Hey guys, I'm a bit conflicted over which lens to buy. I'm currently an architecture student who mainly needs a shorter lens for indoor shooting of models, projects, and social events. Would the NIkon 50mm lens be better or the 35mm lens, or is there another lens that you would recommend? My price range is preferrably < $300.00.
*edit
Also, I currently have a d5100, but might upgrade to a d7000.
kit lens is 18-55 VR but is not f2.8... While is a good lens o start it is not good for indoor shooting in available light. Probably the best thing is to add a 35/1.8 DX to help with that. D5100 is a good performer in low light so this setup could work for you.
The Sigma 30mm 1.4 is an awesome lens. I had to get mine calibrated initially due to a back-focus issue, but after that it worked flawlessly and I liked the bokeh and build on it better than the Nikon. I ended up selling it for the Nikon 35mm 2.0 when I got my D700, but I do still miss it.
You bet, and if you upgrade to the D7K it has AF fine tune so that blurb about 'well established member'...
(more likely to be honest re: sharpness/AF accuracy) might not matter. GL
Hm, actually I've just been reading some reviews and there seem to be a large percentage of people who are concerned with "front-focusing" and have had to send their lens AND their bodies back to Sigma for calibration. I'm not too sure I'd want to do that, so is there a chance of getting one that is precalibrated for a d5100? I think it's unlikely that I'll upgrade to a d7000 now.
> I currently have the kit lens for the d5100 which is 18-55mm f/3.5 VR
Then you can look at a bunch of your pictures and decide which focal length is best. Download the Opanda EXIF reader or Irfanview so you can look at the focal length embedded in each image.* Only YOU know what focal length is right for the pictures YOU want to take.
> a large percentage of people who are concerned with "front-focusing"
Small f number means critical focusing. Some people discover that all of a sudden with a fast lens they don't get good focus. Sometimes this is a mismatch in tolerances between lens and camera and sometimes it means their technique isn't good enough. Occasionally it may even be a defective lens. EXPECT to have to improve your game if you buy a fast lens.
> is there a chance of getting one that is precalibrated for a d5100
Nope. Your 5100 may be a hair different from somebody else's.
* Be careful you don't get confused with the "focal length in 35 mm equivalent" row.
Between the 35/1.8 and the 30/1.4, I would probably go with the 35/1.8. It is a damn sharp lens all across the frame. The Sigma is damn sharp right in the center, but pretty mushy on the edges and corners. The edge and corner performance of the Sigma never really comes up to the level of the 35/1.8 until f/8. For me, that's a bit of a deal breaker. On a wide lens, I want edge and corner performance. It will help with sharper group shots, and being able to loosen your framing for 3/4 length shots.
The 35/1.8 is also cheaper and can work better on full frame (if you ever go there) than the Sigma.
Alright, thank you. I'm a bit conflicted so I posted a new poll detailing the Nikon vs. Sigma. I don't think I'll be upgrading to a full-frame in the near future, but the sharper edges and lack of focusing issues is appealing.
Between the two I would say the 35mm (which would be about 50mm on DX). However, I think you'd want something even wider for indoor events. Maybe consider a wide fast sigma primes (20, 24, or 28) they show up sometimes around $300 - $350.
Thank you for the advice pbraymond, I'm considering the Sigma 30mm now.
@OccAeon
The kit lens is a bit too dark for my indoor shooting and cannot shoot inside my models very well. I'm an architecture student building models with windows about an inch wide, so I need a lens that can focus to the contents behind the frontal frame.
would a fast lens even be appropriate for that sort of task? I would have thought you'd be stopping down making your need more lights rather than faster lens. Do you have a speedlite or 2?
