First lens help

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jack whieldon

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Hi finally ordered my first slr gone for the nikon d5300.

So I've had a little read up and am I best getting a 50mm prime lens to start off? If yes could u suggest a decent starter prime lens?

Sorry if this sounds really dumb I am new to all this and learning all the time.
 
if you want a prime, the 35mm f/1.8 DX is probably the best bet. 50mm on a DX camera like the d5300 is equivalent angle of view to a 75mm, which is a bit of a nothing length.
 
Wow very fast replies thanks alot :) and the price if the lens u linked is great to :)

So am I best starting with a prime lens instead of a zoom lens? I can always zoom with my feet haha
 
jack whieldon said:
Wow very fast replies thanks alot :) and the price if the lens u linked is great to :)

So am I best starting with a prime lens instead of a zoom lens? I can always zoom with my feet haha
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The 35mm f/1.8 DX is, in particular, a lens you'll always keep as long as you have a DX camera, there isn't really a better Nikon DX prime lens in terms of weight or size, and it is superb value and very decent quality.

Some people think that zoom lenses make you lazy and you can learn more about composition from working with a prime lens.

Also, a lot of the zooms in and around a similar price range are not so great and you would probably be looking to 'upgrade' them before too long. For example, I'd probably recommend the AF-S DX NIKKOR 16 - 80 mm f/2.8-4E ED VR as an appropriate zoom, but the price will probably give you a heart attack. You could get cheaper but if you stick with it that's probably the kind of tier of quality that you'd eventually end up with, so why bother going through all the extra costs of buying and selling and upgrading.

If I was starting out now, knowing what I know now, I'd get the prime and try to live with it for as long as possible. Consider renting a good zoom to see if you think it's worth the money, if you're anything like me it'll save you money in the long run and I wish someone had suggested this to me three years ago.
 
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I'm guessing your new camera comes without a lens, Jack. If so, then it seems the 35mm f1.8 is the one to go for (I don't know Nikon lenses so can't comment). However, if your camera comes with a kit lens then I suggest you don't buy another lens, yet. Use the kit lens and if at some point in the future you feel it is not giving you the results you want, then consider another.

Dave
 
Thanks all for the advice really appreciate it, it does come with a kit lens but I'm told they are not the best
 
You will probably learn a lot more about aperture, exposure and holding technique from the prime.
 
jack whieldon said:
Thanks all for the advice really appreciate it, it does come with a kit lens but I'm told they are not the best
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Whilst they may not be the best they are perfectly usable and you can get some very decent results using them. :)
 
Notice the price difference on a 35 mm f1.8 DX lens against a 35mm f1.8 full frame lens
 
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I'm getting confused now :P what is a full frame prime?

Will the Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8G AF-S Standard Lens fit the nikon d5300?
 
Brill think I'll do a bit more research and snap one of them up.

I know most my questions sound. Silly to you lot but really appreciate all your advice and read all your comments :)
 
Hope the new video link I posted explains the difference between crop and FF cameras.

Jack it is the silly questions usually the hardest to answer but most welcome.

With photography, possible more so than any other hobby, is the more you get into it the more you realise how much there is to learn. When you think you have mastered some or all of it a new product comes out with more features and the learning curve continues.

The way I look at it is , if I like the picture great, if others you show it to like it as well it is a bonus.

it is not the camera that makes a great photo , it is the nose behind it that does
 
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I purchased the 35mm f1.8 DX lens and it takes very good pictures. It is a fair bit sharper than the kit lens but that also takes good pictures.
 
Another vote for using your kit lens before buying a prime, the kit lens will have Vibration Reduction (VR) which maybe useful if your new to photography. Myself, when I had my first Nikon DX camera and after using the kit lens for a while and looking back at my most used focal length, I bought the 50mm prime as it suited my needs better than the 35mm. Were all different!

Also, maybe worth you having a read of this thread for the 35mm prime use > https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/focus-on-35mm-1-8.599955/
 
Camera finally come through today love it going to stick with the kit lens for a while until I get used to it thanks for all the advice so much to learn!
 
I'll go against the grain slightly and don't understand the consensus that primes help you learn more about composition etc tbh as I take the same time and consideration whichever lens I use, and if I'm using a zoom think how I want the image to look in terms of compression, 'distortion' etc, some things you don't learn with prime. I don't use a zoom because I can't be bothered to move, I use it to get a desired look.

Back to the original question I agree that the kit lens can teach you a lot and it's not necessary to go out and buy lenses before you know what you're doing and which focal lengths you like to use. That being said, some of these fast primes are pretty damn cheap and there's no harm in getting one for the better IQ and subject isolation ;)
 
snerkler said:
I'll go against the grain slightly and don't understand the consensus that primes help you learn more about composition etc tbh as I take the same time and consideration whichever lens I use, and if I'm using a zoom think how I want the image to look in terms of compression, 'distortion' etc, some things you don't learn with prime. I don't use a zoom because I can't be bothered to move, I use it to get a desired look.
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IMVHO some people don't think enough when framing and selecting focal length and settings and I'm as guilty as anyone... so it's always worth trying to think more :D

I use primes myself 99.9% of the time and the main advantages I see are the ability to use wider apertures for creative purposes and being able to shoot at wider apertures for practical purposes when I want a faster shutter speed and/or lower ISO or maybe when I want just the most compact kit. I suppose a good and minimalist kit would be a standard zoom for most stuff and a f1.8 prime for the low light / faster shutter speed / lower ISO / arty DoF stuff :D
 
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