Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Question

[guitar guy]

I hear this is a great little lens, very sharp and inexpensive to boot. The only problem I see is the AF won't work with my D3000. Does anyone have any experience focusing manually with this lens?

 

[Bram]

Yeah you actually have to focus it yourself? What is your question? If people have this lens? Yes alot of people have it.

 

[guitar guy]

Yeah you actually have to focus it yourself? What is your question? If people have this lens? Yes alot of people have it.

My specific question was if people have had experience focusing manually with this lens, and how it went. To get more specific -- I'm looking for responses from anyone who may be (or may have been) new to the whole idea of manually focusing a lens like this. How was the experience? Was it easy? How did you feel? Were there any negative physiological or psychological effects?

 

[Bram]

None of the above. This lens is superb and you can't go wrong with it. If you're somebody who has always been shooting on auto. Try shooting manually with your lenses now and see what you get or get this lens and learn that way. Known to be the best portrait lens besides the 85mm 1.8.
easy to focus if you got the hands for it.

 

[guitar guy]

None of the above. This lens is superb and you can't go wrong with it. If you're somebody who has always been shooting on auto. Try shooting manually with your lenses now and see what you get or get this lens and learn that way. Known to be the best portrait lens besides the 85mm 1.8.
easy to focus if you got the hands for it.

excellent, thank you Bram.

 

[bumpylemon]

Yeah you actually have to focus it yourself? What is your question? If people have this lens? Yes alot of people have it.

My specific question was if people have had experience focusing manually with this lens, and how it went. To get more specific -- I'm looking for responses from anyone who may be (or may have been) new to the whole idea of manually focusing a lens like this. How was the experience? Was it easy? How did you feel? Were there any negative physiological or psychological effects?

haha everyone who has it has experience focising manually with this lens. i am new to these types of cameras. ive been using this lens about a month or two. it has taken incredible pictures...i still get a lot of blurry shots. its hard for me but not for others.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Gil talked you into a fast lens, eh?

I had your camera (D3000), and this lens. Initially I was hard pressed to get clean focus. Try as I might, I would always miss focus by just a little bit. Then someone pointed out that there is a little green focus indicator in the lower left hand corner of your viewfinder that lights up when your subject is in focus.

After that it was easy peazy.

I'd say it would be a good investment for a couple of reasons. #1, when you get used to it, MF with this lens is easy. #2, it WILL AF on the higher end bodies, that you may or may not end up graduating into. #3, it is a fantastic and inexpensive lens.

IIRC, you live near me. If you would like, I would be happy to let you try this lens for a bit before you drop the cash on it. Send me a PM if you are interested.

 

[xjoewhitex]

Haha I think alot of people over look the in focus light in the viewfinder. But it is there, once in it lights up how easy?. But best advice is to turn your lens to M, and see what you think of it you may not like it. Having shooting auto all the time shooting manual is going to be a slower process but not by much. I shoot film all the time so im somewhat used to it. There is another option of buying the 35mm, which is auto.

 

[KKJUN]

I borrowed one on a d40 for a day once. Well, manual focusing did work quite nicely on it. Wasn't as good as the 1973 Takumar 50mm I own (which was of course designed for manual focusing), but it wasn't as bad as focussing my Olympus kit lens manualy either.

Still, at first you're probably going to end up with a lot of just-not-sharp images, especially at f1.8 or f2. But it's a pretty sharp and nice lens, and I suspect once you get the hang of manual focusing, it's probably not going to be a problem.

 

[Stradawhovious]

There is another option of buying the 35mm, which is auto.

Great lens. Just about double the price of the nifty fifty, but still inexpensive in the big scheme of things. Plus, like stated above, it does AF on the D3000

 

[rateeg]

Were there any negative physiological or psychological effects?

I don't get it...

 

[djacobox372]

Because of the very narrow dof of a fast lens, manual focus is preferable; at least to me.

It doesn't feel as nice as a purpose built manual focus lens (like the 50mm ais lenses), but those lenses wouldn't meter on your d3000.

 

[flatflip]

I hear this is a great little lens, very sharp and inexpensive to boot. The only problem I see is the AF won't work with my D3000. Does anyone have any experience focusing manually with this lens?

I thought this was a great question (the sentence with the question mark at the end). Glad you finally got a kind and sensible reply. I've often wondered too. I have a 35mm 1.8 lens. I tried to manually focus (experiment) with it and I hate it. I love it auto though.

 

[CNCO]

Yeah you actually have to focus it yourself? What is your question? If people have this lens? Yes alot of people have it.

My specific question was if people have had experience focusing manually with this lens, and how it went. To get more specific -- I'm looking for responses from anyone who may be (or may have been) new to the whole idea of manually focusing a lens like this. How was the experience? Was it easy? How did you feel? Were there any negative physiological or psychological effects?

U need to decide that yourself

 

[guitar guy]

Okay, okay-- I apologize for my mildly unamusing lack of humor.



Anyway, I tried manually focusing my other lenses tonight and I feel confident I grasp the concept. So I pulled the trigger on this little guy.

thanks for everyone's input!