what should my second lense be?

[samcolby]

so i am now investing in a second lense in addition to my 18-55mm. i photograph skateboarding often, but i enjoy all kinds of photography. i was thinking about getting a fisheye, a 55-250, or a 50mm. all for different uses, but i wonder which i should get first. as a side note, i film quite a bit too.

 

[marmots]

50mm will be the sharpest, and most versatile, and it's not too expensive

i recommend that

 

[samcolby]

thats what i was thinking too, they are rather inexpensive, and have a very wide aperture

 

[jaomul]

Like Marmots said. This lensvwill show how good your camera can be in low light

 

[Raybo]

What kind of subjects and perspectives to you tend to like to shoot? If you would like to have more flexibility with the skateboarders and be able to stop action better - then a fast wide angle might be nice but cost can become an issue. And wider angle lenses have deeper depth of field for easier capturing fast moving subjects. I recently did a review of my style of shooting and found that about 70% of my shots were in the wide angle to shallow telephoto (roughly 24-120mm 35mm equivalent). Do you have a feeling for your style in this regard? Fisheyes can be fun but they get "old" quickly and may end up sitting in your closet - and high quality ones can be costly. What are your cost constraints? If you're a Nikon shooter, the 70-300mm is said to be quite a good value and high quality. Just remember to consider the crop factor depending on which lens you purchase.

 

[fenderjaguar]

I have an 18-55mm and a 75-300mm at the moment. That allows me to cover a nice range distance wise. I would get a zoom lens before getting anything else. Out of the two you listed though, if I was mainly doing skateboard photography I would get the fisheye just for the coolness factor in shots.

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

50mm

 

[samcolby]

i think im going to get the 50mm, thanks for the advice guys! i think the 50 would be usefull with its wide aperture and a wider angle.

 

[bhop]

Are you shooting Nikon? If so, I assume it's a crop sensor body because you own an 18-55. I'd recommend the 35mm f/1.8 G over a 50mm. IMO the focal length is more usable. It has a (close to)50mm field of view on a crop sensor camera and is sharp as heck. I just got one this past weekend and I couldn't be happier with it.

couple examples
Ramble On | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Sidewalk's Beautification | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I Like Orange | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[greybeard]

I just got my second lens and it was a 55-200 nikkor. I am very happy with my choice as it now gives me plenty of coverage.