Rex Photography
D40 lens Pet / Senior Portrait and Event Photography?
I am wanting to purchase an AF lens for my D40.. it came with an 18-55. But the 55 only blurs out background if you're on the 55 and focusing about 2 feet from the freaking subject. My next best bet is 50-150 2.8 After that, a sigma 70-200 ex. But the 70 seems like it's too much.. may have to back off the subject? or is this just what i need? I tried the 70-200 in the store and focus was amazingly fast and crisp. What are my other options? My question is 50-150 2.8 or 70-200 2.8 a better option for pet photography / portraits and general events. What would your next lens be after the kit 18-55 lens? (2.8-5) My main concern is the 2.8 part (both to be able to blur out back and for low light) I use my camera in manual most of the time. I hate aperature priority and/or shutter priority. It's still auto and does it's own thing and the photos usually come out a bit wacked. If I had bracket ability, I'd probably stick with auto?? But the D40 doesn't have the auto bracket crud. People ask how I get such vivid photos and I think this is why. Anyway, the 2.8-5.6 is what is driving me crazy with the 18-55, but the lens is very sharp and pulls in beautiful colors. I think I should live with it and get the 50-150, but then again - is the 50-150 2.8 really necessary? I say yes.. but this is what I'm on here for... asking away. The Nikkor is super spendy for the motor in the lense and 2.8.. this is why I'm leaning towards Sigma., but comments on sticking with Nikkor are definitely soaking in :)
Public Comments
- your options are so many im not going to list them goto dpreview.com and look at nikon, sigma and tamron lenses edit : for low light the 2.8 is a good thing, for the blurry thing the 2.8 is a good thing, - better than F3.5 or F4 portraits i like are from F1.7 - to around F4, both lens will do the job, me i would get the 50-150 and walk the extra 50mm so to speak a
- I know you didn't mention it, but fhotoace swears by his Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF Autofocus Lens for model and portrait work. It seems like it might be worth a look.
- I have a Nikon 18-70mm 4.5 and I like it and then I would consider a Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 you can find them used if you look around . Another good lens to look at is a Nikon 24-120mm it is now an s version. This lens will cover you for a lot of the common work you will do. Hope this helps, Kevin
- It sounds as if you are starting out in digital photography, much as I have this last year. I have this same lens and find it useful for many different circumstances from pets/portraits to some landscapes. I asked myself that same question earlier this year when I wanted something that would function in low light and capture better portrait type shots. My funds are very limited and I chose a Nikkor 50mm f2.8 AF for my Nikon. I have a D50 and a D70 that I have used both lenses interchangeably without problems. If you already have the 18-55 lens and you have the money I would suggest jumping to 50-150 f2.8 as a natural transition in power from the 18-55 out to 50-150. I would recommend sticking with the lens manufacturer of your camera for best results as well as performance. The D40 has some limitations with regard to auto-focus lenses and you should be wary of off brands that will function with your camera. Always buy the best lens that you can afford. Many teachers and professionals will agree that the camera body will quickly become out of date as technology changes, but good lenses will hold their value for ever. It has been suggested by some that Nikon’s 18-200 lens is one of the best all purpose lenses that you can buy. I have used it and would not agree. I would prefer to have more “reach” from my longer lenses, but that is really one personal preference. I am looking at the Nikon ED AF VR Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D as my next purchase, but that will be when I have a lot more money. You might want to do some more research on aperture mode of your D40 to help with the blurring of backgrounds. I found this really expanded my shooting, once I switched from auto or program modes. Nothing wrong with using Auto or P modes in a pinch, but I find more control in composing my image if I use the A (aperture mode). I hope this helps. Good shooting!
