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Nikon D3200 camera and 35mm lens
#1
Posted 15 February 2015 - 02:55 AM
I am new into the photography scene I have a d3200 with the kit lens 18mm-55mm but I have been told to get a Nikon AF-S 35mm f1.8G DX because it is a good lens for potraits. I am going to Bali soon so I just want to know if it any good for taking pics of scenery? And what else can you do with it? Thank you in advance
#2
Posted 17 February 2015 - 08:30 PM
The 35mm is a good lens but for portraits the 50mm 1.8 is better, the 85mm 1.8 even better yet, but it's pretty long for shooting landscape stuff. I have all three but if I could only have one it would be the 50mm. It's about the same price as the 35mm and it's a FX lens so it's more future proof if you decide to upgrade in the future.
#3
Posted 18 February 2015 - 04:10 PM
There is a reason why all manufactures supply an 18-55mm kit lens for their APS-C cameras. The short end is for landscapes, the long end is for portraits. The 35mm is a bit short for close-up head-and-shoulders portraits and might be too long for group portraits indoors.
Take your kit lens, zoom in to 35mm, put a rubber band on it and leave it there for a day or two. This will give you the best idea of what the 35mm prime can and cannot do. Then look at the shots taken at the largest available aperture and think if having f1.8 and some extra sharpness are worth paying the money for a new lens.
#4
Posted 19 February 2015 - 02:52 AM
Plus the easiest way of producing a wow photo is with a fast prime.
#5
Posted 19 February 2015 - 08:52 AM
If I were going to pick a "portrait" lens for a DX body, I'd probably go towards a 50mm or slightly longer as I seem to prefer portraits when shot with something in the 75-135 range (FX). If I really nailed it down, an 85 or 105 on an FX body works best for me, but that doesn't mean it will work best for someone else. As suggested, shoot the portraits you are interested in with your kit lens at different focal lengths and decide what works best for you. If you think you may want something outside the range of your kit lens, then I'd suggest renting for a weekend when you can give it a good workout and decide if it is the right lens for you.