Large aperture but with zoom?

carlt

TPF Noob!
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
I'm a newbie and recently got a Sony DSLR A200 with the included 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 lens.

Although I can take pictures with the lens I feel that it is somewhat limited and I'm looking to expand.

What I like is extremely soft pictures with a short DOF. I also dislike flashes. Therefore I figured that a lens with an extremely low F number would suit me but there doesn't seem to be any available with zoom. They always seem to be fixed at 50mm.

Is there a lens with zoom?

Budget: somewhere around 500USD. The less the better.
 
Last edited:
f/2.8 is about as fast as it gets for zoom lenses. The Tamron Di-II 17-50mm f/2.8 and the Sigma DC 18-50mm f/2.8 come readily to mind in your price range.

For larger apertures than that, you're going to have to go with a prime lens, as you already discovered. A used Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4 or AF 35mm f/1.4G might be a reasonable alternative to new lenses like the Sony 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 or Sigma DC 30mm f/1.4.

But he wants soft pictures and all of those lenses are VERY sharp lenses.

You don't need a low f-stop (large aperture) to get small DOF. Just get a longer focal length. Get a 55-200 or 70-300 and shoot toward the longer end and shoot wide open....that will get you some soft pictures with small DOF.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top