Lens with good bokeh

[Josh66]

But if it makes you feel better, you're right and I'm wrong But it wasn't even the point anyway.

I think we are both saying the same thing (in different ways).

 

[Markw]

Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 is a cheap lens with agood and shallow DOF that should give you a good and blurry background.

The Nikkor 85mm F/1.8 would be even better for portraits in my opinion, but it beats your budget.

They have a Nikkor 50mm F/1.4 also, but Im pretty sure that beats your budget too.

If youre dead set on having the best, save your money for a while, while you practice other things such as composition and exposure, maybe learn manual techniques, etc. and get the better lens for your scenario. I will be getting the Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 ASAP.

Mark

 

[MarkV1184]

Make sure it is an AF-S lens for your D40 if you want it to auto focus (this will drive the cost of the lens up)

 

[shmne]

Buying any prime lens will enable you to have better "bokeh" then a similar priced zoom / kit lens.

The 50mm is great but you can't get in to close, that is going to be the only lens however, in your price range.

The problem with your question however is that you want the background to blur without getting close to the subject, this is a bit to generic to give an answer. Wide open a 50mm can shoot at 1.5ft away from a subject, anything behind that subject is going to blur rapidly. You move back and keep the subject in the same spot, the background comes into focus. Slightly, but it still starts to come into focus. Now you can solve this by moving your subject farther from your background, but I don't know how much space you have.

If you don't want to get in close because you want a wider shot look into used 28mms and see if you can find a decent one in your price range, then you can get in close and maintain the heavily blurred background without an in your face feel. If you are using a cropped sensor a 28mm should be a "normal" lens meaning that it lacks much distortion.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt, I've been learning a lot lately and mixing things up here and there So just research more into what I've said before you act.

Though I heavily suggest a 50mm, 1.8 for now is fine. Shooting at f/2.8 you get great subject - background separation as long as you set the shot up right

 

[Derrel]

I can not think of a Nikkor lens that has good bokeh and that can be bought for $300 or less. I'm pretty familiar with bokeh,and with lenses that produce good bokeh. Some examples are the 85mm 1.4 AF-D, the 105mm f/2 AF-D Defocus Control, the 70-200 VR, and the 200mm f/2 AF-S VR-G. Those four lenses are the current bokeh kings of the Nikon lineup.

Bokeh is not just out of focus or selective focus; one might want to do a Google search on the term,and read a handful of articles to get a fuller,more nuanced understanding of what bokeh is, and what it is not.

The suggestion to just try and shoot some selective focus shots might be a good suggestion. The D40 can use older lenses, albeit without metering or autofocus. You might try and find an old, Ai-converted 85mm f/1.8 H-series Nikkor manual focus lens, or better yet, look at the "new" 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical manual focus Samyang or Vivitar Series 1 lens that was introduced a year ago or so--it has pretty good bokeh,and was around the $300 price point the last time I checked, which was before all the lens price increases of the past few months.

 

[Dwig]

the word bokeh in Japanease literally means "fuzzy"

Sounds suspiciously like "out of focus"...

The traditional spelling of this Japanese word using Latin characters, instead of the original Japanese Kana, is "boke", though it has a short "e" sound at the end unlike the English word "poke". Its literal meaning may be "fuzzy", but as I understand it one of its conotations is the photographic out-of-focus blur.

When "boke" is spelled "bokeh" in non-Japanese text, it carries a slightly different conotation. "Bokeh" refers specifically to the quality of the blur rather than to blur in general. The only reason this Japanese word should be used in non-Japanese text is to refer to the quality of the blur. If writing in English and wanting to refer to the absence, presence, or quantity of the blur you should use "blur".

The term using this alternate spelling was first coined by writer/editor/photographer Michael Johnson to refer specifically to the quality issue, not presence, absence or quantity of blur. Check out his blog, The Online Photographer, and use the search link to find his several excellent, definative essays on the topic:

The Online Photographer

He coined the term; he's the authority.

 

[Kcc]

Another vote for the 35mm f/1.8G Nikon AF-S DX lens! I had one myself, and they are great. The *G* beside the 1.8 means it's some newer lens Nikon have made. More sharp than regular 50mm prime lens.

edit:

Make sure it is an AF-S lens for your D40 if you want it to auto focus (this will drive the cost of the lens up)

Yes, as MarkV mentioned, the Nikon lens is AF-S, which it does work for the *D60* so I guess it will also work for the D40.

sec edit:

Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 is a cheap lens with agood and shallow DOF that should give you a good and blurry background.

The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 isn't an AF-S, you will have to manual foucs with it, but the price different is like $100+ CND.

As of price for the 35mm f/1.8G, 279+tax in CND. It's around your buget.

Kcc

 

[DScience]

the word bokeh in Japanease literally means "fuzzy"

Sounds suspiciously like "out of focus"...

Like I said - it's just something that happens. You can't (other than aperture - controlling DOF) control it.

It's always there. Whether it is good or bad depends on the lens you are using. Good=pretty; Bad=ugly.

It's that simple.

There is nothing you can learn to "master bokeh". That would be like me saying that I only shoot f/5.6, 1/200 sec - and I just make the light right where ever I happen to be.

It just happens.

Lol you can't most definitely control it. I take pictures alllll the time to get 'purposeful' bokeh.

 

[DScience]

Here is some examples of how you can 'control' bokeh. Every single of these shots I took for the 'bokeh' in which they produced. I took tons of each shot so that I could 'control' the type and look of bokeh in the shots.

 

[~myStical~]

wow guys...thanks for all the suggestions..you have no idea how happy you guys have made me. I know I can always count on this forum and u guys.... you all are always helpful. Samanax, thanks for the lessons on depth of field. I've read a lot on depth on field before... but those links were some good reviews.
Now im looking into Nikon 35mm f/1.8G & Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 ...both are great..and goes with my budget too.

Basically I want to be able to shoot from a distance where I wont have to be too close to the subject and will be able to get a nice blurred background. That's my main concern ...
A good distance away. I want to be able to also zoom in with my lens and not with my feet.. ( i don't know if that makes sense) .... These are the things I have in mind. With my kit lens (18-55mm) is okay for casual shooting but I feel like the ability to achieve nice blurred backgrounds is not that great.

ooh yeah and also a lens that will auto focus with the nikon d40


for example a picture like this... the photographer was probably a few feet away.. but i want a nice blurred background than the one here..more creamish smooth ..
http://fotkidepo.ru/photo/238174/2114Z4SmkzNfvr/YIvRfiUNH2/125821.jpg

more like this one

http://fast1.onesite.com/blogs.telegraph.co.uk/user/kate_day/3daa7cd370c0c899fc2cef93a2ad6668.jpg



I hope I make sense ... thank you guys once again ! really reallly appreciate it ... any other suggestions will be awesome :mrgreen:

 

[DScience]

For one that auto focuses on the D40, you'll either have to get the 35mm f1.8G, or the 50mm f1.4G.

Here is an example from the 50 mm, with the creamy background you are talking about.

 

[~myStical~]

For one that auto focuses on the D40, you'll either have to get the 35mm f1.8G, or the 50mm f1.4G.

Here is an example from the 50 mm, with the creamy background you are talking about.

yes, thats exactly it. thats the kind of blur im looking for . I love how vibrant this picture is. nice!
thanks for sharing :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Josh66]

Here is some examples of how you can 'control' bokeh. Every single of these shots I took for the 'bokeh' in which they produced. I took tons of each shot so that I could 'control' the type and look of bokeh in the shots.
[...]

I like this one a lot.


I don't really think that you are "controlling" the bokeh though, you're just using an aperture that allows it to happen, and composing so that it becomes an important part of the image.

To change the bokeh, you would have to change the design of the lens.

 

[DScience]

Here is some examples of how you can 'control' bokeh. Every single of these shots I took for the 'bokeh' in which they produced. I took tons of each shot so that I could 'control' the type and look of bokeh in the shots.
[...]

I like this one a lot.


I don't really think that you are "controlling" the bokeh though, you're just using an aperture that allows it to happen, and composing so that it becomes an important part of the image.

To change the bokeh, you would have to change the design of the lens.

I agree for sure. It's really not a matter of controlling the bokeh, as it is using it.

 

[Samanax]

for example a picture like this... the photographer was probably a few feet away.. but i want a nice blurred background than the one here..more creamish smooth ..

more like this one

If you didn't take the pictures you shouldn't imbed them in your post. Provide a link to them instead.

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