Which portrait lens for me?

FreeloaderJoe

FreeloaderJoe

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...at the moment i have a 18-200 VR lens on my D80 for my travel/photojourno'ey work and i want to add another lens to the stable.

I travel alot by motorcycle/bicycle so weight and size are a big factor for me...the smaller the better and the lighter, but i want something SUPER sharp for portraits this summer.

Do i go for the:

Nikon 50mm f1.8 D AF Lens (around £100 at the moment)
Nikon 50mm f1.4 D AF Lens (Around £100 more...seems better build quality and sharper throughout in comparison to the above lens...and if i'm buying a prime i might aswell make sure it's PRIME!)

or

Nikon 50mm f1.4 G AF-S Lens is the only difference between this and number 2 the silent wave motor? £300 ish

Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM - Nikon Fit - Why is this so much more expensfe than any of the Nikkor lens considering Sigma normally make slightly cheaper lens than their Nikon equivlenet. £350

What am i missing?
 
BUT what are the difference betweens the top two Nikons and the bottom two lenses fundementally?
 
Bottom 2 have motors in the lens and will work on any body in the Nikon range.

Top 2 won't AF on the D40 etc
 
PsiFox said:
Bottom 2 have motors in the lens and will work on any body in the Nikon range.

Top 2 won't AF on the D40 etc
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as he's got a D80 with a body motor, I don't suppose that particular fundamental matters to him all that much :)

I must admit, I'm in a similar situation, but I've borrowed a Nikon 50mm f1.8 off a friend, but I've not really had time to test it properly yet. if I like it, I might well look to get one myself, or one of the similar alternatives like the 1.4s.

dave
 
fyonn said:
as he's got a D80 with a body motor, I don't suppose that particular fundamental matters to him all that much :)
Click to expand...

Well, the OP did want to know what the fundamental difference was. ;)
 
Flash In The Pan said:
You might also consider a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 or the new Nikon 35mm f/1.8
Click to expand...

Agreed, great length on a crop sensor.

FreeloaderJoe said:
Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM - Nikon Fit - Why is this so much more expensfe than any of the Nikkor lens considering Sigma normally make slightly cheaper lens than their Nikon equivlenet
Click to expand...

The Sigma is a premium lens, of that there can be no doubt. I think they basically went all out to make a viable (albeit costly) alternative to the big manufacturers' 50mm primes.

If your requirements are not restricted by indoor space, you might want to consider the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 - a very nice portrait lens IMHO.
 
Maybe an odd one to chuck in but what about the sigma 17-70f2.8 good for nice wides and good for portraits best of both worlds and light in the bag
 
5omm 1.8
 
I used the 50mm f1.8 on the D80 for about a year. It's a great lens and gives good sharp results and generally is excellent value for money.

The only downsides for me is the fixed focal length can make it difficult to get the composition/frame you need in certain situations (where space is at a premium and you can't safely move about while shooting) and the auto-focus is quite noisy, which some may find annoying.

The 50mm f1.8 is light and small so would be well suited to your requirements.

Just my personal experience from using this lens.
 
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