My newest purchase

[JHZR2]

I got this one:

50mm f1.4 lens. There is a 1.8 that is only $100.

I wanted a fixed focal length lens that was really sharp. This seems to be it. I also wanted something that I could use in real low light... I think this will do well.

And I think Ill learn a lot from using it, helping me with composition.

No pics yet, just got back from traveling and started messing with it. Took a few outside, but then realized I was shooting with ISO 1600, and on the D70s, there is too much grain for my liking.

Anyway, next are the big guns, 17-35 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 VR from the FIL. Im also looking at the tokina 11-16 f2.8 but it is a DX lens, which I try to shy away from, in case FX size digital becomes the norm...

Anyway, Im just trying to learn, but I figure its smart to sink $ into glass, as its a durable good, and I need a variety of focal lengths. But this little beauty will be fun for a good while now!

JMH

 

[tom slick]

You'll have fun with it. I have canon's version of the same lens, surprisingly sharp for almost no $$$. It's fun to take hand held low light and very shallow depth of field shots.

Fixed lenses are also a great learning tool for point of view and composition, they make you move around.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Anyway, next are the big guns, 17-35 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 VR from the FIL.


Mmmm, 70-200 f2.8 VR....

I have that len's predecessor, the 80-200 f2.8. Its wonderfully sharp and I would be lost without it.

I know you'll like the 50mm... People rave about its sharpness, small size/light weight, and its ability to shoot wonderful portraits. I have the MF version and still use it quite a bit after I went digital.

I just jumped in with both feet and bought the 17-55 f2.8 zoom; in fact the Visa bill just came yesterday! Its a monster of a lens but its super sharp too and I like the constant aperture. I do most of my shooting in Manual exposure, and like the ability to zoom without having to tweak the f-stop like I'd have to do using one of the variable-aperture zooms.

 

[The_Jeff]

Stuck a used, $20 shipped to my door, series E manual focus 50/1.8 on my D50. As the cliches say, "great portrait lens" when stretched to effectively ~80mm by the smaller digital image sensor.

Only bummer is the newfangled screens in these AF cameras are harder to manually focus on than the older ones.

I am waiting for vivitar or someone to make a 20mm wide angle equivalent for digtal photography, at a reasonable price point. This is the one spot where I can't ebay old used lenses for my camera.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: css9450
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Anyway, next are the big guns, 17-35 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 VR from the FIL.


I just jumped in with both feet and bought the 17-55 f2.8 zoom; in fact the Visa bill just came yesterday! Its a monster of a lens but its super sharp too and I like the constant aperture. I do most of my shooting in Manual exposure, and like the ability to zoom without having to tweak the f-stop like I'd have to do using one of the variable-aperture zooms.



That is what my FIL has, and its a nice lens. I think the 17-35 is better for the long term, since we may not see the DX size sensor for that long... who knows though.

Anyway, great lens, congrats on your purchase. Having used his a few times, I know youll love it!

JMH

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

I am waiting for vivitar or someone to make a 20mm wide angle equivalent for digtal photography, at a reasonable price point. This is the one spot where I can't ebay old used lenses for my camera.

Im looking to get the tokina 11-16 f2.8 when it comes out. At ~$569, its pretty low priced for a decent, sharp 2.8 lens...

JMH

 

[JHZR2]

I tried to take some indoor pictures to see how it would do. The goal was no flash, marginal lighting, relatively wide aperture.

I think that the autofocus between the lens and my D70s is not perfectly exact. I noticed this in some pictures of my wife, which I took in the same room/lighting conditions.

Anyway, they are degraded to low-end jpegs, but they arent too bad. This is a lens that Ill have to learn to use, especially as I approach that f1.4... which was the general idea of making the purchase.