Question about 50mm lenses

[htmarley]

I have a potentially dumb question.

I recently bought a Nikon d3100 with kit lens, and just bought a 55-200mm VR lens as well. I'm still learning how to use the camera but so this won't be any time soon, but sometime in the near future I'd like to get a 50mm prime lens as well. I came across a bunch of ebay listings for old E series 50mm lenses for cheap. I'm currently a jobless grad student so budget is kind of a huge issue.

Would getting one of these be the equivalent of getting a 50mm f/1.8D lens for my camera? (In terms of it only being usable in manual?) Or am I totally off base here?

Is this a terrible idea for a beginner? Should I just either wait until I can afford the 50mm f/1.8G (slash wait until it's available again)? I've seen a lot of people suggest the 35mm for the cropped sensor but I kind of prefer the 50mm. I've been shooting almost entirely in manual but I don't want to skimp on a lens that's way over my head and then end up not using it at all.

 

[Bubbles22]

I have the D3100 and I love my 50mm f/1.8. I think that waiting until you can afford the af-s is easier for you. But that is just my opinion. It only saves you like $85.00 so to me that is worth the auto focus. But like I said I've only been using if for about a year.

 

[KmH]

From Nikon F-mount - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Series E — A line of lower-cost lenses manufactured during the 1980s for Nikon's amateur SLRs. They sacrificed some construction quality and employed simpler optical designs. All were specified as AI-S, but not branded Nikkor, instead carrying the text "Nikon Lens Series E."

E-series lenses will mount and work on your D3100, but you will have to manually focus the lens, and you will not have any light metering, making use of the lens totally manual including setting the exposure triad values.

 

[sovietdoc]

AF and metering is kinda of a big deal at least to me..

 

[htmarley]

Hmm ok thanks, that's helpful. I think I would be fine sans autofocus (at least until I start going cross-eyed!) but not so sure about the metering. I think I'll wait for the f1.8g. Have those been discontinued or are they out of stock everywhere because of the destroyed factories in Japan?

Not that I really need to be shopping for one now.. My 55-200mm VR is still in the mail

 

[greybeard]

I have the d5100 with a 50mm 1.8 AF but not S. I really miss the auto focus cause the focusing screen on these entry level Nikons really suck. I'd wait and get the AF-S model.

 

[murklemark]

I love my 50mm AF-S 1.8 and it was great as a first prime, if not a little tight for indoor photography. Have you looked at the 35mm AF-S DX 1.8, I think it's cheaper ( prob pick one up second hand) and will give you more coverage on the d3100.

I find Manual focusing it great for still photography or subjects who aren't moving much but if your planning to shoot everything with this lens you might find yourself restricted.

 

[DiskoJoe]

You should be able to get a 50mm that will auto focus for only about $100 - 200. Thats cheap for lens. You can get the manual focus but its just more work and you are not really getting a higher quality.

 

[htmarley]

Oh that's a really good point. So far I've been shooting still subjects but I wouldn't want to limit myself. Thanks!