FX prep/gift

limeblu

Ok I will be getting an 810 soon. Now my wife says that today I can buy a lens for around 300, I know it's hard because price is low but I need some help. On ex I use my 18-55 and 50 1.8 alalto. So I have 50mm covered. Now I think the only 2 lenses I see in my range are the 28mm or 35? Which is a nicer lens for price? Shoot landscape and portrait.

Photobug

The new Sigma ARTS lens should be an outstanding lens but it's not in your price range. I suggest the Nikon 35mm F1.8 prime lens.

Hammie

My suggestions are as follows:

Landscape = 20mm

Portrait = 85mm

heartyfisher

D810 + $300 Iense ? I would get a D750 and then you will have money for a couple of good lenses ..

28 vs 35mm .. you already have that FOV on your 18-55 you should be able to work out which FOV suits you better.. both are good. However, since you already have 50mm then probably 28mm will give you better range..

sevencrossing

How about second hand ?
you might get both a 35mm and a 85mm
Then sell them for something better when funds allow
Depreciation on Nikon S/H lenses is fairly low
There should be something like Sixty-Five Million F mount lenses out there

Ironheart

Look at the Nikon store refurb stuff:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Store/Refurbished-Cameras.page

Ah, sh!t I feel a bout of NAS coming on...

limeblu

The only lens I currently have that is FX is the 50. I love prime lenses, so no worries about that. I will not buy the 50, its not what I want . I have all the time in the world to aquire lenses, I am just looking for something to complement the 50 right now, I am almost positive that Nikon does not make any POS lenses so I have no concerns on that issue. Will the FOV not be different on the FX then the DX? Just wondering how the current DX18-55 plays into this? I just want to know if any of you have any experience with these two lenses and which would be a nice addition for the time being. I don't really want to buy second hand, no matter the savings, at least buying new I have a perfect lens to start and only I could possibly mess it up. It is not a matter of funds, I can buy more expensive lenses, I am just buying the camera and a low price lens to start, then in a month or two I can concentrate on something larger/higher priced.

limeblu

not trying to sound rude in any way at all guys, I really respect all of you, otherwise I would not ask for your opinions/info. I am simply looking at a new lens in the $300 price range to buy with the new camera.

Ironheart

There is only one lens that meets your criteria:
1) Under $300
2) FX
3) New
The 28mm f/2.8D. The 35mm is $389, are you willing to go higher than $300?

sevencrossing

You are going to be hard put to find a lens for $300 that is going to match your D810
The AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR is one Nikon best Bangs for Bucks lenses
It will give ~ the same FOV on FX as your 18 --55 on Dx
but twice your budget

limeblu

I could grab the 35, I was looking at the 28 but just like the 50 I have the 35 get great reviews and seems all love it

Ironheart

I'm drooling over the $50 off refurb 20mm on the nikon site... Why stop at 28 when you can go to 20? The 18-55 kit lens you are used to is equiv to a 27mm on the wide end, but do you want to go wider?

heartyfisher

If you can wait a few months and then get better lenses then there is no harm in using your DX lense. the D810 has a dx mode(and 1.2 crop mode) which performs nicely .. just use your current lenses till you know what you need next. I still use my dx lenses on my FX if the situation requires it. Your 18-55 will mount on your new camera it was designed for that why not use it.

sevencrossing

"limeblu"I could grab the 35, I was looking at the 28

I would choose the focal length you need. With 36 mp to play with, the 28 can be cropped to 35mm
but you can't go the other way round

Hammie

If you can wait a few months and then get better lenses then there is no harm in using your DX lense. the D810 has a dx mode(and 1.2 crop mode) which performs nicely .. just use your current lenses till you know what you need next. I still use my dx lenses on my FX if the situation requires it. Your 18-55 will mount on your new camera it was designed for that why not use it.

I still use my 10-24 DX lens on occasion. This gives me the same approximate FoV as a 16-35mm on the FX.

Figure out what your shooting needs are and save for what you really need. Don't settle on something if you will be wanting to upgrade it in the future.

WestEndFoto

The 28 is actually a decent lens as long as you don't expect to shoot it wide open. If you are using it for landscapes, you will shoot it at f/5.6 to f/8.0. It is diffraction limited at 5.6, which is saying it is sharpest at 5.6. This is actually quite remarkable for a lens. It has to be really sharp to be diffraction limited at 5.6.

I have the Ais version, which is twice the price, but I love the manual focus and the build quality is sweet. The optics are identical. They started producing mine in 1981 when it was considered a revolutionary and top end optical design.

As a landscape lens, Nikon does not have a better one, just a roughly equivalent one. If you are going to shoot wide open (for landscapes?), buy the 1.8g for a little less than a thousand.

limeblu

I think the thing that gets me is the conversion factor. I know it is not difficult to do the math to go from DX to FX, but I find it hard to wrap my head around it. So I know that my FX 50mm has been feeling like a 75mm? So when I do shoot with it on the FX it will seem wider. The 18-55 is a dx lens so is 55-200, the lens that has been used maybe 3 times in 2 years, I just do not like it at all. I do not think there is anything wrong with the cheaper lenses, it just now seems like almost a waste to go that route when time will allow me to purchase something that will suit myself and the 810 better. If anyone does know of any great cheap lens that they just could not go without, please let me know and why. ty guys

sevencrossing

Look up Ken Rockwell (The man we love to hate ) he has a page Nikon Cheapskate Lenses

Ironheart

FX * 1.5 = DX
50 * 1.5 = 75
So yes, your 50mm on DX has the Field of View (FoV) of a 75mm on a FX
The 18-55 DX is equiv to a 27mm-83mm on FX

heartyfisher

... I just do not like it at all. ...

... lens that they just could not go without ...

Your statements seem to assume that there are good lenses and bad lenses when in fact its all really very subjective. Please understand that lenses like the 28mm or 35mm may be perfect for you but it could be just useless for me so its pointless for us to suggest a "great" lense when it may be not be right for you. What most people here have been saying is that you really need to discover for your self what lense is right for you .. and the only way is for you to discover that is to get experience shooting photographs. You already have a good range of FOV.. have a look at your photos and see which FOV are your favorite. then spend your money on that FOV.

When you say "I just do not like it" its not helpful .. what is it that you do not like? focal length? handling? aperture range? weight? smell? material? colour? size? what ?

spraynpray

@limeblu: The body records what the lens sees, cheap lenses see a lot less than expensive lenses. To cheap out on a lens for that body is well, frankly ridiculous. Sell all the cheap stuff you have and start buying f1.8 primes for best bang for the buck.

clskelton

Nikkor 85mm 1.8G should be $400 when the lens only rebates come out (at least they have been the past two years).

limeblu

I know all of what you guys are telling me, I always get up tight and flustered when making new purchases and/or switching to something new. I get it, I know how damn good the 810 is or can be, I also get that better lenses equal better images. I also get that all those rules have exceptions. I use the kit 18-55 on my dx and get better shots then my 1.8 prime in a lot of instances. I will buy the pricey lenses, I am trying to piece together enough to get a business in money making mode and I am throwing a ton in, my choice I know but I am sure that if I watch carefully, follow some of your leads that it wil work out well. Way more to the story then I need to share but that is just the basics.

heartyfisher

if you want to start a photography business then the D810 may not be financially logical. Hope @pistnbroke chimes in.. he seems to have a nice business model for best bang for buck photography business gear. I know its exciting to go for the "best" gear but in business you need to switch off your emotions and use your logic and look for the "optimal" gear. Tell us more of your business .. the D810 may actually be optimal but for now I think you are more driven by NAS than Logic.

KnockKnock

Get this: http://tinyurl.com/l2je6xo

Modern (sharp) general purpose 24-85mm lens with VR. Referenced above as a $600 lens. It'll get you by until you can fill out your 1.8 G series primes.

spraynpray

@Pistonbroke isn't the only one with a lean, mean business model, you just need to understand your market's requirements really clearly and coldly. To be entirely honest (and I know everybody with 36mp will hate me for this) a D810 isn't necessary unless you a/ print HUGE or b/ need to take advantage of it's alleged dynamic range advantage. For me as a wedding shooter, the 24mp D750 is the right body as its file size is easier to deal with, its low light is better (and we get a lot of low light in the UK) and it is cheaper. For events, you can get perfectly adequate results with astonishingly cheap bodies. We use my partner's Canons when we are shooting tethered so we get a back up on his CF card, and so I can chimp for closed eyes (neither of these can you do on a Nikon).

So, what do you do? Product photography? OK, maybe D810. Weddings? Then the D750 and a good zoom - 24-70 or 24-120 VR will be perfect. Events with a photobooth? Any low end will be fine with a radio popper and lights.

Care to share your business type with us?