Nikon New Lens Question (With plenty of Details)

[rodnunley]

This November I am thinking about getting a new lens for the holidays.

I am looking for some suggestions. Here are the details:

I own a Nikon D600 (no oil or dust issues in the first year) and love shooting with my full frame camera.

I shoot mostly models and portraits with friends. From time to time I will do night photography and some live events. But again, I am mostly a portrait and model (boudoir and the like) photographer.

Flickr Page Here: Flickr: Rod Nunley's Photostream

My Current Lenses:

AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G
AF Zoom-Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G
AF-S DX VR Nikkor 55-300mm 4.5-5.6G ED

I currently use my 50mm more than anything else I have. My second most used lens is the 28-80mm.

My goal is fast tack sharp images. I want good low light and crisp, crisp, crisp pictures with buttery bokeh.

Normally my budget would be super low (100 - 200) but for the holidays I can max out at up to $1500 (US).

So what do you guys and gals think? Any other information you need before answering? Thank you in advance for any assistance.

 

[runnah]

You have a pretty complete kit.

In what areas are you feeling that you are being let down by the lens?
What are you shooting?

 

[oldhippy]

Best lenses for Nikon D600 | Nikon Rumors
list best lenses for d600.
85-1.8 tack sharp highest rated affordable lens.

 

[rodnunley]

I wouldn't say that any of my lenses are "letting me down" at all. Really it's that I haven't spent much on my lenses lately and thought that it would be fun to get a new one. If I am going to get a new one it should be a better one than anything that I currently have.

But if I had to find fault with my main lens (the 50mm) it's that it could do better in low light and that the bokeh could be better.

Does that help at all?

 

[rodnunley]

What are you shooting?

I shoot mostly models and portraits with friends. From time to time I will do night photography and some live events. But again, I am mostly a portrait and model (boudoir and the like) photographer.

And pictures of my son.

 

[runnah]

Best lenses for Nikon D600 | Nikon Rumors
list best lenses for d600.
85-1.8 tack sharp highest rated affordable lens.

This.

Or get yourself a fast middle zoom, kind outta your price range.
AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED from Nikon

Or something super wide, like this
AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED from Nikon

Sadly FX lenses aren't exactly on the cheap side.

 

[DepthOfFocus]

The 50 1.8D is tack sharp when stopped down to 2.8 or smaller. You won't notice that much of a difference by upgrading this lens.
Any 85mm will get you much better bokeh, but sharpness won't be that much night/day.
I consider would upgrading your 28-80 to something like a Sigma 24-70 2.8.

Honestly ... I would focus more on your lighting apparatus .... creative composition and technique.
Don't just buy lenses just because you have some $$ for it!!!

 

[Derrel]

I shoot mostly models and portraits with friends. From time to time I will do night photography and some live events. But again, I am mostly a portrait and model (boudoir and the like) photographer.

Flickr Page Here: Flickr: Rod Nunley's Photostream

Seems like a 70-200mm AF-S Nikkor zoom would be a good choice; either a used original VR model, or the new 70-200 f/4 VR would be within budget. The new f/4 model would be nice. The DOF isolation difference between f/2.8 and f/4 is pretty minimal, and shooting at f/2.8 on the "old", original VR is waste of time on FX Nikon until f/5.6 or smaller, because the corners of the original 2.8 VR model are not well-illumninated and not sharp. the newer f/4 VR model would be preferable I think.

Alternately, maybe a small prime lens kit. 35mm f/2 AF-D, the 50mm 1.8 AF-S G series, and the 85mm 1.8 AF-S G would make a nice trio. The 35/1.8 G is a low-quality prime lens, designed years ago, back in the low-megapixel DX era...it's not good enough to bother moving forward with...sell it.

I'm familiar with the lenses you already have. Mostly low-end stuff that's hampered by very slow max apertures on the 28-80 and 55-300. The 50mm 1.8 AF-D has pretty average bokeh character; the newer,more-modern 50mm f/1.8 AF-S G is smoother, bokeh-wise than the older AF/AF-D models (I have both old and the G-series...if you have to use a 50mm, the newer 1.8 G is the best value lens).

$1500 these days does not buy what it used to. Bummer.

Not to sound offensive, but your goals of really good low light, buttery bokeh, and tack sharp images is a tall order for $1500.

 

[rodnunley]

My idea is not to get different lenses to widen what I can shoot. My thought was to get a better quality lens for my portrait and model shooting.

Derrel: Is there a reason that I would get the 50mm f/1.8 AF-S G over the 50mm f/1.4G?

 

[rodnunley]

Not to sound offensive, but your goals of really good low light, buttery bokeh, and tack sharp images is a tall order for $1500.

A: No offense taken. I am here for advise. Not to be coddled. B: It doesn't need to be perfect. What I am looking for in a step up from what I am shooting with now.

 

[Derrel]

My idea is not to get different lenses to widen what I can shoot. My thought was to get a better quality lens for my portrait and model shooting.

Derrel: Is there a reason that I would get the 50mm f/1.8 AF-S G over the 50mm f/1.4G?

I do not see much of an advantage to the 1.4 G over the 1.8 G....the pricier lens focuses more-slowly...bokeh is about the same. Every reviewer of the 50 f/1.4 G points out that it's a pretty slow focuser for an AF-S normal lens...and when you look at the comparison shots, the 1.4 model doesn't look that much different than the 1./8 G. The 1.8 G also has aspherical element design, which the other Nikon 50's do not have.

As for the better-quality lens, I think the new 70-200 f/4 VR is a good-quality zoom lens, and will be better than what you have in the 28-80 and 55-300 combo.

 

[rodnunley]

My idea is not to get different lenses to widen what I can shoot. My thought was to get a better quality lens for my portrait and model shooting.

Derrel: Is there a reason that I would get the 50mm f/1.8 AF-S G over the 50mm f/1.4G?

I do not see much of an advantage to the 1.4 G over the 1.8 G....the pricier lens focuses more-slowly...bokeh is about the same. Every reviewer of the 50 f/1.4 G points out that it's a pretty slow focuser for an AF-S normal lens...and when you look at the comparison shots, the 1.4 model doesn't look that much different than the 1./8 G. The 1.8 G also has aspherical element design, which the other Nikon 50's do not have.

As for the better-quality lens, I think the new 70-200 f/4 VR is a good-quality zoom lens, and will be better than what you have in the 28-80 and 55-300 combo.

Thanks for the feedback. I think that I will probably go with a prime lens. I just don't use the zoom lenses much at all. My portraiture is all prime work.

 

[oldhippy]

Best lenses for Nikon D600 | Nikon Rumors
list best lenses for d600.
85-1.8 tack sharp highest rated affordable lens.

This.

Or get yourself a fast middle zoom, kind outta your price range.
AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED from Nikon

Or something super wide, like this
AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED from Nikon

Sadly FX lenses aren't exactly on the cheap side.

The best place I' very found is the Nikon Rumors site listed above.
they list by quality, the best lenses for your D600
you can look up most lens, and compare
you can go further into the site, for specific test and values.

 

[Derrel]

Thanks for the feedback. I think that I will probably go with a prime lens. I just don't use the zoom lenses much at all. My portraiture is all prime work.

 

[Mach0]

Nikon 85 1.4D.