5200 it doesn't have a focus motor in the body so stick to the lenses that end with G, the others won't have a focus motor in the lens unless you want manual focus only.... 1.4 lenses will usually be at least double or maybe triple the price of the 1.8 and for anyone but a pro the 1.8 is still an amazing lens compared to a zoom as far as sharpness and bokeh. What subjects she likes to shoot and at what focal length would determine the lens to get. I personally have the 35 1.8G and the 85 1.8G always in my bag as my do all combo. 35mm is my all around especially for landscapes, 50 is a great all around and better for portraits, the 85 is much high quality than the 35 and 50 and a great portrait length for headshots and torso shots or for general short telephoto shots. The 85mm 1.8g is the sharpest lens you can buy under $1000 as far as I know. Now I'm rambling, I wouldn't get all 3, I'd pick the two that fit her needs the best and according to her budget. Did I ramble on long enough? Lol

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[Johnny18504]

Here are a couple examples of the distances she usually shoots at.

 

[Braineack]

The 50mm 1.8G would probably be perfect for her.

 

[mikeyidaho]

Are you trying to decide on just one of those lenses for now? Problem with prime lenses is that it's usually hard to pick just one since you're giving up the versatility of a zoom to get the better image quality and bokeh. If just one...then the 50mm would the way to go with a middle of the range approach, since I got two primes I went with one of each end of that range (35 and 85) for versatility.

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[Overread]

Best advice - Don't get her anything.

When it comes to hobbies its always best to let the other person choose because they'll have an idea of what they want and when it comes to spending serious money you want to get them something you know they'll want to and be able to use. Nothing worse than getting something really expensive you think they'll like and leaving them with a pain because they really don't find a use for it.

So consider;

1) listening for very clear very specific hints (this lens or that lens)

2) Asking

3) Giving a gift card for a camera shop

4) Taking her out for a meal/day trip and mixing in a trip to the camera shop to choose the lens in person.

etc.. there are many ways you can do it without taking the fun out of things; but whilst ensuring that what you get her is going to be what she wants.

 

[ruifo]

Any "f/1.8G", like the 35mm or the 50mm lenses, are very good options.

 

[Johnny18504]

Thanks for everyones input. As for my other question...since she has the 18-55 kit lense..doesn't that mean it includes the 50mm? so it would be pointless to get the 50 right?

 

[jaomul]

Thanks for everyones input. As for my other question...since she has the 18-55 kit lense..doesn't that mean it includes the 50mm? so it would be pointless to get the 50 right?

No- the 50mm prime has settings the kit lens does not, allowing it to be useful in much lower light, typically it allows 4 times more light in. Also most lenses are sharpest stopped down to less than fully open which allows the 50 to still be usable in moderate light at its sharpest

 

[Braineack]

Thanks for everyones input. As for my other question...since she has the 18-55 kit lense..doesn't that mean it includes the 50mm? so it would be pointless to get the 50 right?

No, not at all. The 18-55 kit lens can only achieve a maximum aperture of about 5.6 at 50mm, whereas the fixed 50mm prime can open all the way to 1.8 (an extra 3 stops). This "opens up" a world of possibilities the 50mm can do that the 18-55 can't. The lens will be much much useful in low light settings, and the larger aperture will allow your wife to explore more options with the Depth of Field and Bokeh that shooting at a wider aperture allows, and it's much sharper than the kit lens at 50mm all the way to f/8. This would have been a much better lens to use for the two images you posted as examples, and is a good lens for taking portraits.

This is a comparison I quickly found online: Old vs. New: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens vs. Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G AF-S | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The image on the left was taken with the 18-55. You can see compared to the right, the baseball isn't as sharp. Also look at the purple plant in the background, at 5.6 the DOF is much larger and it retains a lot of detail, where on the right the larger aperture shortens the DOF significantly and smoothly blurs the purple flowers and leads to a much more pleasant looking, sharper image, drawing your focus on the baseball.

The 35 or 50mm 1.8G is typically the first lens someone will buy to supplement the kit lens both offer great performance for a really great price. Next would be a 55-200, 55-300, or 70-300mm.

 

[ruifo]

Thanks for everyones input. As for my other question...since she has the 18-55 kit lense..doesn't that mean it includes the 50mm? so it would be pointless to get the 50 right?

Quality in the prime lenses (which are the no-zoom lenses) are immensely better.

 

[Johnny18504]

Thanks for all the info guys! Looks like i'll be shopping for a 50mm then. Appreciate all the help.

-Johnny

 

[runnah]

Best advice - Don't get her anything.

Best advice thus far.

 

[KmH]

Get her some books:

Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

This kit - Impact Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

2 of these - Vivitar 285HV Flash for SLR Cameras (Black)

and this to trigger the off camera flash units - 4 Channels Wireless/ Radio Flash Trigger Set With 2 Receivers

 

[Khun3248]

Sorry ha I'm probably doing this all wrong.
So are you saying the no-zoom lenses are better than the lenses that do have a zoom?
I'm looking into getting a new lense as well. Either 35mm or 85mm 1.8. I have 50mm 1.8 right now. It doesn't have a zoom on it or auto focus. I don't like not having an auto focus. I feel like I'm spending most of my time trying to get focused.