Which lens would you buy next?

[theadamsociety]

I'm currently using a Nikon D40 body (that I love.)
I have a kit 18-55, and a Nikkor 55-200.
I've been thinking about buying the Nikkor 50mm 1.8 for quite sometime but Nikon has held off shipping this product. My best guess is that they are going to introduce something else in it's place which will be AF-S. This is great but I'm not one to wait around, especially for Nikon. I want something in the 50mm range with a low F-stop, 2.8 may cut it but I'm not sure. I like my stuff stopped down. The fact that most of these lenses won't autofocus on my d40 is not a problem so please don't even consider it in the solution.
I'm looking to use this lens that I will be buying for portraiture mostly.
I've so far considered the the Nikon 50mm 1.8D, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 (kind of expensive for me), and a couple other Sigma's that arent too different from the last mentioned. I'm looking for advice on another lens that I might want to consider that would do what I'm looking for, stopped down portraiture. I hope lots of people have suggestions, If you do please post!

Thanks for your time.

 

[ChickenFriedRyce]

The prime would be your best bet.

I love mine. f/1.4 or (f/1.7)f/1.8

whichever you can afford.

When you upgrade bodies, you'll have it there. Unless you were to buy the Sigma which is still unknown about when it is to hit the market. It has HSM.

 

[passerby]

How about the 60mm macro. I know it is expensive but it is top class lens with macro feature in it. Above that would be 85mm or 105 (100?) mm.

This kind of lens is usually fall into specialized lens for professional works or serious enthusiast. You get what you pay for. Alternatively you may get the new 16-85mm vr. This one seem reasonably good mm for portraite.

 

[Mav]

I love using my 18-135 AF-S for portraits. Yeah it's still slow, but it still works great outdoors or indoors with a flash. I good starter portrait prime would be the 85mm f/1.8. I find 50mm to be a bit too short for a portrait lens and wouldn't really recommend the 50mm primes for that unless you really want to keep things cheaper.

 

[Applefanboy]

I love my 18-135 too! I would recommend either a 50mm or an 85mm. Sigma makes a 50mm f/1.4 AFS, but it $500...