Selling 50mm & 85mm 1.8g for 50mm Sigma Art, your thoughts?

kennychick

Hi there Nikon users,

As title states I'm thinking of selling my 50mm 1.8g and my 85mm 1.8g for a 50mm sigma art lens.
Question is I don't know if the Art lens perform better than the 85mm 1.8g.

Reason I'm thinking of selling my 85mm is I'm hardly using now these days and tend to use more of the 50mm, but I know the 85mm is damm sharp so I would like to know your thoughts with this.

Many thanks

tcole1983

I could see the 50 for the 50, but I would keep the 85. I would assume you would take some lose on the lenses selling them? I have heard the 85 F1.8 is a great lens and I would have to imagine there is only marginal gain if any with the 50 Art lens. However they are different focal lengths and kind of hard to compare. From what I hear the Art is a better choice than the Nikon 50's.

kennychick

I just did some research and no the 50mm art is not sharper than the 85mm but its definitely sharper than the 50mm1.8g. Guess I'll just keep the 85mm and sell the 50mm 1.8g. Nikon needs to make a 50mm markII/VR or something lol.

henrik1963

I have both the Nikon 50 1.8G and the Nikon 85 1.8G. Both very good lenses.

I tested out the 50 1.4 Art. The 50 Art is better than the Nikon 50.

If you do a lot of wide open shooting at 50mm go for the Art - and you need never look back.

I am using my Nikon 50 as a walk around lens. I like that it is very light. The 50 Art is a brick, so I kept the Nikon. The Nikon 50 1.8G is a very good lens and I don't think you will see a real world difference between the Art and the Nikon shooting at smaller apertures.

I do have the 35 1.4 Art - a brick to carry - but like the 50 Art it is very good.

Rx4Photo

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art is not just unbelievably sharp, the captures tend to be more appealing to me - also my go-to portrait lens. The 85mm still has a purpose so if you think you might ever wish to use it again, keep it. Please don't let the weight comments sway you away, no disrespect henrik1963, it's a bit heavier but more solidly built than the Nikon 50. I'll leave the lighter 85 at home before leaving the Sigma 50 Art.

Msmoto

I suspect one could do a lot with the 50mm f/1.4 Sigma Art. The body may have some influence on this and with a D800/810 one can crop like crazy and get wonderful results. Thus the 85mm may not give much advantage for portraits. My current "go to" lens is the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art, but at some point I will get the 50 as my 50 Nikkor is miserable wide open and I like to be able to shoot in the dark..

kenadams

I guess it all depends, doesn't it? Using the 50 art for paid shoots where quality is king and your crew hauls your shit - no question.

But the main selling point for the N50 - other than the price - is size and weight. If you travel, this is a factor. (Using it on a D800 for instance seems to make this a moot point, but still I think it matters).

That said, I recently went to Istanbul and took pictures inside the Blue Mosque, and shooting the 50 AF-D 1.4 wide(r) open really gave ugly colors and contrast. Is the AF-S 1.4 any better in that regard? Having a small package 50 is useless if quality isn't at least above a certain limit, and I'm not even talking resolution here.

tcole1983

Ha...so consensus that the 50 Art is better, but depending on who you ask they like certain focal lengths better. I tend to like my 105, Pitchblack likes his 50, and Msmoto her 35. My 35 is my least favorite lens, I don't have a 50mm prime, but I suspect I would get the Sigma Art if I did.

I don't think many would say get rid of the 85 though...I tend to keep lenses unless I really need to get rid of them for another purchase. I keep my 35 around despite it never getting used...partially because it isn't worth that much anyway.

kenadams

I don't think many would say get rid of the 85 though...

Second that! I love the 85 1.8, unbeatable for its price point!

PB_PM

If you use 50mm often the Art is definitely the way to go. I picked one up in January and haven't looked back. The 50mm Nikkors just cannot compete at wider apertures.

Vipmediastar_JZ

I'm guilty of having all 3. The sigma 50 is my main lens. The 85 does a faboulous job with the DF. That is my event setup. Two cameras and two primes. The nikon 50mm is a backup lens and stays at home or bag when i`m at events.

If you would not use the 85 any more even for headshots or short tele go for it and sell them. Otherwise keep the 85mm and save up some more for the sigma 50 art.

Golf007sd

Keep all there....you just might thank yourself on the weight savings. But, if I had to let go of one it would be 50 1.8G. Although it is a very nice lens. The 85 1.8G is stunning....never let it go.

Photobug

After reading this thread I am getting NAS for the 85mm 1.8. Thanks guys and girls. LoL

Hammie

Me, too, @Photobug.

And here I thought I wanted my next lens to be the 105 Macro.

donaldejose

Golf007sd is correct, the 85 f1.8 G is stunning and a real "bang for the buck."

henrik1963

Nikon 50 1.8G is $197 and 185 grams
Sigma 50 1.4 Art is $949 and 815 grams

The Sigma is the clear winner performance wise at wide apertures. As you stop down the difference gets smaller. The Nikon 50 is not a bad lens - just not as good as the Sigma. In fact I can't think of a better 50mm right now than the Sigma.

If 50mm is important to you and you absolutely need to shoot a lot at wide apertures - go for it.

For me - 50mm is not that important.

tcole1983

Me, too, @Photobug.

And here I thought I wanted my next lens to be the 105 Macro.

The 105 is a whole different lens and purpose. First being a macro lens and secondary everything else. I love it for portraits, but if I solely did them I would probably have the 85. You wouldn't be disappointed with the 105 either I don't think.

kennychick

Thanks for your views ladies and gentlemen, a lot of good insights. I have decided to keep the two lens and save up for the 50 Art lens. After all N 50 and 85 are good lenses and it will be useful in situations when needed. I was thinking if the 50 art was sharper than the 85mm then i'd thought I will replace it for portrait as well, but in the end it's not the case.

If anyone is thinking of the 85mm 1.8g it is a very sharp lens even at wide open. It is just a bit slow in my opinion but it's well worth the money either new or used.

Many thanks guys!

spraynpray

What are you snappin' @kennychick? Maybe the 35mm art would be a better choice with the 50 & 85 Nikon.

Wesley

Hi there Nikon users,

As title states I'm thinking of selling my 50mm 1.8g and my 85mm 1.8g for a 50mm sigma art lens.
Question is I don't know if the Art lens perform better than the 85mm 1.8g.

Reason I'm thinking of selling my 85mm is I'm hardly using now these days and tend to use more of the 50mm, but I know the 85mm is damm sharp so I would like to know your thoughts with this.

Many thanks

You'll want to check other aspects like bokeh, AF accuracy, coma, etc. since you probably shoot at wide apertures like many others with primes. Seems like the Sigma is sharper by reading other posts & if it's also better overall than the price/weight would be worth it.

[Deleted User]

My walk around camera, always in my bag the Nikon D600 with the 50mm f/1.8G on it. Sometimes I put the 85mm f/1.8G on. Top stuff, reasonable light to carry. Still waiting and waiting for the full frame, very small, mirror less Nikon as walk around camera.

For other purposes I have 1000 kilo other lenses, lights and stuff in bags to drag around.

Take your camera with only the 50mm f/1.8G on it for a month (not that much in a lifetime), and amaze yourself, It's is not the lens in most cases.

Oh, these Nikon lenses are a bit slow compared to lenses 5 to 10 times the price, but how often do you really need this.

kennychick

My walk around camera, always in my bag the Nikon D600 with the 50mm f/1.8G on it. Sometimes I put the 85mm f/1.8G on. Top stuff, reasonable light to carry. Still waiting and waiting for the full frame, very small, mirror less Nikon as walk around camera.

For other purposes I have 1000 kilo other lenses, lights and stuff in bags to drag around.

Take your camera with only the 50mm f/1.8G on it for a month (not that much in a lifetime), and amaze yourself, It's is not the lens in most cases.

Oh, these Nikon lenses are a bit slow compared to lenses 5 to 10 times the price, but how often do you really need this.

I do a bit of street photography and I use to use a 35mm dx when I still had my d7000. Now I use the 50mm for street photography when I moved to FF, its real nice to carry for sure, I also shoot at night time as well and I don't think shooting wide perform too well with the 1.8g, this is why I have decided to keep it and save up for the Sigma art prime I believe it will be a good all rounder.

Msmoto

My walk around camera, always in my bag the Nikon D600 with the 50mm f/1.8G on it. Sometimes I put the 85mm f/1.8G on. Top stuff, reasonable light to carry. Still waiting and waiting for the full frame, very small, mirror less Nikon as walk around camera.

For other purposes I have 1000 kilo other lenses, lights and stuff in bags to drag around.

Take your camera with only the 50mm f/1.8G on it for a month (not that much in a lifetime), and amaze yourself, It's is not the lens in most cases.

Oh, these Nikon lenses are a bit slow compared to lenses 5 to 10 times the price, but how often do you really need this.

Some of us think alike....walk around....D800E or D4, 35mm f/1.4 Art or 85mm f/1.8 G Nikkor. I can learn so much by simply sticking a lens on a camera and shooting with only this lens, solving problems by moving with my feet. Recently, at an Airstream trailer gathering, I did this, grabbing everything from dogs to humans, 24mm to 85mm but only one camera on my neck at a time.

You can see how this works here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/sets/72157651597466675/

I just prefer a prime lens, and can do so much, especially now that the D800/810 series can be cropped down to about 2 or 3 MP and remain stunningly sharp.

Just my thoughts today...

donaldejose

Very nice job MsMoto!

[Deleted User]

Yeah, very super nice.

[Deleted User]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ton1414/sets/72157651319227040/

Here you find a couple of photo's I made in a small dark pub with the most terrible light you can think of. Made with the 85mm f/1.8 on the D600 (nothing else with me). Correct them in Lightroom for noise and standard things.