Lens input

[burnen82]

I'm kind of new to photography and I've been using the Nikon D3300 and the kit lens. I'm looking to buy a new lens but i'm not sure what my best option is? I like to do landscape and night photography (branden_k82 IG). I have a budget of around $450. I would love to find something with a fast aperture. Any thoughts would be very welcome!

 

[480sparky]

What do you need to do that your current lens cannot?

 

[burnen82]

I'd like to get something that's sharper and little faster. I'm looking at the 16mm Samyang f2.

 

[Dave Colangelo]

Ive got the D3300 paired with the 35mm F1.8 prime, plenty fast (faster than your kit lens), plenty sharp, plenty under budget for you, might be worth checking out.

If you dont mind manual there are plenty of older Nikkor lenses you can get. I have had fun with this lens and you can get really sharp pictures with the older manual 35mm or 50mm 1.4's and 1.8's that can be had for really cheap second hand.

Regards
Dave

 

[jcdeboever]

I'm kind of new to photography and I've been using the Nikon D3300 and the kit lens. I'm looking to buy a new lens but i'm not sure what my best option is? I like to do landscape and night photography (branden_k82 IG). I have a budget of around $450. I would love to find something with a fast aperture. Any thoughts would be very welcome!

A used Sigma 17-50 2.8 is a pretty nice lens. I use it for tractors, and did a spark show recently. You can see it in my recent threads (I use a D3300). I have tried it on landscape last fall and it worked fine. It is way sharper than the kit lens in my opinion but in all honesty, I think my kit lens was a bad copy. It really has been a stellar lens for me. I see used copies for 300-350. Here is a link, not sure about vendor.
Sigma AF 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS HSM For Nikon

Here is review from a guy that I enjoy reading.
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens Review

I have a 35mm 1.8 prime as well, I love it, very sharp. Just not wide enough for tractor shows. I use it more for flowers, portraits, landscape. I like the field of view on my D3300 for just about everything not requiring ultra wide or the convenience of a zoom. Sharper than the 17-50 but splitting hairs really.

 

[burnen82]

Ive got the D3300 paired with the 35mm F1.8 prime, plenty fast (faster than your kit lens), plenty sharp, plenty under budget for you, might be worth checking out.

If you dont mind manual there are plenty of older Nikkor lenses you can get. I have had fun with this lens and you can get really sharp pictures with the older manual 35mm or 50mm 1.4's and 1.8's that can be had for really cheap second hand.

Regards
Dave

 

[burnen82]

Thank you for the input! I went with the Samyang 35mm 1.4. I m may end up returning it though, as it doesnt have AF and it's not built for a crop sensor.

 

[spiralout462]

35mm is a normal field of view on a crop sensor. I would have went with AF and OEM myself though. Or any of the 17-50 f2.8 zooms.